By Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis
Read the breakdown from Round 1 and here’s the updated bracket:
Here are the round 2 match-ups and winners, again, based on each running back’s signature game – all as selected by Dr. Sap:
1970’s Burton Region
(#1) Rob Lytle
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1976 | Michigan St | 10 | 180 | 18.0 | 1 | 75 |
(#9) Chuck Heater
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1972 | at Illinois | 29 | 155 | 5.3 | 2 | 15 |
This numbers in this pairing are surprising both players. Heater lugged the pigskin 29 times, gained over 150 yards and scored 2 TD’s in Champaign-Urbana. That’s solid! That being said, The Fremont Flash, as Bob Ufer used to call Rob Lytle, carried only 10 times against MSU in 1976, but #41 torched the Sparty D for 180 yards – an 18.0 yard per carry average (still a Michigan record to this day) – UNREAL!! Gawdy numbers all over the place, but Lytle gets the nod to move to Round 3.
WINNER: ROB LYTLE
(#4) Russell Davis
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1976 | Stanford | 7 | 116 | 16.6 | 2 | 85 |
(#5) Ed Shuttlesworth
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1972 | Tulane | 20 | 151 | 7.5 | 3 | 18 |
Another fullback matchup and this one is a doozie! Easy Ed romps for over 150 yards on 20 carries with 3 three TD’s as a fullback. Very impressive. Russell Davis, from the fullback spot, torched the Stanford Cardinal for 2 TD’s, 116 yards, a 16.6 yards per carry average and punctuated his effort with an 85-yard lightning bolt – then the longest run in Michigan Football History – WoW! In what may be the toughest decision so far in the tournament, I gotta go with #33 on this one. That’s just an impressive effort any way you slice it. Davis moves on to Round 3.
WINNER: RUSSELL DAVIS
1970’s Chuck Stobart REGION
(#2) Billy Taylor
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1969 | at Iowa | 21 | 225 | 10.7 | 2 |
(#7) Glenn Doughty
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1970 | Michigan State | 8 | 85 | 10.6 | 1 |
These teammates and roommates get to settle it once and for all – who had the best game between the two of them? Their average yards per carry was almost identical, but Taylor’s performance against the Hawkeyes in 1969 is head and shoulders better than Doughty’s 85 yards and 1 TD against MSU in 1970. Bo talked about how Michigan “dismembered” Iowa in 1969, and much of that had to do with Taylor’s 225 yards on 21 carries and 2 TD’s – Dang, THAT’S impressive! Billy Taylor moves on to Round 3.
WINNER: BILLY TAYLOR
(#3) Gordon Bell
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1975 | at Wisconsin | 28 | 210 | 7.5 | 0 | 29 |
(#6) Harlan Huckleby
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1976 | Stanford | 16 | 157 | 9.8 | 1 | 54 |
This is another tough decision. In 1976 against Stanford, Huckleby scampered for 157 yards with a 9.8 yard average, and one 54-yard eye-opening TD run to start the game. That’s just an impressive effort any way you slice it. Bell carried 28 times, ran for over 200 yards and averaged over 7 yards a carry on the road, in Camp Randall no less – that’s yeomen-like, as well! Like I said, this is a tough one, but I gotta put Gordy Bell and all his juke moves into Round 3.
WINNER: GORDON BELL
1980’s Gary Moeller REGION
(#1) Jamie Morris
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1987 | vs Alabama | 23 | 234 | 10.2 | 3 | 77 |
(#8) Gerald White
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1985 | Ohio State | 29 | 110 | 3.8 | 0 | 13 |
Another matchup involving teammates, and it’s a good one! Gerald White’s best game as a Michigan running back came against Ohio State in 1985. He carried 29 times and gained 110 yards in that victory against the Buckeyes. Jamie Morris, however, took it to another level in his last game as a Wolverine. J-Mo went for 234 yards, 3 TD’s and a 10.2 yards per carry average against Alabama! Are you kidding me? It ranks as one of, if not, THE most impressive game by a running back in Michigan Football Bowl history, according to Dr. Sap. Morris with his historic and herculean effort move on to Round 3.
WINNER: JAMIE MORRIS
(#4) Leroy Hoard
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1988 | Indiana | 7 | 128 | 18.3 | 3 | 54 |
(#5) Stanley Edwards
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1980 | Illinois | 18 | 152 | 8.4 | 1 | 42 |
Another good matchup with some big time numbers put up by both backs. Anytime you rush for over 150 yards, average over 8 yards per carry and score a TD, that’s a heckuva day! I was there when Stanley Edwards did this against Illinois and Purdue in 1980. He was running downhill and at his best in those games, in my opinion. While Leroy Hoard gained more yards in other games, his performance against Indiana in 1988 was quite the memorable one. He carried the ball only 7 times, but scored 3 TD’s and gained 128 yards including a 54 yard TD against the Hoosiers. I gotta go with #33 here! Hoard roars on to Round 3!
WINNER: LEROY HOARD
1980’s Don Nehlen REGION
(#2) Butch Woolfolk
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1981 | at MSU | 39 | 253 | 6.5 | 0 | 27 |
(#7) Jarrod Bunch
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1990 | at Indiana | 9 | 78 | 8.7 | 1 | 32 |
Jarrod Bunch had his best game as a Wolverine against Indiana in 1990. He rumbled for 78 yards, 1 TD and averaged almost 9 yards per carry. I’m sure the IU defenders left with multiple headaches that afternoon thanks to #32. Butch Woolfolk showed MSU and the Michigan faithful that he was not just a track guy who played football. Any questions about Butch’s strength and ability to carry the load for an entire game was put to rest that day in 1981. The guy who’s real name is Harold, lugged the rock 39 times and gained 253 yards against the Spartans his senior season. That’s good enough to get #24 on to Round 3.
WINNER: BUTCH WOOLFOLK
(#3) Tony Boles
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1988 | at Wisconsin | 10 | 179 | 17.9 | 3 | 81 |
(#6) Lawrence Ricks
| Season | Opponent | Att | Net Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Long |
| 1982 | Purdue | 31 | 196 | 6.3 | 2 | 52 |
To quote Hall of Fame Broadcaster, Dick Enberg, “Oh my!” What a matchup we have here! Lawrence Ricks bludgeoned Purdue for 196 yards on 31 carries and 2 TD’s (including a 52-yarder) against the Boilermakers in 1982. Tony Boles had his best game against Wisconsin in 1988. He only carried 10 times, but torched the Badgers for 179 yards and 3 TD’s – very similar to Rob Lytle’s record-setting effort against MSU in 1976. That’s good enough to move Boles on to Round 3.
WINNER: TONY BOLES
Next up: the Elite 8 evaluated on the hypothetical handoff – 1 play for all the marbles, who gets the ball?
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