Michigan Football: Building a perfect team for the 2-minute drill

What Michigan football players would you use if you were building a two-minute drill team?

In quarantine, your mind can wander to a bunch of different topics. The latest idea that I had was building the perfect two minute drill team of Michigan football players. I wanted to keep in simple and choose 1 QB, 1 RB, and 2 WR’s who can go 80 yards for the game winning score.

Before I choose my players lets reminisce on the game winning drives that Michigan football has put together over the past twenty years. The two games that stand out above the rest are the Michigan vs. Penn State game in 2005 and the Michigan vs. Notre Dame “Under the Lights” game in 2011. Henne to Manningham and Robinson to Roundtree.

Another classic ending came in the Michigan vs. Michigan State game in 2007. Mario Manningham was the recipient of another game winning touchdown. The newspaper clipping read “Super Mario” the next day.

I’m sure there are more that I am forgetting at the moment but those stand out as instant classics with Michigan’s big time players stepping up in clutch moments to seal the victory.

Now we move on to picking the team. The cool part about this hypothetical is that we can blend talent from different era’s. You could have Tom Brady throwing to Nico Collins or Chad Henne dropping dimes to Jeremy Gallon, the possibilities are endless.

QB – Denard Robinson

There have been plenty of great QB’s to play for the University of Michigan and Denard Robinson is one of them. Robinson is unique because he had success throwing the ball and running the ball. Having the ability to make plays with his arm or his feet is why he is my pick at QB.

In a two minute drill Denard can extend plays and let the receivers work to get open. If he creates an extra two seconds to throw the ball, its more likely he can find an open receiver or scramble for positive yards and get out of bounds keeping precious seconds on the clock.

The big play ability Robinson is what made him my pick. On any given play he could score a touchdown and that is valuable in this situation.

RB – Mike Hart

In a two minute drill, the running back has a lot of responsibilities. They have to run the ball, catch the ball, and protect the quarterback. One running back with all those traits is Mike Hart. He was one of the most consistent backs to play for Michigan football.

Hart had 67 catches in his career for the Wolverines. While many remember him for his running ability, he could come out of the backfield and make plays when needed.

In a goal line situation, Hart could get a few tries to get into the endzone but was never afraid of contact and had a nose for scoring touchdowns.

He may not be the home run threat that other backs are but in this situation, I want a heady running back that will make all the right plays. Mike Hart is the man for my team.

WR – Mario Manningham

Mario Manningham probably wouldn’t cross the minds of many when picking players for a two-minute drill. Michigan has had many great receivers and it’s like splitting hairs between all of them. Mario just made plays. He was a steady player that came up big in the games biggest moments.

The game winning touchdown against Penn State as a freshman, the game winner against Michigan State in 2007.

The playmaking didn’t stop in college, he went on to play for the Giants and make one of the biggest catches in Super Bowl XLVI.

Whether it’s in the redzone or the middle of the field, Manningham was going to make a play and that’s why he makes my team.

WR – Jeremy Gallon

My last pick is going to reunite Jeremy Gallon with Denard Robinson. The two players had a good connection in 2011-12. Jeremy Gallon was a receiver that earned a lot of his yards after the catch. He was shifty and able to make defenders miss leading to big plays.

Chunk plays are important when you need to go the length of the field to win the game. Gallon provides that as he showed numerous times in the winged helmet. In 2011, his catch against Notre Dame set up the game winning touchdown to Roundtree.

His big-play ability is what makes him a perfect fit for a two minute drill.

 Team Wrap up

Robinson, Hart, Manningham, and Gallon are a formidable foursome. I trust that they could score a touchdown 8/10 times in a win or lose two minute situation. Each one of the players has the ability to make a big play and putting them all on the field together would put any defense in a tough situation.

That’s my team, do you agree?