History of Fumbles and INT Returns for a Michigan TD
Back awhile ago I did a post from the SuperGuide-Record Book on Kickoff and Punt returns for TDs and said I'd do INTs and Fumble returns for a part 2.
Here it is.
Every interception and fumble returned for a Michigan TD since stats became official in 1948.
INT Returns for a TD
Record when accomplished: 40-5-1
Date |
Player |
Yards |
Opponent |
Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
11/11/1950 |
Harry Allis |
32 |
vs Indiana |
W 20-7 |
10/8/1955 |
Mike Rotunno |
81 |
vs #6 Army |
W 26-2 |
10/5/1957 |
Mike Shatusky |
56 |
vs Georgia |
W 26-0 |
10/4/1958 |
Gary Prahst |
42 |
at #14 Michigan State |
T 12-12 |
10/18/1958 |
Gary Prahst |
33 |
at #17 Northwestern |
L 24-55 |
9/30/1961 |
Ken Tureaud |
92 |
vs #9 UCLA |
W 29-6 |
11/4/1961 |
Bennie McRae |
34 |
vs Duke |
W 28-14 |
11/2/1963 |
John Henderson |
23 |
vs Northwestern |
W 27-6 |
9/28/1968 |
Marty Huff |
44 |
vs Duke |
W 31-10 |
10/19/1968 |
Jerry Hartman |
62 |
at #19 Indiana |
W 27-22 |
11/2/1968 |
Dan Parks |
50 |
at Northwestern |
W 35-0 |
11/8/1969 |
Bruce Elliott |
40 |
at Illinois |
W 57-0 |
9/25/1971 |
Thom Darden |
92 |
vs UCLA |
W 38-0 |
10/30/1971 |
Thom Darden |
60 |
vs Indiana |
W 61-7 |
9/30/1972 |
Randy Logan |
32 |
vs #18 Tulane |
W 41-7 |
10/28/1972 |
Dave Brown |
68 |
vs Minnesota |
W 42-0 |
10/18/1975 |
Tom Seabron |
40 |
vs Northwestern |
W 69-0 |
10/18/1975 |
Dave Devich |
23 |
vs Northwestern |
W 69-0 |
9/25/1976 |
Calvin O’Neal |
29 |
vs Navy |
W 70-14 |
10/9/1976 |
Jerry Zuver |
60 |
vs Michigan State |
W 42-10 |
10/1/1977 |
Mike Jolly |
50 |
vs #5 Texas A&M |
W 41-3 |
11/12/1977 |
Dominic Tedesco |
30 |
at Purdue |
W 40-7 |
10/23/1982 |
Keith Bostic |
54 |
at Northwestern |
W 49-14 |
10/5/1985 |
Garland Rivers |
27 |
vs Wisconsin |
W 33-6 |
10/7/1989 |
Lance Dottin |
22 |
vs Wisconsin |
W 24-0 |
9/29/1990 |
Martin Davis |
27 |
vs Maryland |
W 45-17 |
9/7/1991 |
Lance Dottin |
50 |
at Boston College |
W 35-13 |
1/1/1994 |
Clarence Thompson |
43 |
NC State |
W 42-7 |
9/30/1995 |
Chuck Winters |
36 |
vs Miami University |
W 38-19 |
11/22/1997 |
Andre Weathers |
43 |
vs #4 Ohio State |
W 20-14 |
9/19/1998 |
William Peterson |
51 |
vs Eastern Michigan |
W 59-20 |
9/19/1998 |
Anthony Jordan |
32 |
vs Eastern Michigan |
W 59-20 |
1/1/1999 |
Ian Gold |
46 |
#11 Arkansas |
W 45-31 |
1/1/1999 |
James Whitley |
26 |
#11 Arkansas |
W 45-31 |
11/18/2000 |
Julius Curry |
50 |
at #12 Ohio State |
W 38-26 |
9/14/2002 |
Marlin Jackson |
19 |
at #20 Notre Dame |
L 23-25 |
9/27/2003 |
Jeremy LeSueur |
60 |
vs Indiana |
W 31-17 |
10/10/2003 |
Jacob Stewart |
34 |
at #17 Minnesota |
W 38-35 |
9/4/2004 |
Ernest Shazor |
88 |
vs Miami University |
W 43-10 |
9/25/2004 |
Grant Mason |
25 |
vs Iowa |
W 30-17 |
9/9/2006 |
Max Pollock |
12 |
vs Central Michigan |
W 41-17 |
9/16/2006 |
Prescott Burgess |
31 |
at #2 Notre Dame |
W 47-21 |
9/27/2008 |
John Thompson |
25 |
vs #9 Wisconsin |
W 27-25 |
10/10/2009 |
Donovan Warren |
40 |
at #12 Iowa |
L 28-30 |
9/3/2011 |
Brandon Herron |
94 |
vs Western Michigan |
W 34-10 |
10/6/2012 |
Raymon Taylor |
63 |
at Purdue |
W 44-13 |
10/5/2013 |
Blake Countess |
72 |
vs Minnesota |
W 42-13 |
11/23/2013 |
Brennen Beyer |
7 |
at Iowa |
L 21-24 |
9/20/2014 |
Willie Henry |
7 |
vs Utah |
L 10-26 |
Date |
Player |
Yards |
Opponent |
Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
11/1/1952 |
Tony Branoff |
0 |
vs Illinois |
L 13-22 |
9/11/1971 |
Dave Rather |
0 |
at Northwestern |
W 21-6 |
10/25/2003 |
Markus Curry |
2 |
vs Purdue |
W 31-3 |
9/18/2004 |
Lawrence Reid |
5 |
vs San Diego State |
W 24-21 |
10/29/2005 |
Leon Hall |
83 |
at Northwestern |
W 33-17 |
9/16/2006 |
LaMarr Woodley |
54 |
at #2 Notre Dame |
W 47-21 |
11/14/2009 |
Ryan Van Bergen |
14 |
at #21 Wisconsin |
L 24-45 |
11/13/2010 |
Cam Gordon |
58 |
at Purdue |
W 27-16 |
9/3/2011 |
Brandon Herron |
29 |
vs Western Michigan |
W 34-10 |
10/1/2011 |
Courtney Avery |
83 |
vs Minnesota |
W 58-0 |
10/12/2013 |
Frank Clark |
24 |
at Penn State |
L 40-43 4OT |
August 12th, 2015 at 10:32 PM ^
Haha, and 9 of those 11 fumbles for TD's came in the past 12 years.
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August 12th, 2015 at 10:44 PM ^
I remember that Leon Hall one like it was yesterday. I remember being kinda worried about that game because Northwestern was scoring a ton of points that year.
That long run back that seemed like it took forever as Morgan Trent followed him on a convoy under the dark skies with the helmets shining in the light.
God I want the season to get here already.
The Brandon Herron returns were hilarious. He had a historic day where he became the first player to ever return* an INT and fumble in the same game and then he faded back into obscurity after.
*I'm sure it was done pre-1948, but there aren't complete records going back further than 1948, so 1948 is the first year stats are considered official.
August 13th, 2015 at 1:54 PM ^
The rules were changed in I believe 1992 to allow the defensive player to advance a fumble from anywhere on the field. (Which doesn't explain the period from 1992 to 2002, but we only had three interceptions for touchdowns in the eighties, too, so go figure.)
I'm not exactly sure what the old rules were; obviously it did happen prior to 1992. The ball may have needed to not touch the ground, which would make returns much rarer. I also googled something about the ball needing to be past the line of scrimmage, which does not ring a bell with me. That would also make returns for touchdowns less likely, as the offense would usually be between the recovering defensive player and the end zone.
August 12th, 2015 at 10:40 PM ^
that the 97 defense only scored one TD
August 12th, 2015 at 10:52 PM ^
(Pun intended). Willie Henry has more pick 6s than Woodson.
August 12th, 2015 at 11:08 PM ^
Shit, I never even thought of that that he didn't have any pick sixes
August 13th, 2015 at 1:05 AM ^
The reason the list is so short for fumble returns is because college football didn't allow fumbles to be advanced (for offense or defense) until 1989. So I'm not sure what the deal is with the 1952 Illinois and 1971 Northwestern games listed.
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August 13th, 2015 at 1:25 AM ^
No advancement necessary.
August 13th, 2015 at 9:03 AM ^
You're right. My bad.
August 13th, 2015 at 11:47 AM ^
That's 100 percent correct, at least in the case of Northwestern 1971. My recollection is that Michigan attempted a long FG and Northwestern had a player back in the end zone--like Auburn did against Alabama leading up to their "kick 6" return.
The Northwestern player in the end zone jumped and blocked Michigan's FG attempt at the cross bar, as was legal at the time, but an alert Michigan player (Bo Rather) was sprinting downfield and jumped on the ball right there in the end zone before the Northwestern player could get to it.
August 13th, 2015 at 12:28 PM ^
Fumbles could be returned/TD's prior to 1989:
1. Fumbles recovered in end zone as Newtopos stated.
B. Fumbles recovered before they hit the ground could be advanced.
August 13th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^
I think if you were to look at the highlights, if there are any, you would find that Calvin O'Neil's touchdown against Navy in 1976 was actually not an interception, but an intercepted lateral, one that should count as a fumble return than an interception return. Obviously, the statistician recorded it as an INT, but I recall a lateral that was grabbed before the Navy halfback could catch it.
August 13th, 2015 at 12:44 PM ^
during the 1989-present era. Most of them were short, only six with double-digit return yards.
At the risk of going there, it seemed like Carr's teams were coached to fall on fumble returns and play it pretty safe with interception returns. I can only think of one interception return, by Marlin Jackson (?), that led to a fumble by the returner. It seemed a shame, especially when the offense played so conservatively that points were at a premium.
The Citrus Bowl against Arkansas with two pick-sixes was memorable. Charles Drake had a great, weaving INT return against Illinois in 2002, covering 46 yards in the middle of the field. Phil Brabbs recovered a fumble after kicking off near the end of that same game, grabbing the ball at about the 24 and getting tackled near the pylon.
August 13th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
Was hoping for video/gif highlights
August 13th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^
I think there's a few in here with some other defensive scores...
August 13th, 2015 at 2:23 PM ^
Oh, that is an absolute JOY to watch at this time of year while we wait for the season to start.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:16 PM ^
Even from 1989 util 1992 the defense could not return a fumble unless it happened behond the line of scrimmage. So a botched handoff in the backfield could not be returned until 1992.
Laterals and pitchouts that are dropped in the backfield are considered muffs, not fumbles, and cannot be advanced. They are treated like a muffed punt.
August 13th, 2015 at 5:00 PM ^
I'm surprised there wasn't more. There will be a few of these to add this season.
August 14th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
Perhaps the derth of returned fumbles and pick 6's has to do with the field. as in the way that college football isn't played in the middle of the field like the NFL. The angles to get around players the mass of players would be weird, plus you're probably closer to a sideline and can get pinned in .... idk, just "thinking outloud"
August 14th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
Perhaps the derth of returned fumbles and pick 6's has to do with the field. as in the way that college football isn't played in the middle of the field like the NFL. The angles to get around players the mass of players would be weird, plus you're probably closer to a sideline and can get pinned in .... idk, just "thinking outloud"
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