1997 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I - A football season . In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr , Michigan compiled a perfect 12 – 0 record , won the Big Ten Conference championship , defeated Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl , and was declared the national champion by the Associated Press and numerous other polls . The Nebraska Cornhuskers , who also went undefeated and beat Tennessee in the Orange Bowl , captured the top spot in the final Coaches ' Poll . Michigan ' s defense was led by cornerback and Heisman Trophy - winner Charles Woodson . Woodson , who intercepted eight passes and also scored touchdowns via pass reception s , runs from scrimmage and punt return , became the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman . Woodson and defensive end Glen Steele were both first - team selections on the 1997 College Football All - America Team . Other standouts on defense included linebacker s James Hall with 8 . 5 quarterback sack s , Sam Sword with 91 tackles , and Dhani Jones with 90 tackles and six sacks . The defense allowed no fourth quarter points or second half touchdowns in the first eight games of the season . The unit ' s performance across all games in total defense ( 222 . 8 yards per game ) and scoring defense ( 9 . 5 points per game ) are the lowest marks by any Big Ten Conference football team since the 1985 season . On offense , the 1997 Michigan team had neither a 1000 - yard rusher nor a 500 - yard receiver . Tai Streets was the leading receiver with 476 receiving yards , and Chris Howard led the team in rush ing with 938 rushing yards . Quarterback Brian Griese set Michigan single - season records with 193 pass completions and 307 pass attempts . Tight end Jerame Tuman , who was the only player on the offensive unit selected as a first - team All - American , totaled 437 receiving yards and five touchdowns . Ten members of the team were honored as All - Big Ten Conference selections , and running back Anthony Thomas was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year . Thirty - one members of the 1997 Wolverines football team went on to play in the NFL . Prior to 1997 , the Wolverines had compiled four consecutive four - loss seasons and had not won a national championship since the 1948 Michigan team . Going into the 1997 season , the Wolverines were ranked No . 17 in the pre - season Coaches ' Poll and had experienced four consecutive four - loss seasons for the first time since the 1934 – 1937 Michigan Wolverines football team s . Michigan had not won a national championship in nearly 50 years and had not played in a Rose Bowl Game since the 1992 season . The 1997 Michigan team was the first since the 1969 team to have no Rose Bowl veterans . In early September 1997 , " The Columbus Dispatch " wrote off Michigan , noting that " the longtime beast of the Big Ten . . . has lost much of its aura " and predicting that Michigan ' s 1997 schedule " doesn ' t create a feeling that the pendulum is about to swing back . " The months before the 1997 season opener featured uncertainty over the quarterback position . Junior Scott Dreisbach had started 11 games for the 1996 team , but fifth - year senior Brian Griese had relieved Driesbach in the Ohio State game after Driesbach was injured and helped the team recover from a 9 – 0 deficit . Dreisbach and Griese also faced competition from sophomore and future Super Bowl MVP , Tom Brady . Shortly before the season opener , head coach Lloyd Carr announced his selection of Griese as the starting quarterback . Despite uncertainty at quarterback , Michigan entered the 1997 season with a solid group of receivers , including Tai Streets and Russell Shaw , as well as returning All - Big Ten tight end Jerame Tuman . Analysts believed that a solid season by any of the Michigan quarterbacks could lead to a productive season in the passing game . Moreover , it was anticipated that Charles Woodson , who was regarded as one of the most versatile athletes in college football , would play on offense . The offensive line was another uncertainty for the 1997 team . Three linemen from the 1996 team had been selected in the 1997 NFL Draft : center Rod Payne ( 3rd round , 76th overall ) , offensive guard Damon Denson ( 4th round , 97th overall ) and defensive tackle William Carr ( 7th round , 217the overall ) . As a result , Michigan began the season with only one offensive lineman , offensive tackle Jon Jansen , who had started a game . Jansen , a junior , had 25 consecutive starts entering the season . The offensive line was further weakened when left tackle , Jeff Backus , suffered a ruptured appendix . In spring practice , offensive line coach Terry Malone made a plea for help during a staff meeting . was searching for talent to fill in on the line . To fill the holes on the offensive line , two defensive linemen , Steve Hutchinson and Chris Ziemann were moved to the offensive line . Adding to the challenges facing the 1997 team , Michigan entered the season with the toughest schedule among the 112 NCAA Division I - A schools based on records from the previous year . Days before the season opener , Lloyd Carr compared the daunting schedule to an expedition to Mount Everest . Carr noted , " It ' s a little akin to climbing Mount Everest . But Mount Everest has been climbed . And with great preparation and determination , and great attitude , which I think our players have , I can assure you we ' re looking forward to it . " Season summary . Week 1 : Colorado . Michigan opened the 1997 season with a home game against Colorado . Three years earlier , Colorado had defeated Michigan in a game nicknamed " The Miracle at Michigan " on Kordell Stewart ' s 64 - yard Hail Mary pass to Michael Westbrook as time ran out . Michigan won the 1997 game 27 to 3 , a margin that eliminated the possibility of another last - minute miracle . Griese completed 21 of 28 forward pass attempts for 258 yards and two touchdown s . Tight end Jerame Tuman had five receptions for 126 yards . Defensively , Michigan intercepted four passes thrown by Colorado ' s John Hessler , while holding him to 141 yards on 15 of 39 passing . Throughout the game , Michigan relied on man - to - man defense from cornerback s Woodson and Andre Weathers , blitzes and pressure from the four - man defensive line . Colorado only threw against Woodson five times , and one of those passes was intercepted by Woodson at Michigan ' s 45 - yard - line . Griese and Tuman connected for 53 yards on the very next play . Two plays later Chris Floyd executed a one - yard dive for the first points of the day . Late in the second quarter , Griese completed a 29 - yard pass to Woodson , and Kraig Baker kicked a field goal on the final play of the first half to give Michigan a 10 – 0 lead at halftime . Michigan opened the second half with an 89 - yard , 11 - play drive that included a 20 - yard pass from Griese to Tuman followed by a roughing the passer penalty . The drive ended in a five - yard touchdown pass from Griese to Chris Howard . In the third quarter , Michigan scored 14 points in a span of one minute and 44 seconds ; the second touchdown followed a Clint Copenhaver interception that was returned to the Buffaloes ' 14 - yard line . The touchdown was scored on a 6 - yard pass from Griese to Shaw . Baker closed out the scoring with a 19 - yard field goal in the fourth quarter . The loss was Colorado ' s worst defeat under head coach Rick Neuheisel , its lowest point total in 101 games , and fewest yards of total offense ( 224 ) in five years . It was Michigan ' s fifth consecutive season - opening win and fifth straight win against a top 10 team in the Associated Press poll . Week 2 : Baylor . In the second week of the season , Michigan defeated Baylor 38 – 3 at Michigan Stadium . Baylor scored first after running back Chris Howard fumbled on Michigan ' s 29 - yard - line . The Bears had a touchdown called back due to an offensive holding penalty , but kicked a 30 - yard field goal . Michigan took the lead with 5 : 39 remaining in the first quarter on a 10 - yard wide receiver screen play from Griese to Woodson . Chris Howard added two touchdowns in the second quarter to give Michigan a 21 – 3 lead at halftime . Howard ' s second touchdown capped a 14 - play , 92 - yard drive that consumed four - and - a - half minutes . True freshman Anthony Thomas scored on a two - yard run in the third quarter to complete Michigan ' s second 92 - yard drive of the day . In the fourth quarter , Woodson had a 34 - yard touchdown catch called back due to a false start penalty , but Jay Feely kicked a 51 - yard field goal . Tate Schanski scored Michigan ' s final touchdown on a one - yard run with 2 : 57 remaining in the game . Michigan outgained Baylor 532 – 154 in total offense . The Wolverines totaled 344 rushing yards , including 112 yards by Howard and 122 yards by Thomas . Clarence Williams added 129 yards of total offense , including 77 yards rushing . Griese completed 13 of 22 passes for 169 yards and no interceptions , and Woodson had two receptions for 45 yards . On defense , the Wolverines held Baylor to 32 yards in the second half , allowing three plays on its first four possessions of the second half . Woodson allowed no catches and made five unassisted tackles ( three for a loss ) . He played 46 downs on defense , six on special teams and five on offense . The win improved Michigan to 16 – 6 – 2 against the Big 12 Conference and 9 – 0 in September under Carr . Week 3 : Notre Dame . For the third game of the season , Michigan faced Notre Dame in the 27th match between college football ' s winningest programs . Michigan won the game 21 – 14 in front of a crowd of 106 , 508 , the sixth largest in the history of Michigan Stadium at that time . Under first year coach Bob Davie , Notre Dame had lost consecutive games to Purdue and Michigan State , and entered Michigan Stadium unranked for the first time since the creation of the AP Poll in 1936 . Notre Dame ended the day with its first three - game losing streak in 12 years . In the first quarter , Notre Dame scored first on a 15 - yard touchdown pass from Ron Powlus to Bobby Brown , culminating a 12 - play , 78 - yard drive . In the second quarter , the Wolverines tied the game on a 4 - yard touchdown run by Clarence Williams to complete an 11 - play , 68 - yard drive . Notre Dame regained the lead late in the second quarter on a 98 - yard drive ending in a two - yard run by Tony Driver with 18 seconds left in the half . Within the first 24 seconds of the second half , Griese and Streets connected on back - to - back passes of 15 and 41 yards to tie the game at 14 . Michigan scored again just over five minutes later on a 14 - yard run by Floyd . Michigan ' s defense overcame three fourth - quarter turnovers and held Notre Dame scoreless in the second half to preserve the 21 – 14 lead . After Aaron Shea lost a fumble at the Michigan 47 - yard line , cornerback Tommy Hendricks made a diving interception in the end zone with 10 : 34 remaining in the game . When Notre Dame recovered a loose ball two minutes later at the Wolverines 42 - yard line , Michigan ' s defense forced a punt after a three - and - out . The Wolverines suffered a third turnover late in the fourth quarter when Griese and Chris Howard botched a handoff that Notre Dame recovered at the Michigan 28 - yard line . Notre Dame drove to the 20 - yard line , but Glen Steele and James Hall made a key stop on fourth down . Howard helped Michigan run out the final 3 : 26 with runs of 27 , seven , nine and eight yards . Notre Dame outgained Michigan in total offense by a margin of 354 yards to 345 yards . Notre Dame ' s offensive standouts were Powlus ( 177 passing yards ) and Malcolm Johnson ( 106 receiving yards ) . However , Notre Dame was penalized 10 times for 92 yards , including six holding infractions , one of which nullified a pass interference penalty against Woodson . Michigan ' s offensive stars of the game were Griese ( 16 - of - 22 passing for 177 yards ) , Howard ( 91 rushing yards rushing on 16 carries ) and Streets ( 3 receptions for 77 yards ) . Week 4 : Indiana . In its fourth game of the season , Michigan defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 37 to 0 . Michigan posted four second quarter touchdowns , and Indiana only got close to the Michigan end zone once in the first quarter . The win was the eighth consecutive and 23rd of 24 for Michigan over Indiana . It was Michigan ' s first shutout since November 11 , 1995 , against Purdue . The game pitted Michigan against former Michigan assistant coach and first year head coach Cam Cameron . Brian Griese passed for 204 yards and a touchdown , before giving way to Tom Brady after one series in the third quarter . Baker kicked three field goals and four extra points . Howard led Michigan receivers with 65 yards on 7 catches , and Anthony Thomas led the rushers with 65 yards on 14 carries . Charles Woodson had a 21 - yard reception . The Michigan defense held Indiana to negative 2 return yards and 16 rushing yards on 27 carries . In the first quarter , Baker ' s 27 - yard field goal was the only scoring . Twenty - nine seconds into the second quarter , Howard ' s three - yard run gave Michigan a 10 – 0 lead . Later in the quarter , Michigan scored three touchdowns in a 5 : 54 span . First , Griese connected with Streets for 18 yards . Thomas and Patrick McCall added 14 - yard and three - yard scoring runs to give Michigan a 31 – 0 lead with 1 : 59 remaining in the first half . Baker added 35 - yard and 40 - yard field goals in the third quarter to complete the scoring . Week 5 : Northwestern . Michigan defeated Northwestern 23 – 6 in the fifth game of the season . While the Wolverines entered the game with a 44 – 13 – 2 record against the Wildcats , Northwestern had won the previous two meetings . Northwestern placekicker Brian Gowins kicked a career - best 52 - yard field goal to put Northwestern ahead 3 – 0 in the first quarter . Michigan took the lead with 13 points in the second quarter , starting with 19 - yard and 23 - yard field goals by Baker . With 1 : 02 left in the half , Griese threw a 10 - yard touchdown pass to Tuman . Gowin kicked a second field goal early in the third quarter on another Gowins field goal , but missed a 47 - yarder at the end of the quarter . Early in the fourth quarter , Michigan sustained a 70 - yard scoring drive that consumed five - and - a - half minutes on the game clock . During the drive , Griese completed 5 - of - 6 passes for 51 yards , including a 22 - yard pass to Streets , a 16 - yard pass to Williams and a 2 - yard touchdown pass to Tuman . When Northwestern got the ball back , Woodson intercepted a Tim Hughes pass and returned it two yards to the Northwestern 30 . Michigan added a 26 - yard field goal by Baker with 7 : 28 remaining to complete the scoring . Michigan ' s leaders on offense were Griese ( 23 - of - 36 passing for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns ) , Howard ( 90 rushing yards on 18 carries ) , Tuman ( 5 receptions for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns ) and Baker ( 3 field goals ) . On defense , the Wolverines held an opponent without a touchdown for the fourth time in five games , as Brian Gowins ' two field goals provided Northwestern ' s only points . The defense remained perfect in the fourth quarter , giving up no fourth quarter points through the first five games . Michigan ' s had a 385 – 170 yard advantage as Division I - A ' s stingiest defense made one interception and one fumble recovery . The loss was the fourth in a row for Northwestern . Week 6 : Iowa . Michigan had its closest contest of the year in week six , as Iowa scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a 21 – 7 halftime lead . The Wolverines responded by outscoring the Hawkeyes 21 – 3 in the second half to win the game by a final score of 28 – 24 . Iowa running back Tavian Banks opened the scoring 91 seconds into the second quarter with a 53 - yard touchdown run . Michigan responded by tying the game on a 15 - yard touchdown pass from Griese to Streets with 4 : 53 remaining in the half . On Michigan ' s next drive , Iowa cornerback Ed Gibson intercepted Griese and returned the ball 64 yards to the Michigan 1 - yard line . From there , Michael Burger put Iowa ahead with a touchdown run with 2 : 27 remaining . On the final play of the first half , Iowa ' s All - American Tim " White Lightning " Dwight returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown , giving Iowa a 14 - point lead at halftime . Michigan scored two touchdowns in the third quarter , tying the score with 3 : 11 remaining in the quarter on a quarterback sneak by Griese on 4th - and - goal from the one - yard line . Iowa retook the lead on a field goal after a 72 - yard kickoff return by Dwight . Late in the fourth quarter , Iowa continued to hold a 24 – 21 lead , but Griese and Tuman connected on a two - yard touchdown pass with 2 : 55 remaining in the game . Iowa responded by driving to Michigan ' s 15 - yard line , but Sam Sword intercepted Matt Sherman with 31 seconds left to secure the victory . Iowa ' s scoring was fueled by four plays resulting in gains of more than 50 yards . Banks also rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries . Michigan ' s offense was fueled by the passing of Griese ( 15 of 26 for 165 yards ) and the rushing of Thomas ( 129 yards on 20 carries ) and Howard ( 81 yards on 13 first - half carries ) . On defense , Michigan maintained its season - long fourth quarter shutout and had allowed only nine points ( on three field goals ) in the third quarter through the first six games . Both defenses also came through with big plays , including a total of six interceptions , three each on Griese and Sherman . Week 7 : Michigan State . This was the 90th meeting of the rival schools that have fought for the Paul Bunyan Trophy annually since 1953 . Michigan State ' s 5 – 1 start was its best since the 1966 team . On the strength of zero fourth quarter points and only 9 second half points , Michigan entered the game tied for first nationally in average points allowed ( 8 . 3 ) and in second in both yards of total offense allowed ( 207 . 7 ) and defensive pass efficiency . Michigan State entered the game with a 34 points per game average , which was the schools best since the . Although Michigan held a 58 – 26 – 5 series edge , the home team had won each of the last five meetings and Michigan State had won 7 consecutive home games . Sophomore linebacker Dhani Jones had led Michigan in tackles in each of the three previous games and was second on the defense in tackles for the season . Woodson and Marcus Ray each snared two interceptions and the team tied a school record with six . The interceptions brought Woodson ' s career total to 15 , which was second in school history . Baker had three field goals ( the third time in four weeks ) . Michigan again shut down its opponent in the second half , holding Michigan State to 43 yards in the first 28 : 18 until the final drive in " garbage time " with substitutes on the field . The game was only the second time Michigan State had surrendered 6 interceptions ( the first since the ) . The Spartans could not score on the Michigan defense and were only able to produce a touchdown with a fake field goal on special teams . Although sophomore Sedrick Irvin had produced 141 yards in the first half ( 66 rushing and 75 receiving ) , he was held to 15 yards in six carries and two yards on three receptions in the second half . Michigan State scored on a 22 - yard pass from Bill Burke to Irvin from a field goal formation . The most important play early in the game was Griese ' s one - yard run with 47 seconds remaining in the first half to cap a 11 - play 95 - yard drive to erase the Spartans ' 7 – 3 lead . On the drive , which started after an illegal block on a punt return put Michigan deep in its own field , Howard made a 10 - yard run followed by a 51 - yard run for a large part of his total of 110 yards . With 2 : 12 remaining in the third quarter and Michigan holding a 13 – 7 lead , Woodson made a leaping , one - handed interception , with his left foot landing just inside the sideline . His second interception , on the next Spartan possession , led to a touchdown by Chris Howard that established Michigan ' s firm control of the game . Woodson was thrown against more than any time since the opener against Colorado . Despite being stifled in the second half , the Spartans remained within six points at the start of the fourth quarter . Week 8 : Minnesota . During week 8 , Michigan faced Minnesota in the annual battle for the Little Brown Jug . Although Michigan had won ten straight against Minnesota , the Golden Gophers had previously ruined a perfect season for a 9 – 0 1986 Michigan team . Michigan entered the game ranked first nationally in both scoring defense ( 8 . 1 points per game ) and pass efficiency defense ( 79 . 62 rating ) . Minnesota drove 71 yards on its first possession , scored the game ' s first points on a 27 - yard field goal by Adam Bailey and led 3 – 0 after one quarter . After the opening drive , Michigan ' s defense shut down the Golden Gophers , allowing only 33 yards of total offense in the remainder of the game . Minnesota was held to 10 yards of total offense in the entire second half , as Michigan extended its fourth - quarter shutout to 8 games . Michigan also held its opponent without a touchdown for the fifth time in 8 games and shut down Minnesota so effectively that Michigan started four drives in Minnesota territory in the first half . Woodson , who played 16 offensive plays , gave Michigan the lead 9 seconds into the second quarter on a 33 - yard touchdown run off a reverse play . Michigan scored its second touchdown on a drive starting at Minnesota ' s 33 - yard line following a short punt . Griese connected with Thomas for 28 yards and then with Mark Campbell for a 12 - yard touchdown to give Michigan a 14 – 3 halftime lead . In the third quarter , Michigan mounted a 93 - yard drive that ended with a 29 - yard touchdown run by Thomas . Baker added a field goal in the final quarter . Michigan ' s offensive leader in the game was Howard , who totaled 98 rushing yards on 20 carries and 40 receiving yards on a game - high four catches . Shea added 51 receiving yards on three catches . Minnesota totaled only 102 yards of total offense , and Byron Evans was responsible for 82 of them ( 17 carries for 82 yards ) . Michigan overcame two turnovers inside Minnesota ' s 5 - yard - line and a missed field goal . With the win , Michigan had prevailed in 28 of its last 30 games against Minnesota . Week 9 : Penn State . In week 9 , Michigan defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions 34 – 8 in front of a record crowd of 97 , 498 at Beaver Stadium . Penn State entered the game with the longest active winning streak among major colleges at 12 games and was ranked No . 2 in the AP Poll and No . 3 in the Coaches Poll . Michigan was 8 – 0 and ranked No . 4 in both polls . The game matched Michigan ' s defense , which was ranked first in Division I - A in scoring defense ( 7 . 5 points per game ) , yards per game ( 202 . 5 ) and pass efficiency rating ( 77 . 5 ) , against Penn State ' s offense , which was ranked eighth in total offense ( 464 yards per game ) and ninth in rushing offense ( 240 yards per game ) . On the opening drive , Michigan drove 53 yards and took the lead on a 29 - yard field goal by Kraig Baker . On Penn State ' s first play from scrimmage after the field goal , Glen Steele sacked Penn State quarterback Mike McQueary for a 10 - yard loss . On third down , Juaquin Feazell sacked McQueary for a seven - yard loss , and Penn State was forced to punt after losing 13 yards on the drive . After the punt , Michigan drove 55 yards in six plays , ending with a 12 - yard touchdown run by Anthony Thomas . In the second quarter , Michigan extended its lead to 17 – 0 after Griese gained 40 yards on a broken play and then completed a 37 - yard touchdown pass to Woodson . Michigan ' s defense held Penn State to one yard on its next possession , and the offense then drove 57 yards on 11 plays , scoring on an eight - yard touchdown pass from Griese to Jerame Tuman . Michigan led 24 – 0 at the half , Penn State ' s largest halftime deficit in the Joe Paterno era . In the third quarter , Chris Howard ran 29 yards for a touchdown , and Baker added a 42 - yard field goal . At the end of the third quarter , Michigan led 34 – 0 . Penn State scored its only points on a one - yard touchdown by Curtis Enis and two - point conversion with 6 : 12 left in the game . The 34 – 8 defeat was Penn State ' s worst home loss in the Paterno era . which began in 1966 . Michigan ' s defense held the Penn State to 169 yards of total offense ( 68 passing yards and 101 rushing yards ) , Penn State ' s lowest total since 1987 . The defense also held Penn State without a single third down conversion in 12 attempts and totaled nine tackles for loss , including five quarterback sacks . Penn State did not get inside the Michigan 40 - yard line in the first 52 minutes of the game . Woodson helped contain Penn State ' s leading receiver , Joe Jurevicius to 20 receiving yards . Enis accounted for the majority of Penn State ' s offense with 103 rushing yards on 18 carries for his fifth consecutive 100 - yard game . Through the first nine games , Michigan ' s defense allowed an average of 198 . 7 yards per game , the lowest among major college teams since the national champion 1992 Alabama team gave up 194 . 2 yards per game . However , Penn State scored the first fourth - quarter points and the first second - half touchdown that Michigan had surrendered all season . Michigan ' s offense totaled 416 yards and was led by Howard and Griese . Howard rushed for 120 yards on 22 carries and had four pass receptions for 41 yards . Griese completed 14 of 22 passes for 151 yards and added 46 rushing yards . Michigan was 7 - for - 15 in third down conversions and had an overall yardage edge 416 – 169 . In the first half , Michigan had a 259 – 38 yards of total offense advantage and a 16 – 3 first downs edge without the benefit of any turnovers . Week 10 : Wisconsin . Following its convincing victory over Penn State , Michigan traveled to Wisconsin ranked No . 1 in the AP Poll , though Florida State was No . 1 in the Coaches ' Poll and Nebraska also remained unbeaten . The game drew the third - largest crowd ever ( 79 , 806 ) at Camp Randall Stadium . Michigan took the opening drive 80 yards in 13 plays , ending with a one - yard touchdown run by Howard on fourth down . During the drive , Michigan showed some flashiness with a " double pass " play that had Griese throwing across the field to Woodson , and Woodson throwing back to Griese , who ran the ball 28 yards to the Badgers ' one - yard - line to set up the first score . In the second quarter , Griese connected with Streets for a 38 - yard touchdown , which gave Michigan a 13 – 0 lead after Baker missed the extra point . Wisconsin responded with a 62 - yard , 14 - play drive that ended with a 33 - yard field goal by Matt Davenport with 4 : 22 remaining in the half . On its final possession of the half , Michigan drove to Wisconsin ' s one - yard - line , but this time on fourth down they opted for an 18 - yard Feely field goal to take a 16 – 3 lead into halftime . Feely took over for Baker for the rest of the game after the missed extra point . Wisconsin put together an 80 - yard , 11 - play drive with Samuel sneaking in from the 1 - yard line . Feely added a 24 - yard field goal 1 : 52 into the fourth quarter . Then , Howard added a four - yard touchdown run with 6 : 15 remaining to make it 26 – 10 . Wisconsin posted a 21 - yard touchdown pass to Tony Simmons with 2 : 45 left , but missed the two - point conversion , leaving them 10 points behind , which was the final margin . Despite the fact that Wisconsin was without Ron Dayne who had a sprained ankle , Michigan ' s performance was unimpressive compared to its undefeated peers who won by wide margins : Florida State defeated Wake Forest 58 – 7 and Nebraska defeated Iowa State 77 – 14 . Also , week 11 opponent Ohio State , defeated Illinois 41 – 6 . Florida State ' s win gave it its record - setting 11th straight 10 - win season . The game marked the first time in its last four attempts that Michigan won a football game while ranked number one in the AP Poll . Michigan had 204 rushing yards and 282 passing yards with no turnovers . Wisconsin totaled 235 yards . Griese had one touchdown and 254 yards on 19 of 26 passing . Howard had 100 yards on 26 carries , including two touchdowns . Floyd added 66 yards on just six carries . Woodson picked off his nation - leading sixth interception , had three receptions for 28 yards as well as a 28 - yard pass completion to Griese after what " The New York Times " ( NYT ) described as a double pass , but the " USA Today " ( USAT ) described as a handoff and pass . Streets had 108 yards on five receptions . Carl McCullough had 106 yards on 20 carries in Dayne ' s place . Wisconsin quarterback Mike Samuel also picked up some of the slack with 73 yards on 15 carries according to NYT , but only totaled 49 yards , according to USAT . Week 11 : Ohio State . Michigan concluded the regular season with a 20 – 14 win in its annual rivalry game against Ohio State , securing the Wolverines ' first perfect regular season since 1971 . The game , which drew a record crowd of 106 , 982 to Michigan Stadium , began with a strong showing by both defensive units . The first ten possessions ended with nine punts and a fumble by Ohio State quarterback , Stanley Jackson . Michigan took a 7 – 0 lead in the second quarter with a two - minute , 62 - yard touchdown drive . The key plays on the drive were a 37 - yard pass from Brian Griese to Charles Woodson and a 15 - yard run by Chris Floyd taking the ball to the one - yard - line . Anthony Thomas slipped past middle linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer for the touchdown . Michigan ' s defense held Ohio State to three plays on the following drive , and Woodson returned Ohio State ' s punt 78 yards up the left sideline for Michigan ' s second touchdown with 3 : 43 remaining in the first half . Katzenmoyer blocked Kraig Baker ' s extra point attempt and ran the ball back to Michigan ' s 30 - yard - line . Michigan led 13 – 0 at halftime . Two Ohio State drives in the third quarter ended with interceptions . On the first , Ohio State drove to Michigan ' s seven - yard - line when Woodson intercepted a Stanley Jackson pass . The interception was Woodson ' s seventh of the season and Jackson ' s first . On Ohio State ' s next possession , Jackson passed the ball while in the grasp of Michigan ' s Sam Sword . Andre Weathers intercepted the pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown , giving Michigan a 20 – 0 lead . Later in the third quarter , Ohio State scored on a 56 - yard touchdown pass from Joe Germaine to David Boston . Ohio State added a final touchdown in the fourth quarter after Gary Berry forced a fumble during a sack of Griese . Jerry Rudzinski recovered the ball at Michigan ' s seven - yard - line and returned it to the 2 - yard line . Pepe Pearson , who had 80 yards on 17 carries , ran two yards for the score on the next play . Michigan held its 20 – 14 lead , as defensive end Glen Steele twice sacked Joe Germaine on the final possession and had another tackle for a loss . Ian Gold deflected Germaine ' s fourth - down pass from the Ohio State 16 - yard line with 42 seconds left in the game . Michigan ' s offense was forced to punt 11 times , compiled only 189 yards of total offense ( 147 passing yards and 42 rushing yards ) and was held to 45 yards in the entire second half . Two of Michigan ' s touchdowns came on defense ( Weathers ' interception return ) and special teams ( Woodson ' s punt return ) . Griese , who was carried off the field by his teammates at the conclusion of the game , was Michigan ' s offensive leader , completing 14 of 25 passes for 147 yards and no interceptions . Thomas posted 29 rushing yards on 14 carries and was Michigan ' s leading receiver with 8 catches for 77 yards . Woodson also played a key role with his 78 - yard punt return , third - quarter interception and 37 - yard pass reception . Michigan was ranked No . 1 in the AP Poll and No . 2 in the Coaches Poll before the game , and Ohio State was ranked No . 4 in both polls . Florida State , which had been ranked No . 1 in the Coaches Poll , lost to Florida , leaving Michigan and Nebraska as the only major college teams who remained unbeaten . With the win over Ohio State and Florida State ' s loss , Michigan received 69 of 70 first place votes in the AP Poll and 46 of 62 in the Coaches Poll . The Rose Bowl was set to have its first consensus No . 1 participant since the 1980 Rose Bowl . Award season . During the 1997 award season , Charles Woodson became one of the most honored players in Michigan history . He was selected as Michigan ' s Most Valuable Player , a first - team All - Big Ten player and a first - team All - American . On December 1 , 1997 , he received the Walter Camp Award as the college football " Player of the Year " . On December 11 , 1997 , Woodson also won the Bednarik Award as top defensive player and the Jim Thorpe Award as top defensive back . By a margin of 55 votes out of 2 , 500 votes cast , Woodson was beaten by Peyton Manning for the Maxwell Award . The award season culminated with the Heisman Trophy . Woodson was invited to the Downtown Athletic Club for the Heisman announcement along with fellow finalists Manning , Ryan Leaf , and Randy Moss . Woodson won the Heisman , edging Manning by a margin of 1815 – 1543 points and 433 – 281 first place votes . He became the first predominately defensive player to receive the award . Other Michigan players recognized in the 1997 award season included first - team All - Americans Glen Steele and Jerame Tuman . Ten members of the team were honored as All - Big Ten Conference selections , and running back Anthony Thomas was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year . Head coach Lloyd Carr won the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award , the George Munger Award , and the Paul " Bear " Bryant Award . Rose Bowl : Washington State . As the Big Ten champion , Michigan faced the Pac - 10 champion Washington State Cougars in the 1998 Rose Bowl . The game matched the nation ' s best defense against the number two offense . Michigan ' s defense allowed an average of 206 . 9 yards per game through the regular season , while Washington State averaged 42 . 5 points and 502 . 1 yards a game . Washington State , which featured quarterback Ryan Leaf and a five - wideout offense , had established Pac - 10 passing records with 3 , 637 yards and 33 touchdowns . The game marked Michigan ' s first Rose Bowl since 1993 and Washington State ' s first since 1931 . Going into the game , Michigan held a 68 – 1 and 53 . 5 – 8 . 5 first place vote lead in the AP and Coaches Polls over fellow unbeaten Nebraska , respectively . The national television broadcast of the game featured announcers Bob Griese , the father of Michigan ' s quarterback , and Keith Jackson , a Washington State alumnus and former radio and television announcer for the Cougars . In the first quarter , Washington State downed a punt at Michigan ' s one - yard - line and forced the Wolverines to punt without a first down . After regaining possession at Michigan ' s 47 - yard - line , Leaf threw a 15 - yard touchdown pass to McKenzie to take a 7 – 0 lead with 3 : 07 remaining in the first quarter . On Washington State ' s next possession , Woodson intercepted Leaf in the end zone . Later , Griese found Tai Streets for a 53 - yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 7 : 08 left in the first half . Leaf opened the second half with a 99 - yard drive for a go - ahead touchdown to take a 13 – 7 lead after the extra point was blocked by James Hall . On the ensuing possession , Griese threw a 58 - yard touchdown pass to Streets on a play - action pass to take a 14 – 13 lead with 5 : 07 left in the third quarter . After a punt by Washington State , Griese led a 14 - play , 77 - yard drive that ended with a 23 - yard play - action touchdown pass from Griese to Jerame Tuman , giving Michigan a 21 – 13 lead with 11 : 21 remaining in the third quarter . In the fourth quarter , Leaf converted a 3rd - and - 18 play from his own 12 by connecting with McKenzie for 19 yards . Eventually , Washington State settled for a Rian Lindell 48 - yard field goal with 7 : 25 to play to make the score 21 – 16 . Michigan started a drive that included four consecutive third down conversions and consumed most of the clock . The conversions were as follows : a 3rd - and - 11 Griese scrambled to the Michigan 29 ; a 3rd - and - 7 lateral to Woodson who faked a pass before running eight yards to keep the drive alive ; a 3rd - and - 6 13 - yard pass to Shaw ; and a 3rd - and - 7 pass to Woodson taking the ball to the Washington State 33 . A pooch punt by Jay Feely from field goal formation left Washington on its own seven - yard - line with 29 seconds remaining . Washington State ' s final drive began at the Cougars 7 - yard - line with 16 seconds left to play . Leaf completed a 46 - yard pas to Nian Taylor to move the ball to the Michigan 47 . Washington State drew an illegal formation penalty with nine seconds remaining , but executed a hook and lateral play for 26 - yards to the Michigan 26 - yard - line , with an eight - yard catch by Love Jefferson and an 18 - yard run by Jason Clayton who was tackled by Weathers and Jones . With two seconds to play , the clock was stopped to move the chains . With no timeouts left , Leaf spiked the football , but Dick Burleson , the referee from the Southeastern Conference crew , shook his head as Leaf contested the decision . Michigan ' s victory evened the series between the Pac - 10 and Big 10 in the Rose Bowl at 26 wins apiece . Michigan totaled 379 yards of offense in the game , slightly less than the 398 yards of offense gained by Washington State . Griese , who was selected as the game ' s Most Valuable Player , completed 18 of 30 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns . Leaf completed 17 of 35 passes for 331 passing yards , the fifth highest total in Rose Bowl history . Washington State running back Michael Black injured his calf muscle and was held to 24 yards on 7 carries , while the team totaled just 67 yards rushing . Streets had 4 receptions for 127 yards . Final rankings . Following the Rose Bowl , Michigan needed to wait a few days for the final polls . On January 4 , it was revealed that Nebraska had overtaken Michigan by four points and two first place votes in the coaches poll to earn a split in the major national polls . Nebraska had beaten Tennessee 42 – 17 and totaled 534 yards of total offense , including 409 rushing yards and an Orange Bowl record - setting 206 rushing yards by Ahman Green . Michigan held on to a 51 . 5 – 18 . 5 final first place vote lead in the AP Poll , but had a 32 – 30 deficit in the coaches poll . Since the 1969 permanent creation of the final post bowl game AP poll , no winning No . 1 team had lost its lead following a Bowl game , but the 1990 Colorado Buffaloes football team had lost the coaches poll to Georgia Tech following a 10 – 9 1991 Orange Bowl victory over Notre Dame . In addition to bowl game victory margins , Tom Osborne ' s retirement and the Big Ten ' s cumulative 2 – 5 bowl game record were considered factors leading to the split polls . Michigan was named as the national champion by the following polls : Associated Press , " Football News " , Football Writers Association of America , National Championship Foundation , National Football Foundation , and " Sporting News " . Statistical achievements . Michigan ' s 1997 defense set the NCAA Division I FBS record for fewest yards allowed per pass completion ( 8 . 8 yards per completion , 100 – 149 completions ) Over the course of the 1997 season , including conference and non - conference games , Michigan ' s defense led the Big Ten Conference in most statistical categories , including rushing defense ( 89 . 0 yards per game ) , passing defense ( 133 . 8 yards per game ) , passing defense efficiency ( 81 . 8 points per game ) , total defense ( 222 . 8 yards per game ) and scoring defense ( 9 . 5 points per game ) . Michigan ' s 1997 season totals in total defense and scoring defense are the lowest marks among all Big Ten football teams since the 1985 season . The last Big Ten team with a lower scoring defense mark was the 1985 Michigan team that held opponents to 6 . 8 points per game . Including the 1997 season , Michigan won the Big Ten statistical championship in rushing defense six times in eight years from 1990 to 1997 . On offense , quarterback Brian Griese set Michigan single - season passing records with 193 pass completions and 307 pass attempts . In each case , Griese surpassed records set by Todd Collins in 1993 ; Tom Brady broke both of Griese ' s records in 1998 . Players . Players selected in the 1998 NFL Draft . On the last day that underclassmen could declare for the 1998 NFL Draft in early January , junior Woodson decided to forgo his collegiate eligibility . Woodson joined a class of more than a dozen underclassmen that included Leaf , Moss , Green , Enis , Takeo Spikes , Benji Olson and Olin Kreutz . Underclassmen who returned for more college play included Donovan McNabb , Kevin Faulk and Amos Zereoue . The following Michigan players were claimed in the 1998 NFL Draft . Team members advancing to the NFL . A total of 31 members of the 1997 Michigan Wolverines team played in the NFL . A 32nd player , Rob Renes was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts but suffered a career - ending fracture of the L - 5 vertebrae two weeks into training camp with the Colts in 2000 . A 33rd player , Russell Shaw , played seven years in the Arena Football League . The 31 team members who played in the NFL are : Awards and honors . The individuals in the sections below earned recognition for meritorious performances .