Last week I posted about the longest runs in Michigan history (LINK).
Now we’re going to look at the longest passes in Michigan history:
- 97 yards – Ryan Mallett to Mario Manningham (2007 vs. Wisconsin)
- 93 yards – Cade McNamara to Andrel Anthony, Jr. (2021 vs. Michigan State)
- 90 yards – Todd Collins to Derrick Alexander (1993 vs. Illinois)
- 87 yards – Cade McNamara to Cornelius Johnson (2021 vs. Northern Illinois)
- 84 yards – Devin Gardner to Jeremy Gallon (2013 vs. Ohio State)
- 83 yards – Rick Leach to Jim Smith (1975 vs. Purdue)
- 81 yards – Drew Henson to Marcus Knight (1999 vs. Michigan State)
- 79 yards – Shea Patterson to Donovan Peoples-Jones (2018 vs. Michigan State)
- 77 yards – Jim Harbaugh to John Kolesar (1985 vs. Ohio State)
- 77 yards – John Navarre to Tyrece Butler (2001 vs. Iowa)
- 77 yards – Denard Robinson to Junior Hemingway (2011 vs. Notre Dame)
- 76 yards – Rick Leach to Curt Stephenson (1977 vs. Washington)
- 76 yards – Tom Brady to Tai Streets (1998 vs. Minnesota)
- 76 yards – Tate Forcier to Roy Roundtree (2009 vs. Illinois)
- 76 yards – Shea Patterson to Nico Collins (2019 vs. Indiana)
- 76 yards – Cade McNamara to Ronnie Bell (2021 vs. Western Michigan)
- 75 yards – Brian Griese to Amani Toomer (1995 vs. Minnesota)
- 75 yards – Drew Henson to Marquise Walker (2000 vs. Indiana)
- 75 yards – Denard Robinson to Roy Roundtree (2010 vs. Illinois)
- 75 yards – Devin Gardner to Roy Roundtree (2012 vs. Ohio State)
- 74 yards – Denard Robinson to Roy Roundtree (2010 vs. Indiana)
- 72 yards – Dave Glinka to Bennie McRae (1961 vs. Purdue)
- 71 yards – Ted Topor to Lowell Perry (1951 vs. Minnesota)
- 71 yards – John Wangler to Doug Marsh (1979 vs. Wisconsin)*
- 71 yards – Steve Smith to Anthony Carter (1981 vs. Notre Dame)
- 71 yards – John Navarre to Jason Avant (2003 vs. Iowa)
- 71 yards – Denard Robinson to Jeremy Gallon (2012 vs. Alabama)
- 71 yards – Denard Robinson to Jeremy Gallon (2012 vs. Illinois)
- 71 yards – Shea Patterson to Ronnie Bell (2019 vs. Illinois)
- 70 yards – Terry Barr to Ron Kramer (1956 vs. UCLA)
- 70 yards – Drew Henson to Anthony Thomas (2000 vs. Ohio State)
- 70 yards – Denard Robinson to Junior Hemingway (2010 vs. Indiana)
- 70 yards – Devin Gardner to Jeremy Gallon (2013 vs. Indiana)
These are all the passes of 70+ yards in Michigan history.
The quarterbacks who appear the most: Denard Robinson (6 times), Devin Gardner (3), and Shea Patterson (3).
The receivers who appear the most: Roy Roundtree and Jeremy Gallon (4 times each).
The only non-wide receivers on the list are: RB Bennie McRae, RB Anthony Thomas, and TE Ron Kramer.
Here’s Mallett-to-Manningham for #1 on the list:
And here’s Derrick Alexander’s 90-yarder from Todd Collins:
And now the #3 longest from Cade McNamara to Cornelius Johnson:
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Well, I really hate to admit this, but I was there for the Ricky Leach to Jim Smith hookup. Jim Smith is a way under appreciated Wolverine and is the one guy in Michigan football history I would put with Jabrill Peppers when it comes to fielding and returning punts.
1981 was supposed to be our year and we were all pumped. We opened on the road at Wisconsin as the #1 team in the nation. Steve Smith sucked, Camp Randall rocked and we lost our first game to Wisconsin in 20 or 30 years … that might be an exaggeration.
Notre Dame came to Ann Arbor ranked as the new #1 team in the nation. Steve Smith was pretty solid with the above 71 yarder on a 3rd down and way long pass to AC who just blew past a safety that was supposed to be taking away the inside route. Smith followed that with a dink to AC who made an ND cornerback look just completely helpless with a shake that went for another touchdown.
Then we lose at home to Iowa who also beat us for the first time in forever in front of just an enormous crowd in another game where Steve Smith was not awesome.
Then we lose at home again to the Buckeyes in front of what I believe to be the then biggest crowd in the history of Michigan football. And of course, the morons wanted to fire Bo because “he couldn’t win the big games”.
I also saw ‘Little Jimmy Harbaugh” hook up with John Kolesar in 85. Those guys were awful tough on the Buckeyes. Bo was right, Harbaugh stood in there and delivered a perfect ball with a free running safety about to hit him in the mouth. Huge cajones on that guy. It was delirium.
What’s real funny here is that I can hardly remember my kid’s names.
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Pretty amazing what a mediocre passer like Denard could accomplish in the way of downfield passing simply by forcing your safeties up into defending the running game.
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speed kills. at QB.
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