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𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑳𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒅 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒓

September 3, 2026

The fourth installment of this series examining the first games of Michigan coaches takes us to 1995. Before the season even began, 1995 had been a tumultuous year for Michigan. Gary Moeller resigned due to an off-field incident, and athletic director Joe Roberson hired defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr, but only on an interim basis.

Carr was thoroughly qualified to be a head coach, having served as Michigan’s defensive coordinator since 1987. In addition, Carr had been assistant head coach for the past five seasons. Nothing about the job would surprise him.

Still, the offseason left Michigan followers with an uneasy feeling, which only got worse when the Virginia Cavaliers jumped out to a 17-0 lead on a brutally hot day in the Pigskin Classic at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan followers, both fans and alumni, couldn’t be blamed for fearing the worst. Michigan was facing a large deficit in a season opener at Michigan Stadium. That’s not the sort of start that develops a lot of confidence.

Gradually, Carr’s Wolverines began to make plays, notably Mercury Hayes, who wrestled a ball away from a defensive back when the game seemed all but lost. Hayes’ tenacity ignited a spark in his teammates, who fought back with what felt like a sense of anger. Was there enough time left for them to pull off a miracle?

With time left for just one play, Michigan had the ball at Virginia’s 15-yard line. Scott Dreisbach faded back and threw a fade pass into the far corner of the north end zone. Hayes caught the ball, and managed to get one foot in bounds. Just like that, Michigan won. The only time Michigan had the lead was when time had run out. In one play, Hayes made himself a name for the ages among the Michigan faithful, and the Wolverines had won arguably the most exciting season opener in their illustrious history.

The victory also proved to be an outstanding first step for Carr’s Wolverines, and by November, the interim tag been removed from his title. Lloyd Carr was head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and he was here to stay.

By now it’s common knowledge that Carr led the Wolverines to heights they had not achieved in decades. At the time, it required a leap of faith. After a win like that, Michigan supporters were more than happy to put a little faith in Lloyd Carr.
𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑩𝒐 𝑾𝒉𝒐?

September 2, 2026

The third installment takes us back to 1969. The previous season would have been considered quite successful by many teams, but a season-ending loss left a bitter feeling for the Michigan football community. Bump Elliott resigned following the 1968 season, and athletic director Don Canham needed to replace him. Numerous coaches and university officials throughout college football sang the praises of Bo Schembechler, prompting Canham to hire him. Few at Michigan knew who Schembechler was, and a local newspaper ran the headline, “Bo Who?”

The Michigan players learned about Bo very quickly. He ran grueling practices that prompted players to question their life decisions. Many simply gave up, but others stayed, and formed the nucleus of a team that would make 1969 one of the most memorable seasons in Michigan history.

Bo also benefited from a talented core of returning players. Elliott might have had difficulty winning certain games, but he built a solid roster, and Bo made the most of it. Michigan benefited from standout performers including tight end Jim Mandich and running back Billy Taylor, as well as scrappy players like nose tackle Henry Hill.

The modern era of Michigan football began on Sept. 20, 1969. Vanderbilt emerged from the tunnel first, but Michigan scored first when Garvie Craw scored on a 1-yard run. In the second quarter, Glenn Doughty took a handoff, broke several tackles and ran 80 yards for a Michigan touchdown to increase the Wolverines’ lead to 14-0. Michigan won, 42-14, and left no doubt that the Wolverines were in good hands with Schembechler at the helm. There were several bumps on the road as the season unfolded, but Bo’s vision for his team was clear: The Wolverines would run when they had the ball, and stop the run on defense.

The 1969 Wolverines would go on to earn one of the biggest victories in the history of Michigan football. For now, it was enough that the Schembechler era got off to a good start. Other goals would be accomplished in due time.
𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝑹𝒐𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒛 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

August 31, 2026

The second installment of this week’s series looking at the first games of Michigan head coaches takes us to 2008. The college football landscape was starting to change, and veteran Michigan coach Lloyd Carr had just retired. Michigan had recently hired Bill Martin as athletic director, and he was charged with fixing the financial woes of the department, among other things.

Martin also inherited the task of hiring a new coach, an exercise that turned out to be one of the most curious coaching searches in the university’s history. The name of Les Miles popped up several times, usually with dubious sources. For a few hours, it seemed Michigan found its head coach in Greg Schiano, but the Rutgers coach reconsidered and removed his name from consideration.

Finally, Michigan settled on West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, who had led several successful teams in recent years. His offensive approach favored the spread option, a strategy that Michigan defenses had found challenging to stop, at times. Defense was a different matter entirely. Rodriguez placed little focus on defense, leaving that matter to his defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, who chose not to join Rodriguez on the new Michigan coaching staff. Instead, Rodriguez hired Scott Shafer. Sadly, the union of Rodriguez and Shafer seemed doomed from the start.

In fact, the entire Michigan community seemed split on Rodriguez. Some welcomed a daring excursion toward what they deemed a new frontier. Others regretted the departure from many Michigan traditions. The split in the football community was punctuated by the departure of offensive lineman Justin Boren, who transferred to archrival Ohio State, a move that stunned and angered many among the Michigan faithful.

Nonetheless, on Sept. 3, 2008, with Michigan Stadium undergoing a visible expansion, the Rich Rodriguez era dawned under sunny skies, and optimism was prevalent. It didn’t last long.

Michigan’s opponent, Utah, was coached by Kyle Whittingham, now a familiar name for Michigan fans and alumni. Whittingham was Utah’s defensive coordinator when the Utes visited Michigan Stadium in 2002. On that day, Michigan won a defensive struggle against Utah. This time, the Wolverines would not be so fortunate.

Rodriguez initially chose Nick Sheridan to run the offense, but Sheridan threw an interception into coverage, and Rodriguez insert Steven Threet into the game. Slowly, Michigan fought back. Trailing 25-10, the Wolverines got a hand on a Utah punt in the fourth quarter, giving them good field position. Then Threet found Hemingway in the corner of the south end zone, and Michigan was back in the game. Freshman running back Sam McGuffie scored on a 3-yard run, leaving Michigan behind by just two points. Needing a 2-point conversion, Threet threw to Toney Clemons in the back of the end zone, but the pass was just a little too high. Finally, on a desperate fourth down, Threet threw to Daryl Stonum on the sideline, but again, the pass was too high, and Utah outlasted Michigan, 25-23.

Michigan’s comeback showcased the potential of the Rodriguez offense, but things never truly jelled during the Rodriguez era, which lasted just three years. Kyle Whittingham went on to lead Utah to a perfect season that year. Wouldn’t it be nice if he accomplished the same feat this year?
𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌: 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒌𝒆’𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉

August 30, 2026

The first installment in this week’s series on the first games of new Michigan coaches takes us back to 2011. Michigan was ready for a fresh start, and the Wolverines got a fresh hero in Brandon Herron.

Priot to that game, few among the Michigan faithful had even heard of Herron. The senior linebacker from Dallas, Texas had mostly toiled in anonymity during his time in Ann Arbor, but the hiring of Brady Hoke as head coach signaled a return to Michigan’s core football approach, which included a heavy focus on defense.

Still, midway through the second quarter, the Wolverines looked surprisingly sluggish, possibly due to a 30-minute weather-related stoppage. Western Michigan was threatening to take the lead for the second time, and the Wolverines were obviously in need of a spark. Freshman linebacker Jake Ryan blitzed and got just a piece of the ball, which landed in the waiting hands of Herron. Escorted by a squad of blockers, Herron made his way 94 yards into the south end zone of Michigan Stadium, and the Wolverines produced their first signature play of the 2011 season.

From that point, Michigan methodically increased its lead to 34-10, punctuated by Herron’s second score of the game, when safety Jordan Kovacs forced a fumble that Herron gleefully returned 29 yards for a touchdown. With 1:27 left in the third quarter, ominous weather prompted officials from both schools to call the game, and for the first time in school history, weather forced an early end to a Michigan football game.

After a slow start, Hoke’s first game as head coach produced a thoroughly Schembechler-esque domination. Kovacs led the defense with 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Fitzgerald Toussaint was showcased as the team’s featured running back in a return to a traditional smashmouth Michigan running game, and quarterback Denard Robinson completed all five of his passes, foreshadowing a legendary performance just a week later.

Most important of all, Hoke earned a victory in his first game as head coach, returning the team to its hardnosed roots, which would pay dividends later in the season.
𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑺, 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑮𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑶𝑻𝑩𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷 𝑬𝑫𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵*

January 19, 2026

Indiana 28, Miami 21 (IU -7.5; O/U: 47.5)

𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝟐𝟕, 𝐌𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝟐𝟏 (𝐰𝐢𝐧)

Finally, we’ve reached the championship game of a painfully long college football season. It’s clear that college football is no longer amateur football, and the players aren’t interested in singing the alma mater anymore. Then again, how many people know the lyrics to their school’s alma mater?

Bottom line, I think Indiana will win, but Miami will make the Hoosiers sweat a little more than they usually do. It’s not just Fernando Mendoza. Every player on Indiana’s squad will do small things to contribute to the victory. Miami will be able to run the ball enough to limit Indiana’s time of possession, but the Hoosiers are simply too methodical to lose the game. There it is. I think Indiana wins the game, but Miami beats the spread—slightly.

(Season record against the spread: 24 wins, 20 losses, 1, push. .544 winning percentage)

(Final season record against the spread: 25 wins, 20 losses, 1 push. .554 winning percentage)

*-𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 1968: 𝑩𝒐 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒖𝒑

January 12, 2026

On Dec. 27, 1968, the world was significantly different. In any major city, people would walk up to a newsstand, pick up their morning paper, pay a few coins, and depart with their paper to read the day’s news. Lyndon B. Johnson was still the president, but Richard M. Nixon had been elected just the previous month. On the radio, we were listening to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye, and the Ford Mustang was still one of the most popular cars, for those in the market for a new car.

In Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines were in the market for a new football coach. They found one, and hired Bo Schembechler that day to lead their football team.

Long before ESPN and the Internet made coaching searches part of the daily routine, few fans and alumni knew who Bo was. He wasn’t a stranger for long. His training camp came as a shock for many. Practices were grueling and players left in droves.

Still, Bo inherited a roster that was stocked with many talented players, and his tough training camp forged a determination in the team.

The Wolverines started the season in an up-and-down manner, but by the Ohio State game, the team began to jell. On a chilly afternoon in late November, the changes implemented by Bo paid off, and the Wolverines had earned a trip to the Rose Bowl with a historic victory over the Buckeyes.

Some changes aren’t always that comfortable. Kyle Whittingham may do some things that threaten the status quo. In the long run, that might just be a good thing.
𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑺, 12/30/25, 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑮𝑰𝑨𝑻𝑬 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺*

December 30, 2025

Illinois 33, Tennessee 30 (T -3.5; O/U: 61.5)

𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐒 𝟑𝟎, 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝟐𝟖 (𝐰𝐢𝐧)

Duke 27, Arizona State 24 (D -3.5; O/U: 49.5)

𝐃𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝟒𝟐, 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟑𝟗 (𝐰𝐢𝐧)

(Season record before the weekend: 22 wins, 20 losses, 1 push. .523 winning percentage)

(Season record after the weekend: 24 wins, 20 losses, 1 push. .544 winning percentage)

*-𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝑲𝒀𝑳𝑬 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑯𝑨𝑴: 𝑨 𝑵𝑬𝑾 𝑫𝑨𝒀

December 29, 2025

It’s been several months since my last blog post, and the world has changed considerably for Michigan football. The loss to Ohio State was dreadful, but expected. Then came the bombshell regarding Sherrone Moore. There’s nothing I could add that hasn’t already been said, so I’ll leave that alone.

The last month has involved a coaching search that sparked a range of emotions among Michigan fans and alumni. Early on, Kalen DeBoer was mentioned. DeBoer’s name was closely connected with the Michigan job a few years ago. Bottom line, he still isn’t the Michigan coach.

Kenny Dillingham’s name was mentioned, as well. Frankly, I wasn’t impressed with Dillingham. Maybe it’s just my opinion, but he didn’t seem to place much focus on defense.

There were several other names tossed around, but the one that always made the most sense to me was Kyle Whittingham. As a Michigan fan with a long memory, I remember his Utah teams beat Michigan teams coached by Rich Rodriguez, Brady Hoke, and Jim Harbaugh. In September 2002 he was the defensive coordinator at Utah, and his defense gave up 361 yards to Michigan, but allowed only 10 points, as the Wolverines topped the Utes 10-7. The game featured a pair of defensive masterminds, Whittingham and veteran Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann. Whittingham’s Utah defense gave Michigan a tremendous battle, but the Maize & Blue eked out the win. At the time, most Michigan folks felt pretty good about the direction of the Michigan football program.

Following each of those games, particularly the three in which Whittingham was Utah’s head coach, I was very impressed with his coaching abilities. There are moments when fans stop gnashing their teeth after a loss long enough to say, “Hey, that other team was pretty good.” That’s how I felt about Whittingham and those Utah teams. After each loss to Utah, I thought “Gee, I wish that guy was on our side.”

Now, he is.

The road ahead won’t be easy for Michigan. There’s a lot of hard work in the next few months, and the college football landscape is changing rapidly. There are plenty of challenges. Whittingham Is 66. Many players have difficulty relating to an older coach. NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) continues to alter the mindset of players. Finally, coach Whittingham doesn’t exactly have a lot of recruiting ties to the Midwest. Each one of things could pose some difficulty.

Nonetheless, I think Michigan made a spectacular coaching hire. I won’t mince any words; Whittingham is a tremendous coach whose teams are always tough—and play with strength and vigor to the end of the game, a sign that their strength and conditioning program is excellent. That’s a very good sign.

I’m never one for trash talking, but now, more than ever, Michigan fans should treat their opponents with respect and consideration. Don’t engage in trash talk on Internet message boards or in other forums. Instead, let’s support the staff and the team as they embark on the long road to the 2026 football season.

There are many challenges ahead, but there are also many opportunities. Michigan has a solid coach with a fundamentally sound approach. Let’s get to work!
𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑺, 11/29/25: 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑮𝑰𝑨𝑻𝑬 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺*

November 27, 2025

Air Force 24, Colorado State 23 (AFA -2.5; O/U: 46.5)

𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄 𝟒𝟐, 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟐𝟏 (𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬)

Texas A&M 27, Texas 24 (TAM -2.5; O/U: 52.5)

𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐒 𝟐𝟕, 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐀&𝐌 𝟏𝟕 (𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬)

(Weekend record: 0 win, 2 losses, 0.000 winning percentage)

(Season record before the weekend: 22 wins, 18 losses, 1 push. .549 winning percentage)

(Season record after the weekend: 22 wins, 20 losses, 1 push. .523 winning percentage)

*-𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑽𝑺. 𝑶𝑯𝑰𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬, 2002

November 26, 2025

The third installment of this week’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us to 2002. Five years after Michigan’s 1997 National Championship, the landscape looked a little different. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel established the previous season that he would be a force to be reckoned with; a sobering reality for Michigan fans who had thoroughly enjoyed the rivalry during the John Cooper years.

Adam Finley provided much of the spark in the first half for Michigan. Finley’s three field goals sent the Wolverines to the locker room with a 9-7 lead at halftime.

With less than seven minutes remaining, Ohio State faced a critical 3rd down and 7 yards to go. Michigan needed just two stops to give the ball back to the Wolverine offense. Someone from Michigan had to make a big play.

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, that player was Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel, a native of Michigan. After gaining six yards on third down, Krenzel stretched past the first down marker, giving Ohio State a fresh set of downs. A few plays later, Krenzel pitched the ball to Maurice Hall, who ran into the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

But Michigan was not done. With one second left on the clock, the Wolverines were 24 yards from the end zone. All Michigan needed was one clutch play to secure the victory.

Sadly, it was not to be. Will Allen intercepted John Navarre’s pass short of the goal line, ending the game. The loss was frustrating for the Wolverines, who earned 26 first downs to just 13 for Ohio State. Unfortunately, the Wolverines were not able to complete any drives, a key point in the defeat.

A little more than a month later, the season ended on a high note for the Wolverrines, as the offense found the warm Florida sun to its liking. Michigan topped the Florida Gators, 38-30, securing the Wolverines’ 10th win of the season. The following season would bring new opportunities—and new glory— for Michigan.

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