2010 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. Michigan played its home games at Michigan Stadium
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
and competed in the Big Ten Conference
. The season was the first since the renovation of Michigan Stadium, begun in 2007, was completed. The Wolverines were led by third-year head coach Rich Rodriguez
. After its week 10 win against Illinois, Michigan became bowl eligible for the first time since 2007
, and later accepted a bid to play in the Gator Bowl
against Mississippi State
on January 1, 2011, losing 52–14. The Wolverines finished the season sixth out of 120 Division I FBS teams in total offense
, 110th in total defense and 112th in passing defense. Michigan finished with an overall record of 7–6, 3–5 in Big Ten play. After the season, head coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff were dismissed on January 5, 2011.
Several individual players had standout performances. Quarterback
Denard Robinson
set several school records, became the first quarterback in college football history to rush and pass for 1,500 yards, and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy
voting. He surpassed Drew Brees
' single-season Big Ten Conference total offense record and the FBS single-season quarterback rushing record. He also won the 2010 Big Ten
rushing title, the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
for being the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player, and was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year.
Jonas Mouton
was the Big Ten's statistical champion in tackles, while Jordan Kovacs
finished second. In conference games alone, Roy Roundtree
led the conference in receiving yards per game, in part on the strength of a school single-game record 246-yard outing against Illinois
. Reserve quarterback Tate Forcier
also set a school single-game completion percentage record with a 12-for-12 performance against Bowling Green
. The defense also set several records, including most points allowed and yards allowed.
, the Wolverines started out 4–0, but finished the season 5–7 and missed a bowl game
for the second year in a row. Michigan finished the season seventh in the Big Ten in total offense and ninth in total defense.
The team entered the season surrounded by questions of how they would overcome the late season collapse from last year and what it would take for Rich Rodriguez to return for a fourth year. On January 5, Michigan hired David Brandon
to replace Bill Martin
as its athletic director
. Martin had previously announced his retirement during the 2009 season. Reaction to the hire was positive, but the hire also brought increased scrutiny upon Rich Rodriguez, as Brandon made it clear that he would do whatever was necessary to turn the program around from its recent slump.
The team also faced uncertainty relating to who would be the starting quarterback. While it was expected that Tate Forcier would retain his starting job, the build-up to the season led to a quarterback controversy that turned into a three way battle between Forcier, Denard Robinson, and highly touted recruit Devin Gardner
. On defense, Michigan installed a new 3-3-5 formation that the coaches hoped would better suit the players currently on the team. Michigan lost several key players from the previous season, including DE
Brandon Graham, the 2009 Big Ten
defensive Most Valuable Player
, RB's
Brandon Minor
and Carlos Brown
, LB
Stevie Brown
, and CB
Donovan Warren
. Michigan suffered a severe blow to its defensive secondary
during fall practice, as starting CB Troy Woolfolk suffered a dislocated ankle that ended his season before it began.
was listed on the John Mackey Award
list for tight end
s. Redshirt
sophomore Roy Roundtree was listed on the Fred Biletnikoff Award
list for wide receiver
s. Fifth-year senior Stephen Schilling
was listed on the Outland Trophy
list for lineman. Redshirt junior David Molk
was named to the Rimington Trophy list for centers
. Fifth-year senior Jonas Mouton was listed on the Butkus Award watch list for linebacker
s.
, the first ever meeting between the two schools. Michigan celebrated the re-dedication of Michigan Stadium with a special flyover by a World War II era B-25 bomber from the nearby Yankee Air Museum
in Ypsilanti Township
, and then another flyover immediately following the national anthem by two A-10 aircraft. Preceding both teams' entrance onto the field and the national anthem, Brock Mealer—the brother of Michigan guard Elliot Mealer and who up until very recently had been unable to walk after a tragic car accident—led the team onto the field by walking to the banner and touching it, which sparked a standing ovation from the crowd.
Although a close game was predicted, the game was the exact opposite, as the Wolverines finally displayed the long sought offensive firepower from a Rich Rodriguez offense. Michigan scored the only points of the first quarter, as Vincent Smith
opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run and quarterback Denard Robinson added another touchdown on a 32-yard run. Michigan started the second quarter with another touchdown, this time with a 3-yard run by Michael Shaw
. All of Connecticut's scoring came in the second quarter: a 32-yard field goal by Dave Teggert, and then a 2-yard run by Jordan Todman. The only scoring of the third quarter came on a 24-yard Michigan field goal by Brendan Gibbons. Connecticut managed to enter Michigan's red zone during the third quarter, but D.J. Shoemate fumbled the ball after a hit by J.T. Floyd and Obi Ezeh
recovered it to prevent Connecticut from scoring. In the fourth quarter, Smith caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Robinson; however, the extra point attempt was no good.
The attendance of 113,090 was the highest in college football history. Robinson had 29 carries and completed 19-of-22 passes for 186 yards, contributing 383 of Michigan's 473 total yards. Robinson ran for 197 yards, setting a school record for a quarterback, surpassing Steve Smith
, who rushed for 147 yards on four carries at Minnesota on November 12, 1983. Michigan committed no turnovers, the first time since the game against Miami (Ohio) on September 6, 2008. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 108-18-2 all-time in home openers.
to take on their long-time rivals, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
, in their first road game of the season. Michigan won the previous year's contest on a Tate Forcier to Greg Mathews
touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The game was seen as a crucial test to Michigan's season, as it was Michigan's first game in a hostile environment.
Notre Dame began the scoring early in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dayne Crist
; however, Crist suffered a concussion during the opening drive and was forced to miss the remainder of the first half. Michigan responded with three unanswered touchdowns. First was a 31-yard reception by Roy Roundtree midway through the first quarter, then a 1-yard run by Stephen Hopkins near the end of the first, and later an 87-yard run by QB Denard Robinson, the longest in Notre Dame Stadium history. After halftime, the Fighting Irish responded with two touchdowns and a field goal. First was a 53-yard pass to TJ Jones, followed by a 24-yard field goal by David Ruffer. Next was a 95-yard catch by Kyle Rudolph
, which put Notre Dame ahead late in the game. Michigan retook the lead with 27 seconds left with a 2-yard run by Denard Robinson. Michigan's defense held off Notre Dame on its final drive of the game, with Crist's final pass sailing over everyone and out of the end zone.
Denard Robinson set a school record for total offense at 502 total yards — 258 rushing, 244 passing. The rushing yards set a new high for yards on the ground in one game by a Big Ten quarterback, as Robinson broke the league record of 217 yards set by Mike Kafka at Minnesota on November 1, 2008. Robinson became the ninth quarterback in NCAA history to rush and pass for 200 yards or more in a game, the last being West Virginia's Pat White against Pittsburgh on November 16, 2006 (220 rushing and 204 passing). The last 200-yard rusher for Michigan was Mike Hart, who had 215 yards against Eastern Michigan on October 6, 2007.
(UMass) in Ann Arbor, the first ever meeting between the two teams. Michigan sought to avoid an upset similar to the 2007 team, which lost to Appalachian State
.
The game proved to be much closer than expected, and much more similar to the upset of 2007
than Michigan desired. On the opening drive, UMass drove to the Michigan 12-yard line, but was forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal. On Michigan's first possession, Denard Robinson threw an interception on the second play (and first pass) of the drive. After a defensive stop, Michigan drove 93 yards for a touchdown on a drive that featured passes of 16 yards to Martavious Odoms
and 43 yards to Kelvin Grady. Michael Shaw scored the touchdown on a 1-yard run. Thirty-five seconds into the second quarter, UMass retook the lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Hernandez, capping a 67-yard scoring drive. Mid-way through the second quarter, Michigan drove 64 yards (including 40 rushing yards by Robinson), but Seth Broekhuizen missed a 38-yard field goal attempt. In the closing minutes of the first half, UMass drove 79 yards, capped by the second touchdown run by Hernandez. UMass led 17–7 with 1:17 remaining in the half, but Michigan stormed back in the final 61 seconds of the half. On Michigan's first play from scrimmage after the UMass touchdown, Robinson threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Darryl Stonum
with 1:01 left in the half. On the second play from scrimmage after the kickoff, Jordan Kovacs forced a fumble by Hernandez, and Michigan recovered the ball at their own 45-yard line. Michigan quickly drove 55 yards and scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Stonum with 16 seconds left in the half. Michigan led 21–17 at halftime on the strength of 259 yards (195 passing yards and 64 rushing yards) of total offense from Denard Robinson.
On the opening drive of the second half, Michigan drove 69 yards and scored on Shaw's 34-yard touchdown run, his second touchdown of the game. On their second possession of the second half, Michigan drove 94 yards and scored on an 8-yard run by Robinson. The score marked Michigan's fourth touchdown in four drives as Michigan scored 28 unanswered points after UMass took the 17–7 lead. UMass scored on a 7-yard touchdown run by Havens at 13:47 of the fourth quarter. On Michigan's first possession of the fourth quarter, Shaw led the way with a 50-yard run and a 4-yard touchdown run to put Michigan ahead 42–24. UMass responded with its second touchdown of the quarter on a five-yard pass from Havens to Julian Talley, but missed on the two-point conversion attempt. After a three-and-out by Michigan, UMass blocked Michigan's punt and drove for its third fourth-quarter touchdown aided by a pass interference penalty against Michigan's James Rogers. With 2:05 left to play, and Michigan leading 42–37, UMass attempted an onside kick that went out of bounds at the 40-yard line, allowing Michigan to run out the clock for the win.
. This was the first meeting between the schools since 2000, which saw Michigan emerge victorious 42–7.
After the opening kickoff, Michigan drove 80 yards for a touchdown on a 2-yard run by quarterback Denard Robinson. On its second possession, Michigan drove the ball 88 yards and took a 14–0 lead on a 47-yard run by Robinson. Michigan began its third possession at its own 9-yard line. Robinson ran 46 yards on the first play of the drive, but he injured his knee and did not return to the game. Devin Gardner substituted for Robinson and concluded the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Gallon. Michigan led 21–0 at the end of the first quarter, but Bowling Green scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Jordan Hopgood and a 71-yard reception by Tyrone Pronty. With Michigan's lead cut to 7 points, Tate Forcier entered the game late in the second quarter. Forcier completed all 6 of his passes in leading the team on 69-yard touchdown drive to give Michigan a 28–14 lead at halftime.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Bowling Green's punter fumbled the ball and it flew into the end zone for a safety, giving Michigan a 30–14 lead. After the safety, Forcier completed a 21-yard pass to Roy Roundtree, which led to a 2-yard pass from Forcier to John McColgan. On Bowling Green's next drive, Jonas Mouton intercepted a pass at the Bowling Green 46-yard line and returned it 9 yards to the 37. After a 14-yard pass from Forcier to Gallon, Vincent Smith scored on an 8-yard run to give Michigan a 44–14 lead. Bowling Green then drove 69 yards and scored on a 2-yard run by Jordan Hopgood. Michigan held Bowling Green scoreless in the fourth quarter and added three more touchdowns on runs of 1 yard by Vincent Smith, 5 yards by Fitzgerald Toussaint and 7 yards by Devin Gardner. Toussaint also had a 61-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up his touchdown.
Michigan's 721 yards of total offense rank as the second most in program history, trailing only the Wolverines' 727-yard effort against Delaware State on October 17, 2009. It is the most recorded by Michigan against an FBS program, surpassing the 715 yards tallied against Mississippi
in the 1991 Gator Bowl
. It was also the fifth-best total in Big Ten conference history. Tate Forcier set a Michigan single-game completion record of 100%, completing 12 of 12 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Michigan's three quarterbacks combined to complete 23 of 26 passes (88.5 percent) for 255 yards. This marked the first time Michigan had won its first four games in back-to-back seasons since the 1996
and 1997 teams
.
for a shootout with the Indiana Hoosiers
. During the previous meeting between the schools, Michigan won the game on a controversial interception call which saw Donovan Warren intercept Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell on what turned out to be Indiana's final play of the game.
After the opening kickoff, Chappell led the Hoosiers on a six-minute, 77-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Duwyce Wilson. Michigan responded less than a minute later on its second play from scrimmage with a 72-yard touchdown run by Denard Robinson. On its second possession, Robinson led an 85-yard drive concluding with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree. On Michigan's third possession of the first quarter, Robinson completed a 74-yard pass to Roundtree who was tackled at the 1-yard line. However, Robinson fumbled the snap and the ball was recovered by Indiana. Following the fumble, Chappell led Indiana on a five-minute, 99-yard touchdown drive capped by a 22-yard touchdown run by Darius Willis. Michigan re-took the lead 21–14 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Kevin Koger with 2:43 remaining in the first half. The half ended with a 72-yard drive by Indiana and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Chappell to Damarlo Belcher as time ran out.
On the second play of the second half, Robinson threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway. Demarlo Willis tied the game at 28–28 with his second touchdown on a 4-yard run at the 6:55 mark of the third quarter. Michigan once again took the lead less than a minute later with a 56-yard touchdown run by Vincent Smith. The score remained 35–28 until the closing minutes as the defensive units held the offenses without a score for more than 20 minutes. Late in the fourth quarter, Chappell led Indiana on a six-minute, 80-yard drive. On fourth down with 1:20 remaining in the game, Chappell completed a 19-yard touchdown to Darius Willis to tie the game at 35–35. The Wolverines got the ball back at their own 27-yard line with 1:15 remaining in the game. Robinson carried the ball three times to take the ball to the Indiana 46-yard line and then completed a 42-yard pass to Hemingway who was tackled at the Indiana 4-yard line. Robinson ran the ball into the endzone for the winning touchdown with 17 seconds left in the game. It was Michigan's 17th consecutive win against Indiana, dating back to 1987. The victory also gave Michigan its first 5–0 start since the 2006 season
.
Michigan totaled 574 yards of total offense against Indiana, with Denard Robinson being the team's offensive leader. He contributed 494 yards of total offense, the second-highest single-game total in Michigan history. With 217 rushing yards and 277 passing yards, Robinson became the first player in Division I FBS history to have two regular season games with both 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.
On defense, Michigan's performance was among the worst in team history. Michigan's defense gave up 568 yards in the game, the second-highest total ever allowed by a Michigan football team. With several sustained drives, Indiana also dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for 41:47 as compared to 18:13 for Michigan. Indiana's total of 41:47 also set an all-time record for time of possession by a Michigan opponent. Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell passed for 480 yards to break the all-time record for passing yards against Michigan, surpassing a 28-year-old record of 436 yards set by Northwestern's Sandy Schwab in 1982. Chapell also broke the all-time record by an opposing player with 475 yards of total offense. Indiana receiver Tandon Doss
also had the second-highest receiving totals ever recorded by a Michigan opponent with 221 receiving yards and 15 catches.
, for the coveted Paul Bunyan Trophy
. This game was the 103rd edition of the rivalry. The game marked the first time since 1999 where both teams entered the game undefeated. Expectations ran high for both teams, as Michigan State came into the game ranked 17th in the AP Poll and 16th in the Coaches Poll, while Michigan entered ranked 18th in the AP Poll and 17th in the Coaches Poll. Michigan State was victorious in the previous meeting in the series, winning 26–20 in overtime after a 23-yard touchdown run by Larry Caper.
Although Michigan was able to score first, it was Michigan State that dictated the pace of the game. After Michigan's 34-yard field goal, the only scoring in the first quarter, Michigan State responded with a 61-yard rushing touchdown by Edwin Baker, which were the first points of the second quarter. Michigan took the lead a few minutes later with a 12-yard touchdown reception by Martell Webb, but the Spartans responded with a 41-yard rushing touchdown by Le'Veon Bell, and later added to their lead with a 38-yard field goal by Dan Conroy just before halftime. State built on their lead in the third quarter with 2 touchdowns: first a 41-yard reception by Mark Dell, then a 8-yard run by Larry Caper. Michigan's only points of the second half came on a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Denard Robinson. Michigan State sealed their win with a 28-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
Denard Robinson had perhaps his worst game up to this point in the season: he threw three interceptions and was held to only 84 yards rushing. This marked the first time that Michigan State had defeated Michigan three years in a row since they accomplished this feat from 1965-1967. The announced crowd of 113,065 was, at the time, the second largest crowd ever at Michigan Stadium. As a testament to Michigan's ongoing kicking woes, the field goal in the first half was Michigan's first attempt since the game against UMass and the first converted kick since the game against Connecticut.
, Michigan hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes
. Michigan hoped to bounce back after a tough loss the previous week to Michigan State. During the previous meeting between the two schools, Iowa prevailed 30–28 after Denard Robinson threw an interception with less than one minute remaining in the game.
While Michigan came out and scored on their first possession, Iowa went on to control the game and emerge victorious. After Michigan took an early lead midway through the first quarter with a 8-yard touchdown reception by Vincent Smith, Iowa tied it up a few minutes later with a 14-yard reception by Derrell Johnson-Koulianos
. A few minutes later Johnson-Koulianos caught another touchdown, this time from 31 yards out. Iowa scored again just before halftime with a 4-yard run by Adam Robinson. In the third quarter Adam Robinson of the Hawkeyes ran in another touchdown, this time from 11 yards out. In the fourth quarter Michigan's offense woke back up, with the Wolverines' Stephen Hopkins scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run. Iowa responded with a 19-yard reception by Johnson-Koulianos. Michigan responded with 2 touchdowns: a 45-yard reception by Junior Hemingway, and a 3-yard run by Tate Forcier. However, Iowa sealed its win with a 30-yard field goal by Michael Meyer.
Michigan's rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter snapped a streak of 24 quarters where Iowa hadn't allowed a rushing touchdown (dating back to the Orange Bowl vs. Georgia Tech). With his rushing performance, Denard Robinson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, becoming just the second Big Ten quarterback to accomplish the feat in conference history. Indiana's Antwaan Randle El
established the Big Ten record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,270) in 2000. Robinson ended the contest with 1,096 rushing yards on the year.
, Michigan traveled to State College, Pennsylvania
to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions
. This game was seen as an important game in Michigan's season, as it was a nationally broadcast primetime game and allowed Michigan a chance for redemption after two consecutive losses. Michigan entered the game needing just one win to become bowl eligible, while Penn State's head coach Joe Paterno
entered the game in search of his 399th career win. During the week leading up to the game, Penn State was unsure of starting quarterback Robert Bolden's
status for the game due to a head injury suffered during the previous week's game against Minnesota. It was later announced that former walk-on Matt McGloin
would start the game for Penn State. Michigan lost to Penn State the previous year by a score of 35–10, which was Penn State's first win at Michigan Stadium since 1996.
Penn State opened the scoring with a 4-yard run by Evan Royster
, but Michigan responded with a 32-yard run by Denard Robinson. Penn State broke the tie with a 1-yard run by Evan Royster. Michigan responded in the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal, but Penn State scored two touchdowns just before halftime: a 1-yard run by McGloin and then a 20 yard run by Graham Zug
. After the break, Penn State kicked a 32-yard field goal. Michigan responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Koger, but Penn State answered with a 5-yard run by Mike Zordich. Michigan countered late in the third with a 1-yard run by Denard Robinson. Robinson then ran in a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth, but Penn State sealed its win with a 42-yard field goal.
Robinson set the Big Ten season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with his 191-yard performance. At this point in the season, he had 1,287 yards rushing, surpassing the previous record of 1,270 yards set by Indiana's Antwaan Randle El in 2000.
in a triple overtime shootout. The previous year's contest saw Illinois emerge victorious, winning by a score of 38–13.
The game began with an auspicious start for Michigan, as they scored on the first play of the game from scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown reception by Roy Roundtree. Illinois responded with two field goals by Derek Dimke: first from 43 yards, and then from 44 yards out. In the second quarter, Illinois took the lead with a touchdown yard run by Nathan Scheelhaase
, and completed a 2 point conversion to Ryan Lankford. Michigan tied it up with a 33-yard reception by Roy Roundtree. Illinois retook the lead with a 62-yard reception by Jason Ford. Michigan tied it back up with a 4-yard run by Stephen Hopkins, and took the lead back with a 45-yard reception by Junior Hemingway. The first half ended with 2 field goals that left the game tied: a 35-yard Michigan field goal, and a 43-yard Illinois field goal. Contrary to the explosive nature of the first half, the third quarter was relatively quiet, with the only scoring being an 18-yard run by Michigan's Michael Shaw. The fourth quarter saw a reemergence of offense, as Illinois tied it back up with a 27-yard reception by Mikel Leshoure and then took the lead with a 1-yard run by Leshoure. Michigan was able to tie the game late with a 9-yard catch by Darryl Stonum. Illinois chose to run out the clock, taking it to overtime. In the first overtime, Michigan got the ball first and Michael Shaw ran in a 5-yard touchdown. Mikel Leshoure then ran in a 1-yard touchdown, forcing double overtime. Illinois received the ball to start the second overtime, and Mikel Leshoure caught a 25-yard touchdown on the first play. Junior Hemingway then caught a 9-yard touchdown, forcing triple overtime. Michigan got the ball first to start the third overtime and scored on a 1-yard run by Michael Shaw. By rule, the Wolverines had to go for a 2 point conversion, which they completed with a pass to Junior Hemingway. Illinois' Mikel Leshoure ran in a 3-yard touchdown, but the 2 point conversion attempt failed, giving Michigan the win.
The high scoring game set several school and conference records: the 132-point combined score was the highest-scoring game of the year in major college football (so far), and the highest in both the 131-year history of Michigan football and in the history of the Big Ten. The Illini's 65 points were the most ever allowed by Michigan. They also established Michigan records for combined points in a half (62) and combined points in a quarter (49). Michigan's previous records in those categories were: 130 points (vs. West Virginia, 1904), 55 points (vs. Chicago, 1939) and 39 points (vs. Penn State, 2005), respectively. This game was the highest scoring FBS game since Navy
and North Texas
met on November 10, 2007, which Navy won 74–62. Robinson threw a career-high 305 yards, as well as a school record 262 yards in the first half. Michigan's 419 passing yards broke the previous single game record of 396 yards, which was set against Michigan State in 1999. Roy Roundtree had a school-record 246 yards receiving, breaking the previous mark of 197 yards by Jack Clancy
. The two teams combined for a total of 1,237 yards of offense, breaking the record of 1,189 set against Northwestern in 2000. With the win, Michigan became bowl eligible for the first time since Rich Rodriguez began his tenure as head coach.
to face the Purdue Boilermakers
. During the previous meeting, Purdue stunned Michigan 38–36 when they rallied from a 14 point deficit during the second half after trailing 24-10 at halftime.
Michigan scored first when Cameron Gordon picked up a Purdue fumble and ran it back 58 yards for a touchdown, their first defensive points of the season. They added to their lead a few minutes later with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree. Purdue scored their first points late in the first quarter with a 20-yard field goal by Carson Wiggs, and then added more points in the second quarter when Ricardo Allen intercepted a Denard Robinson pass and ran it back 94 yards for a touchdown. They then came within a point of a tie a few minutes later by kicking a 46-yard field goal, but would not come any closer. Early in the third quarter, Michigan's Vincent Smith ran in a 19-yard touchdown, but the extra point failed. Purdue's only score of the second half was a 40-yard field goal that came in the third quarter. Michigan sealed their win late in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by Stephen Hopkins.
The wet conditions wreaked havoc on both teams' offensive production, as each team committed five turnovers, with each team returning one of those turnovers for a touchdown. Robinson set the Michigan season record for total offensive yards during the second quarter at Purdue. Robinson accounted for 244 yards in the contest, bringing his season total to 3,407 yards, and breaking the season mark held by John Navarre
(3,240 yards in 2003).
. Michigan looked to extend its two game win streak, but faced a tough challenge, as Wisconsin was ranked 6th in the AP Poll and was fresh off of an 83–20 pounding of Indiana. During the previous meeting between the two schools, Wisconsin won by a score of 45–24, with Scott Tolzien
throwing 5 touchdown passes during the game.
Michigan was never in contention during the game, as Michigan's offense was shut out in the first half, while Wisconsin's offense dominated Michigan's defense and jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Wisconsin's only score of the first quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Montee Ball
. In the second quarter, they added to their lead with a 25-yard field goal by Philip Welch, a 27-yard touchdown run by Montee Ball, and a 61-yard run by James White
. Michigan started the second half by finally getting on the board with 2 touchdowns: a 24-yard reception by Darryl Stonum, and then a 4-yard run by Denard Robinson. Wisconsin responded with a 23-yard run by James White. Michigan replied with an 11-yard run by Denard Robinson. The Badgers added to their lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter with a 3-yard run by Montee Ball. Wisconsin then more added points with a 40-yard field goal. Michigan's only score of the quarter was a 28-yard catch by Roy Roundtree. Wisconsin sealed their win with a 4-yard run by Montee Ball.
Denard Robinson broke Beau Morgan's major-college record for yards rushing by quarterbacks and became the first player in NCAA history with 1,500 yards rushing and 1,500 yards passing in one year. Morgan had 1,494 yards rushing for Air Force in 1996. Robinson beat that mark with a 12-yard run in the third quarter against the Badgers. The win was Wisconsin's first at Michigan Stadium since 1994.
to face its arch rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes
, with the goal of ending Ohio State's Big Ten title chances. Ohio State won the previous meeting, its sixth straight against Michigan, capitalizing on five Tate Forcier turnovers en route to a 21–10 victory.
Neither team was able to score in the first quarter. Michigan had the best scoring opportunity, as they drove down into the Ohio State red zone before Denard Robinson fumbled the ball during a run. Ohio State opened the scoring early in the second quarter with a 33-yard field goal by Devin Barclay
, and then added to their lead with a 7-yard touchdown reception by Dane Sanzenbacher
. Michigan got their only points of the game a few minutes later with a 1-yard run by Michael Shaw. Ohio State then proceeded to score 27 unanswered points and put the game out of reach. Immediately following the Michigan touchdown, Jordan Hall returned the kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Ohio State then added to their lead with a 33-yard reception by DeVier Posey
. The Buckeyes had a chance to extend their lead at the end of the first half, but a Terrelle Pryor
pass was intercepted by Jordan Kovacs in the Michigan endzone. In the third quarter, Dan Herron
added a 32 yard run, and Barclay added two more field goals from 36 and 23 yards. These were the final points of the game, as neither team was able to score in the final quarter.
It was Michigan's seventh straight loss to Ohio State, its longest losing streak to the Buckeyes in school history. Denard Robinson gained 192 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes, but left the game during the third quarter due to two dislocated fingers on his left hand. At the end of the regular season, Robinson had 1,643 rushing yards, which moved him into fifth place on U-M's all-time season rushing yardage list. He also had 2,316 passing yards for a total of 3,959 yards of offense.
After the 2010 season, an NCAA investigation was launched into rules violations by Ohio State, which included allegations that Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel
knowingly played ineligible players during several 2010 games, including the Michigan game. The NCAA investigation, which resulted in Tressel's resignation, is ongoing and may lead to sanctions; Ohio State preemptively in July 2011 imposed internal sanctions, one of which was vacating all of Ohio State's 2010 victories, including the game over Michigan. For this reason, the Columbus Dispatch reported in May 2011 that Ohio State had delayed the award of its traditional "gold pants" charms for the 2010 victory over Michigan.
in the Gator Bowl
. This game was the first meeting between the two schools, and the first game against a Big Ten opponent for Mississippi State since 1980. Michigan entered the game in search of its 20th total bowl victory, and played an SEC
opponent for the 30th time in school history. Two days before the game, Michigan learned that backup QB Tate Forcier was declared academically ineligible and would not participate in the Gator Bowl. In response, Michigan named freshman Devin Gardner the backup QB to Denard Robinson. The team did, however, receive some good news during the week leading up to the game, as WR Martavious Odoms was cleared to play in his first game since October 9 against Michigan State, during which he suffered a broken foot.
The game began as a seesaw affair between the two teams. Michigan struck first with Denard Robinson throwing a 10-yard pass to Roy Roundtree for a touchdown on the game's first drive. Mississippi State responded with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Chris Relf
to Arceto Clark and a 42-yard field goal by Derek DePasquale, the field goal being a direct result of a blocked punt by Mississippi State. Michigan responded with a 27-yard touchdown reception by Martavious Odoms. After the first quarter ended, Michigan led 14–10, but would not score any more points during the game. Mississippi State blew the game wide open in the second quarter with twenty-one points. Vick Ballard and Chris Relf both had rushing touchdowns, of two yards and one yard respectively, while Ricco Sanders also had a 15-yard touchdown reception for Mississippi State. By halftime, Mississippi State led 31–14 and showed no signs of slowing down. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Michigan's defense forced its first three and out, but on the subsequent drive, Brendon Gibbons missed a 35-yard field goal. The Bulldogs finished the game with twenty-one second half points. Fourteen of these came in the third quarter on two rushing touchdowns by Ballard of seven yards and one yard, while the final touchdown came via a Relf 31-yard pass to Michael Carr in the fourth quarter.
The game broke several Gator Bowl records, as well as Michigan records. The twenty-four points scored in the first quarter broke the previous Gator Bowl record for most points in the first quarter, which was set in 2005
between West Virginia
and Florida State
. Denard Robinson finished the season with 4,272 yards of total offense, a Michigan single-season record. The game was also the worst loss in Michigan's history in a bowl game, with the previous record being a 45–17 loss to Tennessee
in the 2002 Citrus Bowl
.
In the aftermath of the bowl loss to Mississippi State, coach Rich Rodriguez was relieved of his duties.
Denard Robinson finished first in the conference in rushing and total offense, while finishing fourth and second in the nation in these categories respectively. Jonas Mouton also led the conference in tackles, while teammate Jordan Kovacs finished second. Robinson averaged 130.92 rushing yards per game, while averaging 328.62 yards of total offense. Mouton averaged 9.25 tackles per game, while Kovacs averaged 8.92 tackles.
The per game team rankings below include 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and 11 Big Ten Conference teams:
The per game rankings below include players who have played in 75% of team's games and are ranked in the top 100 national leaders and top 25 conference leaders:
semifinalist. In November, he was also named as one of sixteen Maxwell Award
semifinalists. Center David Molk
was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy. Michigan had three individual statistical champions for conference game statistics: Denard Robinson averaged 317.5 yards of total offense
per game, wide receiver Roy Roundtree
averaged 83.9 receiving yards per contest and punter Will Hagerup averaged 46.0 yards per punt. They also had three champions for all games: Robinson 130.9 rushing yards per game and 328.6 average yards of total offense, while Jonas Mouton
recorded 9.8 tackles per game. Denard Robinson was also named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, the following other players were selected to the All-Big Ten Conference team: Denard Robinson (1st team - media, honorable mention - coaches), Molk (1st team - media & coaches), Mike Martin
(2nd team - coaches, honorable mention - media) Mouton (2nd team - media), Roundtree (2nd team - media), Stephen Schilling
(honorable mention - coaches & media), and Jordan Kovacs
(honorable mention - media). Denard Robinson was also named the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
for being the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player.
Denard Robinson was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches, the Big Ten media and College Football News
(CFN)—despite not being named by the coaches to either the first or second All-Big Ten team; however, he was a first team All-conference selection by the media and CFN. He also edged out Terrelle Pryor
as the Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player as voted by the Big Ten coaches, although both had the same number of first place votes. He was a first team All-American selection by the Football Writers Association of America
as a running back, a third team selection by the Associated Press
as an all-purpose
player, and an honorable mention quarterback selection by Sports Illustrated
and College Football News. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Molk was also recognized by Sports Illustrated as an honorable mention All-American. Cam Gordon was selected as a second team Freshman All-American by CFN at safety, and he was joined on the second team by offensive line selection Taylor Lewan
. Schilling was selected as a participant to the Senior Bowl
, while Mouton was selected to play in the East–West Shrine Game.
as its new head coach one week later. Although the entire coaching staff was fired, Hoke elected to retain running backs coach
Fred Jackson
.
In addition to Rodriguez's firing, Michigan also saw the departure of QB Tate Forcier. Forcier cited the fact that he felt no longer wanted as a reason for his departure from the school.
, the following Wolverines signed: tight end Martell Webb with the Philadelphia Eagles
, cornerback James Rogers with the Denver Broncos
and offensive lineman Perry Dorrestein with the New York Jets
. Former Wolverine transfers also signed: linebacker Cobrani Mixon from Kent State University
with the Detroit Lions
and offensive guard Justin Boren
ended up in Baltimore Ravens
. The following seniors were initially unsigned: linebacker Obi Ezeh
and defensive linemen Greg Banks and Adam Patterson. However, Ezeh signed with the Washington Redskins
on July 31. Banks was also a late signee with the Detroit Lions
.
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...
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
. Michigan played its home games 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...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and competed in 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...
. The season was the first since the renovation of Michigan Stadium, begun in 2007, was completed. The Wolverines were led by third-year head coach Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
. After its week 10 win against Illinois, Michigan became bowl eligible for the first time since 2007
2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2007 college football season. This was Lloyd Carr's final season as Michigan head coach. The 2007 season began with a stunning loss to Appalachian State, but the Wolverines won eight straight games after...
, and later accepted a bid to play in the Gator Bowl
2011 Gator Bowl
The 2011 Gator Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten and Mississippi State Bulldogs of the SEC, and was played on January 1, 2011 , at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the sixty sixth edition of the bowl game and was...
against Mississippi State
2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2010 college football season. Mississippi State has been a member of the Southeastern Conference since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Western Division...
on January 1, 2011, losing 52–14. The Wolverines finished the season sixth out of 120 Division I FBS teams in total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
, 110th in total defense and 112th in passing defense. Michigan finished with an overall record of 7–6, 3–5 in Big Ten play. After the season, head coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff were dismissed on January 5, 2011.
Several individual players had standout performances. 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...
Denard Robinson
Denard Robinson
Denard Xavier Robinson , nicknamed Shoelace, is an American football player who is playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. He started at quarterback in all 13 games for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 2010...
set several school records, became the first quarterback in college football history to rush and pass for 1,500 yards, and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. He surpassed Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
' single-season Big Ten Conference total offense record and the FBS single-season quarterback rushing record. He also won the 2010 Big Ten
2010 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2010 Big Ten Conference football season was the 115th season for the Big Ten. The conference started its season on Thursday, September 2, as conference member Minnesota traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to face Middle Tennessee, and Ohio State hosted the Thundering Herd of Marshall...
rushing title, the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
for being the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player, and was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year.
Jonas Mouton
Jonas Mouton
-College career:He redshirted in 2006 and made his career debut on September 15, 2007 against Notre Dame. On January 1, 2008, in the Capital One Bowl against Florida he made a 20-yard kickoff return....
was the Big Ten's statistical champion in tackles, while Jordan Kovacs
Jordan Kovacs
Jordan David Kovacs is an American football safety who is playing his redshirt junior season in 2011 for the Michigan Wolverines football team...
finished second. In conference games alone, Roy Roundtree
Roy Roundtree
-College:Roundtree redshirted for the 2008 season. He made his college debut on September 5, 2009 against the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium as a slot receiver. That year he roomed with Trotwood teammates Shaw and Moore. He had just two receptions in the first eight games of the...
led the conference in receiving yards per game, in part on the strength of a school single-game record 246-yard outing against Illinois
2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2010 college football season. The Fighting Illini, led by sixth-year head coach Ron Zook, are members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Memorial Stadium...
. Reserve quarterback Tate Forcier
Tate Forcier
Robert Patrick "Tate" Forcier is an American college football quarterback. He was a starting quarterback for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team ahead of Denard Robinson and Robinson's back up for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before leaving the program in January 2011...
also set a school single-game completion percentage record with a 12-for-12 performance against Bowling Green
2010 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The 2010 Bowling Green Falcons football team was the 92nd varsity football team to represent Bowling Green State University and the program's 58th season in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons play in the MAC's east division and are led by second year head coach Dave Clawson. They played their...
. The defense also set several records, including most points allowed and yards allowed.
Preseason
In 20092009 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference...
, the Wolverines started out 4–0, but finished the season 5–7 and missed a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
for the second year in a row. Michigan finished the season seventh in the Big Ten in total offense and ninth in total defense.
The team entered the season surrounded by questions of how they would overcome the late season collapse from last year and what it would take for Rich Rodriguez to return for a fourth year. On January 5, Michigan hired David Brandon
David Brandon
David A. Brandon is the director of intercollegiate athletics for the University of Michigan. He was formerly chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and manager of Domino's Pizza. He is also a former regent of the University of Michigan. Brandon took over Domino's in March 1999 when...
to replace Bill Martin
William C. Martin
William C. "Bill" Martin was University of Michigan Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Director from 2000 to 2010.Martin is president of the United States Sailing Foundation and also served as president of the U.S. Sailing Association, the national governing body of the sport of sailing from...
as its athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
. Martin had previously announced his retirement during the 2009 season. Reaction to the hire was positive, but the hire also brought increased scrutiny upon Rich Rodriguez, as Brandon made it clear that he would do whatever was necessary to turn the program around from its recent slump.
The team also faced uncertainty relating to who would be the starting quarterback. While it was expected that Tate Forcier would retain his starting job, the build-up to the season led to a quarterback controversy that turned into a three way battle between Forcier, Denard Robinson, and highly touted recruit Devin Gardner
Devin Gardner
Devin Gardner is an American football quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines football team. During the fall of 2009, he was rated as the No. 1 high school quarterback in the United States by Rivals.com and the No. 5 quarterback by ESPNU...
. On defense, Michigan installed a new 3-3-5 formation that the coaches hoped would better suit the players currently on the team. Michigan lost several key players from the previous season, including DE
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Brandon Graham, the 2009 Big Ten
2009 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2009 Big Ten Conference football season was the 114th for the conference, and saw Ohio State conclude the regular season as Big Ten Conference champion for the 5th consecutive time, their 34th Big Ten title. This earned them the conference's automatic selection to a Bowl Championship Series...
defensive Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, RB's
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Brandon Minor
Brandon Minor
Brandon Ricardo Minor is an American football running back who is currently a member of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010, but after being released during the final cuts, he has been on the New Orleans Saints and...
and Carlos Brown
Carlos Brown (American football)
-Freshman year:Brown played in 7 games as a freshman in 2006 and earned his first varsity letter. In limited action, Brown carried 16 times for 41 yards.-Sophomore year:...
, LB
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Stevie Brown
Stevie Brown
-College:At Michigan, he was elected captain as a senior. Over the course of his career he had 31 special teams tackles, including 11 as a sophomore when he led the 2007 team. As a senior, he led the 2009 Wolverines in tackles with 80...
, and CB
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Donovan Warren
Donovan Warren
-College career:As a true freshman at Michigan, Warren played in all 13 season games while starting 11 of them at cornerback. He recorded 52 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception and six pass breakups...
. Michigan suffered a severe blow to its defensive secondary
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
during fall practice, as starting CB Troy Woolfolk suffered a dislocated ankle that ended his season before it began.
Position key
| Back | B | Center Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
C | Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
CB | Defensive back Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... |
DB | |||
| Defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E | |||
| Fullback | FB | Guard Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
G | Halfback Halfback (American football) A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive... |
HB | Kicker Placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points... |
K | |||
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
LB | |||
| Long snapper Long snapper In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible.... |
LS | Punter | P | Punt returner Punt returner Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while... |
PR | 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... |
QB | |||
| Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
RB | Safety | S | Tight end Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
TE | Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
WR |
Recruits
Preseason award watch lists
Michigan began the season with five players listed on prominent watch lists. Junior Kevin KogerKevin Koger
Kevin Jamaal Koger is an American football tight end for the Michigan Wolverines. He was a 2011 All-Big Ten honorable mention.-High school career:...
was listed on the John Mackey Award
John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
list for tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s. 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...
sophomore Roy Roundtree was listed on the Fred Biletnikoff Award
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
list for wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s. Fifth-year senior Stephen Schilling
Stephen Schilling
Stephen Dana Schilling is an American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award...
was listed on the Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
list for lineman. Redshirt junior David Molk
David Molk
David Molk is an American football center who is playing his redshirt senior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. For the 2011 season, he began the year on the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award & Rimington Trophy watch lists...
was named to the Rimington Trophy list for centers
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
. Fifth-year senior Jonas Mouton was listed on the Butkus Award watch list for linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s.
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | RV | 20 | 21 | 19 | 18 | RV | RV | NR | RV | NR | NR | Coaches | RV | 22 | 19 | 17 | 24 | RV | 25 | RV | RV | NR | NR | |
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | RV | NR | NR | ||||||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | NR | NR | NR | NR | |||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
The schedule is as follows:vs. Connecticut
Michigan opened the 2010 season at home against the Connecticut HuskiesConnecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
, the first ever meeting between the two schools. Michigan celebrated the re-dedication of Michigan Stadium with a special flyover by a World War II era B-25 bomber from the nearby Yankee Air Museum
Yankee Air Museum
The Yankee Air Museum is an aviation museum located near Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. The museum has a small fleet of flying aircraft and a collection of static display aircraft outdoors.-History:...
in Ypsilanti Township
Ypsilanti Township, Michigan
Ypsilanti Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 49,182...
, and then another flyover immediately following the national anthem by two A-10 aircraft. Preceding both teams' entrance onto the field and the national anthem, Brock Mealer—the brother of Michigan guard Elliot Mealer and who up until very recently had been unable to walk after a tragic car accident—led the team onto the field by walking to the banner and touching it, which sparked a standing ovation from the crowd.
Although a close game was predicted, the game was the exact opposite, as the Wolverines finally displayed the long sought offensive firepower from a Rich Rodriguez offense. Michigan scored the only points of the first quarter, as Vincent Smith
Vincent Smith (American football)
Vincent Smith is an American football running back and return specialist, who is currently playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team.-Early years:...
opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run and quarterback Denard Robinson added another touchdown on a 32-yard run. Michigan started the second quarter with another touchdown, this time with a 3-yard run by Michael Shaw
Michael Shaw (American football)
Michael Shaw is an American football running back for the Michigan Wolverines football team.Shaw was raised and played high school football in Trotwood, Ohio. He played high school football with Roy Roundtree at Trotwood-Madison High School where his coach was longtime National Football League...
. All of Connecticut's scoring came in the second quarter: a 32-yard field goal by Dave Teggert, and then a 2-yard run by Jordan Todman. The only scoring of the third quarter came on a 24-yard Michigan field goal by Brendan Gibbons. Connecticut managed to enter Michigan's red zone during the third quarter, but D.J. Shoemate fumbled the ball after a hit by J.T. Floyd and Obi Ezeh
Obi Ezeh
Obi Pius Ezeh is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. He is the active Michigan Wolverines football career leader in tackles.In high school, he played running back on offense...
recovered it to prevent Connecticut from scoring. In the fourth quarter, Smith caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Robinson; however, the extra point attempt was no good.
The attendance of 113,090 was the highest in college football history. Robinson had 29 carries and completed 19-of-22 passes for 186 yards, contributing 383 of Michigan's 473 total yards. Robinson ran for 197 yards, setting a school record for a quarterback, surpassing Steve Smith
Steve Smith (quarterback)
Steve Smith is a former American football quarterback. He was the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1981 to 1983....
, who rushed for 147 yards on four carries at Minnesota on November 12, 1983. Michigan committed no turnovers, the first time since the game against Miami (Ohio) on September 6, 2008. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 108-18-2 all-time in home openers.
at Notre Dame
Following their win against Connecticut, the Wolverines traveled to South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
to take on their long-time rivals, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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...
, in their first road game of the season. Michigan won the previous year's contest on a Tate Forcier to Greg Mathews
Greg Mathews (American football)
-College career:Had a streak of 23 consecutive games with at least one reception starting with the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football season the opening game against the two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers in.-Pre-draft:-Chicago Bears:...
touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The game was seen as a crucial test to Michigan's season, as it was Michigan's first game in a hostile environment.
Notre Dame began the scoring early in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dayne Crist
Dayne Crist
Dayne Lawrence Crist is an American football quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.-Early years:Crist attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California. As a senior in 2007 he threw for 2,178 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception in 10 games, also adding 81...
; however, Crist suffered a concussion during the opening drive and was forced to miss the remainder of the first half. Michigan responded with three unanswered touchdowns. First was a 31-yard reception by Roy Roundtree midway through the first quarter, then a 1-yard run by Stephen Hopkins near the end of the first, and later an 87-yard run by QB Denard Robinson, the longest in Notre Dame Stadium history. After halftime, the Fighting Irish responded with two touchdowns and a field goal. First was a 53-yard pass to TJ Jones, followed by a 24-yard field goal by David Ruffer. Next was a 95-yard catch by Kyle Rudolph
Kyle Rudolph
Kyle Rudolph is an American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Early years:...
, which put Notre Dame ahead late in the game. Michigan retook the lead with 27 seconds left with a 2-yard run by Denard Robinson. Michigan's defense held off Notre Dame on its final drive of the game, with Crist's final pass sailing over everyone and out of the end zone.
Denard Robinson set a school record for total offense at 502 total yards — 258 rushing, 244 passing. The rushing yards set a new high for yards on the ground in one game by a Big Ten quarterback, as Robinson broke the league record of 217 yards set by Mike Kafka at Minnesota on November 1, 2008. Robinson became the ninth quarterback in NCAA history to rush and pass for 200 yards or more in a game, the last being West Virginia's Pat White against Pittsburgh on November 16, 2006 (220 rushing and 204 passing). The last 200-yard rusher for Michigan was Mike Hart, who had 215 yards against Eastern Michigan on October 6, 2007.
vs. Massachusetts
After its dramatic win in South Bend against Notre Dame, Michigan played the Division I FCS Massachusetts MinutemenUMass Minutemen football
The UMass Minutemen football team is a collegiate football team that has finished its last season in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011. UMass began play in 1879 and have since appeared in three National Championship games, winning the title in...
(UMass) in Ann Arbor, the first ever meeting between the two teams. Michigan sought to avoid an upset similar to the 2007 team, which lost to Appalachian State
Appalachian State Mountaineers football
The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team is the college football team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Southern Conference since 1972, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
.
The game proved to be much closer than expected, and much more similar to the upset of 2007
2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game
The 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan game was a college football game held on September 1 at Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS, the...
than Michigan desired. On the opening drive, UMass drove to the Michigan 12-yard line, but was forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal. On Michigan's first possession, Denard Robinson threw an interception on the second play (and first pass) of the drive. After a defensive stop, Michigan drove 93 yards for a touchdown on a drive that featured passes of 16 yards to Martavious Odoms
Martavious Odoms
Martavious Rashhud Odoms is an American football wide receiver playing his senior season in 2011 for the Michigan Wolverines football team. Martavious established the Michigan record for receptions by a freshman for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team and was the Big Ten Conference leader...
and 43 yards to Kelvin Grady. Michael Shaw scored the touchdown on a 1-yard run. Thirty-five seconds into the second quarter, UMass retook the lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Hernandez, capping a 67-yard scoring drive. Mid-way through the second quarter, Michigan drove 64 yards (including 40 rushing yards by Robinson), but Seth Broekhuizen missed a 38-yard field goal attempt. In the closing minutes of the first half, UMass drove 79 yards, capped by the second touchdown run by Hernandez. UMass led 17–7 with 1:17 remaining in the half, but Michigan stormed back in the final 61 seconds of the half. On Michigan's first play from scrimmage after the UMass touchdown, Robinson threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Darryl Stonum
Darryl Stonum
Darryl Stonum is an American football player. He has played at the University of Michigan from 2008 to 2010 and holds the school record for most kickoff return yards in a single season with 1,001 yards.-Early years:...
with 1:01 left in the half. On the second play from scrimmage after the kickoff, Jordan Kovacs forced a fumble by Hernandez, and Michigan recovered the ball at their own 45-yard line. Michigan quickly drove 55 yards and scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Stonum with 16 seconds left in the half. Michigan led 21–17 at halftime on the strength of 259 yards (195 passing yards and 64 rushing yards) of total offense from Denard Robinson.
On the opening drive of the second half, Michigan drove 69 yards and scored on Shaw's 34-yard touchdown run, his second touchdown of the game. On their second possession of the second half, Michigan drove 94 yards and scored on an 8-yard run by Robinson. The score marked Michigan's fourth touchdown in four drives as Michigan scored 28 unanswered points after UMass took the 17–7 lead. UMass scored on a 7-yard touchdown run by Havens at 13:47 of the fourth quarter. On Michigan's first possession of the fourth quarter, Shaw led the way with a 50-yard run and a 4-yard touchdown run to put Michigan ahead 42–24. UMass responded with its second touchdown of the quarter on a five-yard pass from Havens to Julian Talley, but missed on the two-point conversion attempt. After a three-and-out by Michigan, UMass blocked Michigan's punt and drove for its third fourth-quarter touchdown aided by a pass interference penalty against Michigan's James Rogers. With 2:05 left to play, and Michigan leading 42–37, UMass attempted an onside kick that went out of bounds at the 40-yard line, allowing Michigan to run out the clock for the win.
vs. Bowling Green
Following its close win against UMass, Michigan hosted the Bowling Green FalconsBowling Green Falcons football
The Bowling Green Falcons football team is the interscholastic football team at Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green competes as a member of the Mid-American Conference in the East Division. The Falcons have won ten conference championships....
. This was the first meeting between the schools since 2000, which saw Michigan emerge victorious 42–7.
After the opening kickoff, Michigan drove 80 yards for a touchdown on a 2-yard run by quarterback Denard Robinson. On its second possession, Michigan drove the ball 88 yards and took a 14–0 lead on a 47-yard run by Robinson. Michigan began its third possession at its own 9-yard line. Robinson ran 46 yards on the first play of the drive, but he injured his knee and did not return to the game. Devin Gardner substituted for Robinson and concluded the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Gallon. Michigan led 21–0 at the end of the first quarter, but Bowling Green scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Jordan Hopgood and a 71-yard reception by Tyrone Pronty. With Michigan's lead cut to 7 points, Tate Forcier entered the game late in the second quarter. Forcier completed all 6 of his passes in leading the team on 69-yard touchdown drive to give Michigan a 28–14 lead at halftime.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Bowling Green's punter fumbled the ball and it flew into the end zone for a safety, giving Michigan a 30–14 lead. After the safety, Forcier completed a 21-yard pass to Roy Roundtree, which led to a 2-yard pass from Forcier to John McColgan. On Bowling Green's next drive, Jonas Mouton intercepted a pass at the Bowling Green 46-yard line and returned it 9 yards to the 37. After a 14-yard pass from Forcier to Gallon, Vincent Smith scored on an 8-yard run to give Michigan a 44–14 lead. Bowling Green then drove 69 yards and scored on a 2-yard run by Jordan Hopgood. Michigan held Bowling Green scoreless in the fourth quarter and added three more touchdowns on runs of 1 yard by Vincent Smith, 5 yards by Fitzgerald Toussaint and 7 yards by Devin Gardner. Toussaint also had a 61-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up his touchdown.
Michigan's 721 yards of total offense rank as the second most in program history, trailing only the Wolverines' 727-yard effort against Delaware State on October 17, 2009. It is the most recorded by Michigan against an FBS program, surpassing the 715 yards tallied against Mississippi
1990 Ole Miss Rebels football team
-Schedule:...
in the 1991 Gator Bowl
1991 Gator Bowl (January)
The January 1991 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1991. The Michigan Wolverines, co-champions of the Big Ten Conference, defeated the Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference, 35–3....
. It was also the fifth-best total in Big Ten conference history. Tate Forcier set a Michigan single-game completion record of 100%, completing 12 of 12 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Michigan's three quarterbacks combined to complete 23 of 26 passes (88.5 percent) for 255 yards. This marked the first time Michigan had won its first four games in back-to-back seasons since the 1996
1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
and 1997 teams
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
.
at Indiana
To open Big Ten play, Michigan traveled to Bloomington, IndianaBloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
for a shootout with the Indiana Hoosiers
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:...
. During the previous meeting between the schools, Michigan won the game on a controversial interception call which saw Donovan Warren intercept Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell on what turned out to be Indiana's final play of the game.
After the opening kickoff, Chappell led the Hoosiers on a six-minute, 77-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Duwyce Wilson. Michigan responded less than a minute later on its second play from scrimmage with a 72-yard touchdown run by Denard Robinson. On its second possession, Robinson led an 85-yard drive concluding with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree. On Michigan's third possession of the first quarter, Robinson completed a 74-yard pass to Roundtree who was tackled at the 1-yard line. However, Robinson fumbled the snap and the ball was recovered by Indiana. Following the fumble, Chappell led Indiana on a five-minute, 99-yard touchdown drive capped by a 22-yard touchdown run by Darius Willis. Michigan re-took the lead 21–14 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Kevin Koger with 2:43 remaining in the first half. The half ended with a 72-yard drive by Indiana and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Chappell to Damarlo Belcher as time ran out.
On the second play of the second half, Robinson threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway. Demarlo Willis tied the game at 28–28 with his second touchdown on a 4-yard run at the 6:55 mark of the third quarter. Michigan once again took the lead less than a minute later with a 56-yard touchdown run by Vincent Smith. The score remained 35–28 until the closing minutes as the defensive units held the offenses without a score for more than 20 minutes. Late in the fourth quarter, Chappell led Indiana on a six-minute, 80-yard drive. On fourth down with 1:20 remaining in the game, Chappell completed a 19-yard touchdown to Darius Willis to tie the game at 35–35. The Wolverines got the ball back at their own 27-yard line with 1:15 remaining in the game. Robinson carried the ball three times to take the ball to the Indiana 46-yard line and then completed a 42-yard pass to Hemingway who was tackled at the Indiana 4-yard line. Robinson ran the ball into the endzone for the winning touchdown with 17 seconds left in the game. It was Michigan's 17th consecutive win against Indiana, dating back to 1987. The victory also gave Michigan its first 5–0 start since the 2006 season
2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
.
Michigan totaled 574 yards of total offense against Indiana, with Denard Robinson being the team's offensive leader. He contributed 494 yards of total offense, the second-highest single-game total in Michigan history. With 217 rushing yards and 277 passing yards, Robinson became the first player in Division I FBS history to have two regular season games with both 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.
On defense, Michigan's performance was among the worst in team history. Michigan's defense gave up 568 yards in the game, the second-highest total ever allowed by a Michigan football team. With several sustained drives, Indiana also dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for 41:47 as compared to 18:13 for Michigan. Indiana's total of 41:47 also set an all-time record for time of possession by a Michigan opponent. Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell passed for 480 yards to break the all-time record for passing yards against Michigan, surpassing a 28-year-old record of 436 yards set by Northwestern's Sandy Schwab in 1982. Chapell also broke the all-time record by an opposing player with 475 yards of total offense. Indiana receiver Tandon Doss
Tandon Doss
Tandon Mic Doss is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He played collegiately for Indiana University...
also had the second-highest receiving totals ever recorded by a Michigan opponent with 221 receiving yards and 15 catches.
vs. Michigan State
In week 6, Michigan hosted its in-state rivals, the Michigan State SpartansMichigan 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...
, for the coveted Paul Bunyan Trophy
Paul Bunyan Trophy
The Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is a college rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the annual American football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game...
. This game was the 103rd edition of the rivalry. The game marked the first time since 1999 where both teams entered the game undefeated. Expectations ran high for both teams, as Michigan State came into the game ranked 17th in the AP Poll and 16th in the Coaches Poll, while Michigan entered ranked 18th in the AP Poll and 17th in the Coaches Poll. Michigan State was victorious in the previous meeting in the series, winning 26–20 in overtime after a 23-yard touchdown run by Larry Caper.
Although Michigan was able to score first, it was Michigan State that dictated the pace of the game. After Michigan's 34-yard field goal, the only scoring in the first quarter, Michigan State responded with a 61-yard rushing touchdown by Edwin Baker, which were the first points of the second quarter. Michigan took the lead a few minutes later with a 12-yard touchdown reception by Martell Webb, but the Spartans responded with a 41-yard rushing touchdown by Le'Veon Bell, and later added to their lead with a 38-yard field goal by Dan Conroy just before halftime. State built on their lead in the third quarter with 2 touchdowns: first a 41-yard reception by Mark Dell, then a 8-yard run by Larry Caper. Michigan's only points of the second half came on a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Denard Robinson. Michigan State sealed their win with a 28-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
Denard Robinson had perhaps his worst game up to this point in the season: he threw three interceptions and was held to only 84 yards rushing. This marked the first time that Michigan State had defeated Michigan three years in a row since they accomplished this feat from 1965-1967. The announced crowd of 113,065 was, at the time, the second largest crowd ever at Michigan Stadium. As a testament to Michigan's ongoing kicking woes, the field goal in the first half was Michigan's first attempt since the game against UMass and the first converted kick since the game against Connecticut.
vs. Iowa
For their HomecomingHomecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
, Michigan hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes
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...
. Michigan hoped to bounce back after a tough loss the previous week to Michigan State. During the previous meeting between the two schools, Iowa prevailed 30–28 after Denard Robinson threw an interception with less than one minute remaining in the game.
While Michigan came out and scored on their first possession, Iowa went on to control the game and emerge victorious. After Michigan took an early lead midway through the first quarter with a 8-yard touchdown reception by Vincent Smith, Iowa tied it up a few minutes later with a 14-yard reception by Derrell Johnson-Koulianos
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, born February 24, 1987, and sometimes nicknamed DJK, was a wide receiver for the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2007-2010 seasons, and also the Iowa Hawkeye's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Currently, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is a wide receiver of the...
. A few minutes later Johnson-Koulianos caught another touchdown, this time from 31 yards out. Iowa scored again just before halftime with a 4-yard run by Adam Robinson. In the third quarter Adam Robinson of the Hawkeyes ran in another touchdown, this time from 11 yards out. In the fourth quarter Michigan's offense woke back up, with the Wolverines' Stephen Hopkins scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run. Iowa responded with a 19-yard reception by Johnson-Koulianos. Michigan responded with 2 touchdowns: a 45-yard reception by Junior Hemingway, and a 3-yard run by Tate Forcier. However, Iowa sealed its win with a 30-yard field goal by Michael Meyer.
Michigan's rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter snapped a streak of 24 quarters where Iowa hadn't allowed a rushing touchdown (dating back to the Orange Bowl vs. Georgia Tech). With his rushing performance, Denard Robinson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, becoming just the second Big Ten quarterback to accomplish the feat in conference history. Indiana's Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
established the Big Ten record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,270) in 2000. Robinson ended the contest with 1,096 rushing yards on the year.
at Penn State
In week 9, and after a bye weekBye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
, Michigan traveled to State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
. This game was seen as an important game in Michigan's season, as it was a nationally broadcast primetime game and allowed Michigan a chance for redemption after two consecutive losses. Michigan entered the game needing just one win to become bowl eligible, while Penn State's head coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
entered the game in search of his 399th career win. During the week leading up to the game, Penn State was unsure of starting quarterback Robert Bolden's
Rob Bolden
Robert "Rob" Bolden is an American football quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory School in Orchard Lake, Michigan.-Recruitment:Bolden committed to Penn State University on July 10, 2009...
status for the game due to a head injury suffered during the previous week's game against Minnesota. It was later announced that former walk-on Matt McGloin
Matt McGloin
Matthew James "Matt" McGloin is an American football quarterback for Penn State University He is the first former walk-on quarterback to start at Penn State since scholarships were reinstated in 1949...
would start the game for Penn State. Michigan lost to Penn State the previous year by a score of 35–10, which was Penn State's first win at Michigan Stadium since 1996.
Penn State opened the scoring with a 4-yard run by Evan Royster
Evan Royster
Evan Mathias Royster is an American football running back for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football for Penn State. Royster was a three year starter and is the all-time leading rusher for the Nittany Lions...
, but Michigan responded with a 32-yard run by Denard Robinson. Penn State broke the tie with a 1-yard run by Evan Royster. Michigan responded in the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal, but Penn State scored two touchdowns just before halftime: a 1-yard run by McGloin and then a 20 yard run by Graham Zug
Graham Zug
Graham Alan Zug is a former collegiate American football wide receiver who played for the Penn State Nittany Lions.-Early years:...
. After the break, Penn State kicked a 32-yard field goal. Michigan responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Koger, but Penn State answered with a 5-yard run by Mike Zordich. Michigan countered late in the third with a 1-yard run by Denard Robinson. Robinson then ran in a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth, but Penn State sealed its win with a 42-yard field goal.
Robinson set the Big Ten season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with his 191-yard performance. At this point in the season, he had 1,287 yards rushing, surpassing the previous record of 1,270 yards set by Indiana's Antwaan Randle El in 2000.
vs. Illinois
In week 10, Michigan hosted the Illinois Fighting IlliniIllinois 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...
in a triple overtime shootout. The previous year's contest saw Illinois emerge victorious, winning by a score of 38–13.
The game began with an auspicious start for Michigan, as they scored on the first play of the game from scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown reception by Roy Roundtree. Illinois responded with two field goals by Derek Dimke: first from 43 yards, and then from 44 yards out. In the second quarter, Illinois took the lead with a touchdown yard run by Nathan Scheelhaase
Nathan Scheelhaase
Nathan Scheelhaase is an American football quarterback at the University of Illinois. While playing at Rockhurst High School, he won the 2008 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year.-High school career:...
, and completed a 2 point conversion to Ryan Lankford. Michigan tied it up with a 33-yard reception by Roy Roundtree. Illinois retook the lead with a 62-yard reception by Jason Ford. Michigan tied it back up with a 4-yard run by Stephen Hopkins, and took the lead back with a 45-yard reception by Junior Hemingway. The first half ended with 2 field goals that left the game tied: a 35-yard Michigan field goal, and a 43-yard Illinois field goal. Contrary to the explosive nature of the first half, the third quarter was relatively quiet, with the only scoring being an 18-yard run by Michigan's Michael Shaw. The fourth quarter saw a reemergence of offense, as Illinois tied it back up with a 27-yard reception by Mikel Leshoure and then took the lead with a 1-yard run by Leshoure. Michigan was able to tie the game late with a 9-yard catch by Darryl Stonum. Illinois chose to run out the clock, taking it to overtime. In the first overtime, Michigan got the ball first and Michael Shaw ran in a 5-yard touchdown. Mikel Leshoure then ran in a 1-yard touchdown, forcing double overtime. Illinois received the ball to start the second overtime, and Mikel Leshoure caught a 25-yard touchdown on the first play. Junior Hemingway then caught a 9-yard touchdown, forcing triple overtime. Michigan got the ball first to start the third overtime and scored on a 1-yard run by Michael Shaw. By rule, the Wolverines had to go for a 2 point conversion, which they completed with a pass to Junior Hemingway. Illinois' Mikel Leshoure ran in a 3-yard touchdown, but the 2 point conversion attempt failed, giving Michigan the win.
The high scoring game set several school and conference records: the 132-point combined score was the highest-scoring game of the year in major college football (so far), and the highest in both the 131-year history of Michigan football and in the history of the Big Ten. The Illini's 65 points were the most ever allowed by Michigan. They also established Michigan records for combined points in a half (62) and combined points in a quarter (49). Michigan's previous records in those categories were: 130 points (vs. West Virginia, 1904), 55 points (vs. Chicago, 1939) and 39 points (vs. Penn State, 2005), respectively. This game was the highest scoring FBS game since Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
and North Texas
2007 North Texas Mean Green football team
The 2007 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas in the 2007 college football season. The team was led by its new head Coach Todd Dodge, replacing former coach Darrell Dickey, who was fired after going 3–9 in 2006...
met on November 10, 2007, which Navy won 74–62. Robinson threw a career-high 305 yards, as well as a school record 262 yards in the first half. Michigan's 419 passing yards broke the previous single game record of 396 yards, which was set against Michigan State in 1999. Roy Roundtree had a school-record 246 yards receiving, breaking the previous mark of 197 yards by Jack Clancy
Jack Clancy
Jack David Clancy is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins in 1967 and 1969 and for the Green Bay Packers in 1970. He also played in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1963 to 1966....
. The two teams combined for a total of 1,237 yards of offense, breaking the record of 1,189 set against Northwestern in 2000. With the win, Michigan became bowl eligible for the first time since Rich Rodriguez began his tenure as head coach.
at Purdue
After their thriller against Illinois, the Wolverines traveled to rainy West Lafayette, IndianaWest Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
to face the Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
. During the previous meeting, Purdue stunned Michigan 38–36 when they rallied from a 14 point deficit during the second half after trailing 24-10 at halftime.
Michigan scored first when Cameron Gordon picked up a Purdue fumble and ran it back 58 yards for a touchdown, their first defensive points of the season. They added to their lead a few minutes later with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree. Purdue scored their first points late in the first quarter with a 20-yard field goal by Carson Wiggs, and then added more points in the second quarter when Ricardo Allen intercepted a Denard Robinson pass and ran it back 94 yards for a touchdown. They then came within a point of a tie a few minutes later by kicking a 46-yard field goal, but would not come any closer. Early in the third quarter, Michigan's Vincent Smith ran in a 19-yard touchdown, but the extra point failed. Purdue's only score of the second half was a 40-yard field goal that came in the third quarter. Michigan sealed their win late in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by Stephen Hopkins.
The wet conditions wreaked havoc on both teams' offensive production, as each team committed five turnovers, with each team returning one of those turnovers for a touchdown. Robinson set the Michigan season record for total offensive yards during the second quarter at Purdue. Robinson accounted for 244 yards in the contest, bringing his season total to 3,407 yards, and breaking the season mark held by John Navarre
John Navarre
John Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility...
(3,240 yards in 2003).
vs. Wisconsin
For their final home game of the season, Michigan hosted the Wisconsin BadgersWisconsin 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...
. Michigan looked to extend its two game win streak, but faced a tough challenge, as Wisconsin was ranked 6th in the AP Poll and was fresh off of an 83–20 pounding of Indiana. During the previous meeting between the two schools, Wisconsin won by a score of 45–24, with Scott Tolzien
Scott Tolzien
-San Diego Chargers:Tolzien was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft on July 26, 2011. He was subsequently released by the team on September 3, 2011.-External links:*...
throwing 5 touchdown passes during the game.
Michigan was never in contention during the game, as Michigan's offense was shut out in the first half, while Wisconsin's offense dominated Michigan's defense and jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Wisconsin's only score of the first quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Montee Ball
Montee Ball
Montee Ball is an American football running back for the Wisconsin Badgers.-College career:Ball began the 2010 season as the backup running back to John Clay, the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year...
. In the second quarter, they added to their lead with a 25-yard field goal by Philip Welch, a 27-yard touchdown run by Montee Ball, and a 61-yard run by James White
James White (running back)
James White is an American football running back for the Wisconsin Badgers.-High school career:Attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School . Was a part of the 2009 St. Thomas Aquinas mythical high school "National Championship" team...
. Michigan started the second half by finally getting on the board with 2 touchdowns: a 24-yard reception by Darryl Stonum, and then a 4-yard run by Denard Robinson. Wisconsin responded with a 23-yard run by James White. Michigan replied with an 11-yard run by Denard Robinson. The Badgers added to their lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter with a 3-yard run by Montee Ball. Wisconsin then more added points with a 40-yard field goal. Michigan's only score of the quarter was a 28-yard catch by Roy Roundtree. Wisconsin sealed their win with a 4-yard run by Montee Ball.
Denard Robinson broke Beau Morgan's major-college record for yards rushing by quarterbacks and became the first player in NCAA history with 1,500 yards rushing and 1,500 yards passing in one year. Morgan had 1,494 yards rushing for Air Force in 1996. Robinson beat that mark with a 12-yard run in the third quarter against the Badgers. The win was Wisconsin's first at Michigan Stadium since 1994.
at Ohio State
To end the regular season, Michigan traveled to Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to face its arch rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, with the goal of ending Ohio State's Big Ten title chances. Ohio State won the previous meeting, its sixth straight against Michigan, capitalizing on five Tate Forcier turnovers en route to a 21–10 victory.
Neither team was able to score in the first quarter. Michigan had the best scoring opportunity, as they drove down into the Ohio State red zone before Denard Robinson fumbled the ball during a run. Ohio State opened the scoring early in the second quarter with a 33-yard field goal by Devin Barclay
Devin Barclay
Devin Barclay is an amateur American football placekicker for The Ohio State Buckeyes. He was formerly a professional soccer player, who last played for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer....
, and then added to their lead with a 7-yard touchdown reception by Dane Sanzenbacher
Dane Sanzenbacher
Dane Sanzenbacher is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Ohio State.-High school career:...
. Michigan got their only points of the game a few minutes later with a 1-yard run by Michael Shaw. Ohio State then proceeded to score 27 unanswered points and put the game out of reach. Immediately following the Michigan touchdown, Jordan Hall returned the kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Ohio State then added to their lead with a 33-yard reception by DeVier Posey
DeVier Posey
DeVier Posey is an American college football wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Posey attended La Salle High School in Cincinnati, Ohio...
. The Buckeyes had a chance to extend their lead at the end of the first half, but a Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008−2010...
pass was intercepted by Jordan Kovacs in the Michigan endzone. In the third quarter, Dan Herron
Daniel Herron
Daniel "Boom" Herron is a senior running back at Ohio State University. Herron played football at Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, OH. Herron was recruited by Jim Tressel. Herron's dad is a preacher...
added a 32 yard run, and Barclay added two more field goals from 36 and 23 yards. These were the final points of the game, as neither team was able to score in the final quarter.
It was Michigan's seventh straight loss to Ohio State, its longest losing streak to the Buckeyes in school history. Denard Robinson gained 192 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes, but left the game during the third quarter due to two dislocated fingers on his left hand. At the end of the regular season, Robinson had 1,643 rushing yards, which moved him into fifth place on U-M's all-time season rushing yardage list. He also had 2,316 passing yards for a total of 3,959 yards of offense.
After the 2010 season, an NCAA investigation was launched into rules violations by Ohio State, which included allegations that Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
knowingly played ineligible players during several 2010 games, including the Michigan game. The NCAA investigation, which resulted in Tressel's resignation, is ongoing and may lead to sanctions; Ohio State preemptively in July 2011 imposed internal sanctions, one of which was vacating all of Ohio State's 2010 victories, including the game over Michigan. For this reason, the Columbus Dispatch reported in May 2011 that Ohio State had delayed the award of its traditional "gold pants" charms for the 2010 victory over Michigan.
vs. Mississippi State
In its first bowl appearance since 2007, Michigan traveled to Jacksonville to play the Mississippi State BulldogsMississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
. This game was the first meeting between the two schools, and the first game against a Big Ten opponent for Mississippi State since 1980. Michigan entered the game in search of its 20th total bowl victory, and played an SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
opponent for the 30th time in school history. Two days before the game, Michigan learned that backup QB Tate Forcier was declared academically ineligible and would not participate in the Gator Bowl. In response, Michigan named freshman Devin Gardner the backup QB to Denard Robinson. The team did, however, receive some good news during the week leading up to the game, as WR Martavious Odoms was cleared to play in his first game since October 9 against Michigan State, during which he suffered a broken foot.
The game began as a seesaw affair between the two teams. Michigan struck first with Denard Robinson throwing a 10-yard pass to Roy Roundtree for a touchdown on the game's first drive. Mississippi State responded with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Chris Relf
Chris Relf
Christopher L. Relf is an amateur American football quarterback for the Mississippi State University Bulldogs.- High school :Passed for 1400 yards and 13 touchdowns at Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama, as a junior....
to Arceto Clark and a 42-yard field goal by Derek DePasquale, the field goal being a direct result of a blocked punt by Mississippi State. Michigan responded with a 27-yard touchdown reception by Martavious Odoms. After the first quarter ended, Michigan led 14–10, but would not score any more points during the game. Mississippi State blew the game wide open in the second quarter with twenty-one points. Vick Ballard and Chris Relf both had rushing touchdowns, of two yards and one yard respectively, while Ricco Sanders also had a 15-yard touchdown reception for Mississippi State. By halftime, Mississippi State led 31–14 and showed no signs of slowing down. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Michigan's defense forced its first three and out, but on the subsequent drive, Brendon Gibbons missed a 35-yard field goal. The Bulldogs finished the game with twenty-one second half points. Fourteen of these came in the third quarter on two rushing touchdowns by Ballard of seven yards and one yard, while the final touchdown came via a Relf 31-yard pass to Michael Carr in the fourth quarter.
The game broke several Gator Bowl records, as well as Michigan records. The twenty-four points scored in the first quarter broke the previous Gator Bowl record for most points in the first quarter, which was set in 2005
2005 Gator Bowl
The 2005 Gator Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Florida State Seminoles and the West Virginia Mountaineers on January 1, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the final game of the 2004 NCAA Division I FBS football season for each team and resulted in...
between West Virginia
2004 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2004 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the regular season with a 8–4 and traveled to the , where they lost to the Florida State Seminoles 30–18...
and Florida State
2004 Florida State Seminoles football team
-Schedule:-Miami, FL:Originally scheduled for September 6, 2004, the game between Miami and Florida State was postponed due to Hurricane Francis. On September 10, both teams met at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. The Seminoles took the upper hand in the first half with a 45 yard field goal by Xavier...
. Denard Robinson finished the season with 4,272 yards of total offense, a Michigan single-season record. The game was also the worst loss in Michigan's history in a bowl game, with the previous record being a 45–17 loss to Tennessee
2001 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2001 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2001 college football season. The team was coached by Phillip Fulmer. The Vols played their home games in Neyland Stadium and competed in the Eastern Division of the SEC...
in the 2002 Citrus Bowl
2002 Florida Citrus Bowl
The 2002 Florida Citrus Bowl was a college football bowl game held on January 1, 2002 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Tennessee Volunteers, champions of the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, second place finishers in the Big Ten...
.
In the aftermath of the bowl loss to Mississippi State, coach Rich Rodriguez was relieved of his duties.
Statistics
The offense improved upon its 2009 performance to finish first in the Big Ten in total offense and third in scoring. However, Michigan ranked last in the Big Ten and 110th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in defense.Denard Robinson finished first in the conference in rushing and total offense, while finishing fourth and second in the nation in these categories respectively. Jonas Mouton also led the conference in tackles, while teammate Jordan Kovacs finished second. Robinson averaged 130.92 rushing yards per game, while averaging 328.62 yards of total offense. Mouton averaged 9.25 tackles per game, while Kovacs averaged 8.92 tackles.
The per game team rankings below include 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and 11 Big Ten Conference teams:
| Category | National Rank | Actual | National Leader | Actual | Conference Rank | Big Ten Conference Leader | Actual |
| Rushing Offense | 13 | 238.54 | Georgia Tech 2010 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team The 2010 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by 3rd year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. They are members of the Atlantic... |
323.31 | 3 | Illinois | 246.08 |
| Passing Offense | 36 | 250.15 | Hawaii 2010 Hawaii Warriors football team The 2010 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in the 2010 college football season. The Warriors, led by third-year head coach Greg McMackin, were members of the Western Athletic Conference and played their home games at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI... |
394.29 | 2 | Indiana | 287.17 |
| Total Offense | 8 | 488.69 | Oregon 2010 Oregon Ducks football team The 2010 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the 2010 college football season. The team was led by Chip Kelly in his second season as a head coach. The Ducks played their home games at Autzen Stadium for the 44th straight year.... |
530.69 | 1 | Michigan | 488.69 |
| Scoring Offense | 25 | 32.77 | Oregon | 47.00 | 3 | Wisconsin | 31.77 |
| Rushing Defense | 95 | 188.92 | Boston College 2010 Boston College Eagles football team The 2010 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles were led by second year head coach Frank Spaziani and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. They were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Atlantic... |
82.77 | 10 | Ohio State | 96.69 |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 103 | 144.79 | TCU 2010 TCU Horned Frogs football team The 2010 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by tenth year head coach Gary Patterson and played its home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas... |
94.92 | 9 | Ohio State | 98.60 |
| Total Defense | 110 | 450.77 | TCU | 228.46 | 11 | Ohio State | 262.23 |
| Scoring Defense | 108 | 35.23 | TCU | 12.00 | 11 | Ohio State | 14.31 |
| Net Punting | 69 | 36.07 | UCLA 2010 UCLA Bruins football team The 2010 UCLA Bruins football team, coached by third year head coach Rick Neuheisel, opened the season on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats on September 4, 2010. The next three games would be against ranked opponents, and after a road win at #7 Texas, expectations for the Bruins dampened... |
41.27 | 7 | Michigan State | 38.12 |
| Punt Returns | 67 | 7.43 | Utah 2010 Utah Utes football team The 2010 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by sixth year head coach Kyle Whittingham and played their homes game in Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were members of the Mountain West... |
17.60 | 8 | Michigan State | 13.00 |
| Kickoff Returns | 68 | 21.44 | UCF 2010 UCF Knights football team The 2010 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, who was in his seventh season with the team. For the first time in program history, the Knights were nationally ranked following a... |
27.78 | 8 | Ohio State | 26.38 |
| Turnover Margin | 109 | ||||||
| Virginia Tech 2010 Virginia Tech Hokies football team The 2010 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Hokies were led by 24th-year head coach Frank Beamer and played their home games at Lane Stadium... |
1.36 | 11 | Ohio State | 1.15 | |||
| Pass Defense | 112 | 261.85 | TCU | 128.77 | 11 | Ohio State | 165.54 |
| Passing Efficiency | 23 | 145.97 | Auburn 2010 Auburn Tigers football team The 2010 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2010–2011 college football season. The Tigers, led by second year head coach Gene Chizik were members of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference and played their home games at Jordan-Hare Stadium... |
180.52 | 5 | Wisconsin | 168.10 |
| Sacks | 98 | 1.38 | Boise St. 2010 Boise State Broncos football team The 2010 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos were led by fifth-year head coach Chris Petersen and played their home games at Bronco Stadium. They entered the 2010 season with winning streaks of 14 games... |
3.69 | 7 | Purdue | 2.75 |
| Tackles For Loss | 77 | 5.38 | Miami (FL) 2010 Miami Hurricanes football team The 2010 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hurricanes were coached by Randy Shannon during the regular season, then coached by Jeff Stoutland during their bowl game and played their home games at Sun Life... |
8.85 | 6 | Purdue | 7.58 |
| Sacks Allowed | T-10 | .85 | Air Force 2010 Air Force Falcons football team The 2010 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by fourth year head coach Troy Calhoun and played their home games in Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado... |
.38 | 1 | Michigan | .85 |
The per game rankings below include players who have played in 75% of team's games and are ranked in the top 100 national leaders and top 25 conference leaders:
| Category | Player | National Rank | Actual | National Leader | Actual | Conference Rank | Big Ten Conference Leader | Actual |
| Rushing | Denard Robinson | 4 | 130.92 | LaMichael James LaMichael James LaMichael Keondrae James is a college football running back for the Oregon Ducks football team. The 2010 season was a breakout one for James, as he rushed for 1,682 yards during the regular season, the highest in the nation. He finished third in balloting for the Heisman Trophy and received the... |
144.25 | 1 | Robinson (Michigan) | 130.92 |
| Vincent Smith | 46.23 | 18 | ||||||
| Michael Shaw | 33.50 | 23 | ||||||
| Passing Efficiency (Min. 15 Att./Game) | Denard Robinson | 20 | 149.58 | Kellen Moore Kellen Moore Kellen Moore is an American football quarterback with the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference . Moore was born in Prosser, Washington and finished fourth out of four in voting for the 2010 Heisman Trophy.... |
164.17 | 6 | Scott Tolzien Scott Tolzien -San Diego Chargers:Tolzien was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft on July 26, 2011. He was subsequently released by the team on September 3, 2011.-External links:*... |
165.92 |
| Total Offense | Denard Robinson | 2 | 328.62 | Bryant Monitz | 367.29 | 1 | Robinson (Michigan) | 328.62 |
| Vincent Smith | 46.23 | 24 | ||||||
| Receptions Per Game | Roy Roundtree | T-35 | 5.54 | Ryan Broyles Ryan Broyles Ryan Broyles is an American football wide receiver for the Oklahoma Sooners.-Early years:Broyles attended Norman High School. He finished his career with 79 receptions for 1,688 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and 157 tackles and 20 interceptions on defense.-College career:Broyles was... |
11.92 | 4 | Demarlo Belcher (Indiana) | 6.50 |
| Junior Hemingway | 3.77 | 15 | ||||||
| Darryl Stonum | 3.20 | 20 | ||||||
| Receiving Yards Per Game | Roy Roundtree | 44 | 71.92 | Justin Blackmon Justin Blackmon Justin Blackmon is an American football wide receiver. He currently attends Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in his junior season. He is considered one of the best wide receivers of his class.... |
148.50 | 3 | Jeremy Ebert (Northwestern) | 73.31 |
| Junior Hemingway | 3.77 | 12 | ||||||
| Darryl Stonum | 3.20 | 18 | ||||||
| Interceptions | James Rogers | .23 | Jayron Hosely | .69 | T-9 | Brett Greenwood (Iowa) | .38 | |
| Cameron Gordon | .23 | T-9 | ||||||
| Jonas Mouton | .17 | T-21 | ||||||
| Jordan Kovacs | .15 | T-25 | ||||||
| Punting (Min. 3.6 Punts/Game) | Tyler Campbell | 46.37 | Aaron Bates (Michigan State) | 45.00 | ||||
| Punt Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game) | Shaky Smithson Shaky Smithson Antoine "Shaky" Smithson in an American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2011... |
19.07 | Keshawn Martin (Michigan State) | 14.25 | ||||
| Kickoff Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game) | Darryl Stonum | 73 | 23.32 | Nick Williams | 37.35 | 9 | Derrell Johnson-Koulianos Derrell Johnson-Koulianos Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, born February 24, 1987, and sometimes nicknamed DJK, was a wide receiver for the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2007-2010 seasons, and also the Iowa Hawkeye's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Currently, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is a wide receiver of the... |
29.29 |
| Jeremy Gallon | 21.81 | 12 | ||||||
| Field Goals | Seth Broekhuizen | .27 | Josh Jasper Josh Jasper Joshua Norwood "Josh" Jasper is an American football placekicker.He set the Tennessee state record for career high school field goals, with 44, and his longest field goal was 54 yards. In 2010, he was a Consensus College All-American placekicker for the LSU Tigers in his senior year, after... |
2.15 | 11 | Derek Dimke (Illinois) | 1.85 | |
| Scoring | Denard Robinson | T-92 | 6.46 | LaMichael James | 12.00 | 13 | Devin Barclay Devin Barclay Devin Barclay is an amateur American football placekicker for The Ohio State Buckeyes. He was formerly a professional soccer player, who last played for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.... |
9.38 |
| Seth Broekhuizen | 4.64 | T-23 | ||||||
| Michael Shaw | 4.50 | T-24 | ||||||
| All-Purpose Runners | Denard Robinson | 34 | 130.92 | Damaris Johnson Damaris Johnson Damaris Johnson is an American college football player. He is currently a wide receiver and return specialist for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane of the University of Tulsa.-Early years:... |
222.15 | 3 | Tandon Doss Tandon Doss Tandon Mic Doss is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He played collegiately for Indiana University... |
175.82 |
| Darryl Stonum | 88.15 | 14 | ||||||
| Roy Roundtree | 71.92 | 20 | ||||||
| Sacks | Ryan Van Bergen | .31 | Da'Quan Bowers | 1.19 | T-9 | Ryan Kerrigan Ryan Kerrigan Patrick Ryan Kerrigan is an American football linebacker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Redskins with the 16th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-Early years:Kerrigan attended Muncie Central High... |
1.08 | |
| Greg Banks | .23 | T-22 | ||||||
| Tackles | Jonas Mouton | 25 | 9.75 | Luke Kuechly Luke Kuechly Luke August Kuechly is an American football linebacker for the Boston College Eagles.-Early years:... |
14.08 | 1 | Mouton (Michigan) | 9.75 |
| Jordan Kovacs | T-40 | 8.92 | 2 | |||||
| Kenny Demens | 6.31 | T-19 | ||||||
| Cameron Gordon | 5.92 | 25 | ||||||
| Tackles For Loss | Jonas Mouton | .71 | Kerrigan (Purdue) | 2.17 | T-19 | Kerrigan (Purdue) | 2.17 | |
| Jordan Kovacs | .65 | T-23 | ||||||
| Ryan Van Bergen | .65 | T-23 |
Individual accomplishments
Denard Robinson became the first major-college quarterback to throw and rush for 1,500 yards in one season. He also went on to set the Big Ten Conference single-season rushing yards by a quarterback record and was named a Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
semifinalist. In November, he was also named as one of sixteen Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
semifinalists. Center David Molk
David Molk
David Molk is an American football center who is playing his redshirt senior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. For the 2011 season, he began the year on the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award & Rimington Trophy watch lists...
was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy. Michigan had three individual statistical champions for conference game statistics: Denard Robinson averaged 317.5 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
per game, wide receiver Roy Roundtree
Roy Roundtree
-College:Roundtree redshirted for the 2008 season. He made his college debut on September 5, 2009 against the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium as a slot receiver. That year he roomed with Trotwood teammates Shaw and Moore. He had just two receptions in the first eight games of the...
averaged 83.9 receiving yards per contest and punter Will Hagerup averaged 46.0 yards per punt. They also had three champions for all games: Robinson 130.9 rushing yards per game and 328.6 average yards of total offense, while Jonas Mouton
Jonas Mouton
-College career:He redshirted in 2006 and made his career debut on September 15, 2007 against Notre Dame. On January 1, 2008, in the Capital One Bowl against Florida he made a 20-yard kickoff return....
recorded 9.8 tackles per game. Denard Robinson was also named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, the following other players were selected to the All-Big Ten Conference team: Denard Robinson (1st team - media, honorable mention - coaches), Molk (1st team - media & coaches), Mike Martin
Mike Martin (defensive lineman)
-University of Michigan:Martin had been a fan of Michigan football since childhood and gave his oral commitment to head coach Lloyd Carr during an official visit in 2007. When Carr retired after the 2007 season, Martin withdrew his oral commitment and was heavily recruited by both Notre Dame and...
(2nd team - coaches, honorable mention - media) Mouton (2nd team - media), Roundtree (2nd team - media), Stephen Schilling
Stephen Schilling
Stephen Dana Schilling is an American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award...
(honorable mention - coaches & media), and Jordan Kovacs
Jordan Kovacs
Jordan David Kovacs is an American football safety who is playing his redshirt junior season in 2011 for the Michigan Wolverines football team...
(honorable mention - media). Denard Robinson was also named the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
for being the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player.
Denard Robinson was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches, the Big Ten media and College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
(CFN)—despite not being named by the coaches to either the first or second All-Big Ten team; however, he was a first team All-conference selection by the media and CFN. He also edged out Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008−2010...
as the Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player as voted by the Big Ten coaches, although both had the same number of first place votes. He was a first team All-American selection by the Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
as a running back, a third team selection by 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...
as an all-purpose
All-purpose yardage
All-purpose yards or All-purpose yardage is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the...
player, and an honorable mention quarterback selection by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and College Football News. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Molk was also recognized by Sports Illustrated as an honorable mention All-American. Cam Gordon was selected as a second team Freshman All-American by CFN at safety, and he was joined on the second team by offensive line selection Taylor Lewan
Taylor Lewan
-2009 season:Taylor Lewan enrolled in Michigan's School of Kinesiology and redshirted his freshman season.-2010 season:Although Lewan did not play in the 2010 season opener, appeared in 11 games, including nine as a starter, during the 2010 season...
. Schilling was selected as a participant to the Senior Bowl
2011 Senior Bowl
The 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2010 college football season, and prospects for the 2011 Draft of the professional National Football League . Final score was South Team 24 to North Team 10.The game was played on January...
, while Mouton was selected to play in the East–West Shrine Game.
Postseason
The postseason quickly became an eventful one for the team. Four days after their game against Mississippi State, Rich Rodriguez was fired along with his entire staff after failing to meet expectations, as well as failing to defeat rivals Ohio State and Michigan State during his three seasons as head coach. Michigan immediately launched a national coaching search, and hired Brady HokeBrady Hoke
Brady Hoke is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is in his first season. He grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980...
as its new head coach one week later. Although the entire coaching staff was fired, Hoke elected to retain running backs coach
Running backs coach
A running backs coach is a coach in charge of the running backs in gridiron football. The running backs coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator....
Fred Jackson
Fred Jackson (American football coach)
Fred Jackson is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at the University of Michigan and is the longest tenured member of the Michigan Wolverines football coaching staff, having been with the program since 1992. Jackson has served on the staffs of...
.
In addition to Rodriguez's firing, Michigan also saw the departure of QB Tate Forcier. Forcier cited the fact that he felt no longer wanted as a reason for his departure from the school.
2011 NFL Draft
Following their postseason recognition, Jonas Mouton and Stephen Schilling were invited to participate in the NFL Combine, which was held from February 23 — March 1. They were both drafted. Following the 2011 NFL lockout2011 NFL lockout
The 2011 National Football League lockout was a lockout that lasted from March 11 to July 25. It occurred primarily during the offseason for 18 weeks and 4 days...
, the following Wolverines signed: tight end Martell Webb with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, cornerback James Rogers with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and offensive lineman Perry Dorrestein with the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Former Wolverine transfers also signed: linebacker Cobrani Mixon from Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and offensive guard Justin Boren
Justin Boren
Justin Matthew Boren is an American football offensive guard for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has played guard and center during his high school and college football career...
ended up in Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. The following seniors were initially unsigned: linebacker Obi Ezeh
Obi Ezeh
Obi Pius Ezeh is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. He is the active Michigan Wolverines football career leader in tackles.In high school, he played running back on offense...
and defensive linemen Greg Banks and Adam Patterson. However, Ezeh signed with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on July 31. Banks was also a late signee with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
| Pick # | NFL Team | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second round | |||
| 61 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Jonas Mouton Jonas Mouton -College career:He redshirted in 2006 and made his career debut on September 15, 2007 against Notre Dame. On January 1, 2008, in the Capital One Bowl against Florida he made a 20-yard kickoff return.... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
| Sixth round | |||
| 201 | San Diego Chargers | Stephen Schilling Stephen Schilling Stephen Dana Schilling is an American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award... |
Offensive guard Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
Roster
| 2010 Michigan Wolverines football roster | ||||||||
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Fullbacks
Slot receivers
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive line
Linebackers
|
Defensive Ends
Defensive Tackles
Cornerbacks
Safeties
Punters
Place kickers
Kickers
Long snappers
|
Head coach
Coordinators/Assistant coaches
---- Legend
---- Source: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/010611aac.html Last update: 2010-12-14 |
|||||
