Game Day

Game Day – September 15, 2018 Michigan vs Southern Methodist University

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Barry Gallagher

It’s another Go Blue Michigan Football History Game Day - Michigan vs Southern Methodist University. Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines have one win and one loss after two games this season. Today’s game should get them to a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. Yes, I think Michigan will win today. However, before I get to that we need to look at what has happened previously on this date in Michigan Football History.

Calendar History:

The University of Michigan has played a total of seven games on the fifteenth day of September. So far, the results have not been great, but the Wolverines do have a winning record on this date. As of today, the Maize and Blue footballers have won 4 games and lost 3 games on September 15^th.

Here is quick look at some of the history on this date:

1945. Michigan’s first game/first win on this date took place in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines hosted a military team called Great Lakes Training Center which was like a college all-star team. Fortunately, Michigan won the game by a score of 27-2.
1979. Michigan’s first loss on this date took place in The Big House. Notre Dame played the role of very rude guests and left town with a 12-10 win.
2012. The Wolverines posted their biggest margin of victory on this date with a 63-13 win over UMass. This was also the last game that Michigan played on September 15^th.

The Wolverines have a record of 3 wins and 3 losses against non-conference teams on this date. I predict that they will push their record to 4-3-0 on the 15^th day of September after tomorrow.

Best Wolverine Performances and “Firsts” on September 15th:

Here are some of the best Wolverine performances on this date in Michigan Football History:

1973 – Chuck Heater gained 133-yards on 17 carries in a 31-7 win at Iowa.
1990 – Jon Vaughn becomes the first, and only, Wolverine to rush for over 200-yards (201 yards on 21 carries) on this date in a tough loss (24-28) at Notre Dame. Desmond Howard caught 6 passes for 133-yards.
2007 – Mike Hart turns 35 carries into 187 yards in a 38-0 victory over Notre Dame in The Big House. Defender Shawn Crable forces three Irish fumbles that helped keep ND off the scoreboard.
2012 – Denard Robinson totals 399-total yards (108 rushing and 291 passing) against UMass in a 50-point victory at the Big House.

So, some of Michigan’s best players have stepped up with big days and big plays on September 15^th. Let’s hope that trend continues today. Check out these highlights from Michigan’s last game on September 15, 2012. Thanks to “parkinggod” for this You Tube post.

Series History - Michigan vs Southern Methodist University:

Today’s opponent, Southern Methodist University is making their second appearance on a Michigan Schedule. So far, the Wolverines are perfect with one win and zero losses against SMU.

The first, and only, Michigan vs Southern Methodist University game was played on September 26, 1963. It was also the first game of the 1963 season. The Wolverines defeated the Mustangs by a score of Michigan’s Big Ten Championship season. Bump Elliott’s Wolverines defeated the Falcons by a score of 24-7.

The good news is that the Wolverines own a perfect record of 9 wins, 0 losses and 0 ties against teams from Texas in regular season games. Both of Michigan’s losses to teams from the Lone Star State took place in bowl games.

History is definitely on Michigan’s side in this series. No Texas team has ever defeated the Wolverines in a regular season game and it won’t happen today.

Best Wolverine Performances and Against SMU and the State of Texas:

Listed below are some of the best performances in the Michigan vs Southern Methodist University series and the State of Texas so far:

September 28, 1963. Running back Jack Clancy averages 9.1 yards per carry (7 rushes for 64-yards) in Michigan’s only win (27-16) over SMU.
September 30, 1972. Ed Shuttlesworth pounds for 151-yards on 20 carries in a 41-7 win over Tulane.
September 26, 1992. Todd Collins throws 4 touchdown passes in a 61-7 pounding of Houston.
September 25, 1993. Tyrone Wheatley runs 26 times for 171-yards in Michigan’s 42-21 win over Houston in Ann Arbor. Mercury Hayes grabs 6 passes for 127-yards.
September 6, 2003. Chris Perry gains 184-yards on 27 carries in Michigan’s 50-3 win over Houston.
January 1, 2005. Chad Henne throws 4 touchdown passes in the 2005 Rose Bowl against Texas.

Chad Henne threw four touchdowns passes against the Texas Longhorns in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Photo courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library at The University of Michigan.

Who will step up for the Wolverines today?

Today:

The football programs at Michigan and Southern Method University are in completely different places. Michigan is coming off a BIG win over Western Michigan, as expected. SMU is winless in their first two games and it won’t get any better today. The “line” on this game has Michigan winning by at least 35 points. I think it will be much, much worse for the Mustangs.

My Prediction:

Today’s Michigan vs Southern Methodist University matchup will not be much of a game. The Wolverines defeat the SMU Mustangs 66-3. Yes, it will get ugly very fast for our visitors from Dallas, Texas. The Wolverines are better at every position on the field and it will show on Saturday. The only thing that SMU can possibly win tomorrow is the coin toss! Program win number 945 is in the books after the game ends – period. Go Blue!