Michigan Quarterbacks: These Great Performances Deserve Another Look
In the last two weeks, Wolverine fans witnessed two of the greatest single game performances by a quarterback in modern Michigan history. Sophomore sensation Denard Robinson not only accounted for a total of 885 total yards in the two games, he personally led the Wolverines on their final game-winning drive against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
First, Robinson passed for 186 yards and ran for another 197 in a 30-10 season-opening win over UConn before 113,090 at the Big House. Not to outdo himself, Robinson put up similar numbers (244 passing, 258 rushing) in the thrilling 28-24 come-from-behind win at South Bend.
It may be a long time before Michigan fans see comparable offensive stats—especially two weeks in a row. On the ground, Robinson has an average yards per carry of 8.0, a pass completion percentage of 69.4 and an efficiency rating of 138.26--all without a single turnover.
So, how does this stack up with other single-game performances by Wolverine signal-callers in recent memory? Let’s take a look.
Tom Brady: January 1, 2000, Orange Bowl; Michigan 35, Alabama 34 (OT)
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It’s no secret that Brady has done most of his damage since joining the NFL with the New England Patriots. Brady has led New England to three Super Bowl championships, won two Super Bowl MVPs, and played in five Pro Bowls. He’s arguably Michigan’s most decorated athlete.
Before making a splash in the pros, Brady’s finest outing in a Michigan uniform came against Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl. Brady was 34 of 46 for 369 yards and four TDs in the Wolverines' 35-34 overtime victory—which was aided by Alabama’s missed extra point to end the game. David Terrell caught three touchdown passes while Shawn Thompson grabbed the other.
John Wangler: October 27, 1979; Michigan 27, Indiana 21.
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One of the most electrifying finishes in Michigan sports history. Indiana had just scored to tie the Wolverines at 21-21 with just enough time for a frantic last-minute drive. Quarterback John Wangler drove down to the Hoosier 45 with a few ticks remaining on the Michigan Stadium clock.
The crowd knew Wangler would have to either throw the “Hail Mary” towards Indiana’s end zone or some kind of hook-and-lateral. . Of course, enough time has passed for everyone on the sideline to claim responsibility for the final play-call.
Michigan coach Bo Schembechler had the last word, however. You see, the plan was for Anthony Carter to catch Wangler's pass shy of the deep zone and outrace the Indiana defenders to the goal line.
"That’s what Wangler did," Schembechler said. "And Carter did the rest.”
After Carter caught the ball at the 21, he cut back towards the middle, as two Indiana defenders collided. Touchdown, Michigan.
Wangler was the first of several quarterbacks that was actually a real threat in the passing game. He later led the Wolverines to a victory over Washington in the 1981 Rose Bowl.
Carter, a three-time All American at Michigan, eventually became a two-time Pro Bowl selection for the Minnesota Vikings, after beginning his pro career in the USFL.
Scott Dreisbach: August 26, 1995; Michigan 18, Virginia 17.
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Trailing 17-0 early in the fourth period, with star running back Tim Biakabutuka on bench with an injury, hardly anyone expected quarterback Scott Dreisbach to have the quarter of his football life. Like Dreisbach, coach Lloyd Carr was making his Michigan debut,
Because of the inexperience in the offensive backfield and at quarterback, Carr was playing it close to the vest. The running game was almost non-existent, and the conservative passing game was also ineffective. But as time wound down, Carr was forced to turn his rookie QB loose. And all Dreisbach did was engineer three touchdown drives in the final minutes.
The icing on the cake came on the game's final play, when the redshirt freshman spotted Mercury Hayes in the northeast corner of Michigan Stadium. Somehow Hayes stayed in bounds as he made an acrobatic, diving catch. Michigan had won 18-17 in what was another thrilling victory.
Dreisbach's numbers for the day turned out very impressive. He completed 27 of 52 passes for 372 yards, many in the fourth quarter.
The win, however, was bittersweet for Dreisbach, who was eventually overtaken by Brian Griese in 1997 and Tom Brady in 1998. He threw only five passes in his final two seasons.
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Tate Forcier: September 12, 2009; Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34.
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In a season of mixed emotions, Tate Forcier couldn't have been happier after Michigan's win over Notre Dame. After all, the true freshman's last-minute heroics brought accolades from all over the country.
Forcier had indeed arrived, and even the Heisman voters were going to know about it.
Trailing 34-31, Michigan started its final drive at its own 43 with just over two minutes remaining. Forcier, who finished the game with 240 yards and rushed for another 70, completed six of seven passes on the final drive. With 11 seconds left, he found Greg Mathews in the corner of the end zone for the winning margin.
Michigan fans were ecstatic, believing that the Wolverines were back from a disastrous 2008 season. But the win was perhaps the high-water mark for both the Michigan team and Forcier, individually. The Wolverines' 4-0 start ended as a 5-7 disappointment. Forcier suffered from both a concussion and shoulder problems as the season wore on. Denard Robinson spelled Forcier late in the Iowa game but tossed a critical interception.
Brian Griese: January 1, 1998; Rose Bowl, Michigan 21, Washington State 16.
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Pressure? There could not have been any for Brian Griese, who had already led the Wolverines to an undefeated season. And Michigan was favored to beat Washington State in the Rose Bowl.
For some reason, Michigan fans were extremely confident. The Wolverines had already knocked off the Buckeyes, and Michigan wasn't playing Southern Cal. So all he really needed to do was hand the ball off to Chris Howard and Anthony Thomas, and watch from the sidelines as Charles Woodson did his magic on defense. No heroics needed.
But Washington State was just as tough as their 10-1 record might indicate. And Ryan Leaf was a pretty good quarterback in his own right.
So, Griese himself had to step up one more time. Fortunately, he came through with touchdown passes of 58 and 53 yards to Tai Streets and a 23-yarder to Jerame Tuman. The Wolverines were forced to survive a last-minute drive by the Cougars to pull out the 21-16 victory. Of course, Michigan was forced to share the national championship with Nebraska, who will be coming around a lot more, starting next season.
Griese's final stats were 18 of 30 for 251 yards.
The Next Six Top Performances
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Jim Harbaugh, November 23, 1985: Michigan 27, Ohio State 17; 16 of 19, 230 yds, 3 TD.
Elvis Grbac, September 14, 1991: Michigan 24, Notre Dame 14; 20 of 22, 195 yds, 1 TD
Chad Henne, January 1, 2008 (Capital One Bowl): M 35, Florida 31; 25 of 39, 373 yds, 3 TD.
Todd Collins, November 6, 1993: Michigan 25, Purdue 10; 18 of 21, 177 yds
Drew Henson, January 1, 2001 (Citrus Bowl): M 31, Auburn 28; 15 of 20, 294 yds, 2 TD.
John Navarre, October 10, 2003: Michigan 38, Minnesota 35, 33 of 47, 353 yds, 2 TD.
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