# 1989 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 1989 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its 21st and final season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the team compiled a 10–2 record (8–0 against conference opponents), won the Big Ten championship, lost to USC in the 1990 Rose Bowl, outscored opponents by a total of 335 to 184, and was ranked No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, in the final AP and UPI polls.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Michael Taylor with 1,081 passing yards, tailback Tony Boles with 839 rushing yards, split end Greg McMurtry with 711 receiving yards, and placekicker J.D. Carlson with 73 points scored.
Defensive back Tripp Welborne was a consensus first-team selection to the 1989 All-America college football team. Six Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1989 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
The Wolverines lost their season opener to Notre Dame but won ten consecutive games to finish the regular season. Highlights of the winning streak included the defeat of Minnesota by 34 points for the Little Brown Jug and a victory over Ohio State in their home finale.
Schembechler retired after the Rose Bowl.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 16 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 1 Notre Dame* | No. 2 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry) | ABC | L 19–24 | 105,912 |
| September 23 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 24 UCLA* | No. 5 | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | ABC | W 24–23 | 71,797 |
| September 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Maryland* | No. 6 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | | W 41–21 | 104,872 |
| October 7 | 1:00 p.m. | Wisconsin | No. 5 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | | W 24–0 | 104,097 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 21 Michigan State | No. 5 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (rivalry) | ABC | W 10–7 | 76,913 |
| October 21 | 3:30 p.m. | at Iowa | No. 5 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | ABC | W 26–12 | 67,700 |
| October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | No. 5 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | ABC | W 38–10 | 105,989 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Purdue | No. 4 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | | W 42–27 | 105,128 |
| November 11 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 8 Illinois | No. 3 | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL (rivalry) | ABC | W 24–10 | 73,069 |
| November 18 | 12:30 p.m. | at Minnesota | No. 3 | Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeMinneapolis, MN (Little Brown Jug) | ESPN | W 49–15 | 35,103 |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 20 Ohio State | No. 3 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry) | ABC | W 28–18 | 106,137 |
| January 1, 1990 | 4:45 p.m. | vs. No. 12 USC* | No. 3 | Rose BowlPasadena, CA (Rose Bowl) | ABC | L 10–17 | 103,450 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||||

## Game summaries
### Notre Dame

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Notre Dame | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Michigan | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 19 |
at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Rain
* Game attendance: 105,912
* TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Bob Griese
* Recap/Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
ND – Anthony Johnson 6-yard pass from Tony Rice (Craig Hentrich kick), 5:05. Notre Dame 7–0. Drive: 24 yards.
MICH – Chris Calloway 9-yard pass from Michael Taylor (kick failed), 0:25. Notre Dame 7–6. Drive: 50 yards.
Third quarter
ND – Raghib Ismail 89-yard kickoff return (Craig Hentrich kick), 14:49. Notre Dame 14–6.
ND – Craig Hentrich 30-yard field goal, 4:28. Notre Dame 17–6.
Fourth quarter
MICH – Derrick Walker 5-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (pass failed), 12:58. Notre Dame 17–12. Drive: 12 plays.
ND – Raghib Ismail 92-yard kickoff return (Craig Hentrich kick), 12:46. Notre Dame 24–13.
MICH – Greg McMurtry 4-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (J.D. Carlson kick), 4:08. Notre Dame 24–19. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards.
Top passers
ND – Tony Rice – 1/2, 6 yards, TD
MICH – Elvis Grbac – 17/21, 134 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ND – Anthony Johnson – 20 rushes, 80 yards
MICH – Leroy Hoard – 15 rushes, 56 yards
Top receivers
ND – Anthony Johnson – 1 reception, 6 yards, TD
MICH – Greg McMurtry – 4 receptions, 51 yards, TD :

### At UCLA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Michigan | 0 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 24 |
| UCLA | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
On September 23, Michigan defeated UCLA, 24-23, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
UCLA took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Michigan scored in the second quarter on a 46-yard field goal by J.D. Carlson at the end of a 52-yard drive. UCLA then drove 70 yards and scored on a six-yard pass from Bret Johnson to S. Miller. Carlson kicked a 38-yard field goal later in the quarter, and UCLA led, 14-6, at halftime.
In the third quarter, Carlson kicked his third field goal, a 43-yarder. Later i the third quarter, Michigan took a 15-14 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Leroy Hoard. Michigan's attempt at a two-point conversion failed. At the end of the third quarter, UCLA retook the lead on a 45-yard field goal by Alfredo Velasco. UCLA extended its lead with 5:42 remaining on a touchdown pass from Bret Johnson to Corwin Anthony. Michigan was forced to punt with 4:29 remaining, but Michigan cornerback David Key forced a fumble by UCLA tailback Shawn Wills. Michigan linebacker J.J. Grant recovered at UCLA's 43-yard line. Elvis Grbac completed passes of 11 yards to Derrick Walker and 12 yards to Tony Boles. The Wolverines scored on a three-yard pass from Grbac to Walker with 1:35 remaining. A two-point conversion failed, and Michigan trailed by two points. On the ensuing kickoff, J.D. Carlson converted an onside kick as the ball hpped over UCLA's front line where it was recovered by Vada Murray. Grbac complete 1 nine-yard pass to Chris Calloway, a 10-yard pass to Tony Boles, and a screen pass to Boles that was good for 17 yards. Carlson kicked the game-winning 24-yard field goal with one second remaining in the game.
Boles rushed for 82 yards, and Grback completed 13 of 23 passes for 130 yards.

### At Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Michigan St | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Date: October 14, 1989
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,913
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV: ABC
* Box Score
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan | Passing | Elvis Grbac | 8/15, 76 Yds, INT |
| Michigan | Rushing | Tony Boles | 22 Rush, 100 Yds |
| Michigan | Receiving | Greg McMurtry | 2 Rec, 33 Yds |
| Michigan St | Passing | Dan Enos | 21/31, 214 Yds, TD, 2 INT |
| Michigan St | Rushing | Blake Ezor | 27 Rush, 69 Yds |
| Michigan St | Receiving | Courtney Hawkins | 8 Rec, 89 Yds, TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | UM | MSU |
| 1 | 12:20 | 12 | 61 | 6:31 | Michigan | Leroy Hoard 1-yard touchdown run, J.D. Carlson kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | 5:44 | 13 | 56 | 6:00 | Michigan | 35-yard field goal by J.D. Carlson | 10 | 0 |
| 4 | 9:51 | 8 | 52 | 3:16 | Michigan St | Courtney Hawkins 4-yard touchdown reception from Dan Enos, John Langeloh kick good | 10 | 7 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 10 | 7 |

### Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Purdue | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 27 |
| Michigan | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Date: November 4, 1989
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Overcast, 44 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 105, 126
* Box Score
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Purdue | Passing | Eric Hunter | 27/42, 344 Yds, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Purdue | Rushing | Jerome Sparkman | 11 Rush, 50 Yds |
| Purdue | Receiving | Calvin Williams | 13 Rec, 156 Yds, 3 TD |
| Michigan | Passing | Michael Taylor | 8/13, 124 Yds, TD |
| Michigan | Rushing | Tony Boles | 13 Rush, 80 Yds, 2 TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Chris Calloway | 3 Rec, 68 Yds, TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | PU | UM |
| 1 | 9:16 | 4 | 77 | 1:23 | Michigan | Tony Boles 39-yard touchdown run, J.D. Carlson kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 12:50 | 3 | 9 | 1:17 | Michigan | Desmond Howard 8-yard touchdown reception from Michael Taylor, J.D. Carlson kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | 5:46 | 8 | 77 | 3:25 | Purdue | Calvin Williams 44-yard touchdown reception from Eric Hunter, Larry Sullivan kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 2 | 2:31 | 8 | 80 | 3:15 | Michigan | Tony Boles 1-yard touchdown run, J.D. Carlson kick good | 7 | 21 |
| 2 | 0:09 | 5 | 79 | 0:55 | Michigan | Chris Calloway 29-yard touchdown reception from Elvis Grbac, J.D. Carlson kick good | 7 | 28 |
| 3 | 1:10 | 3 | 16 | 0:57 | Michigan | Leroy Hoard 2-yard touchdown run, J.D. Carlson kick good | 7 | 35 |
| 4 | 13:03 | 1 | 11 | 0:06 | Purdue | Robert Oglesby 11-yard touchdown reception from Eric Hunter, Larry Sullivan kick good | 14 | 35 |
| 4 | 12:52 | | | | Michigan | Kickoff returned 85 yards for touchdown by Tony Boles, J.D. Carlson kick good | 14 | 42 |
| 4 | 6:48 | 3 | 34 | 1:19 | Purdue | Calvin Williams 3-yard touchdown reception from Eric Hunter, Larry Sullivan kick good | 21 | 42 |
| 4 | 2:33 | 4 | 61 | 1:14 | Purdue | Calvin Williams 15-yard touchdown reception from Eric Hunter, Larry Sullivan kick no good (wide right) | 27 | 42 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 27 | 42 |

### At Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan | 0 | 28 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Minnesota | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 15 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 18, 1989
* Game time: 11:30 a.m. CDT
* Game weather: Indoors (dome)
* Game attendance: 35,103
* Referee: Jerry Hendrickson
* TV: ESPN
* Box Score
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan | Passing | Michael Taylor | 12/16, 231 Yds, 4 TD |
| Michigan | Rushing | Leroy Hoard | 11 Rush, 90 Yds, TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Greg McMurtry | 7 Rec, 165 Yds, 3 TD |
| Minnesota | Passing | Marquel Fleetwood | 11/23, 100 Yds, 2 INT |
| Minnesota | Rushing | Darrell Thompson | 18 Rush, 50 Yds, TD |
| Minnesota | Receiving | Pat Tinglehoff | 7 Rec, 77 Yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | MICH | MINN |
| 1 | 10:08 | 12 | 76 | 4:52 | Minnesota | Darrell Thompson 1-yard touchdown run, Brent Berglund kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 9:24 | 7 | 88 | 3:23 | Michigan | Greg McMurtry 34-yard touchdown reception from Michael Taylor, J.D. Carlson kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | 4:14 | 5 | 59 | 1:43 | Michigan | Greg McMurtry 34-yard touchdown reception from Michael Taylor, J.D. Carlson kick good | 14 | 7 |
| 2 | 2:06 | 1 | 44 | 0:15 | Michigan | Leroy Hoard 29-yard touchdown run, J.D. Carlson kick good | 21 | 7 |
| 2 | 0:45 | 3 | 75 | 0:23 | Michigan | Greg McMurtry 25-yard touchdown reception from Michael Taylor, J.D. Carlson kick good | 28 | 7 |
| 3 | 9:48 | 10 | 77 | 5:12 | Michigan | Allen Jefferson 3-yard touchdown reception from Michael Taylor, J.D. Carlson kick good | 35 | 7 |
| 3 | 0:00 | 10 | 36 | 5:10 | Minnesota | Marquel Fleetwood 2-yard touchdown run, 2-point run good | 35 | 15 |
| 4 | 11:03 | 8 | 80 | 3:57 | Michigan | Allen Jefferson 15-yard touchdown run, J.D. Carlson kick good | 42 | 15 |
| 4 | 3:43 | 6 | 60 | 3:07 | Michigan | Desmond Howard 19-yard touchdown reception from Elvis Grbac, Gulam Khan kick good | 49 | 15 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 49 | 15 |

### Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio St | 0 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 |
| Michigan | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Date: November 25
* Game weather: Partly sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 106,137
* TV: ABC
Game information :
First quarter
MICH – Leroy Hoard 1-yard run (J.D. Carlson kick), 3:13. Michigan 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 3:04.
Second quarter
MICH – Allen Jefferson 2-yard run (J.D. Carlson kick), 2:23. Michigan 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 6:28.
OSU – Pat O'Morrow 20-yard field goal, 0:25. Michigan 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:58.
Third quarter
OSU – Pat O'Morrow 22-yard field goal, 10:45. Michigan 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 2:24.
OSU – Scottie Graham 3-yard run (run failed), 4:03. Michigan 14–12. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 5:11.
Fourth quarter
MICH – Jarrod Bunch 5-yard pass from Michael Taylor (J.D. Carlson kick), 12:22. Michigan 21–12. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:32.
OSU – Scottie Graham 4-yard run (kick blocked), 7:04. Michigan 21–18. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:18.
MICH – Jarrod Bunch 23-yard run (J.D. Carlson kick), 1:20. Michigan 28–18. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:28.
Top passers
OSU – Greg Frey – 14/25, 220 yards, 2 INT
MICH – Michael Taylor – 8/16, 100 yards, TD
Top rushers
OSU – Scottie Graham – 28 rushes, 133 yards, 2 TD
MICH – Leroy Hoard – 21 rushes, 152 yards, TD
Top receivers
OSU – Jim Palmer – 5 receptions, 61 yards
MICH – Greg McMurtry – 3 receptions, 39 yards :
Todd Plate's second interception of the day with 2:48 left in the game sealed the game and the Big Ten title for the Wolverines.

### Rose Bowl (vs USC)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • USC | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Michigan | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
The 1990 Rose Bowl was a rematch of the previous Rose Bowl in which Michigan won 22 to 14. Prior to the contest, Bo Schembechler had announced he would retire. USC scored the first points in the second quarter with a one-yard run by Todd Marinovich. Michigan got a field goal to make it 7 to 3 but the Trojans added another field goal before the half to take a 10 to 3 lead at halftime. Although Michigan tied the score, Ricky Ervins had a fourteen-yard touchdown run which clinched the Rose Bowl for the Trojans.

## Player statistics

| Passing | AT | CMP | Pct. | YDS |
| Michael Taylor | 122 | 74 | .61 | 1081 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | Avg |
| Tony Boles | 839 | 131 | 6.4 |
| Receiving | Rec | Yds | Avg |
| Greg McMurtry | 41 | 711 | 17.3 |

## Awards and honors

* All-Americans: Tripp Welborne
* All-Conference: Tony Boles, J.D. Carlson, Dean Dingman, Derrick Walker, Tripp Welborne
* Most Valuable Player: Tony Boles
* Meyer Morton Award: Chris Calloway
* John Maulbetsch Award: Steve Everitt
* Frederick Matthei Award: Dean Dingman
* Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Tim Williams
* Dick Katcher Award: Mike Teeter
* Hugh Rader Jr. Award: Derrick Walker
* Robert P. Ufer Award: Chris Calloway

## Professional football

The following players were claimed in the 1990 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Leroy Hoard | Running Back | 2 | 45 | Cleveland Browns |
| Greg McMurtry | Wide Receiver | 3 | 80 | New England Patriots |
| Chris Calloway | Wide Receiver | 4 | 97 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Derrick Walker | Tight End | 6 | 163 | San Diego Chargers |
A total of 25 players from the 1989 team went on to play professional football. They are Bobby Abrams (New York Giants 1990-91, Cleveland Browns 1992, New York Giants 1992, Dallas Cowboys 1992-93, Minnesota Vikings 1993-94, New England Patriots 1995), Derrick Alexander (Cleveland Browns 1994–95, Baltimore Ravens 1996–97, Kansas City Chiefs 1998–01, Minnesota Vikings 2002), Erick Anderson (Kansas City Chiefs 1992-93, Washington Redskins 1994-95), Tony Boles (Dallas Cowboys 1991; San Antonio Riders 1992), Jarrod Bunch (New York Giants 1991–93, Los Angeles Raiders 1994), Corwin Brown (New England Patriots 1993–96, New York Jets 1997–98, Detroit Lions 1999–00), Chris Calloway (Pittsburgh Steelers 1990-91, New York Giants 1992-98, Atlanta Falcons 1999, New England Patriots 2000), Joe Cocozzo (San Diego Chargers 1993-97), Tom Dohring (Kansas City Chiefs 1992), Matt Elliott (Washington Redskins 1992, Carolina Panthers 1995-97), Steve Everitt (Cleveland Browns 1993-95, Baltimore Ravens 1996, Philadelphia Eagles 1997-99), Elvis Grbac (San Francisco 49ers 1993-96, Kansas City Chiefs 1997-00, Baltimore Ravens 2001), Leroy Hoard (Cleveland Browns 1990-95, Baltimore Ravens 1996, Carolina Panthers 1996, Minnesota Vikings 1996-99), Desmond Howard (Washington Redskins 1992-94, Jacksonville Jaguars 1995, Green Bay Packers 1996, Oakland Raiders 1997-98, Green Bay Packers 1999, Detroit Lions 2000-02), Burnie Legette (New England Patriots 1993-94), Tony McGee (Cincinnati Bengals 1993-01, Dallas Cowboys 2002-03, New York Giants 2003), Greg McMurtry (New England Patriots 1990-93, Chicago Bears 1994), Doug Skene (New England Patriots 1994), Greg Skrepenak (Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 1992-95, Carolina Panthers 1996-97), Buster Stanley (New England Patriots 1994, Rhein Fire 1996-97, Grand Rapids Rampage 1999-00), Mike Teeter (Indianapolis Colts 1990, Frankfurt Galaxy 1991, Minnesota Vikings 1991, Houston Oilers 1993–94, Carolina Panthers 1995), Brian Townsend (Cincinnati Bengals 1992), Jon Vaughn (New England Patriots 1991-92, Seattle Seahawks 1993-94, Kansas City Chiefs 1994), Derrick Walker (San Diego Chargers 1990-93, Kansas City Chiefs 1994-97, Oakland Raiders 1999), and Tripp Welborne (Minnesota Vikings 1992).