Michigan football countdown to kickoff: 68 days until 2022 season
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 3 opener against Colorado State. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
It was astonishing when Michigan held Michigan State to 94 yards of total offense in a 21-7 win at Spartan Stadium in 2018. Well, given that, prepare to be taken aback: In the 1950 ‘Snow Bowl’ against Ohio State, the Wolverines limited the Buckeyes to just 27 yards of total offense, the second-least they’ve let up in a game in history (Michigan yielded just six yards to MSU in 1951).
Even crazier, the two teams combined for 68 yards, slipping and sliding all over the field. That stands as the least amount of yards by both teams in a Michigan game, and we can say with confidence that the mark will never be broken. For context, second on that list is the 1962 Minnesota game, a 17-0 Golden Gopher win, in which both squads combined for 285 yards.
The Wolverines and Buckeyes were battling the blizzard-like conditions and for the Big Ten title in Columbus Nov. 25, 1950. Over 50,000 fans still attended the game, some building bon fires in the stands to keep warm.
Michigan won, 9-3, despite not notching a first down and punting 24 times. Michigan’s two scores came on a safety and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown.
No. 68 spotlight: Andrew Vastardis
Former Michigan offensive center Andrew Vastardis went from walk-on to two-time captain (2020-21). He’s one of the better feel-good stories of the Jim Harbaugh era, but he’s much more than that. He started 18 games in his final two seasons, was a great leader and helped Michigan win the 2021 Big Ten title.
Vastardis started four games in 2020, before injury held him out of the final two contests. In reality, he was playing banged up the entire year, and fans didn’t get to see what his real potential was … until the following fall.
Vastardis took a leap in his game in 2021, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media. Better than his play on the field was his leadership, though. And no moment incapsulates just what he meant to this team that quarterback Cade McNamara getting emotional talking about him after Michigan’s 21-17 win over Penn State last November.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
69 days | 70 days | 71 days | 72 days | 73 days | 74 days | 75 days | 76 days | 77 days | 78 days | 79 days | 80 days | 81 days | 82 days | 83 days | 84 days | 85 days | 86 days | 87 days | 88 days | 89 days | 90 days | 91 days | 92 days | 93 days | 94 days | 95 days | 96 days | 97 days | 98 days | 99 days | 100 days
