Tag: John Navarre

Ranking Michigan’s Quarterbacks

Drew Henson (image via Detroit News)

This was originally posted on March 17, 2017. It has been updated following the 2022 season.

Sports fans love to debate the greatness of players and rank them in order from most revered to most despised. And while despised probably doesn’t fit any of these players, since they played for the University of Michigan, we all have our favorites. I have endeavored to achieve the un-possible: Rank all of Michigan’s starting quarterbacks.

Okay, that’s too tall of a task for me right now. I’m working up to it. So I’m only going back to 1995, which was the beginning of the Lloyd Carr era. That’s the earliest full coaching tenure where I can count on my recollections of Michigan football. I was a big fan of Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller, and the Michigan Wolverines before then, but I’ll be damned if I say I was aware enough to understand what was happening on the field.

This ranking only takes into account what the quarterbacks achieved wearing the winged helmet. High school highlight tapes and NFL performance aren’t taken into account. (After all, we can agree that Tom Brady is far and away the best quarterback who ever played the game of football, and that includes Uncle Rico.)

So if you were starting a season with your pick of any Michigan QB since 1995, which one would you take?

On with the show:

read more

All-Time Season Passing Yardage Leaders

Previously I posted all the single-game passing yardage leaders (LINK). Today we look at the season passing yardage leaders.

Hit the jump for the list.

Michigan’s 10 Longest Plays vs. Iowa

Michigan joined what is now the Big Ten conference in 1896 and Iowa followed in 1899, but in that long span (albeit some years without official statistics), there have been a lot of big plays. Hayden Fry got Iowa’s program going in the right direction during the 1980s and 1990s, and Kirk Ferentz has continued that trend since.

1. Tyrone Wheatley 82-yard rushing touchdown (1992)
2. John Navarre 77-yard pass to Tyrece Butler (2001)
3. John Navarre 71-yard pass to Jason Avant (2003)
4. Jim Maddock 65-yard touchdown pass to Ron Kramer (1955)
5. Jim Pace 65-yard punt return touchdown (1957)
6. Steve Breaston 64-yard kickoff return (2006)
7. Rick Leach 63-yard touchdown pass to Russell Davis (1977)
8. Jim Maddock 60-yard touchdown pass to Ron Maentz (1955)
9. Jamie Morris 60-yard kickoff return (1985)
10. Elvis Grbac 59-yard pass to Yale VanDyne (1991)

Hit the jump for video if the first couple plays.

All-Time Season Passing Attempts Leaders

As Michigan and the modern football world keep inching together, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the school’s all-time leaders in passing attempts. This 2020 season probably won’t break many records due to the shortened schedule, but if Michigan were playing 12 or 13 games this year . . . look out!

Hit the jump for more.

Video: John Navarre tribute