The 2013 Michigan Wolverines football team, also known as Team 134 in reference to the 134th year of the Michigan football program, represented the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
in the sport of
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
during the
2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The regular season began on August 29, 2013, and ended on ...
. The Wolverines played in the Legends Division of the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
and played their home games at
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...
in
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
. The team was led by head coach
Brady Hoke, who was in his third season.
Michigan began the year with five consecutive victories, including a 41–30 victory over rival
Notre Dame in just the second night game in
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...
history. The game set the all-time record for largest crowd attending an American football game at 115,109. However, in their sixth game, the Wolverines were upset on the road by unranked
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
in four overtimes. Michigan went on to lose five of their final six games, eventually dropping out of the AP poll, ending with a loss to
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...
in the
2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The season ended with a record of 7–6 overall, 3–5 in conference play.
The Wolverines were led on offense by quarterback
Devin Gardner
Devin Jaymes Gardner (born December 14, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots ...
, who led the team with 2,960 passing yards and 32 total touchdowns (22 passing and 11 rushing). Wide receiver
Jeremy Gallon finished second in the Big Ten with 1,373 receiving yards.
Preseason
The
2012 team compiled an 8–5 record under second-year head coach Brady Hoke and faced
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
in the
Outback Bowl
The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Tampa, Florida. The event was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to 2022. It was held at Tampa Stadium from 1986 until 1999, when it ...
, losing 33–28 on a last-minute
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
. Michigan lost four games to teams that were ranked in the top ten of the
AP Poll.
On March 20, the team announced that returning starting
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
Jake Ryan suffered a torn
ACL and was listed as out indefinitely. On April 1, the team announced that
backup
In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is "wikt:back ...
quarterback Russell Bellomy had also suffered a torn ACL and would be out indefinitely. On May 7, the team announced that
punter Will Hagerup had been reinstated to the team following a suspension for a violation of team rules, but would sit out the season. On August 21, the team announced that
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
Amara Darboh would miss the season with a foot injury.
Michigan returns 13 out of 22 starters — six on offense and seven on defense. Michigan will be forced to replace captains
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Denard Robinson and
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
Jordan Kovacs
Jordan David Kovacs (born June 12, 1990) is an American professional American football, football coach and former player who is the secondary/safeties coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL ...
, as well as starters
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
Craig Roh, linebacker
Kenny Demens,
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...
Will Campbell,
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
J.T. Floyd,
center Elliott Mealer,
offensive guard
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive (military), type of military operation
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative
* Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...
s
Patrick Omameh and Ricky Barnum,
tight end
The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...
Mike Kwiatkowski, and
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
Roy Roundtree. Back-up
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
Vincent Smith also departed due to graduation.
Taylor Lewan, however, decided to return for his senior season.
Recruiting
Position key
Recruits
Michigan's
recruiting class was ranked No. 2 by
Scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
*Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
** Scouts BSA, sect ...
, No. 5 by
Rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
, and No. 6 by
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
. The program received 27
letters of intent on
National Signing Day
National Signing Day has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for a collegiate sport with a school that is a Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
, February 6, 2013.
Schedule
*‡ New Michigan Stadium attendance record, former NCAA attendance record (September 7, 2013 –
September 10, 2016)
Rankings
Michigan began the season ranked No. 17 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls, and remained there following its week one victory over Central Michigan. Michigan rose to No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 12 in the Coaches' Poll after its victory over Notre Dame, but fell to No. 15 in the AP Poll and No. 14 in the Coaches' Poll following its narrow victory over Akron, and then fell again to No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the Coaches' Poll following its narrow victory over Connecticut.
*Source: ESPN.com: 2013 NCAA Football Rankings
Game summaries
Vs. Central Michigan
*Sources:
To open the season, Michigan faced the Central Michigan Chippewas. This was the first meeting since
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, when the game incurred a lightning delay, which was Michigan Stadium's first ever weather delay. Michigan won that game 41–17. Starting safety Thomas Gordon was suspended for the game for a violation of team rules.
Michigan dominated the game, winning 59–9. Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter when Joe Reynolds returned a blocked
punt 30 yards for a
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
, but Central Michigan responded with a 23-yard
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
from Ron Coluzzi. Michigan ended the scoring in the first quarter with a
Devin Gardner
Devin Jaymes Gardner (born December 14, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots ...
22-yard touchdown run, making the score 14–3. Michigan outscored Central Michigan 21–3 in the second quarter.
Fitzgerald Toussaint
Fitzgerald D'Andre Toussaint (born May 4, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and signed with the Baltimore ...
rushed one-yard for a touchdown before Coluzzi added another field goal for Central Michigan, this time from a distance of 27 yards. Michigan ended the scoring in the first half with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to
Jeremy Gallon and a four-yard touchdown run from Gardner, making the score 35–6 at
halftime
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
. Michigan outscored Central Michigan 21–0 in the third quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from Toussaint, a one-yard run from
Derrick Green, and a five-yard touchdown run from
Thomas Rawls, which made the score 56–6. The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, a 33-yard one from Coluzzi for Central Michigan and a 30-yard one from
Brendan Gibbons Brendan may refer to:
People
* Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484–c. 577), Irish monastic saint.
* Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr, County Offaly
* Brendan (given name), a masculine given name in the English language
Other uses ...
for Michigan to end the scoring.
Michigan's 59 points were the most scored by a Michigan football team in its season opener since
1905
As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...
—when Michigan defeated
Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan University (abbrevriated OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium of ...
65–0—and were also the most points scored against a team since Michigan defeated
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
63–13 in 2012. The blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the first quarter was Michigan's first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, when
Brandon Graham
Brandon Lee Graham (born April 3, 1988) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football fo ...
returned one against
Delaware State
Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a privately governed, state-assisted historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The un ...
. Michigan's defense recorded four
sacks, which matched the previous season's high against
Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
. 27 freshman made their debuts for Michigan during the game. Backup running back Drake Johnson suffered a torn ACL during the game and will miss the remainder of the season.
Vs. Notre Dame
*Sources:
Following its game against Central, Michigan hosted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame won the previous meeting 13–6. Billed as "Under the Lights II", this was the second night game in Michigan Stadium's history; the previous game also featured Notre Dame.
Tom Harmon
Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), nicknamed "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster.
Harmon played college football as a halfback for the Michigan Wolverines from ...
was honored as a
Michigan Football Legend, and his #98 jersey was unretired and given to quarterback
Devin Gardner
Devin Jaymes Gardner (born December 14, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots ...
.
Michigan won the game, 41–30. Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 44-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons and added a 61-yard touchdown pass from Devin Gardner to Jeremy Gallon to expand its lead to 10–0. Notre Dame answered with a seven-yard touchdown pass from
Tommy Rees to
T. J. Jones, making the score at the end of the first quarter 10–7 in favor of Michigan. Notre Dame tied the game in the second quarter with a 44-yard field goal from Kyle Brindza, but Michinga regained the via a two-yard touchdown run from Devin Gardner. After Notre Dame cut Michigan's lead to four via a 24-yard field goal from Brindza, Michigan scored ten unanswered points to end the half—a Gibbons 38-yard field goal and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Gallon—making the score 27–13 at halftime. Notre Dame reduced Michigan's lead to seven points in the third quarter on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Rees to Troy Niklas, but Michigan regained its 14-point advantage with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Gallon. Notre Dame scored the first ten points of the fourth quarter via a
Stephon Tuitt
Stephon Jakiel Tuitt (born May 23, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre D ...
interception
In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
in the Michigan
endzone
The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on the opposite side of the field ...
for a touchdown and a Brindza 40-yard field goal, making the score 34–30 in favor of Michigan. Michigan, however, would score the final points of the game on a four-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to
Drew Dileo.
The game's announced attendance was 115,109, making it the largest crowd ever to watch an American football game (college or
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
). Gardner accounted for 376 yards of Michigan's offense, the ninth highest single-game performance by a Michigan player. The only two Michigan players to contribute more total yards in a single game are
Denard Robinson and
John Navarre
John Robert Navarre (born September 9, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Michigan, and was selected in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals ...
. Wide receiver
Jeremy Gallon caught eight passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 14 yards. Gallon's 184 receiving yards against Notre Dame is tied for the sixth highest single-game performance in Michigan history. On defense, cornerback
Blake Countess had two interceptions for Michigan, the first two of his career, and became the first Michigan player to have two interceptions in a game since James Rogers against Purdue in 2010. Raymon Taylor recorded a career-high eleven tackles in the game. The win was Michigan's 400th victory at Michigan Stadium and improved its record against Notre Dame to 24–16–1. Gibbons' first-quarter field goal—his 15th straight made field goal attempt—broke the Michigan record for most consecutive field goals made.
Remy Hamilton
Remy Martin Hamilton (born August 30, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker in the National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earn ...
previously held the record.
Stephen M. Ross
Stephen Michael Ross (born May 10, 1940) is an American real estate developer, philanthropist, and sports team owner. Ross is the chairman of Related Companies, a global real estate development firm he founded in 1972. Related is best known fo ...
, who donated $200 million to the University of Michigan earlier in the week, was named an honorary captain for the game. In recognition of his performance in the game, Gallon was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week. Gardner was named Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week and one of eight Manning Award Stars of the Week for his 5 touchdown performance, which included a record-tying 4 passing touchdowns.
References to chickens were a widely reported side story to the game. After Notre Dame announced one year earlier that it would terminate the rivalry after the 2014 season, Michigan head coach
Brady Hoke said Notre Dame was "chickening out" of the rivalry.
When ESPN commentator
Lee Corso
Lee Richard Corso (born August 7, 1935) is an American sports broadcaster and college football analyst for ESPN and a former coach. He has been an analyst on ESPN's '' College GameDay'' program since its inception in 1987.
Corso served as the he ...
made his pick for the game during the
College GameDay show (which was in Ann Arbor for the game), he brought out several live chickens while picking Notre Dame to win the game, and fans in the background carried signs with poultry references, including "Cluck of the Irish." At the end Michigan's 41–30 victory, in what Chantel Jennings of ESPN.com called the "Dig of the Day", the speakers at
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...
loudly played the "
Chicken Dance
The "Chicken Dance", also known and recorded as Der Ententanz, Tchip Tchip, Vogerltanz, the Bird Song, the Chicken Song, the Birdie Song, the Bird Dance, Danse des Canards, the Duck Dance, El Baile de los Pajaritos, O Baile dos Passarinhos, Il B ...
" as Michigan fans "danced in the stands."
Vs. Akron
*Sources:
Following the game against Notre Dame, Michigan hosted the Akron Zips. This was the first meeting between the two teams.
Michigan avoided a massive upset with a
goal line stand
Stand or The Stand may refer to:
Other
* To assume the upright position of standing
* Forest stand, a group of trees
* Area of seating in a stadium, such as bleachers
* Stand (cricket), a relationship between two players
* Stand (drill pipe) ...
at the end of the game, ensuring a 28–24 victory. Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Devin Gardner to Devin Funchess, but Akron responded with a 45-yard field goal from Robert Stein. Following a scoreless second quarter, Michigan led 7–3 at halftime. Akron opened the scoring in the third quarter with a 28-yard touchdown from Kyle Pohl to Zach D'Orazio, but Michigan responded with two touchdowns of its own—a Gardner 36-yard run and a 33-yard pass from Gardner to Jehu Chesson—giving Michigan a 21–10 lead. Akron responded with 14 points of its own—a Justin March 27-yard interception return for a touchdown and a one-yard touchdown pass from Pohl to Tyrell Goodman—to take a 24–21 lead. Michigan regained the lead and ended the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald Toussaint.
Gardner recorded 103 rushing yards, which set a new career high. Brendan Gibbons missed a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, which ended his streak of 16 consecutive made field goals. Blake Countess recorded his second straight game with an interception, while Jarrod Wilson recorded his first career interception. Akron became the 145th school to play Michigan in a football game, with Michigan's record improving to 116–25–4 in games when facing a new opponent.
At UConn
*Sources:
Following its near-upset from Akron, Michigan traveled to East Hartford to face the Connecticut (UConn) Huskies. In the previous meeting in
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
—the rededication of Michigan Stadium—Michigan defeated Connecticut 30–10.
Michigan won its second close game in two weeks, scoring 17 unanswered points to defeat UConn 24–21 after falling behind 21–7 in the third quarter. Michigan scored the only points of the first quarter via a Devin Gardner 17-yard touchdown. UConn responded with 14 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 14–7 lead at halftime: an 11-yard touchdown pass from
Chandler Whitmer to Spencer Parker and a seven-yard touchdown pass from Whitmer to Lyle McCombs. UConn opened the scoring in the third quarter when Ty-Meer Brown returned a Gardner fumble 34 yards for a touchdown, making the score 21–7 UConn. Michigan responded by scoring the final 17 points, a 35-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald Toussaint in the third quarter, a 12-yard touchdown run from Toussaint in the fourth quarter, and a 21-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons, which also occurred in the fourth quarter.
The attendance of 42,704 was the largest crowd in the history of Rentschler Field. Toussaint carried the ball 24 times for a total of 120 rushing yards, his first effort over 100 yards since the game against
Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
in
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
.
Frank Clark recorded two sacks in the game, his first multi-sack game of his career. Desmond Morgan recorded his first career interception, while Chris Wormley and Raymon Taylor both recorded their first career sacks. Michigan's defense only allowed 206 yards of total offense and held UConn to one successful
third down
''Third Down'' is the third album led by pianist Dolo Coker which was recorded in 1977 and released on the Xanadu label in 1979.Graham Glasgow
Graham Michael Glasgow (born August 19, 1992) is an American professional American football, football Guard (gridiron football), guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolve ...
replaced Jack Miller as the team's starting center, while Chris Bryant replaced Glasgow as the team's left guard. Michigan's offense did not attempt a pass during the first quarter of the game. Blake Countess's interception in the fourth quarter was his fourth of the season; he became the first Wolverine since
Donovan Warren
Donovan Jamelle Warren (born January 31, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Warren was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 N ...
in 2009 to have four interceptions in a season.
At Penn State
*Sources:
Following its game against Minnesota, Michigan traveled to State College to face the Penn State Nittany Lions for the first time since 2010. In the previous meeting, Penn State won by a score of 41–31.
Penn State won the game, defeating Michigan 43–40 after four
overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
periods. Penn State opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass from
Christian Hackenberg
Christian Blaize Hackenberg (born February 14, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected b ...
to Brandon Felder. Michigan responded with a 59-yard touchdown pass from Devin Gardner to Devin Funchess and a 47-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons, which gave Michigan a 10–7 lead after the first quarter. Penn State responded in the second quarter with 14 unanswered points, via a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hackenberg to Jesse James and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Hackenberg to Felder, making the score 21–10 in favor of Penn State at halftime. Michigan responded with the first ten points of the third quarter. Frank Clark recovered a Penn State fumble and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown, while Gibbons added a 23-yard to make the score 21–20 in favor of Penn State. Penn State responded with a 45-yard field goal from Sam Ficken, but Michigan regained the lead via a 16-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Jeremy Gallon. In the fourth quarter, Michigan added to its lead with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Funchess, making the score 34–24. Penn State scored the next ten points—a 43-yard field goal from Ficken and a one-yard run from Hackenberg—to tie the game and send it to overtime. Neither team scored in the first overtime. In the second overtime, Gibbons kicked a 25-yard field goal for Michigan, but Penn State responded with a 36-yard field goal from Ficken. After neither team scored in the third overtime, Gibbons gave Michigan a three-point lead with a 40-yard field goal in the fourth overtime, but Penn State responded with a two-yard touchdown run from Bill Belton to win the game.
The game was the longest in Michigan football history, surpassing triple overtime victories against
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
and
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
in
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. Devin Funchess recorded over 100 receiving yards for the second consecutive week. Frank Clark recorded two sacks and two fumble recoveries, as well as a defensive touchdown, giving Michigan its second consecutive week with a defensive touchdown. Jake Ryan played for the first time since his ACL injury in the spring. Brendan Gibbons recorded his 127th consecutive
point after touchdown
The conversion, try (American football), also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, extra point, two-point conversion, or convert (Canadian football) is a gridiron football play that occurs immediately after a touchdown. The scoring team att ...
(PAT), setting a new Michigan record and passing JD Carlson in the process. Desmond Morgan recorded eight tackles during the game.
Vs. Indiana
*Sources:
After its trip to State College, Michigan hosted the Indiana Hoosiers for the first time since 2010. Michigan won the previous game by a score of 42–35.
The game turned into a shootout, with Michigan winning 63–47. Indiana opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 59-yard touchdown pass from Nate Sudfeld to Cody Latimer. Michigan responded with a 13-yard touchdown run from Devin Gardner and then took the lead via a two-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald Toussaint. Michigan added to its lead in the second quarter via a seven-yard touchdown run from Toussaint, but Indiana responded with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Tre Roberson to Shane Wynn, cutting Michigan's lead to seven points. Michigan added a 21-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Jeremy Gallon, but as time expired in the half, Mitch Ewald kicked a 50-yard field goal, making the score 28–17 in favor of Michigan at halftime. The teams combined to score 37 points in the third quarter. Indiana cut Michigan's lead to four with a two-yard touchdown run from
Tevin Coleman
Tevin Ford Coleman (born April 16, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers, earning unanimous All-American honor ...
, but Michigan responded with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Gallon. Indiana answered with a five-yard touchdown pass from Roberson to Wynn and then reduced Michigan's lead to one point with a 23-yard field goal from Ewald. Michigan answered with a one-yard touchdown run from Toussaint, but Indiana responded with a 67-yard touchdown pass from Roberson to Kofi Hughes, making the score 42–40 in favor of Michigan. In the fourth quarter, Michigan responded with a six-yard touchdown run from Gardner, but Indiana answered with a 15-yard touchdown run from Tre Roberson. Michigan once again extended its lead to nine points with a six-yard touchdown run from Gardner and then ended the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown run from Toussaint.
Jeremy Gallon broke the single-game receiving record for both Michigan and the Big Ten Conference during the game, catching 14 passes for a total of 369 yards. Gardner broke Michigan's single game records for both passing yards (503) and total offense (584). Michigan's offense set a new school record for total yardage with 751 yards of offense, breaking the previous record of 727 yards against Delaware State in
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
. Thomas Gordon recorded his first two interceptions of the season during the game. With the win, Michigan became
bowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible".
...
.
At Michigan State
*Sources:
Following its clash with Indiana, Michigan traveled to East Lansing to face its in-state rival, the Michigan State Spartans. Michigan won the previous game 12–10 on a last second field goal from Brendan Gibbons.
Michigan State dominated the game, winning 29–6. Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 49-yard field goal from Matt Wile, but Michigan State responded with a field goal of its own—a 40-yard one from Michael Geiger. In the second quarter, Michigan State took the lead on a 44-yard field goal from Geiger, but Michigan responded with a 34-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons. Michigan State regained the lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Connor Cook to Bennie Fowler. After leading 13–6 at halftime, Michigan State scored all points that occurred after halftime. In the third quarter, Geiger added a 35-yard field goal to give Michigan State a 16–6 lead. In the fourth quarter, Michigan State added two touchdowns via a one-yard touchdown run from Connor Cook and a 40-yard touchdown run from Jeremy Langford.
Michigan rushed for −48 yards, which was a school record for the lowest total rushing yards in a single game. Michigan fell to 35–24–2 when the two teams played games involving the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
Vs. Nebraska
*Sources:
After its trip to East Lansing, Michigan hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The previous meeting saw Michigan lose starting quarterback Denard Robinson to injury in the first half and it eventually lost the game 23–9.
Nebraska defeated Michigan 17–13 in a low-scoring affair. Nebraska opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 21-yard field goal from Pat Smith and an eight-yard run from
Ameer Abdullah
Ameer Abdullah (born June 13, 1993) is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner, who most recently played for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the se ...
. Michigan responded in the second quarter with a 27-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons, giving Nebraska a 10–3 lead at halftime. Michigan tied the game in the third quarter with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Devin Gardner to Devin Funchess, and then took the lead in the fourth quarter via a 40-yard field goal from Gibbons. Nebraska responded with a five-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Armstrong to Abdullah to win the game.
The loss was Michigan's first at Michigan Stadium since Brady Hoke became the head coach in 2011. Both Dennis Norfleet and Chris Wormley recorded their first career fumble recoveries. The attendance of 112,204 marked the 250th consecutive game Michigan Stadium has seen crowds of over 100,000 people.
At Northwestern
*Sources:
Following its game against Nebraska, Michigan traveled to Evanston to face the Northwestern Wildcats. Michigan won the previous meeting 38–31 in overtime.
Michigan stunned Northwestern with a last second field goal to tie the game, and then won in triple overtime by a score of 27–19. The teams traded field goals in the first quarter, with Michigan scoring first via a 25-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons, while Northwestern responded with a 40-yard field goal from Jeff Budzien. Northwestern scored the only points of the second quarter via a 22-yard field goal from Budzien and led 6–3 at halftime. Northwestern also scored the only points of the third quarter via a 29-yard field goal from Budzien to take a 9–3 lead. Michigan responded with two field goals from Brendan Gibbons—one from 28 yards and one from 44 yards, with the second one coming as time expired. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, with Michigan scoring via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Devin Gardner to Jake Butt, while Kain Colter scored via a one-yard run for Northwestern. The teams traded field goals in the second overtime. Jeff Budzien kicked a 36-yard field goal for Northwestern, while Brendan Gibbons added a 29-yard field goal for Michigan. Michigan won the game in the third overtime via a 5-yard touchdown run from Gardner, converting a two-point attempt via a Gardner run, and then stopping Northwestern's offense during Northwestern's attempt.
Michigan improved its record to 9–2 in games that were decided in overtime. Jake Butt's touchdown in the first overtime was his first career touchdown. Jeremy Gallon became the school's tenth player to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season and the first since
Mario Manningham
Mario Cashmere Manningham (born May 25, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American college football player at the Michigan Wol ...
did so in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
.
At Iowa
*Sources:
After its game against Northwestern, Michigan completed its road portion of the schedule against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan dominated the previous meeting, winning 42–17, with Devin Gardner accounting for all six of Michigan's touchdowns.
Iowa won the game by a score of 24–21. Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter with a seven-yard interception return for a touchdown from Brennan Beyer, but Iowa responded with a five-yard touchdown pass from Jake Rudock to CJ Fiedorowicz. Michigan scored the next fourteen points via a two-yard pass from Devin Gardner to A.J. Williams and a nine-yard pass from Gardner to Jeremy Gallon, giving Michigan a 21–7 lead at halftime. Iowa scored the next 17 points to win the game. In the third quarter, Jake Rudock completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to Tevaun Smith, cutting Michigan's lead to seven points. In the fourth quarter, Mark Weisman tied the game via a nine-yard touchdown run, and Mike Myer gave Iowa the victory with a 34-yard field goal.
The temperature at kickoff was . Frank Clark had 2.5 tackles for a loss, while Michigan intercepted three passes and had its third defensive touchdown of the season. Blake Countess recorded his fifth interception of the season, while Raymon Taylor recorded his fourth interception of the season.
Vs. Ohio State
*Sources:
Following its road finale against Iowa, Michigan faced Ohio State in the 110th meeting of "The Game". Ohio State won the previous edition 26–21.
Ohio State won a thrilling contest 42–41 after Michigan missed a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt with 32 seconds remaining in the game. The teams combined for 28 points in the first quarter. Michigan opened the scoring via a one-yard touchdown run from Devin Gardner, but Ohio State responded with a 53-yard touchdown pass from
Braxton Miller to Devin Smith. Michigan regained the lead via a four-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald Toussaint, but Ohio State responded with a 53-yard touchdown run from Miller. Michigan regained the lead in the second quarter via a 17-yard touchdown pass from Devin Gardner to Jeremy Gallon, but Ohio State responded with a 21-yard touchdown run from Braxton Miller, making the score 21–21 at halftime. In the third quarter, Ohio State took the lead for the first time in the game, with Braxton Miller scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run. Ohio State added to its lead via a 22-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Jeff Heuerman, making the score 35–21 in favor of Ohio State at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan responded with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Drew Dileo and a two-yard pass from Gardner to Jake Butt, which tied the score at 35. Ohio State regained the lead via a one-yard touchdown run from
Carlos Hyde
Carlos Hyde (born September 20, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio Stat ...
, but Michigan responded with a two-yard touchdown pass from Gardner to Devin Funchess. Instead of attempting the extra point to send the game to overtime, Michigan decided to go for a two-point conversion to win the game in regulation. Gardner's pass was intercepted and Ohio State won its second consecutive game over Michigan.
Devin Gardner completed 32 of his 45 attempted passes for 451 yards and four touchdowns. This was his second career game of over 400 passing yards; he is the only Michigan quarterback to have ever thrown for 400 passing yards in a single game. Gardner's 451 passing yards and Gallon's 175 receiving yards are the most passing and receiving yards ever recorded against Ohio State in the history of the rivalry.
Vs. Kansas State
*Sources:
For its final game of the season, Michigan faced Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. This was the first ever meeting between the two schools. This was Michigan's forty-third bowl game in its history, and the first time it had ever played in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. It was also the first time Michigan played in Arizona since the
1986 Fiesta Bowl
The 1986 Fiesta Bowl was the 15th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, a college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Wednesday, January 1. Part of the 1985–86 bowl game season, it matched the fifth-ranked Michigan ...
, when
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
defeated
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
27–23.
Depth chart
Starters and backups against Central Michigan. Following Drake Johnson's season-ending injury against Central Michigan, Derrick Green replaced him as the backup running back, while Thomas Rawls replaced Justice Hayes as the third-string running back.
Awards
Fifth-year senior offensive tackle
Taylor Lewan earned his second consecutive and Michigan's third consecutive
Rimington-Pace Offensive lineman of the Year award and tight end
Devin Funchess
Devin Akeem Funchess (born May 21, 1994) is an American former American football, football wide receiver and professional basketball player who last played for the Caribbean Storm Islands of the Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano. He played colleg ...
was selected as the
Kwalick-Clark Tight end of the Year. Lewan earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference recognition from both the coaches and the media, while Funchess and
Blake Countess were All-Conference first team by the media and second-team honors by the coaches.
Jeremy Gallon was a second team selection by both the coaches and the media, while
Frank Clark was recognized as second-team by the coaches and honorable mention by the media. Other honorable mention selections were Jibreel Black (coaches and media), Devin Gardner, Brendan Gibbons and Raymon Taylor (media) and Michael Schofield (coaches). Following the season Gallon was selected team MVP.
Lewan was a first team All-American selection by ''
Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'', a second team selection by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
,
CBSSports.com,
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit ...
, ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' and a third team selection by
Athlon Sports
Parade Media (previously known as AMG/Parade and Athlon Media Group) is a publisher founded in 1967 that is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville's Spencer Hays was its majority stockholder. It was purchased by The Arena Group in 2022 and no ...
.
Countess, Funchess and Gallon were honorable mention selections by ''Sports Illustrated''.
[
]
All-star games
Roster
Radio
Radio coverage for all games was broadcast statewide on The Michigan Wolverines Football Network and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merger ...
. The radio announcers were Frank Beckmann with play-by-play
In Broadcasting of sports events, sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real time (media), real-time live commentary of a game or event, traditionally delivered in the present t ...
, Jim Brandstatter
Jim Brandstatter (born ) is an American former sportscaster. He served as a radio announcer for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1979 to 2021, and for the Detroit Lions from 1987 to 2017. Brandstatter is also a sports television show h ...
with color commentary
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
, and Doug Karsch
Doug Karsch (born ) is an American talk radio show host and the Michigan Wolverines football radio play by play announcer (alongside Jon Jansen), based in Detroit, Michigan.
Education and early career
Karsch was born in Champaign, Illinois an ...
with sideline reports. This was Beckmann's 32nd and final season in the Michigan press box; he retired from sportscasting afterward.
2014 NFL Draft
In addition to the drafted players both Thomas Gordon (New York Giants) and Fitzgerald Toussaint (Baltimore Ravens) signed contracts as undrafted free agents.
References
External links
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
Michigan Wolverines football seasons
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the List of NCAA football teams by wins, most all-time wins in college football ...