Michigan football countdown to kickoff: 70 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.
Michigan Wolverines football didn’t have a flashy enough offense for some — a source of frustration throughout the 2021 season because, well, in college football there’s always something to complain about. The Wolverines went back to head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s roots, running the ball with gap schemes and a big power back in Hassan Haskins.
It was effective, and the numbers actually proved that Michigan’s offense was explosive — more so than many gave it credit for. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and Co. were creative while sticking with what worked, coming up with some gadget plays and the like that wound up resulting in big gains. Michigan actually was tied for first in the nation with six plays of 70-plus yards from scrimmage.
With 70 days until kickoff, let’s look back at the six 70-plus yard plays from Michigan’s 2021 season.
A.J. Henning 74-yard touchdown run vs. Western Michigan
Junior wide receiver A.J. Henning took an end-around 74 yards for a score, marking the Wolverines’ longest rushing touchdown of the season.
Donovan Edwards 75-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson in Big Ten championship game
Michigan sophomore running back Donovan Edwards can throw, too. We saw it during one of his high school games, and the Wolverines used his arm on a trick play in the Big Ten title game, opening up the floodgates in the 42-3 win over Iowa.
Cade McNamara 76-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Bell vs. Western Michigan
Graduate wideout Ronnie Bell was primed to have a huge season before tearing his ACL later in the Western Michigan game. He was moving at a different speed, clearly having taken his game to another level, evidenced by this 76-yard touchdown on a slot fade.
Cade McNamara 77-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Edwards vs. Maryland
Senior quarterback Cade McNamara found Edwards out of the backfield, and the then-freshman did the rest, weaving his way for a 77-yard score in a 59-18 blowout win over Maryland.
Cade McNamara 87-yard touchdown pass to Cornelius Johnson vs. Northern Illinois
McNamara threw a beautiful ball to senior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, who did the rest in the 63-10 triumph over Northern Illinois, marking the fourth-longest passing play in U-M history.
Cade McNamara 93-yard touchdown pass to Andrel Anthony vs. Michigan State
In his hometown, sophomore receiver Andrel Anthony made an electric play to put Michigan ahead early in an eventual loss to MSU in East Lansing. It stands as the second-longest play in program history.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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