Bo is Still Bo (1985) | This Week in Michigan Football History

For this Saturday’s edition of TWIMFbH we stroll over to 1985 when the Michigan fanbase was pretty down, and uncertain of the future coming off a very un-Bo-like .500 season in 1984. That changed after this one:

Bonus content via Dr. Sap – Bo’s epic postgame speech:

You can catch this during the WTKA 1050AM Countdown to Kickoff starting four (4) hours prior to every game.

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Entering 1985 expectations were mixed at best as the Wolverines were coming off a frustrating, arguably embarrassing, 6 and 6 season, the first and only time Bo would finish without a winning record in his brilliant career in Ann Arbor. 

Naturally some wondered Schembechler’s best days were behind him— and coming into the year the Maize and Blue were unranked.  

But those lowered expectations were soon corrected.  In the 1985 season opener QB Jim Harbaugh, back Jamie Morris and swarming defense took down Notre Dame 20-12 in Ann Arbor.  

That set-up the match-up 34 years ago on This Day in Michigan Football History as on September 21, 1985 Bo’s men traveled to Columbia, South Carolina to face the #11 Gamecocks.    

One sidebar leading up to the kickoff was the family ties between our schools, as Carolina was coached by Joe Morrison, whose sister Ann was married to Bo’s top assistant Gary Moeller.   Another subplot was the heat: the forecast was for hot and humid conditions, with temperatures reaching the high 80s for the 3:30 PM start.

But if Coach Morrison got some insider tips from his sister—they didn’t work. 

And if the heat got to the boys from Ann Arbor–they didn’t show it. 
Michigan took control of the game early and cruised out to a 14-0 lead on runs by Harbaugh and Morris.  From there Morris and back Thomas Wilcher pounded away, and the defense led by Mark Messner, Andy Moeller and Mike Hammerstein shut down the Gamecocks.

When it was said and done, the Wolverines had massed over 600 yards of offense and the defense yielded a measly field goal in the 34-3 rout.  This day 34 years ago Gamecocks learned the hard way that Meechingan was back and the great General Bo never left. 

And it didn’t stop there.  The Wolverines capped the regular season with a 27-17 victory over the Buckeyes, and closed things out with a 27-23 Fiesta Bowl victory over Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.  

All told in 1985 the defense yielded a mere 98 points — and the final AP poll slotted Michigan as the #2 team in the land.

Go Blue, Beat the Baders!  And for more, checking out MVictors.com and WTKA.com – For the Keybank countdown to Kickoff- Greg Dooley