tim biakabutuka

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009), Revenge is Terrifying (Colorado 1996), Four Games In September I (Boston College 1991), Four Games In September II (Boston College 1994)

This game: WolverineHistorian highlights

Michigan and Boston College alternate seasons of change throughout this series. In 1995, it's the former's turn; a spring evening out in Southfield begets a sudden change at the top:

Gary Moeller resigned as Michigan football coach Thursday after a drunken incident at a suburban Detroit restaurant last week.

Defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr was appointed interim coach while the search for a successor begins for one of the nation’s top football programs.

Moeller’s resignation, announced at a news conference by Michigan Athletic Director Joe Roberson, stunned players and staff.

“This is one of the saddest days of my life,” Carr said, his voice choking. “A man I respect, have the utmost admiration for, is no longer here. I would not be honest if I say we are not wounded or feel great pain.”

Days before the game, Michigan announces they've passed a bylaw to put the athletic department under the oversight of the university administration and, if necessary, the regents. The impetus had been something unheard of in today's age—the department went rogue when negotiating Moeller's buyout (via the Michigan Daily archives):

By the time Michigan heads to Chestnut Hill for a rare 6:30 pm Saturday kickoff on September 16th, the Wolverines are 3-0 with two wins over ranked teams: #17 Virginia on Mercury Hayes's last-second touchdown catch and a much more comfortable game at #25 Illinois (remember, this is 1995). The team is ranked #11 and Carr's interim tag looks destined to disappear.

The Eagles are coming off a bye week after splitting their own two contests against ranked teams, losing at Giants Stadium to future #1 Ohio State before upsetting #20 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. They're unranked after entering the season at #22, an overreaction to Dan Henning's successful first season in 1994; they'd lost four players to the NFL Draft in the offseason, including #7 overall pick and OG combine wonder Mike Mamula, as well as thousand-yard rusher David Green. They wouldn't have four players selected in the same draft again until 2019.

ESPN is carrying this weird-ass matchup at this weird-ass time. Carr appears unconcerned by the kickoff time (via the Daily archives):

For all Lloyd's grumpiness, he's an underrated comedian.

[Hit THE JUMP for one of the meanest pregame quotes ever and much more]

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009), Revenge is Terrifying (Colorado 1996), Four Games In September I (Boston College 1991)

This game: WolverineHistorian highlights

Welcome to 1994, baby.

Mark Jones looks exactly the same, somehow

A lot has changed for Boston College since they put a scare into Michigan at home in 1991. After reaching nine wins in his third season, highlighted by a 41-39 upset at #1 Notre Dame in late November, Tom Coughlin took the head coaching job with the NFL's expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, which also gave him a good deal of control over their personnel.

Boston College hired Dan Henning, best known for his two stints as Washington's offensive coordinator in which they won two Super Bowls, in hopes of repeating their success of targeting a top-flight NFL assistant. Whereas Coughlin had won a ring with the New York Giants in the year before going to BC, however, Henning was coming off two years as offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, which didn't finish better than 16th in points or 19th in total yards in his tenure despite boasting Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, and Brett Perriman.

Here are some other decisions from 1994 that turn out about as well as this one:

• Jeff Gilooly finds a creative way to get his ex-wife, Tonya Harding, a leg up on figure skating rival Nancy Kerrigan in the months before the Winter Olympics.
• To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the legendary music festival, three of the original promoters put on Woodstock '94, billed as "2 More Days of Peace and Music."
• Major League II is released in theaters with a PG rating.

Michigan enters the season ranked fifth in both polls. They have a lot of stability: Gary Moeller entering his fifth year as head coach, Lloyd Carr his eighth as defensive coordinator, senior Todd Collins throwing to junior receivers Amani Toomer and Mercury Hayes, senior Tyrone Wheatley leading a stable of touted running backs, and talent across the defense. They aren't quite as loaded heading into the season opener as expected, though, with Wheatley out two weeks due to a separated shoulder and receiver/co-captain Walter Smith lost to a season-ending knee injury.

Henning decides to start his new job with a bang:

Over breakfast at the team's hotel this morning, Boston College's Dan Henning told quarterback Mark Hartsell that he wanted to open the game against Michigan with a play called the speed pump, a bomb that he hoped would go for a touchdown.

Both Henning and Hartsell were making their respective debuts, Henning as the Eagles' head coach and Hartsell as the starting quarterback.

Henning argued with his assistant coaches over the prudence of the play. Hartsell was taking over for quarterback Glenn Foley, a seventh-round draft pick by the Jets. Henning thought it would be good for Hartsell to get his feet wet and silence the 105,936 at Michigan Stadium.

Just as Henning drew it up, Hartsell rolled right. He waited, waited, waited. Then he heaved a 74-yard touchdown pass to receiver Greg Grice. In 16 seconds the Eagles were up by 7-0, Hartsell wasn't nervous and the crowd was silenced.

Unfortunately for BC, the Henning Era is about to hit its apex.

[Hit THE JUMP to see the third-string running back take over.]

So tomorrow (Saturday, April 25) at 1pm, here or on my twitch stream (https://www.twitch.tv/mgoseth/) we're going to be re-watching the 1995 Ohio State game with Dr. Sap, Jarrett Irons, and Rod Payne (set your calendars).

Remember that game? A refresher:

One of the questions I had going into this was what did Michigan run to break Biakabutuka so wide open so much. This was the offense coordinated by Fred Jackson, who inherited Gary Moeller's modernized version of Bo's. The run concepts are not that different from what you see today up front. They were also different from what Michigan ran most of the year. The '95 offense leaned heavily on Power (when you pull a backside guard), and Counter Trey. In this game they came out with Inside and Stretch Zones, Down G, and a Counter play that Wisconsin still runs where they pull the guard and tackle.

I only had time today to get the first two drives done, but it's a good setup and if I need to revisit later I wonder if you'll mind.

The First Crack: Lead Zone

This is an inside zone with a fullback that goes backside after loading up the frontside with tight ends. You'll have to remind me to ask Rod tomorrow what they saw after flipping the tight ends.

The key to this play is the right guard, offensive captain Joe Marinaro, who came off his not-finished double on the backside DT (Luke Fickell!) with Payne to kick out the middle linebacker (Greg Bellisari). It's also FB Chris Floyd controlling the WLB (Ryan Miller), and Biakabutuka having the patience and agility to get around that in the backfield, running over a prone Fickell, and breaking another tackle. Imaginary RPS-2, this was supposed to catch Fickell slanting, instead it got an activated linebacker directly in the gap.

You can also blame Fickell for falling down after he was blown back by the double.

Yards: 22 (total: 22)

[After THE JUMP: If you're a fan of offensive line play you may need a kleenex]