1997 Michigan Wolverines football team

}} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} ==Rankings==

Preseason ranking Going into the 1997 season, the Wolverines were ranked No. 17 in the pre-season Coaches' Poll and had experienced four consecutive four-loss seasons for the first time since the 1934–1937 Michigan Wolverines football teams. Michigan had not won a national championship in nearly 50 years and had not played in a Rose Bowl Game since the 1992 season. The 1997 Michigan team was the first since the 1969 team to have no Rose Bowl veterans. In early September 1997, The Columbus Dispatch wrote off Michigan, noting that "the longtime beast of the Big Ten ... has lost much of its aura" and predicting that Michigan's 1997 schedule "doesn't create a feeling that the pendulum is about to swing back." but fifth-year senior Brian Griese had relieved Driesbach in the Ohio State game after Driesbach was injured and helped the team recover from a 9–0 deficit. Shortly before the season opener, head coach Lloyd Carr announced his selection of Griese as the starting quarterback. Receiving corps Despite uncertainty at quarterback, Michigan entered the 1997 season with a solid group of receivers, including Tai Streets and Russell Shaw, as well as returning All-Big Ten tight end Jerame Tuman. Analysts believed that a solid season by any of the Michigan quarterbacks could lead to a productive season in the passing game. Moreover, it was anticipated that Charles Woodson, who was regarded as one of the most versatile athletes in college football, would play on offense. Offensive line The offensive line was another uncertainty for the 1997 team. Three linemen from the 1996 team had been selected in the 1997 NFL draft: center Rod Payne (3rd round, 76th overall), offensive guard Damon Denson (4th round, 97th overall) and defensive tackle William Carr (7th round, 217th overall). As a result, Michigan began the season with only one offensive lineman, offensive tackle Jon Jansen, who had started a game. To fill the holes on the offensive line, two defensive linemen, Steve Hutchinson and Chris Ziemann were moved to the offensive line. Days before the season opener, Lloyd Carr compared the daunting schedule to an expedition to Mount Everest. Carr noted, "It's a little akin to climbing Mount Everest. But Mount Everest has been climbed. And with great preparation and determination, and great attitude, which I think our players have, I can assure you we're looking forward to it." ==Game summaries==

Week 1: Colorado Michigan opened the 1997 season with a home game against Colorado. Three years earlier, Colorado had defeated Michigan in a game nicknamed "The Miracle at Michigan" on Kordell Stewart's 64-yard Hail Mary pass to Michael Westbrook as time ran out. Michigan won the 1997 game 27 to 3, a margin that eliminated the possibility of another last-minute miracle. Griese completed 21 of 28 forward pass attempts for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Jerame Tuman had five receptions for 126 yards. Defensively, Michigan intercepted four passes thrown by Colorado's John Hessler, while holding him to 141 yards on 15 of 39 passing. Throughout the game, Michigan relied on man coverage from cornerbacks Woodson and Andre Weathers, blitzes and pressure from the four-man defensive line. Michigan took the lead with 5:39 remaining in the first quarter on a 10-yard wide receiver screen play from Griese to Woodson. On defense, the Wolverines held Baylor to 32 yards in the second half, allowing three plays on its first four possessions of the second half. Woodson allowed no catches and made five unassisted tackles (three for a loss). He played 46 downs on defense, six on special teams and five on offense. Notre Dame ended the day with its first three-game losing streak in 12 years. In the first quarter, Notre Dame scored first on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ron Powlus to Bobby Brown, culminating a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Howard helped Michigan run out the final 3:26 with runs of 27, seven, nine and eight yards. The win was the eighth consecutive and 23rd of 24 for Michigan over Indiana. It was Michigan's first shutout since November 11, 1995, against Purdue. The game pitted Michigan against former Michigan assistant coach and first year head coach Cam Cameron. Northwestern placekicker Brian Gowins kicked a career-best 52-yard field goal to put Northwestern ahead 3–0 in the first quarter. Michigan took the lead with 13 points in the second quarter, starting with 19-yard and 23-yard field goals by Baker. Iowa running back Tavian Banks opened the scoring 91 seconds into the second quarter with a 53-yard touchdown run. Michigan State's 5–1 start was its best since the 1966 team. Sophomore linebacker Dhani Jones had led Michigan in tackles in each of the three previous games and was second on the defense in tackles for the season. The interceptions brought Woodson's career total to 15, which was second in school history. Minnesota drove 71 yards on its first possession, scored the game's first points on a 27-yard field goal by Adam Bailey and led 3–0 after one quarter. After the opening drive, Michigan's defense shut down the Golden Gophers, allowing only 33 yards of total offense in the remainder of the game. With the win, Michigan had prevailed in 28 of its last 30 games against Minnesota. Michigan was 8–0 and ranked No. 4 in both polls. The game matched Michigan's defense, which was ranked first in Division I-A in scoring defense (7.5 points per game), yards per game (202.5) and pass efficiency rating (77.5), On the opening drive, Michigan drove 53 yards and took the lead on a 29-yard field goal by Kraig Baker. On Penn State's first play from scrimmage after the field goal, Glen Steele sacked Penn State quarterback Mike McQueary for a 10-yard loss. In the second quarter, Michigan extended its lead to 17–0 after Griese gained 40 yards on a broken play and then completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Woodson. which began in 1966. Michigan's defense held the Penn State to 169 yards of total offense (68 passing yards and 101 rushing yards), Penn State's lowest total since 1987. Michigan's offense totaled 416 yards and was led by Howard and Griese. Howard rushed for 120 yards on 22 carries and had four pass receptions for 41 yards. The game drew the third-largest crowd ever (79,806) at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin put together an 80-yard, 11-play drive with Samuel sneaking in from the 1-yard line. Also, week 11 opponent Ohio State, defeated Illinois 41–6. Wisconsin totaled 235 yards. The key plays on the drive were a 37-yard pass from Brian Griese to Charles Woodson and a 15-yard run by Chris Floyd taking the ball to the 1. Anthony Thomas slipped past middle linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer for the touchdown. Michigan's offense was forced to punt 11 times, compiled only 189 yards of total offense (147 passing yards and 42 rushing yards) and was held to 45 yards in the entire second half. ==Postseason==

Award season During the 1997 award season, Charles Woodson became one of the most honored players in Michigan history. He was selected as Michigan's Most Valuable Player, a first-team All-Big Ten player and a first-team All-American. On December 1, 1997, he received the Walter Camp Award as the college football Player of the year. On December 11, 1997, Woodson also won the Bednarik Award as top defensive player and the Jim Thorpe Award as top defensive back. By a margin of 55 votes out of 2,500 votes cast, Woodson was beaten by Peyton Manning for the Maxwell Award. The award season culminated with the Heisman Trophy. Woodson was invited to the Downtown Athletic Club for the Heisman announcement along with fellow finalists Manning, Ryan Leaf, and Randy Moss. Woodson won the Heisman, edging Manning by a margin of 1815–1543 points and 433–281 first place votes. He became the first predominately defensive player to receive the award. Head coach Lloyd Carr won the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award, the George Munger Award, and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award. Rose Bowl: Washington State As the Big Ten champion, Michigan faced the Pac-10 champion Washington State Cougars in the 1998 Rose Bowl. The game matched the nation's best defense against the number two offense. Michigan's defense allowed an average of 206.9 yards per game through the regular season, while Washington State averaged 42.5 points and 502.1 yards a game. The game marked Michigan's first Rose Bowl since 1993 and Washington State's first since 1931. . (pictured in 2008) In the first quarter, Washington State downed a punt at Michigan's one-yard-line and forced the Wolverines to punt without a first down. After regaining possession at Michigan's 47-yard-line, Leaf threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to McKenzie to take a 7–0 lead with 3:07 remaining in the first quarter. On Washington State's next possession, Woodson intercepted Leaf in the end zone. Michigan's victory evened the series between the Pac-10 and Big 10 in the Rose Bowl at 26 wins apiece. Nebraska had beaten Tennessee 42–17 and totaled 534 yards of total offense, including 409 rushing yards and an Orange Bowl record-setting 206 rushing yards by Ahman Green. Tom Osborne's retirement and the Big Ten's cumulative 2–5 bowl game record were considered factors leading to the split polls. ==Statistical achievements==

Michigan's 1997 defense set the NCAA Division I FBS record for fewest yards allowed per pass completion (8.8 yards per completion, 100–149 completions) Over the course of the 1997 season, including conference and non-conference games, Michigan's defense led the Big Ten Conference in most statistical categories, including rushing defense (89.0 yards per game), passing defense (133.8 yards per game), passing defense efficiency (81.8 points per game), total defense (222.8 yards per game) and scoring defense (9.5 points per game). Michigan's 1997 season totals in total defense and scoring defense are the lowest marks among all Big Ten football teams since the 1985 season. On offense, quarterback Brian Griese set Michigan single-season passing records with 193 pass completions and 307 pass attempts. In each case, Griese surpassed records set by Todd Collins in 1993; Tom Brady broke both of Griese's records in 1998. ==Coaching staff==

Offensive starting lineup and awards Defensive starting lineup and awards Full roster Players selected in the 1998 NFL draft On the last day that underclassmen could declare for the 1998 NFL draft in early January, junior Woodson decided to forgo his collegiate eligibility. Woodson joined a class of more than a dozen underclassmen that included Leaf, Moss, Green, Enis, Takeo Spikes, Benji Olson and Olin Kreutz. Underclassmen who returned for more college play included Donovan McNabb, Kevin Faulk and Amos Zereoué. The following Michigan players were selected in the 1998 NFL draft. ==Statistics==

Offensive statistics Rushing Passing Receiving Defensive statistics Tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks Interceptions and pass break-ups Special teams statistics Kickoff returns Punt returns Punts Field goals PAT conversions ==Awards and honors==

The individuals in the sections below earned recognition for meritorious performances. National • All-Americans: Charles Woodson, Glen Steele, Jerame Tuman • Heisman Trophy: Woodson • Walter Camp Award: Woodson • Sporting News College Football Player of the Year: Woodson • Chic Harley Award: Woodson • Bronko Nagurski Trophy: Woodson • Chuck Bednarik Award: Woodson • Jim Thorpe Award: Woodson • Jack Tatum Trophy: Woodson • Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award: Lloyd Carr • George Munger Award: Carr • Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Carr • Broyles Award: Jim Herrmann Conference • All-Conference: Charles Woodson, Marcus Ray, Jerame Tuman, Brian Griese, Zach Adami, Steve Hutchinson, Jon Jansen, Glen Steele, Sam Sword, Andre Weathers • Big Ten Football MVP: Woodson • Big Ten Athlete of the Year (all sports): Woodson • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year: Woodson • Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Anthony Thomas Team • Captains: Jon Jansen, Eric Mayes • Most Valuable Player: Charles Woodson • Meyer Morton Award: Clint Copenhaver • John Maulbetsch Award: Marcus Knight • Frederick Matthei Award: Clarence Williams • Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Rob Renes • Dick Katcher Award: Glen Steele • Hugh Rader Jr. Award: Zach Adami • Robert P. Ufer Award: Chris Floyd • Roger Zatkoff Award: Sam Sword ==References==