2011 Michigan Wolverines football team The 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team , sometimes known as Team 132 in reference to the 132 - year tradition of the Michigan football program , was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season . Under first - year head coach Brady Hoke , Michigan compiled a record of 11 – 2 and finished in second place in the newly formed Legends Division of the Big Ten Conference . Hoke , hired in January 2011 following the firing of previous head coach Rich Rodriguez , was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the media and the coaches and was a finalist for national coach of the year honors . Highlights of Michigan ' s 2011 season included a 35 – 31 victory over Notre Dame in the first night game ever played at Michigan Stadium , a 45 – 17 victory over Nebraska in the Cornhuskers ' first year in the Big Ten , and the first victory over arch - rival Ohio State since 2003 . Michigan ' s season ended with a 23 – 20 overtime victory against Virginia Tech in the 2012 Sugar Bowl . Under first - year defensive coordinator Greg Mattison , Michigan ' s defense went from being ranked 107th in scoring defense in 2010 ( 35 . 2 points per game ) to being ranked sixth ( 17 . 38 points per game ) in 2011 . The team ' s leaders on defense included senior nose tackle Mike Martin , who started 29 consecutive games for Michigan , and safety Jordan Kovacs , who was a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy and a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy . Mattison was selected as one of five finalists for the 2011 Broyles Award , awarded to the best assistant coach in college football . On offense , Michigan had two players , Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint , rush for 1 , 000 yards each for the first time since 1975 . Robinson led the Big Ten in total offense per game for the second year in a row and also led the Wolverines in scoring with 96 points . Place - kicker Brendan Gibbons was the team ' s second leading scorer with 93 points having converted 13 of 17 field goal attempts and 54 of 55 extra points . Senior David Molk won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football and also became Michigan ' s first consensus All - American since 2007 . Junior Hemingway was the team ' s leading receiver with 699 receiving yards and led the conference in yards per reception ( 20 . 6 ) for the second year in a row . Preseason . In 2010 , Michigan became bowl eligible for the first time since 2007 and faced the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Gator Bowl , which Michigan lost 52 – 14 . The 2010 Wolverines finished the season ranked eighth nationally in total offense with quarteback Denard Robinson setting several individual records . However , the defensive unit finished 110th in total defense . On January 4 , 2011 , after Michigan ' s loss in the Gator Bowl , and following a 15 – 22 record in three seasons under head coach Rich Rodriguez , athletic director David Brandon announced that Rodriguez had been fired and a national search was underway to select a new head coach . Brady Hoke was hired as Michigan ' s new head coach on January 11 . Hoke ' s hiring triggered speculation that Denard Robinson would transfer , as it was believed that Hoke would run a pro - style offense with Michigan ' s new offensive coordinator Al Borges , but Robinson announced one day after Hoke ' s hiring that he would return to Michigan for the 2011 season . On defense , Michigan hired defensive coordinator Greg Mattison from the Baltimore Ravens . Mattison had previously been the defensive coordinator for Michigan ' s 1995 and 1996 team s . Following Hoke ' s hiring , the team was dubbed " Team 132 " in recognition of the 132 seasons of Michigan football . During the first eight months of 2011 , seven Michigan players announced plans to transfer to other schools . The first to go was backup quarterback Tate Forcier who announced on January 22 that he was leaving the team , having previously been declared academically ineligible for the Gator Bowl . The other departures were ( 1 ) starting safety Ray Vinopal , who cited personal reasons for transferring to Pittsburgh , ( 2 ) cornerback Cullen Christian who also transferred to Pittsburgh , ( 3 ) wide receiver D . J . Williamson , ( 4 ) incoming offensive guard Tony Posada , ( 5 ) wide receiver Je ' Ron Stokes who transferred to Bowling Green , and ( 6 ) incoming tight end Chris Barnett . On August 7 , 2011 , Hoke announced that wide receiver Darryl Stonum ( the team ' s second leading receiver in 2010 ) was suspended and would be redshirted due to drunken driving related violations . Additionally , due to an unspecified team rules violations , punter Will Hagerup ( who had been suspended for one game in 2010 ) was suspended for the first four games , while wide receiver Terrence Robinson was suspended for the first game . On August 28 , 2011 , the team named tight end Kevin Koger , defensive tackle Mike Martin , and center David Molk as its co - captains for the 2011 season . Michigan returned 17 of 22 starters from the 2010 team — ten on offense and seven on defense . In addition to Vinopal , Michigan was forced to replace starters offensive guard Stephen Schilling , linebacker Jonas Mouton , cornerback James Rogers , and defensive Greg Banks , as well as back - up linebacker Obi Ezeh , who was a former starter for the Wolverines . Other 2010 Wolverines in NFL training camps included Martell Webb and Perry Dorrestein . A total of 26 former Wolverine student - athletes were on opening day 53 - man NFL active rosters . Six Michigan players were listed on preseason watch lists : ( 1 ) Denard Robinson for the Walter Camp Award ( best college player ) , Maxwell Award ( best offensive player ) , and Davey O ' Brien Award ( best quarterback ) , Paul Hornung Award ( most versatile player ) , and Manning Award ( best quarterback ) , ( 2 ) Mike Martin for the Bednarik Trophy ( best defensive player ) , Outland Trophy ( best interior lineman ) , and Lombardi Award ( best lineman ) , ( 3 ) David Molk for the Outland Trophy , Lombardi Award , and Rimington Trophy ( best center ) , ( 4 ) Kevin Koger for the John Mackey Award ( best tight end ) , ( 5 ) Roy Roundtree for the Fred Biletnikoff Award ( best wide receiver ) , and ( 6 ) Ryan Van Bergen for the Ted Hendricks Award ( best defensive end ) . Recruiting . Recruits . Michigan ' s recruiting class was ranked No . 27 by Scout and No . 21 by Rivals . It was not ranked by ESPN . The program received 20 letters of intent on National Signing Day , February 2 , 2011 . Rankings . Michigan began the season unranked in the Top 25 of both the AP Poll and the Coaches ' Poll , but by midseason had risen to # 10 in the Coaches ' Poll and # 11 in the AP Poll . After its loss to Michigan State , Michigan fell to # 17 in the Coaches ' Poll and # 18 in the AP Poll . Michigan rose to # 13 in the AP and Coaches ' Polls and # 15 in the BCS Poll before its game against Iowa , falling after the loss to # 22 in the AP Poll , # 21 in the Coaches ' Poll , and # 24 in the BCS Poll . Michigan finished the regular season ranked # 12 in the Coaches ' Poll , and # 13 in the AP and BCS Polls . Following its win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl , Michigan ended the season ranked # 9 in the Coaches ' Poll and # 12 in the AP Poll . Schedule . The schedule was as follows : Radio . On August 8 , 2011 , the University of Michigan announced a five - year extension of its contract with CBS Radio . Detroit ' s WWJ became the new flagship station . All games were broadcast by radio on the Michigan Wolverines Football Network and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio . The radio announcers were Frank Beckmann ( play - by - play ) , Jim Brandstatter ( color commentary ) , and Doug Karsch ( sideline reports ) . Game notes . vs . Western Michigan . In the opening game of the season , Michigan hosted the Western Michigan Broncos . When the teams last met in 2009 , the Wolverines won 31 – 7 . In a game shortened by lightning , Michigan defeated Western Michigan 34 – 10 . Western Michigan scored the only points of the first quarter with a one - yard touchdown run by Antoin Scriven . Michigan answered with three consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter : a one - yard run by Fitzgerald Toussaint , a 94 - yard interception return by Brandon Herron ( the longest interception return for a touchdown in Michigan program history ) , and a two - yard touchdown run by Toussaint . Following Michigan ' s third touchdown , the extra point attempt was blocked . The Broncos scored their final points of the game on a 36 - yard field goal by John Potter just before halftime . In the third quarter , Herron returned a fumble 29 yards for a touchdown , and Michael Shaw scored on a 44 - yard touchdown run ( the longest touchdown run of his career ) . After two rain delays in the third quarter , the game was stopped due to lightning in the area and Michigan was awarded the win . The temperature on the field at kickoff was over 137°F , and by the end of the game it had dropped to 84°F , a difference of 53°F . This was the first Michigan football game to be ended due to weather before all 60 minutes were played and the second game in Michigan Stadium history that featured a weather delay ( the first coming in a 2006 game against Central Michigan ) . Jordan Kovacs and Brandon Herron led the defense . Kovacks forced the fumble that was returned for a touchdown , had two quarterback sacks and ten tackles , and was named the Lott Trophy ' s IMPACT Player of the Week . Herron became the first Michigan player to post two defensive touchdowns and the first since Tom Harmon to have two return touchdowns of any kind in a game . In recognition of his efforts , Herron was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week , Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week , National Defensive Performer of Week 1 and National Linebacker Performer of the Week by College Football Performance Awards ( CFPA ) , and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness . He was also nominated for Defensive Performance of the Year by Intersport . The NCAA originally determined that it would not count player and team statistics for the game , because three quarters had not been completed . At the end of November 2011 , the NCAA reversed the decision and determined that statistics from the game would be counted . vs . Notre Dame . Following its opener against Western Michigan , Michigan renewed its rivalry with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish . In the first night game in Michigan Stadium history , both teams wore " throwback - style " jerseys . Michigan ' s jerseys did not entirely match any worn in team history ; however , they incorporated " design elements from different eras of Michigan football . " During the previous meeting , Denard Robinson set a school record for total yardage in a single game at 502 yards , as Michigan defeated Notre Dame 28 – 24 in a wild affair . Due to the significance of the game , ESPN announced on August 5 that " College GameDay " would be held in Ann Arbor for the first time since November 17 , 2007 , when Michigan hosted Ohio State , which was Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr ' s final regular season game before he retired . At the game , 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard was honored in recognition of his recent induction into the College Football Hall of Fame . A 1991 consensus All - American , Howard became the first receiver in history to lead the Big Ten Conference in scoring , and he set or tied five NCAA records and 12 single - season Michigan records during his senior year . Charles Woodson was also honored . A C - 47 conducted the pre - game flyover and two parachuters from the 101st Airborne Division entered the stadium at halftime . Michigan came back from a 17 - point deficit to defeat Notre Dame 35 – 31 , scoring the winning touchdown with two seconds remaining . Notre Dame started the scoring with two consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter , with the first coming from a seven - yard catch by Theo Riddick , and the second from a four - yard run by Cierre Wood . Michigan ' s only points of the first half came on a 43 - yard reception by Junior Hemingway in the second quarter . Notre Dame answered with a 38 - yard field goal by David Ruffer just before halftime to extend its lead to ten points . The score at halftime was 17 – 7 in favor of Notre Dame . The only points of the third quarter were when Notre Dame ' s T . J . Jones caught a 15 - yard touchdown pass . In the fourth quarter Michigan rallied from behind , scoring three consecutive touchdowns : first a one - yard run by Denard Robinson after Stephen Hopkins fumbled at the goal line , then a 47 - yard catch by Jeremy Gallon , then a 21 - yard catch by Vincent Smith to give them their first lead of the game . Notre Dame responded almost immediately , as Theo Riddick scored his second touchdown of the game less than a minute later on a 29 - yard catch . Michigan received the ball on its 20 - yard line with 30 seconds remaining , and drove 80 yards in 28 seconds with Roy Roundtree scoring the game - winning touchdown with two seconds left in the game . Michigan ' s 17 - point comeback against Notre Dame tied for the third - biggest comeback in Michigan history and tied for the second - biggest comeback at Michigan Stadium . The game ' s announced crowd of 114 , 804 set the all - time attendance record for a football game — college or NFL — and broke the Michigan Stadium attendance record . The previous Michigan Stadium record was 113 , 411 spectators , established at the 2010 " Big Chill at the Big House " ice hockey game . In recognition of his performance during the game , the Big Ten named Denard Robinson its Offensive Player of the Week , while the Davey O ' Brien Award named him its Quarterback of the Week . He was also named Rivals . com ' s Big Ten and National Player of the Week and won the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week . The team was recognized as the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of Week . vs . Eastern Michigan . In the third week of the season , Michigan hosted the Eastern Michigan Eagles . Michigan won the previous meeting between the two schools in 2009 by a 45 – 17 score . Michigan defeated Eastern Michigan 31 – 3 . In the first quarter , Eastern Michigan sustained five drives into Michigan territory , but their drives stalled on a fumble , an interception , and a stop by the Michigan defense on fourth down from the one - yard line . On the first play of the second quarter , the Eagles took a 3 – 0 lead on a 21 - yard field goal by Kody Fulkerson . Michigan did not score until the 9 : 28 mark in the second quarter with a nine - yard touchdown pass from Denard Robinson to Kevin Koger . The Wolverines added to the lead later in the second quarter on an 11 - yard touchdown run by Robinson giving Michigan a 14 – 3 lead at halftime . In the third quarter , Michigan added two more touchdowns on a one - yard touchdown run by Fitzgerald Toussaint and a 19 - yard touchdown catch by Drew Dileo . The final points of the game came on a 21 - yard field goal by Brendan Gibbons in the fourth quarter . In holding Eastern Michigan to three points , Michigan put in its best performance in scoring defense since a 38 – 0 shutout of Notre Dame on September 15 , 2007 . The defense also held the Eagles to 29 passing yards – the lowest total for a Michigan opponent since Rice recorded 15 passing yards in 1999 . Denard Robinson rushed for 198 yards . Robinson ' s 52 - yard run early in the second quarter was his longest to that point of the season , later eclipsed by a 53 - yard run against San Diego State . After Robinson completed seven of 18 passes with an interception , the " Associated Press " called it " another lackluster passing performance . " Vincent Smith also contributed 118 rushing yards rushing on nine carries . The Wolverines improved to 10 – 0 in the all - time series against Eastern Michigan . vs . San Diego State . In its final game of non - conference play , Michigan hosted the San Diego State Aztecs . This meeting was the first between the two schools since 2004 , and came nine months after Brady Hoke left San Diego State for Michigan . During the previous meeting , Michigan escaped a potential upset by San Diego State , winning 24 – 21 . Michigan defeated San Diego State 28 – 7 . Denard Robinson scored all three touchdowns in the first half : a five - yard run and then a 53 - yard run in the first quarter , and then in the second quarter on a one - yard run . In the third quarter , San Diego State scored its only points of the game with a 16 - yard catch by Colin Lockett following a fumble by Michigan ' s Stephen Hopkins . In the fourth quarter , Michigan sealed its victory with a seven - yard touchdown run by Vincent Smith . Robinson carried the ball 21 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns and also passed for 93 yards . It was Robinson ' s third career 200 - yard rushing game and matched his career best for rushing touchdowns . Robinson became one of only three Wolverines players to register three or more 200 - yard rushing games in program history . Mike Hart ( 2004 – 07 ) holds the record with five , while Ron Johnson ( 1966 – 68 ) also has three . Robinson passed Illinois ' Isiah Williams to move into the second spot among the Big Ten Conference ' s career leaders in rushing yards by a quarterback . Robinson earned Big Ten Conference Co - Offensive Player of the Week recognition . vs . Minnesota . In its first game of the Big Ten season , Michigan hosted the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the Little Brown Jug . Michigan won the previous meeting between the two schools in 2008 29 – 6 . Michigan dominated in all aspects of the game and defeated Minnesota 58 – 0 . In the first quarter Vincent Smith ran in a three - yard touchdown , which was followed by a Denard Robinson nine - yard touchdown run . In the second quarter Drew Dileo caught a 17 - yard pass from Vincent Smith , which was followed by a Vincent Smith 28 - yard touchdown reception , his second touchdown of the game . Michigan ' s next scoring play came on a 25 - yard field goal by Brendan Gibbons . Just before halftime , Kevin Koger caught an 18 - yard pass for a touchdown . After the break , Fitzgerald Touissant rushed for a one - yard touchdown . Next came two more field goals from Gibbons : first from 32 yards , then in the fourth quarter from 38 yards . Michigan scored its final points when Courtney Avery picked up a Minnesota fumble and ran it back 83 yards for a touchdown . The game was Michigan ' s first shutout of a Big Ten opponent since a 20 – 0 win at Penn State on October 6 , 2001 , and its first shutout of any opponent since a 38 – 0 win against Notre Dame on September 15 , 2007 . The 58 – 0 win over the Golden Gophers was Michigan ' s largest margin of victory over Minnesota in the series ' history . The previous best was 51 ( 58 – 7 ) in 1993 . The game also marked Michigan ' s largest margin of victory over any opponent since a 69 – 0 victory over Northwestern in October 1975 . ( Michigan also defeated Indiana by an identical 58 – 0 score in October 2000 . ) Vincent Smith became the first running back in FBS to pass for a touchdown and have touchdowns rushing and receiving since C . J . Spiller on November 14 , 2009 , against North Carolina State . He is the fifth Big Ten player to do so since 1996 and the first since Mike Kafka , who accomplished the feat for Northwestern on September 19 , 2009 . Michigan outgained Minnesota 580 to 177 . Minnesota ' s total yardage was the lowest allowed by Michigan since the game against Minnesota in 2008 . Michigan rushed for 363 yards of offense , its third straight game of rushing for more than 300 yards . This is the first time this has occurred since the 1987 season . at Northwestern . After the battle for the Little Brown Jug , Michigan traveled to Evanston , Illinois , for the first time since 2007 to play the Northwestern Wildcats . During the previous meeting between the schools in 2008 , Northwestern won 21 – 14 . Michigan scored 28 unanswered points to erase a ten - point deficit and defeat Northwestern 42 – 24 . Michigan scored first on a nine - yard reception by Steve Watsdon . Northwestern replied with a 15 - yard touchdown run by Kain Colter , and then took the lead on a seven - yard run by Treyvon Green . In the second quarter , Michigan ' s Jeremy Gallon caught a 25 - yard touchdown reception . The Wildcats responded with a two - yard touchdown run by Adonis Smith , and scored their final points of the game with a 20 - yard field goal by Jeff Budzien . Michigan dominated the second half with four unanswered touchdowns . In the third quarter , Denard Robinson scored on a two - yard run , then Devin Gardner scored on a one - yard run . In the fourth quarter , Michael Shaw scored on a two - yard run , and Denard Robinson capped the victory with a five - yard run . Michigan ' s 541 yard offensive performance was the second straight week the offense gained more than 500 yards of offense , and was the second highest total of the season , only beaten by the previous week ' s total of 581 yards against Minnesota . Denard Robinson ' s 337 yards of passing were one yard shy of his career high ; he threw for 338 yards against Notre Dame on Sept . 10 , 2011 . Michigan started a season 6 – 0 for the first time since 2006 . Jordan Kovacs had two solo tackles for a loss , both on fourth down . Brady Hoke ' s 6 – 0 start was the first 6 – 0 start by a first - year Michigan coach since Bennie Oosterbaan did so in 1948 . at Michigan State . After its game against Northwestern , Michigan traveled to East Lansing to battle their in - state rival , the Michigan State Spartans , for the Paul Bunyan Trophy . Michigan was searching for its first win against Michigan State since 2007 . Michigan State won the previous meeting 34 – 17 . The Wolverines wore legacy road uniforms for the game with Michigan State , which were the road version of the uniform worn against Notre Dame . It was the first time that Michigan wore all white road uniforms since the 1976 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma . Michigan State also wore special alternate uniforms colored dark green , bronze and black . Michigan State continued its recent dominance over Michigan , winning 28 – 14 . The first half was relatively quiet , with each team only scoring one touchdown in the first quarter . Michigan ' s Denard Robinson ran in one from 15 yards out , with Michigan State responding with a one - yard touchdown run by Edwin Baker . After halftime , State ' s Kirk Cousins threw a 10 - yard touchdown pass to Keshawn Martin to take the lead . The Spartans added more points with another touchdown catch by Martin , this one from 13 yards out . In the fourth quarter , Michigan scored their only points of the second half with a 34 - yard touchdown catch and run by Roy Roundtree . State sealed their victory with a 39 - yard interception return touchdown by Isaiah Lewis , handing Michigan their first loss of the season . The game was Michigan ' s first against a ranked opponent in the 2011 season . Michigan ' s record against Michigan State in the overall series dropped to 68 – 35 – 2 , while its record in games involving the Paul Bunyan Trophy dropped to 35 – 23 – 2 . Denard Robinson ' s passing performance put him over 4 , 000 yards in his career , the 10th Michigan quarterback to do so , and his rushing performance moved him past Tim Biakabutuka for 10th place . Punter Will Hagerup placed four of his seven punts inside Michigan State ' s 20 - yard line , and three of those inside the 15 - yard line . The victory was Michigan State ' s fourth in a row against Michigan , the first time Michigan State had done this since a streak between 1959 and 1962 . vs . Purdue . Following its trip to East Lansing and its bye week , Michigan hosted the Purdue Boilermakers for its homecoming game . During the previous meeting between the two schools , Michigan defeated Purdue 27 – 16 in a turnover filled game caused by heavy rain . The game ball was delivered via jet pack , as Michigan ' s homecoming theme for the year was space . Michigan defeated Purdue 36 – 14 . Purdue scored its only points of the first half when Caleb TerBush threw a 48 - yard touchdown pass to Gary Bush . Michigan dominated the game following the Purdue score . The Wolverines responded to Purdue ' s touchdown with a touchdown of their own , a two - yard run by Denard Robinson , which was its fifth consecutive opening drive touchdown . In the second quarter , Michigan scored a safety when Mike Martin tackled Caleb TerBush in the end zone . A few minutes later , Michigan ' s Brendan Gibbons kicked a 37 - yard field goal . Michigan added more points with a two - yard touchdown run by Fitzgerald Toussaint . The final score of the first half was a 22 - yard Michigan field goal with no time left on the clock . After the intermission , Michigan scored the only points of the third quarter when Fitzgerald Toussaint scored his second touchdown of the game , this time on a 59 - yard rush . The teams traded scores in the final quarter . First Michigan ' s Michael Shaw ran in a touchdown from 37 yards out , which was followed by Purdue ' s Robert Marve throwing a 19 - yard touchdown pass to O . J . Ross . With the win , Michigan ' s record against Purdue improved to 43 – 14 . Junior quarterback Denard Robinson completed 9 - of - 14 passes for 170 yards and carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards and a touchdown . He scored his 29th career rushing touchdown on a two - yard run midway through the first quarter . Robinson moved to ninth place among Michigan ' s all - time leaders in the category , where he is tied with Butch Woolfolk ( 1978 – 81 ) . Robinson has scored at least one rushing touchdown in seven straight games . Fitzgerald Toussaint recorded career highs in carries ( 20 ) and rushing yards ( 170 ) and matched a career best with two rushing touchdowns . Toussaint ' s second touchdown — a 59 - yard rush in the third quarter — was the longest rush for a touchdown of his career , but missed his overall career long by two yards ( 61 yards vs . Bowling Green , September 25 , 2010 ) . The Apollo 15 flight crew , which consisted of all Michigan graduates , was honored during the first quarter . at Iowa . For its ninth game , Michigan traveled to Iowa City to meet the Iowa Hawkeyes . Iowa won the 2010 game , 38 – 28 . Iowa defeated Michigan 24 – 16 after Michigan was unable to score a touchdown from the three yard line at the end of the game . Iowa scored first with a four - yard touchdown run by Marcus Coker . Michigan responded with a five - yard touchdown catch by Fitzgerald Toussaint , their only points of the first half ; however , the extra point was botched due to a bad snap . In the second quarter , Iowa ' s Brad Herman caught a one - yard pass from James Vandenberg for a touchdown . Iowa ' s Mike Meyer then kicked a 42 - yard field goal to add to the Hawkeyes ' lead . After halftime , Michigan ' s Brendan Gibbons scored the only points of the 3rd quarter with a 32 - yard field goal . Iowa then scored its only points of the second half when Marcus Coker scored his second touchdown of the day , this time with a 13 - yard rush . Michigan responded with a seven - yard touchdown catch by Kevin Koger . Junior Hemingway had 64 yards on five catches to pass Adrian Arrington and take over 20th place with 1 , 453 career yards . Fitzgerald Toussaint made his first career touchdown reception on just the third catch of his career . Denard Robinson moved to ninth place all - time on the Michigan career rushing yards list , with his then total of 2 , 933 yards surpassing Gordon Bell ' s total of 2 , 900 yards . at Illinois . Following its trip to Iowa , Michigan played on the road for the second consecutive week against the Illinois Fighting Illini . In 2010 , the Wolverines and Illini had played in the highest combined scoring game in Michigan Stadium history , with Michigan prevailing 67 – 65 in triple overtime . Michigan dominated the game , defeating Illinois 31 – 14 . Michigan scored two touchdowns in the first half . Fitzgerald Toussaint ran for 121 yards in the first quarter , including a 65 - yard run on the second play of the game to set up a nine - yard touchdown run by Denard Robinson . In the second quarter , Robinson scored his second rushing touchdown of the game on a two - yard run . Michigan lost another scoring opportunity in the second quarter after tight end Kevin Koger gained 40 yards on a pass from Robinson . Robinson ran for an apparent touchdown from the eight - yard line , but the call was reversed when replay officials ruled that Robinson had stepped out of bounds at the two - yard line . On fourth down from the one - yard line , Robinson was stopped after a low snap slowed his momentum . A fumble by Robinson ended another drive , and Brendan Gibbons missed a 38 - yard field goal with one minute left in the half . Michigan ' s defense held Illinois to 30 total yards in the first half . In the third quarter , Gibbons kicked a 27 - yard field goal , but Illinois responded with a touchdown on a one - yard run by Nathan Scheelhaase . Denard Robinson left the game in the third quarter after sustaining a blow to his wrist . In the fourth quarter , J . T . Floyd intercepted a Scheelhaase pass and returned it 43 yards into Illinois territory . Shortly thereafter , backup quarterback Devin Gardner threw a 27 - yard touchdown pass to Martavious Odoms to put Michigan ahead 24 – 7 . Illinois closed the gap to 24 – 14 on an 18 - play drive capped by a one - yard touchdown run by Jason Ford . After the touchdown , the Illini attempted an onside kick , but Michigan recovered , and Toussaint ran 27 yards for Michigan ' s fourth and final touchdown . Michigan ' s defense forced three turnovers , sacked the Illinois quarterback four times , and held Illinois ' offense to 37 rushing yards on 33 attempts for an average of 1 . 1 yards per carry . Mike Martin led the defense with nine tackles . After the game , Michigan ' s defensive coordinator Greg Mattison became emotional as he told reporters : " That was a Michigan defense . . . . Nobody knows what went on inside of these guys and for them to stick together and to play like they played tonight , and like they have tried in every game , it says a lot about them . " Defensive end Ryan Van Bergen , who recorded 2 . 5 sacks , three tackles for loss and seven tackles overall , was named the Big Ten ' s Co - Defensive Player of the Week . Toussaint ' s 65 - yard touchdown run and his total of 192 rushing yards were career highs . vs . Nebraska . In the penultimate game of the 2011 regular season , Michigan hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers , competing in their first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference and appearing in Michigan Stadium for the first time since 1962 . The teams had last met in the 2005 Alamo Bowl , which Nebraska won 32 – 28 . In celebration of Military Appreciation Day , Michigan held a card stunt and had a flyover of four F - 16 fighter jet s prior to kickoff , and the Wolverines wore American flag patches on their jerseys . Michigan also honored former head coach Lloyd Carr at the game . Michigan dominated Nebraska , winning 45 – 17 . Michigan took an early lead when Jeremy Gallon caught a six - yard touchdown pass and then added three more points when Brendan Gibbons kicked a 42 - yard field goal . Late in the first quarter , Nebraska narrowed the gap when Brandon Kinnie caught a 54 - yard touchdown pass from Taylor Martinez . In the second quarter , each team scored once . The Cornhuskers ' Brett Maher kicked a 51 - yard field goal , and Denard Robinson responded with a 14 - yard touchdown run . Michigan led 17 – 10 at halftime . At the start of the third quarter , Nebraska ' s Kenny Bell fumbled while returning the opening kickoff , and Michigan recovered the ball . The turnover led to a one - yard touchdown run by Denard Robinson . Fitzgerald Toussaint also scored on a one - yard touchdown run in the third quarter . Later in the third quarter , Nebraska closed the gap to 31 – 17 on a three - yard touchdown run by Ameer Abdullah . Josh Furman also blocked a punt in the third quarter , the first punt block by Michigan since 2009 . In the fourth quarter , Michigan outscored Nebraska 14 – 0 with a 38 - yard touchdown catch by Martavious Odoms and a 31 - yard run by Toussaint . Michigan ' s defense held Nebraska to three successful conversions on 13 third downs . The Wolverines ran 80 plays in the game and maintained possession for 41 minutes and 13 seconds during the 60 minutes of play . Denard Robinson was honored for the sixth time in his career as the Big Ten ' s Offensive Player of the Week , having run for two touchdowns , passed for two more , and accounted for 263 yard of total offense ( 180 passing yards and 83 rushing yards ) , more than the entire Nebraska team . Michigan improved to 4 – 2 – 1 in its all - time series against Nebraska . vs . Ohio State . The Wolverines completed the regular season at home with the 108th Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game against the Ohio State Buckeyes . Ohio State won the 2010 game 37 – 7 , but later vacated the win as part of its self - imposed sanctions after it was discovered that five players had received improper benefits and had played while ineligible . This was the first time the schools met with both having head coaches in their first season since 1929 , when Harry Kipke became the head coach at Michigan and Sam Willaman became the head coach at Ohio State . Michigan defeated Ohio State for the first time in eight years , winning 40 – 34 . Ohio State took the lead in the first quarter when Corey Brown caught a 54 - yard touchdown pass from Braxton Miller . Michigan tied it up when Denard Robinson ran 41 yards for a touchdown and took the lead when Ohio State ' s Mike Adams committed a holding penalty in the end zone for a safety . Michigan extended its lead to 16 – 7 when Junior Hemingway caught a 26 - yard pass for a touchdown . In the second quarter , Ohio State ' s Drew Basil completed a 45 - yard field goal , and the Buckeyes took a 17 – 16 lead when Braxton Miller ran 19 yards for a touchdown . Michigan regained the lead on a six - yard touchdown run by Denard Robinson . Ohio State responded with a 43 - yard touchdown pass to DeVier Posey and led 24 – 23 at halftime . In the third quarter , Martavious Odoms scored for Michigan on a 20 - yard touchdown pass . After a muffed punt by Michigan ' s Will Hagerup at the end of the third quarter , Drew Basil kicked a 21 - yard field goal early in the fourth quarter . Michigan responded with a four - yard touchdown catch by Kevin Koger , and Daniel Herron ran for an Ohio State touchdown from four yards out . Michigan scored the final points of the game on a career - long 43 - yard field goal by Brendan Gibbons . The Wolverines sealed the victory when Courtney Avery intercepted a Braxton Miller pass with 39 seconds remaining . Denard Robinson completed 14 of 17 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns . He became the first Michigan player in the modern era to score two rushing and two passing touchdowns in the consecutive games . Fitzgerald Toussaint also rushed for 120 yards to pass the 1 , 000 yard mark , giving the Wolverines a duo of 1 , 000 - yard rushers for the first time since 1975 when Gordon Bell and Rob Lytle accomplished the feat . The Wolverines improved to 58 - 44 - 6 in the all - time series against the Buckeyes . With the victory , Michigan also concluded its first undefeated season at home since 2006 , along with its first ever eight win season at home . Brady Hoke became the second Michigan head coach to win 10 games in his first season , with the first being Fielding Yost . vs . Virginia Tech . On December 4 , Michigan was selected to play in the Sugar Bowl against the Virginia Tech Hokies . It was Michigan ' s first BCS bowl game since the 2006 season , when Michigan was defeated by the USC Trojans in the 2007 Rose Bowl . The meeting between the Hokies and the Wolverines was the first between the two schools . Virginia Tech was forced to use its third - string kicker during the game , as first - string kicker Cody Journell was suspended for the game as a result of an arrest for breaking - and - entering , while second - string kicker Tyler Weiss was suspended from the game and sent home for missing curfew . Virginia Tech dominated the majority of the first half . In the first quarter , Virginia Tech ' s third - string kicker Justin Myer kicked a 37 - yard field goal , which was the only scoring play of the quarter . Myer added a 43 - yard field goal in the second quarter . At the end of the half , however , Denard Robinson threw a 45 - yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway to give Michigan a 7 – 6 lead and on the ensuing kickoff , Michigan ' s J . B . Fitzgerald forced a fumble , which Michigan recovered . Michigan ' s Brendan Gibbons kicked a 24 - yard field goal as time expired . In the third quarter , Michigan scored another touchdown on a Denard Robinson to Junior Hemingway pass , this time from 18 yards out . This scoring drive followed an interception by linebacker Frank Clark . Virginia Tech responded with another Justin Myer field goal , this time from 36 yards away . In the fourth quarter , Virginia Tech ' s quarterback Logan Thomas trimmed Michigan ' s lead to two points , and then promptly tied the game throwing a successful two - point conversion to Marcus Davis . Michigan responded with a 39 - yard Brendan Gibbons field goal , but Virginia Tech tied the game with two seconds remaining via a 25 - yard field goal by Myer . In overtime , Virginia Tech seemingly scored the go - ahead touchdown on a Logan Thomas to Danny Coale pass , but video review overturned the play . The next play saw Myer miss a 37 - yard field goal . Michigan received the ball and saw Gibbons kick the game - winning 37 - yard field goal . The game was Michigan ' s fifth BCS bowl appearance . With the victory , Michigan won the only BCS bowl that it had not yet won , improved its bowl record to 20 – 21 , and improved its record against the ACC to 19 – 3 . Michigan also moved to 2 – 0 in overtime in bowl games , with the previous victory coming in the 2000 Orange Bowl . Hemingway , who caught both Michigan touchdowns , was named the Sugar Bowl MVP . Brady Hoke became the eighth coach to lead a team to a BCS bowl and third to win a BCS bowl in his first season . Depth chart . Starters and backups . Awards and honors . At the conclusion of the season , several Wolverines players and coaches received national and / or conference honors . David Molk received the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football . He was also a consensus All - American , receiving first - team honors from the Associated Press , Football Writers Association of America , Scout . com , " Sporting News " , and the Walter Camp Football Foundation . Molk also received the inaugural Rimington – Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award . Brady Hoke won the Hayes – Schembechler Coach of the Year , as selected by conference coaches , and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year , as picked by the media . Hoke was also a finalist for national coach of the year honors in the Bear Bryant Award , Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award , and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award . Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison was selected as one of five finalists for the 2011 Broyles Award . Three Michigan players received second - team All - Big Ten honors : ( 1 ) Mike Martin by both the coaches and the media , ( 2 ) Denard Robinson by the media , and ( 3 ) Taylor Lewan by the coaches . Lewan also received honorable mention All - American recognition by the " Pro Football Weekly " , and Robinson received the same recognition from " Sports Illustrated " . Jake Ryan , Desmond Morgan , Matt Wile and Blake Countess all earned 2011 Big Ten All - Freshman team recognition from both ESPN . com and BTN . com , while Ryan , Morgan and Countess earned 2011 " College Football News " All - Freshman honorable mention honors as well . Countess was also a " Sporting News " All - Freshman selection , while Ryan was a second team Rivals . com All - Freshman selection . Safety Jordan Kovacs was named a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy and a semifinalist for the 2011 Burlsworth Trophy . He also received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the Michigan program . Several Michigan players were invited to post - season all - star games : Junior Hemingway Kevin Koger to the 2012 East – West Shrine Game , David Molk and Mike Martin to the 2012 Senior Bowl , Michael Shaw to the Casino del Sol All - Star Game , Marell Evans to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl , and Martavious Odoms to the Battle of Florida All - Star Game . Statistics . Michigan finished the season ranked third in the Big Ten in total offense and second in scoring offense . Defensively , the team improved dramatically finishing fourth in total defense in the Big Ten and 17th in the country . Denard Robinson led the Big Ten in total offense for the second consecutive year and finished fifth in the conference in rushing with an average of 90 . 46 rushing yards per game . Jeremy Gallon finished third in the conference with an average of 10 . 11 yards per punt return . Kenny Demens led the team in tackles with 7 . 23 per game . The per game team rankings below include 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and 12 Big Ten Conference teams . The per game rankings below include players who played in 75 % of teams ' games and were ranked in the top 100 national leaders and top 25 conference leaders : 2012 NFL Draft . Three Michigan players ( Mike Martin , Junior Hemingway and David Molk ) were invited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine . The 2012 NFL Draft was held in late April . Martin was drafted 82nd overall by the Tennessee Titans ; Molk was drafted 226th by the San Diego Chargers ; and Hemingway 238th by the Kansas City Chiefs . Prior to the draft , the Houston Texans informed Ryan Van Bergen that they were targeting him with their sixth round pick . However the team drafted two defensive linemen in earlier rounds ( Whitney Mercilus and Jared Crick ) and did not pick Van Bergen ; he subsequently signed with the Carolina Panthers , minutes after the draft ended on April 28 . Later that day , Troy Woolfolk and Michael Shaw announced via Twitter through their agents that they had signed with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins , respectively . Seniors J . B . Fitzgerald ( linebacker ) and Will Heininger ( defensive lineman ) announced that they did not intend to pursue careers playing professional football . Toney Clemons , who had previously transferred from Michigan to Colorado was drafted in the seventh round .