Previously: 1984 Miami, 1985 Notre Dame, 1985 South Carolina
The Highlights: WolverineHistorian
The Setup: After thumping South Carolina on the road, Michigan won their next three games—against Maryland, Wisconsin, and Michigan State—by a combined score of 84-6. That set up a #1 vs. #2 matchup at Iowa that the Hawkeyes won, 12-10, thanks to four field goals and a dominant defensive performance. A 3-3 tie against Illinois two weeks later dropped Michigan to #9 in the polls, and while they bounced back with a blowout of Purdue, a trip to Minnesota looked like a classic trap game the week before The Game.
The Gophers, coached by Lou Holtz, entered the game at 6-3. Two of those losses, however, came in close games against top-five teams, Oklahoma and Ohio State, at the Metrodome. Add in their road loss to Michigan State, and their three defeats came by a combined 15 points. Many felt the Gophers were due for an upset. It wouldn't come against Michigan.
[Hit THE JUMP.]
The Game: I won't bother with the blow-by-blow; Michigan dispelled any concern that they'd overlook Minnesota early, bashing their way through the Gopher defense to set up a short Gerald White touchdown, then cashing in a Minnesota fumble for a field goal for a 10-0 first quarter lead.
Then Harbaugh blew the game open with effective deep passing, especially to his 6'8" split end, Paul Jokisch. Their first scoring connection is at the top of the page. Jokisch's second touchdown catch was, well...
...not a catch, but apparently The Process (Not That Process) was very different in those days. That was ruled a touchdown. Really. With a little help from the zebras, Jokisch finished this game with five catches for 119 yards and two scores.
I've somehow made it this far in a series focusing on Harbaugh's career without mentioning tight end Eric Kattus, who posted a 38-582-8 stat line in 1985 after entering his senior season with seven career catches. As his yards per catch indicates, Kattus proved much more than an underneath option; he could stretch the field and make some impressive downfield receptions:
I can't watch this play without hearing "RIGHT FOOT, THROW"
Minnesota was the fourth of five games that season in which Kattus tallied at least 60 receiving yards, a very impressive mark given the run-heavy style of play in those days.
Thanks in large part to Jokisch and Kattus, Michigan's offense dominated despite a subpar day on the ground. The Gophers could only move the ball in fits and spurts against the stellar '85 defense. The front seven was well-prepared for Holtz's option attack:
To further break things open, Gilvanni Johnson took a punt back 84 yards for a touchdown. Michigan would go on to win 48-7, recording all their points in the first three quarters before calling off the dogs. The victory moved the Wolverines to 8-1-1 and #6 in the polls. The next week, they'd welcome #12 Ohio State to Michigan Stadium. That, of course, will be covered in detail in a later post.
The Harbaugh: This was one of Harbaugh's best statistical games at Michigan. He played mistake-free football, completing 13 of 18 passes for 243 yards (13.5 YPA), three TDs, and no picks. The Gophers had no answer for Harbaugh throwing over the top, and he didn't stop until the game was well out of reach.
The Most '80s Screencap of the Game: A two-for-one for this game. First, a full-name-on-back jersey:
Todd Schulte and Tim Schulte, hailing from Villa Hills, Kentucky, were both junior linebackers on the '85 squad; they'd each start a couple games the next season, according to the Bentley archive.
The most '80s thing, however, is Minnesota lining up in a Wishbone formation with their lone wideout assuming a three-point stance:
It's amazing that innovative football breakthroughs of the not-so-distant past included "hey, since we don't have starting blocks, maybe that guy should just stand up."