Ridiculous Michigan Football record book error uncovers rare play
Would it surprise you to know that there are many inaccuracies with the official Michigan record books on MGoBlue?
Things have gotten to the point where I am double-checking the MGoBlue record book using other sources such as Bentley Historical Library, Michigan Daily archives and even Newspaper.com ($) archives when I am doing work for my Michigan SuperGuide.
For example, I went game-by-game a couple years ago double checking the Michigan-MSU baseball series after a couple inconsistencies I noticed. U-M's records (at the time of the research I did which was completed on 1/29/2017) said the series was 195-105-2 Michigan. Thorough research using the Michigan Daily and Newspapers.com archives proved that to be WAY off. The series record was actually 197-109-1.
My findings included games entirely left out of U-M's record book, games that were recorded as Michigan losses but were actually WINS, inaccurate dates and scores.
Not even the Michigan Football Record Book is safe. Michigan Baseball is less surprising because there have been THOUSANDS of games played and not nearly the amount of press there is for Michigan Football. There are so many different places to find accurate information to make sure mistakes like this don't happen.
After doing some research on kickoff return TDs and which ones throughout our history were on the opening kickoff, I decided to go case-by-case and research the history of Michigan punt return TDs. I mainly wanted to decipher which ones were straight-up returns and which were returned off of blocks. As well as what quarter each punt return TD took place in.
Come to find out that the U-M record book says Dave Elliott returned a 10 yard punt for a touchdown in Michigan's 56-0 rout of Virginia in 1971. That is COMPLETE bunk. I first checked the Bentley Historical Library box score archives and checked out the play-
It turns out that not only was it not a punt return but it was an extremely rare play. It was a recovered kickoff for a touchdown by Dave Elliott. The official box score reads-
Coin kicked off to the V endzone where V men let it roll and D. Elliott covered it for the M TD. Slade held while Coin converted. MICHIGAN 35 VIRGINIA 0 Time. 14m 46s
Now that's the official boxscore that was typed up via typewriter during that 1971 game. Here is the Michigan Daily account of the play-
Not only was an error in the official Michigan record book discovered but also a very rare play that--to my knowledge--hasn't been replicated since by Michigan.
BUT it was done by SMU-Tulsa earlier this season. This is exactly what happened in that 1971 Virginia game. There is no video or audio currently available on the internet of the play. This is the next best thing-
November 5th, 2019 at 12:40 AM ^
Or a medical degree - WD, M.D. Your diagnosis? Need some more Michigan. take two Michigan and call me in the morning.
November 5th, 2019 at 7:45 AM ^
Dump the Hire Willie Taggart as Analyst thread—HIRE WD!
November 4th, 2019 at 10:58 PM ^
Haven’t the new kickoff rules made this an impossibility now? I’m pretty sure as soon as a kickoff crosses the goal line, it’s blown dead as a touchback. It may be possible that a kickoff could roll into the end zone and be covered up for a TD, but I’m not sure.
So assuming that the ‘71 game was the only time that’s happened for Michigan, it may remain the only time for all eternity.
November 4th, 2019 at 11:19 PM ^
SMU-Tulsa in the OP. That happened earlier this year........and SMU managed to come back and win despite that major fuck up.
November 5th, 2019 at 7:11 AM ^
The Tulsa player touches the ball just prior to it crossing the goal line. I wonder if this is why it wasn't blown dead and called a touch back? Great stuff WD.
November 5th, 2019 at 8:21 AM ^
Right.
The rule currently is that if the ball hits the ground in the end zone, it is immediately blown dead for a touchback. The difference in the play in the OP is that it was touched in play and knocked into the end zone by a player (doesn't matter which team).
The play in the 1971 Virginia game as described here would be a touchback today.
November 5th, 2019 at 12:15 AM ^
Edit: I explained/remembered it wrong but am not retyping via phone but check this shit out!:
I'm positive this happened in a UNI game a few years back (Northern Iowa). Ball bounced or went into the endzone on a kickoff and the returner(s) didn't even bother going to the ball, assuming a touchback. The whistle never blew and seconds go by with nothing happening and finaly the kickoff team pick up the ball and...touchdown!
November 5th, 2019 at 12:26 AM ^
I was watching that SMU game live. The best part is when the kick returner gets trucked by the celebration.
November 5th, 2019 at 12:44 AM ^
Admire your dedication here, WD. I’m sure you will dig up some more interesting things with enough scrutiny if this sort. +1 for effort
November 5th, 2019 at 5:45 AM ^
WD, if you don't like your current job, you could probably get hired as a sports archivist at the Bentley...just bring your super guide to the interview.
November 5th, 2019 at 12:03 PM ^
I’m at Bentley a lot. Spent an entire summer there doing research for the Men’s Golf SuperGuide.
November 5th, 2019 at 6:17 AM ^
God's work, young man. Carry on.
November 5th, 2019 at 6:32 AM ^
At some point someone here connected to the Athletic Department should get you hired at UofM to do this sort of thing. Fix the record books, highlight unique plays, share stories, etc. Neat facts to go out on the Dept Twitter. The fact that you go well beyond football to all UofM sports should be a selling point, too.
November 5th, 2019 at 6:40 AM ^
That, I believe, was the first U-M game I ever attended in person (in 1970, my freshman year, at which point I had yet to become the Blueblood fanatic I've been since, my work-study job had me supervising the IM sports building on---get this---football home Saturdays!) And like most underclassmen, I sat in the north endzone---and clearly (like from 60 feet away) saw the Va. guy just let the ball roll around in the EZ, apparently presuming it was a touchback. Elliott (if it was indeed him) dove on it like a runaway freight train. Official raised his arms, and the poor "victim" looked at him incredulously!!!
That Va. guy must have felt like absolute CRAP in the locker room at the half!!! (Not that they would have any more chance of coming back from 28-0 had he fallen on it).
November 5th, 2019 at 8:40 AM ^
So, obviously the stats crew at the game struggled to determine how to record this touchdown in the record books.
http://www.umich.edu/~bhlumrec/athdept/fbstats/1971virA.pdf
Note that the official box score submitted to the NCAA records this in the "rushing touchdown" column: 8 touchdowns in the game and 8 rushing touchdowns listed. So that can't be right.
If you go to the stats page on mgoblue, it isn't listed as anything--Dave Elliott isn't even credited with a fumble recovery, let alone a touchdown, anywhere that I can see. He does have a 10-yard punt return to his credit, but that was against Navy. All Elliott was credited for in this game was 2 tackles and 2 Passes Broken Up. That's technically correct; that isn't a fumble recovery.
But yes, if you look at Dave Elliott's stat page on mgoblue, there is not a hint that he scored a touchdown for Michigan. I actually think this is correct. Here's the closest I could get in the current NCAA stats manual:
When an onside kickoff (including “squib” kicks or “pooch” kicks) that has traveled at least 10 yards strikes a player on the kicking team before striking any member of the receiving team and is recovered by the kicking team, this is a point of possession only. Do not charge a fumble, fumble recovery, kick return or kick return yardage to either team. The ball is dead as soon as it is caught or recovered by the kicking team. Do not charge the player OR THE TEAM with a kickoff return.
November 5th, 2019 at 7:39 PM ^
Wow... here I go thinking that I am way too much into Michigan Fooshball and then I read this post... smh