Michael Taylor (quarterback)
Encyclopedia
Michael A. Taylor is a former American football
player. He played at the quarterback
position for the University of Michigan
from 1986 to 1989, the final four years of Bo Schembechler
's tenure as the school's head football coach. He was Michigan's starting quarterback in 1988 and 1989 and led the Wolverines
to Big Ten Conference
championships both years. He finished his career at Michigan as the school's all-time leader in passing efficiency.
. Taylor credited them for instilling his desire to win: "They gave me my sense of values and drive to excel. I have to do everything as well as I can to let them know how much I love and appreciate them for heading me in the right direction." Taylor attended Princeton High School
in Sharonville, Ohio
.
in 1985. As a redshirt
freshman in 1986, Taylor appeared briefly in 4 games, rushing for 33 yards on 5 carries and scoring a touchdown against Illinois
.
. He got his first start after junior quarterback Demetrius Brown broke the thumb on his throwing hand in the Indiana
game. Prior to Brown's thumb injury, Taylor had completed only 9 of 21 pass attempts for 133 yards, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown. At the time, Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler
expressed confidence in Taylor, telling the press: "Michael Taylor is a fine quarterback. He's smart. He's a good quarterback. If we have to play Taylor, we'll be all right."
Taylor got the start at quarterback against Northwestern
, but Schembechler kept to a running game due to the inexperience of his quarterback. Michigan rushed 50 times in the game for 374 yards and passed only 5 times – the fewest pass attempts by a Michigan team since 1977. Despite the emphasis on the running game, Taylor proved to be the star of the game, as he rushed for 144 yards, averaged 10.3 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns. Taylor had a 65-yard touchdown run and had runs of 31 yards in the second quarter and 39 yards in the third quarter set up field goals by Mike Gillette.
Despite the solid performance against Northwestern, Taylor pulled a leg muscle in the game, and Demetrius Brown recovered sufficiently to resume his role as the starting quarterback for the remaining 4 games of the 1987 season. Taylor also got the starting assignment in Michigan's 28–24 victory over Alabama
in the January 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, completing 2 of 4 pass attempts and rushing for 11 yards.
pull, leaving Coach Schembechler worried about the quarterback position. At the time, Taylor was considered the team's best option offense
quarterback, but he had completed only 41% of his passes in 1987.
Shortly before the season opener against Notre Dame, Schembechler announced that Taylor would be his starting quarterback. Schembechler noted that Taylor "has thrown well, has run well, knows the offense and is getting us into the right plays." Taylor ended up starting 9 of 12 games for the 1988 Michigan football team
that finished the season with a 9–2–1 record (7–0–1 in the Big Ten), won the Big Ten Conference
championship and defeated USC in the 1989 Rose Bowl
. Taylor completed 76 of 122 pass attempts for a 62.3% completion percentage and was intercepted only twice.
In the season opener against Notre Dame
, Schembechler kept the ball on the ground, with 52 running plays and only 11 pass attempts. Michigan lost a close game 19–17, as Taylor completed 8 of 11 pass attempts for 74 yards and scored one of Michigan's two rushing touchdowns.
Taylor had his best game of the 1988 season in a 31–30 loss to the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes
on September 17, 1988. Taylor nearly led the Wolverines to an upset win to break Miami's 33-game regular season winning streak, but the defense gave up 17 points in the final 5 minutes and 24 seconds to allow Miami to come from behind to win the game. Taylor did his part, completing 16 of 24 pass attempts for 214 yards and three touchdowns. The Washington Post praised Michigan's passing game:
The Associated Press
also praised Taylor's performance: "Miami's comeback overcame a brilliant performance by Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor, who was shaken up twice but returned to throw three touchdown passes."
After losing the first two games of the season, the Wolverines were 9–0–1 in the final ten games. One sports writer praised Taylor's performance in the first 8 games as follows: "Taylor has been everything Brown wasn't. He has a better understanding of the offense, is more poised, reads defenses better, and runs better. He was intercepted just twice in 122 passes this season."
After playing well in the first 8 games of the season, Taylor broke his collarbone on the first offensive play in the Minnesota game and had to undergo surgery two days later. He was unable to play in the final regular season games against Illinois and Ohio State
and in the 1989 Rose Bowl game against USC.
Taylor was the Big Ten's passing efficiency leader for the 1988 season.
. Taylor completed 74 of 121 pass attempts for 1,081 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1989.
In the weeks before the season opener, the press focused on Taylor's physical condition. He had been nursing a sore shoulder in his throwing arm two weeks before the opener and missed the first week of practice. Coach Schembechler called it "the great Michael Taylor scare," and with news that Taylor would play, the Associated Press reported, "The Michael Taylor scare is over." Taylor noted, "I can throw freely and it doesn't hurt. I'm close to 100 percent and never even thought of not playing." Assistant coach Gary Moeller
explained that Taylor's injury problem had been caused by the fact that "he didn't know how to throw properly until he came to Michigan." Taylor had been "flinging the ball with his arm," Moeller noted, instead of using his whole body and sometimes reverted to that habit. Despite the pain, Taylor vowed to give it his best effort against Notre Dame, saying, "I was raised to play football only one way, and that's giving 110 percent."
Michigan and Notre Dame entered the season opener as the No.1 and No. 2 ranked teams in college football. Taylor started the game against Notre Dame and completed 5 of 6 passes, including a touchdown, but he left the game after injuring his back. Taylor was replaced with freshman Elvis Grbac
in the Notre Dame game.
After the loss of Taylor, Schembechler questioned his decision to let the injured Taylor play: "I suppose if I had to do it all over again, I probably should have started Elvis and let the chips fall where they may. To be honest with you, Taylor didn't throw a pass all week. He's got a bad arm right now. But he's a great competitor. He wanted to go. He felt he'd be able to throw the ball all right." Schembechler added, "Michael Taylor is a fifth-year quarterback. He's the leader of our team. Hell's afire, we send him out there with a bad arm. If Michael's healthy, you'll see a difference."
Taylor was unable to play in the following four games against UCLA
, Maryland
, Wisconsin and Michigan State
. Grbac performed well as Taylor's replacement, leading to speculation that he might retain the starting job even after Taylor recovered.
Coach Schembechler denied there was any controversy, and Taylor returned to the line-up in the fifth game against Iowa
. Taylor was impressive in his return, completing 11 of 15 pass attempts, including 2 touchdown passes, and also scored a rushing touchdown as the Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes 26–12. After the game, Taylor said, "I think I did all right. I took what the defense gave me."
The following week, Taylor again performed well, completing 11 of 18 pass attempts against Indiana and threw touchdown passes of 18 yards to Greg McMurtry and 43 yards to Derrick Alexander. As Michigan continued to win under Taylor, Schembechler noted, "We've been more productive on offense since Michael came back, because he's so dangerous on the option play. I don't have any problem with Grbac at quarterback, but we're a better team when Taylor's in there. He's a fifth-year senior who makes few mistakes. We were counting on him in spring practice, gearing the season toward him."
Taylor had the best game of his career in a 49–15 victory over Minnesota
on November 18, 1989. Taylor completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 231 yards. He also tied a Michigan record with four touchdown passes, including three touchdown passes to Greg McMurtry of 49, 34 and 25 yards.
In the final game at Michigan Stadium
for Taylor as a player and for Schembechler as head coach, Taylor led the Wolverines to a 28–18 victory over Ohio State. Taylor played the entire game and ran for 57 yards on 8 carries for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. He was also 8 for 16 passing, completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jarrod Bunch
. Taylor also had 2 turnovers in game, fumbling the ball at Ohio State's 22-yard line and throwing an interception on the second play of the second half.
In a pre-game profile of Taylor published by USA Today
, Michigan offensive coordinator Gary Moeller said, "He's kind of a Joe Kapp
, throw-it-end-over-end guy. He's not a great physical thrower. We all know that." At the same time, Moeller praises Taylor's instincts and intelligence: "He's good because he goes back there and finds the right receiver to throw to and gets it there." On hearing about Moeller's comments, Taylor said, "I never saw Joe Kapp, but what I know is that I just go out and play, and I don't listen to the critics. I know I can move this team."
As the game approached, media attention focused on reports that Taylor's right shoulder was sore. Taylor said, "A lot of people question my health and my arm, but I just put that out of my mind. I don't really care what people say. I'm just going to go out and do my job."
In the Rose Bowl, Taylor was held to 10 of 19 passing for 115 yards. In post-game coverage, reporters credited USC's coaches for letting loose the "full complement of defensive linemen and pass-rushing linebackers at Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor during the final series," with the result that "Taylor ended the Rose Bowl on his back, the victim of a sack."
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played at the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
position for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1986 to 1989, the final four years of Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
's tenure as the school's head football coach. He was Michigan's starting quarterback in 1988 and 1989 and led the Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
to Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championships both years. He finished his career at Michigan as the school's all-time leader in passing efficiency.
Early years
Taylor was raised by his mother and grandmother in Lincoln Heights, OhioLincoln Heights, Ohio
Lincoln Heights is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,113 at the 2000 census. Lincoln Heights, located in southwestern Ohio, is a suburb of Cincinnati.-Geography:Lincoln Heights is located at ....
. Taylor credited them for instilling his desire to win: "They gave me my sense of values and drive to excel. I have to do everything as well as I can to let them know how much I love and appreciate them for heading me in the right direction." Taylor attended Princeton High School
Princeton High School (Sharonville, Ohio)
Princeton High School is a public, co-educational comprehensive high school located in Sharonville, Ohio, Hamilton County, in the state of Ohio.Princeton High School serves grades nine through twelve...
in Sharonville, Ohio
Sharonville, Ohio
Sharonville is a city in Butler and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 13,804 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sharonville is located at .It is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
.
1986 season
Taylor enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1985. As a redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman in 1986, Taylor appeared briefly in 4 games, rushing for 33 yards on 5 carries and scoring a touchdown against Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
.
1987 season
As a sophomore in 1987, Taylor appeared in 7 games for Michigan, including 2 games as the starting quarterback. Taylor threw his first touchdown pass for Michigan in a backup role against WisconsinWisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
. He got his first start after junior quarterback Demetrius Brown broke the thumb on his throwing hand in the Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
game. Prior to Brown's thumb injury, Taylor had completed only 9 of 21 pass attempts for 133 yards, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown. At the time, Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
expressed confidence in Taylor, telling the press: "Michael Taylor is a fine quarterback. He's smart. He's a good quarterback. If we have to play Taylor, we'll be all right."
Taylor got the start at quarterback against Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, but Schembechler kept to a running game due to the inexperience of his quarterback. Michigan rushed 50 times in the game for 374 yards and passed only 5 times – the fewest pass attempts by a Michigan team since 1977. Despite the emphasis on the running game, Taylor proved to be the star of the game, as he rushed for 144 yards, averaged 10.3 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns. Taylor had a 65-yard touchdown run and had runs of 31 yards in the second quarter and 39 yards in the third quarter set up field goals by Mike Gillette.
Despite the solid performance against Northwestern, Taylor pulled a leg muscle in the game, and Demetrius Brown recovered sufficiently to resume his role as the starting quarterback for the remaining 4 games of the 1987 season. Taylor also got the starting assignment in Michigan's 28–24 victory over Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
in the January 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, completing 2 of 4 pass attempts and rushing for 11 yards.
1988 season
At the start of the 1988 season, Michigan faced a quarterback controversy. Demetrius Brown had been declared academically ineligible earlier in the year, but regained his eligibility before the season started. Taylor had missed spring practice due to a hamstringHamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
pull, leaving Coach Schembechler worried about the quarterback position. At the time, Taylor was considered the team's best option offense
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
quarterback, but he had completed only 41% of his passes in 1987.
Shortly before the season opener against Notre Dame, Schembechler announced that Taylor would be his starting quarterback. Schembechler noted that Taylor "has thrown well, has run well, knows the offense and is getting us into the right plays." Taylor ended up starting 9 of 12 games for the 1988 Michigan football team
1988 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1988 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1988 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium...
that finished the season with a 9–2–1 record (7–0–1 in the Big Ten), won the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championship and defeated USC in the 1989 Rose Bowl
1989 Rose Bowl
The 1989 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Monday January 2, 1989 because New Year's Day was on a Sunday. It was the 75th Rose Bowl Game, and also the 100th anniversary of the Tournament of Roses parade. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the USC Trojans 22-14. Michigan FB Leroy...
. Taylor completed 76 of 122 pass attempts for a 62.3% completion percentage and was intercepted only twice.
In the season opener against Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, Schembechler kept the ball on the ground, with 52 running plays and only 11 pass attempts. Michigan lost a close game 19–17, as Taylor completed 8 of 11 pass attempts for 74 yards and scored one of Michigan's two rushing touchdowns.
Taylor had his best game of the 1988 season in a 31–30 loss to the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
on September 17, 1988. Taylor nearly led the Wolverines to an upset win to break Miami's 33-game regular season winning streak, but the defense gave up 17 points in the final 5 minutes and 24 seconds to allow Miami to come from behind to win the game. Taylor did his part, completing 16 of 24 pass attempts for 214 yards and three touchdowns. The Washington Post praised Michigan's passing game:
"Employing a combination of its usual righteous conservatism with a startlingly effective passing game, the Wolverines incited an overflow crowd of 105,834 in the broad, intimidating sweep of Michigan Stadium by outright dominating the Hurricanes, the defending national champions, for most of four quarters. A mulish, persistent quarterback named Michael Taylor threw scoring passes of five, 18 and 16 yards, the latter to take a 30–14 lead with 10:32 left."
The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
also praised Taylor's performance: "Miami's comeback overcame a brilliant performance by Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor, who was shaken up twice but returned to throw three touchdown passes."
After losing the first two games of the season, the Wolverines were 9–0–1 in the final ten games. One sports writer praised Taylor's performance in the first 8 games as follows: "Taylor has been everything Brown wasn't. He has a better understanding of the offense, is more poised, reads defenses better, and runs better. He was intercepted just twice in 122 passes this season."
After playing well in the first 8 games of the season, Taylor broke his collarbone on the first offensive play in the Minnesota game and had to undergo surgery two days later. He was unable to play in the final regular season games against Illinois and Ohio State
1988 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1988 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1987-1988. It was the first season for head coach John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium...
and in the 1989 Rose Bowl game against USC.
Taylor was the Big Ten's passing efficiency leader for the 1988 season.
1989 season
As a senior, Taylor started 8 of 12 games for the 1989 Michigan football team that finished the season with a 10–2 record (8–0 in the Big Ten), won the Big Ten Conference championship and lost to USC in the 1990 Rose Bowl1990 Rose Bowl
The 1990 Rose Bowl was the 76th Rose Bowl Game. The game was a rematch of the 1989 Rose Bowl, won by Michigan, 22-14. Gaining a measure of revenge, the USC Trojans defeated the Michigan Wolverines 17-10. USC running back Ricky Ervins was named the Rose Bowl Player of the Game...
. Taylor completed 74 of 121 pass attempts for 1,081 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1989.
In the weeks before the season opener, the press focused on Taylor's physical condition. He had been nursing a sore shoulder in his throwing arm two weeks before the opener and missed the first week of practice. Coach Schembechler called it "the great Michael Taylor scare," and with news that Taylor would play, the Associated Press reported, "The Michael Taylor scare is over." Taylor noted, "I can throw freely and it doesn't hurt. I'm close to 100 percent and never even thought of not playing." Assistant coach Gary Moeller
Gary Moeller
Gary O. Moeller is an American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758...
explained that Taylor's injury problem had been caused by the fact that "he didn't know how to throw properly until he came to Michigan." Taylor had been "flinging the ball with his arm," Moeller noted, instead of using his whole body and sometimes reverted to that habit. Despite the pain, Taylor vowed to give it his best effort against Notre Dame, saying, "I was raised to play football only one way, and that's giving 110 percent."
Michigan and Notre Dame entered the season opener as the No.1 and No. 2 ranked teams in college football. Taylor started the game against Notre Dame and completed 5 of 6 passes, including a touchdown, but he left the game after injuring his back. Taylor was replaced with freshman Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
in the Notre Dame game.
After the loss of Taylor, Schembechler questioned his decision to let the injured Taylor play: "I suppose if I had to do it all over again, I probably should have started Elvis and let the chips fall where they may. To be honest with you, Taylor didn't throw a pass all week. He's got a bad arm right now. But he's a great competitor. He wanted to go. He felt he'd be able to throw the ball all right." Schembechler added, "Michael Taylor is a fifth-year quarterback. He's the leader of our team. Hell's afire, we send him out there with a bad arm. If Michael's healthy, you'll see a difference."
Taylor was unable to play in the following four games against UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, Wisconsin and Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
. Grbac performed well as Taylor's replacement, leading to speculation that he might retain the starting job even after Taylor recovered.
Coach Schembechler denied there was any controversy, and Taylor returned to the line-up in the fifth game against Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. Taylor was impressive in his return, completing 11 of 15 pass attempts, including 2 touchdown passes, and also scored a rushing touchdown as the Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes 26–12. After the game, Taylor said, "I think I did all right. I took what the defense gave me."
The following week, Taylor again performed well, completing 11 of 18 pass attempts against Indiana and threw touchdown passes of 18 yards to Greg McMurtry and 43 yards to Derrick Alexander. As Michigan continued to win under Taylor, Schembechler noted, "We've been more productive on offense since Michael came back, because he's so dangerous on the option play. I don't have any problem with Grbac at quarterback, but we're a better team when Taylor's in there. He's a fifth-year senior who makes few mistakes. We were counting on him in spring practice, gearing the season toward him."
Taylor had the best game of his career in a 49–15 victory over Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
on November 18, 1989. Taylor completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 231 yards. He also tied a Michigan record with four touchdown passes, including three touchdown passes to Greg McMurtry of 49, 34 and 25 yards.
In the final game at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
for Taylor as a player and for Schembechler as head coach, Taylor led the Wolverines to a 28–18 victory over Ohio State. Taylor played the entire game and ran for 57 yards on 8 carries for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. He was also 8 for 16 passing, completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jarrod Bunch
Jarrod Bunch
Jarrod Ray Bunch is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1991 to 1993 and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1994...
. Taylor also had 2 turnovers in game, fumbling the ball at Ohio State's 22-yard line and throwing an interception on the second play of the second half.
1990 Rose Bowl
The Wolverines won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the Rose Bowl. As the starting quarterback in the Rose Bowl, Taylor was the subject of extensive pre-game publicity.In a pre-game profile of Taylor published by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Michigan offensive coordinator Gary Moeller said, "He's kind of a Joe Kapp
Joe Kapp
Joseph Robert Kapp is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He is also a former college football head coach of the University of California, and a former general manager of the CFL's BC Lions. Kapp played primarily with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and the CFL's BC Lions...
, throw-it-end-over-end guy. He's not a great physical thrower. We all know that." At the same time, Moeller praises Taylor's instincts and intelligence: "He's good because he goes back there and finds the right receiver to throw to and gets it there." On hearing about Moeller's comments, Taylor said, "I never saw Joe Kapp, but what I know is that I just go out and play, and I don't listen to the critics. I know I can move this team."
As the game approached, media attention focused on reports that Taylor's right shoulder was sore. Taylor said, "A lot of people question my health and my arm, but I just put that out of my mind. I don't really care what people say. I'm just going to go out and do my job."
In the Rose Bowl, Taylor was held to 10 of 19 passing for 115 yards. In post-game coverage, reporters credited USC's coaches for letting loose the "full complement of defensive linemen and pass-rushing linebackers at Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor during the final series," with the result that "Taylor ended the Rose Bowl on his back, the victim of a sack."
Career totals
In his three years as a quarterback at Michigan (1987–1989), Taylor completed 163 of 275 pass attempts for 2,194 yards and had 17 touchdown passes, 7 interceptions, and a career completion percentage of 59.3%. At conclusion of his career at Michigan, he ranked first all-time among Michigan quarterbacks in passing efficiency, and his 59.3% completion percentage ranked second all-time, trailing only Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
.