page_title: 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team
section_title: Ranking and honors
hierarchical_section_title: 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team / Season summary / Ranking and honors
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Billy Taylor (No. 42)
context_page_description: The 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1971 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled an 11–1 record, outscored opponents 421 to 83, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and were ranked No. 4 in the final UPI Poll and No. 6 in the final AP Poll. Defensive back Frank Gusich and center Guy Murdock were the team captains.
  The Wolverines were undefeated in the regular season, including three consecutive shutout victories over Virginia, UCLA, and Navy. Two later victories over Indiana and Iowa were the Wolverines' highest point totals since a 69-point tally in 1947. The Michigan-Ohio State game set an NCAA record with a crowd of 104,016 at Michigan Stadium. In the 1972 Rose Bowl, Michigan lost to Stanford, 13–12, on a field goal with 12 seconds remaining.
  Four Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1971 College Football All-America Team. They are:
  Linebacker Mike Taylor had 97 total tackles in 1971 and was selected as a consensus first-team All-American.
context_section_description: In their third season under coach Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled an 11–1 record, outscored opponents 421 to 83, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and played in their second Rose Bowl in three years. In early January 1972, the Associated Press (AP) released its final post-season college football poll for the 1971 season. The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was ranked No. 1, and Michigan dropped from No. 4 to No. 6.
  After setting Michigan's career rushing record, Billy Taylor received numerous honors at the end of the 1971 season, including the following:
  He was selected by the Football News (FN) as a first-team running back on the 1971 College Football All-America Team. He also received second-team honors from the United Press International (UPI) and third-team honors from the AP.
  He was selected by his Michigan teammates as the winner of the team's most valuable player award for the 1971 season.
  In a close competition, he finished second behind Michigan State's Eric Allen for the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Conference.
  Four other Michigan players won first-team All-American honors as follows:
  Offensive guard Reggie McKenzie, who blocked and opened holes for an offense that compiled 3,977 rushing yards, was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He received first-team honors from the AP, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), UPI, FN, Time, The Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF).
  Linebacker Mike Taylor, who had 97 total tackles in 1971, was also recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He received first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, FN, Time, TSN, and WCFF.
  Defensive back Thom Darden intercepted four passes with returns of 92 and 60 yards, averaged 10.3 yards on 23 punt returns, and received first-team honors from the AFCA and TSN and second-team honors from the AP and UPI.
  Defensive end Mike Keller received third-team honors from the AP.
  Linebacker and placekicker Dana Coin set an NCAA record by successfully converting 55 of 55 extra points without a miss during the 1971 season.  He was also the team's leading scorer with 79 points.
  Fifteen Michigan players received honors on the 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Thom Darden, Reggie McKenzie, Billy Taylor, and Mike Taylor received first-team honors from both the AP and UPI, and Mike Keller received first-team honors from the AP. Players receiving second-team honors were Tom Coyle (AP-2, UPI-2), Guy Murdock (AP-2, UPI-2), Ed Shuttlesworth (UPI-2), Glenn Doughty (UPI-2), Paul Seymour (UPI-2), Chris Tucker (AP-2), Jim Brandstatter (UPI-2), Jim Coode (UPI-2), Alden Carpenter (UPI-2), and Tom Beckman (AP-2).
  Team awards went to Billy Taylor (Most Valuable Player), Guy Murdock (Meyer Morton Award), Dave Gallagher (John Maulbetsch Award), Tom Kee (Frederick Matthaei Award), and Bruce Elliott (Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award).
caption: Record-setting running back Billy Taylor
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