2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
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 2008 college football season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
. The team's head football coach was 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...
. The Wolverines played their 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
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The 2008 season marked Rodriguez's first season as Michigan head coach, having replaced long time head coach Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
following Carr's retirement at the end of the 2007 season. Rodriguez installed a spread option offense
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
, a marked departure from Michigan's prior offensive approaches.
Rodriguez's first season was one of adjustment, with Michigan suffering its first losing season since 1967, and more losses (9) in a single season than in any other in the program's 129 year history. In addition, Michigan's loss to Ohio State on November 22 was the fifth straight, the most consecutive losses by Michigan to the Buckeyes.
Schedule
Radio
Radio coverage for all games was on the University of Michigan Football Network and on Sirius Satellite RadioSirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
. The radio announcers were Frank Beckmann with play-by-play, Jim Brandstatter
Jim Brandstatter
Jim Brandstatter is an award-winning American sportscaster based in Southeastern Michigan. He is currently the radio color commentator for the Detroit Lions and Michigan Wolverines football teams. Brandstatter is also a sports television show host and radio show host; both shows are about Michigan...
with color commentary, and Doug Karsch
Doug Karsch
Douglas Allen Karsch, III is an American talk radio show host and Michigan Wolverines sports reporter based in Detroit, Michigan.-Education and early career:...
with sideline reports.
vs Utah
Recap: Week 1In the season opener in Ann Arbor and Rich Rodriguez's first game as head coach, the Wolverines took on the Utah Utes
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
. The Wolverines scored first with just over 11 minutes to go in the first, when Nick Sheridan threw an 8 yard TD pass to Michael Shaw. Utah struck back a few minutes later when Courbin Louks ran in a TD from 8 yards out. The Wolverines blocked the PAT though. Then with just over 5 minutes to go in the first, K.C. Lopata completed a 50 yard field goal. Utah's Louie Sakoda
Louie Sakoda
Louie Sakoda is a kicker and punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. In college, he played for the Utah Utes...
completed 3 field goals in the second quarter, from 28, 43 and 41 yards out, respectively. Then a few seconds before halftime, Utah's Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (quarterback)
Brian Delance Johnson is an American football quarterbacks coach for the University of Utah. He played college football at Utah and was drafted by the New York Sentinels in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009....
completed a 19 yard TD pass to Bradon Godfrey.
Midway through the third quarter, Louie Sakoda of Utah completed his fourth field goal of the day, this one from 53 yards out.
Midway through the fourth, Steven Threet
Steven Threet
Steven Charles Threet is a former American football quarterback who played for both Michigan and Arizona State. He is currently a Student Assistant on the Arizona State football team's staff. He was most recently the starting quarterback for the Arizona State Sun Devils...
completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway. A few minutes later, Sam McGuffie ran in a TD from 3 yards out. The Wolverines attempted a 2 point conversion to tie the game but failed. Utah's defense held off the Wolverines for the remainder of the game.
In retrospect, after Utah had finished the season unbeaten, blowing out Alabama 31–17, this could be seen as one of Michigan's best games of 2008.
vs Miami (Ohio)
Recap: Week 2Coming off their loss to Utah, the Wolverines stayed home to play the Miami RedHawks
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
. The Wolverines had never lost to the Redhawks in the four games the teams have played in previous seasons. The Wolverines got on the board first with just under 11 minutes to in the first quarter when QB Steven Threet
Steven Threet
Steven Charles Threet is a former American football quarterback who played for both Michigan and Arizona State. He is currently a Student Assistant on the Arizona State football team's staff. He was most recently the starting quarterback for the Arizona State Sun Devils...
ran in the ball himself from 9 yards out for a touchdown. Then with just under 9 minutes to go in the first, the Wolverines got on the board again with a 47 yard field goal by K.C. Lopata. The RedHawks finally scored late in the half with a 27 yard field goal by Nathan Parseghian. With that the 2 teams retired to the locker rooms.
The RedHawks scored next, on a 23 yard field goal by Nathan Parseghian
Nathan Parseghian
Nathan Parseghian is a former placekicker for the Miami Redhawks football team, and the great-grandnephew of Ara Parseghian.-College:...
with just under 7 minutes to go in the third. Then midway through the final quarter, the Wolverines capped off their victory when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 15 yards out. However, the point after attempt by K.C. Lopata failed. It was Rich Rodriguez's first win as Michigan's head coach and the Wolverines' first win of the season. The win made their all time record against the RedHawks 5–0.
at Notre Dame
Recap: Week 3After their win over Miami, the Wolverines flew to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach is Charlie Weis. The Irish play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana...
for their first road game of the season, renewing the long time rivalry between the 2 teams (see Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry
Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry
The Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played by the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame....
). In the pouring rain, the Wolverines gave up the ball on 4 fumbles. They also threw 2 interceptions. The Fighting Irish got the first scores of the game with just under 12 minutes left in the first quarter, when Robert Hughes 2 ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. Less than a minute later, QB Jimmy Clausen completed a 10 yard pass to Duval Kamara that was run in for another TD. A few minutes later Jimmy Clausen threw another TD pass, this time a 48 yard long bomb to Golden Tate. The Wolverines got on the board late in the first quarter with their own long bomb, a 40 yard TD Steven Threet pass to Sam McGuffie. Then with just under 12 minutes to go in the second quarter, the Wolverines got on the board again with a 23 yard K.C. Lopata field goal. A few minutes later, the Fighting Irish's Robert Hughes ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. Then with just under 6 minutes in the half, the Wolverines struck back when Kevin Grady ran in a touchdown from 7 yards out. With that the teams went into their locker rooms to dry out temporarily.
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter. But the Fighting Irish capped off their scoring when the Wolverines fumbled the ball and Brian Smith picked it up and ran it back 35 yards for a touchdown.
vs Wisconsin
Recap: Week 5Following a bye week, the Wolverines played the 500th game in the Big House against the #9 Wisconsin Badgers
2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin....
in their first contest against another Big Ten Conference school of the season. The Badgers missed a field goal in the first quarter but later scored on two field goal attempts. Scoring one touchdown and two field goals in the second quarter, Wisconsin finished the half with a 19–0 lead. The Wolverines gave up 5 fumbles, threw 2 interceptions and managed only 21 yards in the first half. The offense got going midway through the third quarter. A touchdown pass thrown to freshman Kevin Koger
Kevin 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:...
got them on the board. The Wolverines continued to have success offensively, scoring 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter. They took the lead when John Thompson returned an interception for a touchdown. The Badgers were down 27–19 with a little over 5 minutes to go. Because of a series of big passes, the Badgers scored a touchdown and went for the two point conversion. Their initial attempt resulted in a pass caught for an apparent score, but was thwarted by an ineligible receiver penalty. On their second attempt, the ball sailed over the head of the intended target in the back of the endzone. The Badgers were unable to regain possession with an onside kick, ending the game. Their 20 point comeback was the second largest comeback in Michigan football history (the largest was a 21 point comeback victory at Minnesota in 2003).
vs Illinois
Recap: Week 6For their 2008 Homecoming Game, the Wolverines hosted the Illinois Fighting Illini
2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook. The Illini played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois...
. The Wolverines looked good in the first quarter, scoring a season high 14 points on 2 touchdowns. Michigan's Steven Threet was 18-of-35 for 250 yards and two TDs. Sam McGuffie ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and freshman 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...
set season highs with seven receptions and 129 yards receiving. However, they were blanked in the second and third quarter. They came back to life in the fourth quarter though, when Mark Moundros caught a 2 yard pass for a touchdown, but kicker K.C. Lopata failed on the PAT attempt. Illinois however had their best game against Michigan in the history of the Michigan / Illinois contests. The Illini set a school record for points against Michigan (45), surpassing the 39 points Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
helped them score in 1924 as Memorial Stadium was dedicated, and they scored the most any team has at Michigan Stadium since Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
had 51 in 1991. It was also the Illini's first victory at the Big House since 1999, and University of Illinois quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams set a Big House record with 431 all-purpose yards, breaking the record previously held by former Illini quarterback Tony Eason (403). Illini quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams
Isiah Williams
Isiah John "Juice" Williams is an American football quarterback who is currently signed to the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. He was undrafted in 2010...
connected with Jeff Cumberland for a 77-yard pass, the longest by an Illini quarterback since 1985, and a perfectly lofted screen to running back Daniel Dufrene turned into a 57-yard TD. With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 2–3 on the season and 1–1 in the Big Ten, their worst record after five games since starting 1–4 in 1967, two years before Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
arrived.
vs Toledo
After their huge loss to Illinois, the Wolverines hosted the Toledo Rockets
Toledo Rockets football
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...
. It was the first time the 2 teams had ever played. In the first quarter, the Rockets scored first when a pass from Michigan QB Steven Threet was intercepted in the end zone by Tyrrell Herbert and ran back 101 yards for a touchdown. Later in the first quarter, the Wolverines got on the board with 27 yard TD pass from Steven Threet to Brandon Minor. The next score came on a 26 yard K.C. Lopata field goal midway through the second quarter. With that they teams went into the locker rooms at the half with a score of 10–7.
In the second half, the Rockets shut out the Wolverines and scored 2 more field goals, both by Alex Steigerwald. He completed a 29 yard attempt in the third quarter and a 48 yard attempt in the fourth quarter. With less than a minute remaining in the game, the Wolverines got into the red zone and attempted a field goal to take the game into overtime. K.C. Lopata missed the field goal though, sealing the victory for the Rockets and marking the first time the Wolverines had ever lost to a Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
team. Nick Moore of the Rockets set a record of 20 receptions against The Wolverines. With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 2–4, their worst start in 41 years.
at Penn State
Recap: Week 8In the fourth-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. The stadium is named for James A...
history, the Penn State Nittany Lions
2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.-Previous season:...
ended a nine game losing streak to the Wolverines, dating back to 1997. Michigan tallied 204 yards of offense and scored on their first three possessions to take a 17–7 lead early in the second quarter, but the Nittany Lion defense made key halftime adjustments and limited the Wolverines to only 87 yards the remainder of the game. Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark
Daryll Clark
Daryll Lawrence Clark is a football quarterback who is currently a member of the Chicago Rush. He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as an free agent in 2010. He played collegiately for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He is the Nittany Lions' all-time leader in...
's touchdown pass to Jordan Norwood
Jordan Norwood
Jordan Shea Rashad Norwood is a Filipino-American American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Penn State.Norwood has also been a member of the Philadelphia...
late in the first half cut Michigan's lead to 17–14, Penn State's first deficit at halftime this season.
The Nittany Lions would outscore the Wolverines 32–0 in the second half for a 46–17 win. Clark finished 18 of 31 for 171 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 45 yards and two one-yard touchdowns but lost a fumble on State's second drive which led to a Wolverine field goal. 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...
ran for a career-high 174 yards on 18 carries for a 9.7 yard per carry average, including a 44-yard touchdown for Penn State's first points. Deon Butler
Deon Butler
Vincent Deon Butler is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
had a season-high eight receptions for 105 yards, his fourth-career 100-yard game. Stephfon Green took a screen pass from Pat Devlin
Pat Devlin (American football)
Patrick Ryan "Pat" Devlin is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He started at quarterback for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens of the University of Delaware...
and outran the Wolverines defense 80 yards for the Nittany Lions' final score.
Linebacker Navorro Bowman
Navorro Bowman
NaVorro R. Bowman is an American football inside linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, and played his collegiate football for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team.-Early years:...
led the defense with 11 tackles. Defensive tackle Jared Odrick made a career-high six stops, with 2.5 tackles for loss, but his biggest play occurred with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter. Odrick sacked Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan, who was in for the injured Steven Threet, in the end zone for a safety and Penn State's first lead of the game, 19–17. Aaron Maybin
Aaron Maybin
-Buffalo Bills:On August 21, 2009, Maybin agreed to a five-year deal with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted with the 11th pick in the first round. He finished the season with 18 tackles and zero sacks while playing in all 16 regular season games during his 2009 rookie year.In his second season,...
finished with four tackles, including a sack of Threet that forced a fumble, recovered by Abe Koroma, and led to a Penn State touchdown.
vs Michigan State
Recap: Week 9After their blowout loss at Penn State, the Wolverines went back to Ann Arbor to take on their in-state rivals, the Michigan State Spartans
2008 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2008 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Mark Dantonio. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan...
, for the 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...
. The Spartans struck first, scoring on a huge 61 yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer to Blair White with just under 12 minutes to go in the first quarter. The Wolverines tied it up near the end of the first quarter when Brandon Minor scored on a 19 yard TD pass from Steven Threet. The Spartans took the lead back near the end of the half with a 64 yard TD run by Javon Ringer. The Wolverines tied it back up less than a minute later when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 2 yards out.
Midway through the third quarter, the Wolverines took their only lead of the game when QB Steven Threet ran in a touchdown himself from 2 yards out. From there, Michigan State took control of the game. The Spartans tied it back up when Charlie Gantt scored on a 4 yard TD pass near the end of the third quarter. The Wolverines were shut out in the fourth quarter. The Spartans took the lead in the fourth quarter when Javon Ringer ran in another TD, this time from 3 yards out, and sealed their win when Josh Rouse scored on a 7 yard TD pass. With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 2–6 overall and 1–3 vs. Big Ten opponents.
at Purdue
Recap: Week 10In week 10, the Wolverines traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana
West 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 take on the Purdue Boilermakers
2008 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 2008 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the Big Ten during the 2008–2009 college football season. Joe Tiller, in his 12th and final season at Purdue, was the team's head coach. The Boilermakers' home games were played at Ross-Ade Stadium in West...
. The Wolverines gained an early lead in the first quarter. First Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 45 yards out. A few minutes later Martavius Odoms got a huge score when he ran a punt back 73 yards for another TD, putting the Wolverines up 14-0. The Boilermakers quickly tied it up though with 2 TD's of their own later in the first quarter. First Kory Sheets ran in TD from 2 yards out. Then Justin Siller ran in a TD from 10 yards out. The Wolverines went up by 14 again in the second quarter though. First Laterryl Savoy scored on a 11 yard TD pass. Then the Wolverines got another big TD run, this time on a 51 yard rush by Darryl Stonum. The Boilermakers struck back with less than a minute to go in the half when Kory Sheets scored another TD, this time on a 3 yard run. At halftime the Wolverines were up 28–21.
In the 3rd quarter, the Wolverines were shut out, but the Boilermakers scored 2 more TD's, both by Kory Sheets, making his day's total 4. His 3rd of the game came on a 7 yard pass, tying the game. His final TD of the game was on a 5 yard run which put the Boilermakers ahead.
The scoring continued to see-saw in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines tied it back up when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 12 yards out. Then Greg Orton put the Boilermakers back up by catching a 4 yard TD pass. The Wolverines re-tied the game when Brandon Minor got his 3rd TD of the game, this time on a 1 yard run. The Boilermakers put the game in the win column with less than 30 seconds left when Desmond Tardy caught a 28 yard TD pass. With the loss, Michigan was disqualified from all bowl games this season, the first time since 1967. Brandon Minor's 154 yards and 3 touchdowns set a school record. Purdue's 48 points was the most the school had ever scored against Michigan, and their first win against Michigan since 2000.
at Minnesota
Recap: Week 11
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers
2008 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
The 2008 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team was the second under head coach Tim Brewster. They began play on August 30, 2008 at home against Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference, and finished the regular season against Iowa, on November 22. It was the Golden Gophers' final...
for the Little Brown Jug. The first half was all Michigan. Wolverines Kicker K.C. Lopata scored 3 field goals in the first half, 2 in the first quarter from 44 yards and 34 yards respectively, then another in the second quarter from 26 yards. Then Greg Matthews caught an 8 yard TD pass to put the Wolverines up 16–0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Wolverines scored first on a 48 yard field goal. Then the Golden Gophers finally got on the board with a 28 yard field goal from kicker Joel Monroe. Then K.C. Lopata got his fifth and final field goal of the game, this one from 23 yards out. In the fourth quarter, the Golden Gophers managed to score on another field goal, this one from 32 yards out.
The final score of the game was when Mark Moundros of the Wolverines ran in a TD from 3 yards out. It was the Wolverines' 12th straight win in the Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. With the Gophers' move to the new TCF Stadium in the 2009 season, the Wolverines could claim to have never lost in the Metrodome.
vs Northwestern
Recap: Week 12For their final home game of the season, the Wolverines hosted the Northwestern Wildcats
2008 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 2008 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the Big Ten during the 2008–2009 college football season. Pat Fitzgerald, in his third season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach...
. In the rain and snow, the Wildcats struck first midway through the first quarter when Stephen Simmons ran in a 21 yard TD. The Wolverines tied it up near the end of the 1st when QB Nick Sheridan ran in a TD himself from 3 yards out. The only score of the 2nd quarter was when Rick Reyes of the Wolverines blocked a punt and picked it up for a 3 yard TD run.
The second half was all Northwestern. First Ross Lane caught a 17 yard TD pass to tie it up. Then Eric Peterman caught a 53 yard long bomb for another TD, sealing the win for the Wildcats. With this loss, Michigan fell to 3–8, the school's most losses in a single-season in 129 years of football. It was also just Northwestern's second win in Ann Arbor in its past 21 trips. The program's only other win there since 1960 came in the Rose Bowl season of 1995.
at Ohio State
Recap: Week 13
For their final game of the season, the Wolverines traveled to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, 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 take on their bitter rival the Ohio State Buckeyes
2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
for the 105th time in the rivalry (see Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
The Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, also known as The Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University...
). The Buckeyes scored first when Chris Wells ran in a 59 yard TD. The Buckeyes made it 14-0 when Brian Hartline caught a 53 yard long bomb for another TD just after the start of the second quarter. Michigan got their only points of the game when Brandon Minor ran in a 1 yard TD near halftime.
The second half was all Ohio State. First Daniel Herron got a huge 49 yard run for a TD in the 3rd quarter. Later in the 3rd, Brian Robiske caught a 8 yard TD pass. Just after the start of the 4th, Daniel Herron scored again, this time on a 2 yard TD run. Brian Hartline later caught an 18 yard TD pass.
With the loss, Michigan's season ended with a 3-9 record, officially the worst for the school in the 129 years of the football program. This was their fifth loss in a row to Ohio State, and made the 2008 senior class the second in a row never to beat the Buckeyes.
Roster
| (as of 15 December 2008) | ||||||
Quarterback
Wide Receiver
Offensive Lineman
Fullback
|
Running Back
Tight End
Defensive tackle
Defensive End
Linebacker
|
Cornerback
Safety
Long Snapper
Punter
Place Kicker
|
||||
Coaching staff
- Rich RodriguezRich RodriguezRichard 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...
- Head Coach - Calvin MageeCalvin MageeCalvin Magee is a former professional American football player who played tight end for four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1985 to 1988...
- Associate Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator - Scott ShaferScott ShaferScott Shafer is an American football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator for the Syracuse University football team. He resigned in December 2008 as the defensive coordinator for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team after less than one year on the job...
- Defensive Coordinator - Tony Dews - Wide Receivers
- Greg Frey - Offensive Line
- Tony Gibson - Assistant Head Coach / Secondary
- Jay Hopson - Defensive Assistant
- Fred JacksonFred 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...
- Running Backs - Rod Smith - Quarterbacks
- Bruce Tall - Defensive Line
- Alex Herron - Graduate Assistant/Offense
- Jahmile Addae - Graduate Assistant/Defense
- Eric Smith - Offensive Quality Control
- Bryan Wright - Offensive Quality Control
- Adam Braithwate - Defensive Quality Control
- Dan Hott - Defensive Quality Control
- Mike BarwisMike Barwis-Background:Barwis is a consultant for the New York Mets 2010-2011Barwis joined Head Coach Rich Rodriguez at the University of Michigan in the winter of 2007, replacing Mike Gittleson as the strength and conditioning coach. Barwis was formerly employed as the strength and conditioning coach for the...
- Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
Players redshirted in 2008
- 56 Ricky Barnum - Freshman
- 15 Michael Cox - Freshman
- 25 Kenny DemensKenny Demens-College:Demens saw action as a true freshman in three games under first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez for the 2008 Wolverines.Demens became a started in the October 16 game against Iowa, and by the end of the season he recorded 10 tackles or more four times...
- Freshman - 12 J.T. Floyd - Freshman
- 59 Paul Gyarmati - Freshman
- 21 Junior HemingwayJunior Hemingway-College:As a true freshman for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team, he appeared in 10 games, but did not make his first start until September 22 against Penn State. His first receptions came during the October 6 game against Eastern Michigan when he recorded 3 catches for 33 yards. He...
- Sophomore - 63 Rocko Khoury - Freshman
- 57 Elliott Mealer - Freshman
- 88 Brandon Moore - Freshman
- 73 George Morales - Freshman
- 65 Patrick Omameh - Freshman
- 78 Dann O'Neill - Freshman
- 7 Terrence Robinson - Freshman
- 16 Roy RoundtreeRoy 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...
- Freshman - 23 Floyd Simmons - Freshman
- 28 Brandon Smith - Freshman
- 64 Kurt Wermers - Freshman
External links
- 2008 Football Team – Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
- 2008 Michigan at NCAA.org
- 2008 statistics at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...