Michigan’s 10 Longest Plays vs. Minnesota

Tag: Karan Higdon


2Oct 2023
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Michigan’s 10 Longest Plays vs. Minnesota

Steve Breaston

Michigan has played Minnesota 104 times throughout history and has a 76-25-3 record against the Golden Gophers. They first played in 1892, and the winner of the game after each meeting earns the Little Brown Jug Trophy.

Here are the longest plays for Michigan in the history of the rivalry:

  1. Steve Breaston 95-yard kickoff return TD (2005)
  2. Chris Howard 86-yard TD run (1996)
  3. Gilvanni Johnson 85-yard punt return TD (1985)
  4. Carlos Brown 85-yard TD run (2007)
  5. Darrell Harper 84-yard punt return TD (1959)
  6. Courtney Avery 83-yard fumble return TD (2011)
  7. Karan Higdon 77-yard TD run (2017)
  8. Tom Brady 76-yard TD pass to Tai Streets (1998)
  9. Lowell Perry 75-yard punt return TD (1951)
  10. Steve Smith 75-yard TD run (1983)
  11. Scott Dreisbach 75-yard TD pass to Amani Toomer (1995)

Hit the jump for videos of Breaston and Brown.

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3Sep 2020
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Michigan Running Backs Compared to the Rest of the Big Ten

Karan Higdon (image via MGoBlue)

Maybe I’m biased after growing up in the heyday of the running back. When I was a kid, I remember playing video games with superstar running backs like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, and Bo Jackson. I also grew up at a time when the Michigan running back was a stud, with guys like Tony Boles, Tyrone Wheatley, and Tim Biakabatuka.

So I can be a harsh critic of running backs, and I am. Numerous times over the years, I have criticized either Michigan’s depth chart – I wanted backups to play more – or even the overall talent at the position. That has engendered endless back-and-forth arguments in the comments, which you have probably seen if you ventured down below any post that mentions the word “running back.”

This post may inflame that discussion, but I truly believe this little study illuminates my issue with running backs. It was suggested by a poster that all-conference honors could point to a flaw in my position, which is:

Running back has been a weakness at Michigan since Hart graduated.

Hit the jump for more.

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17Aug 2020
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Ranking Michigan’s Running Backs

Tim Biakabutuka

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I went through the process of ranking Michigan’s quarterbacks (LINK), which created a lot of debate. This has been in the works for a long time, but here’s a look at my ranking of running backs, going back to the beginning of the Lloyd Carr era.

To be considered for this list, a running back must have started at least ten games in a Michigan uniform*, which roughly equals one full season’s worth of starts with some wiggle room for being banged up a little bit.

*There are two exceptions to this for different reasons, which you’ll see in the post.

Hit the jump.

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3Aug 2020
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All-Harbaugh Team: Offense

Jake Butt (image via Bleacher Report)

Thanks to Joe for the generous Paypal contribution over the weekend! It was much appreciated. After getting paid by Amazon, AdSense, etc. for the month of June, that was actually the roughest financial month since I started keeping track in August 2012 . . . and the second worst month in that span was April 2020. That’s fitting, of course, since we’re in the middle of a pandemic and a recession and everything. Anyway, if you would like to contribute, here’s the link:

I like to take a look back at the careers of Michigan’s recent coaches and see which players had the best seasons. After five years at Michigan’s helm, it’s time for a look at Jim Harbaugh’s tenure in Ann Arbor.

QUARTERBACK: 2015 Jake Rudock
Rudock, a former starter at Iowa, decided to grad transfer to Michigan for his final year of eligibility. Unlike some grad transfers who spend the spring at their new school, Rudock did not practice with Michigan until fall camp. Through seven weeks of the season, Rudock threw for 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. But when he heated up toward the end of the season, he really heated up. Over the final six contests, he threw 15 touchdowns and just 3 picks on his way to a 10-3 overall record in Harbaugh’s first year. His final stats included 249/389 (64.0%) on completions, 3017 yards, 20 touchdowns, 9 interceptions; he also ran for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Hit the jump for more.

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11Feb 2020
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Class of 2015: By the Numbers

Tyree Kinnel (image via The Wolverine)

Thanks to the following people for their immediate and generous donations to the Flywheel-payoff efforts (LINK): George, Javier, John, Josh, Pat, Paul, Peter, and Scott! You have combined to knock out $270 of the $1,250 hosting fee as of Monday evening.

With the class of 2015’s redshirt seniors having wrapped up their careers, I wanted to quantify what that class of players contributed to Michigan on the field. There were 14 total players who signed National Letters of Intent for the Jim Harbaugh/Brady Hoke combo class.

Hit the jump.

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