A lot of business to take care of but first, here’s a rundown of the original criteria for awarding the footballs via Dr. Sap:
Bo Schembechler criteria announced on September 23, 1969 for determining how Wolverines would earn a helmet award sticker, according to a report the next day in the Ann Arbor News:
ON OFFENSE:
1) An outstanding block, catch or run
2) TD pass or run over 25 yards
3) Outstanding second effort
4) Four crossfield blocks in one game
5) TD-saving tackle on punt return
6) Scoring TD with first down between the eight and 10-yard lines (all offensive players get one)
7) Making first down starting from inside our two-yard line
8 ) Scout player doing best job against defenseON DEFENSE:
1) Pass interception
2) Blocked kick
3) Key tackle inside 20-yard line
4) Causing fumble or interception
5) Recovering a fumble
6) Stopping opposing team inside the 10-yard line (all)
7) When defense scores a touchdown (all)
8 ) Outstanding second effort or great hit
9) Making following number of tackles, including assists — ends, tackles and backs, 9; middle guard and rover back, 12; and linebackers, 16
10) Scout player doing best job against offense
We don’t use all those metrics of course (at least until they let us in practice). So here are Sap’s awards for the great 58-0 performance on Saturday:
Team Captains & U-M Equipment Manager Big Jon Falk: 1 decal each for bringing back the numbers on the sides of the helmets (and +1, editor’s choice for Falk for protecting the Jug yet another year).
Brady Hoke +1 editor’s choice for confirming that “jug security is always at a premium”
Al Borges: 1 decal for the Inverted Wishbone series with Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner in the backfield at the same time – Finally we all get to see what it would look like and what the possibilities are – thank you!
Vincent Smith: 4 decals: 3-yard 1st Quarter TD run; 17-yard 2nd Quarter pass to Drew Dileo; 28-yard 3rd Quarter TD reception; 4th Quarter Fumble Recovery.
Denard Robinson: 3 decals – 9-yard 1st Quarter TD run; 28-yard 2nd Quarter TD pass to Vincent Smith; 18-yard 2nd Quarter TD pass to Kevin Koger.
Stephen Hopkins: 3 decals – kick-out block on Toussaint 1st Quarter 37-yard run; 27-yard 1st Quarter reception; seal block for Toussaint run in 3rd Quarter
Brendan Gibbons: 3 decals – 2nd Quarter 25-yard FG; 3rd Quarter 32-yard FG; 4th Quarter 38-yard FG — a Football Field Goal Hat Trick.
Carvin Johnson: 3 decals – 2nd Quarter Fumble Recovery; 3rd Quarter PBU; 4th Quarter message-delivered-don’t-come-back-here-knockdown tackle – SWEET!!
Blake Countess: 3 decals – 2nd Quarter Pass Break-Up; 2nd Quarter Forced Fumble; 4th Quarter PBU
Ryan Van Bergen: 2 decals – 1st Quarter sack; tearing up the number "3" on his jersey once again
Michael Schofield: 2 decals – key block on Denard 1st Quarter TD run; seal block on 2nd Quarter Toussaint run
Mark Huyge: 2 decals – seal block on 2nd Quarter Toussaint run; seal block on 3rd Quarter Toussaint run
Kevin Koger: 2 decals – 2nd Quarter 18-yard TD reception; 3rd Quarter stiff arm.
Nathan Brink: 2 decals – 3rd Quarter TFL; another decal for making the TFL WITHOUT a helmet.
Courtney Avery: 2 decals – one for the fumble recovery and one more for rambling 83 yards for the TD!!
Taylor Lewan: 1 decal – seal block on 1st Quarter Vincent Smith TD run
Thomas Gordon: 1 decal – 1st Quarter TFL
Jeremy Gallon: 1 decal – blow up block on Michael Shaw 1st Quarter run
Kenny Demens: 1 decal – helmet-less tackle in 1st Quarter – TOUGH!!
Jordan Kovacs: 1 decal – 1st Quarter TFL
Drew Dileo: 1 decal – 2nd Quarter 17-yard TD reception from Vincent Smith (Incidentally, that was the SAME endzone that produced another RB to WR TD connection. In 1975 RB Gordon Bell Bell threw a TD pass to WR Jim Smith against OSU.)
U-M Kick Team: 1 decal for each member of unit for coverage on 2nd QTR kickoff forcing Minnesota to start possession inside 10-yard line
Craig Roh: 1 decal – 2nd Quarter TFL
Jake Ryan: 1 decal – 2nd Quarter Sack
Fitzgerald Toussaint: 1 decal – 3rd Quarter 1-yard TD run
Jibreel Black: 1 decal – 2nd Quarter Sack
Josh Furman: 1 decal – bone-jarring kick coverage hit in 2nd Quarter – OUCH!!
David Molk: 1 decal – cut-back block on 3rd Quarter Devin Gardner run
Michael Shaw and Devin Gardner: Honorary Russ Hawkins Award for Coolest Helmet Design on team (joining Jordan Kovacs, Vincent Smith and J.T. Floyd)
The ENTIRE TEAM for sharing the Jug Celebration with the fans – not sure that I have ever seen that done at Michigan Stadium – nice touch!!
One Comment
jmblue
“(Incidentally, that was the SAME endzone that produced another RB to WR TD connection. In 1975 RB Gordon Bell Bell threw a TD pass to WR Jim Smith against OSU.)”
And, it was the same endzone where Walter Cross threw a TD to Marquise Walker in the 2001 Illinois game!