2009 Michigan Wolverines football team The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season . They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor , Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference . The team attempted to rebound from its worst season ( loss wise ) in its 130 year football history and succeeded at first , starting the season 4 – 0 and earning a No . 20 ranking in the polls . Over the final seven games the Wolverines went 1 – 6 however , ending the season with a 5 – 7 record and failing to qualify for a bowl game for the second straight year . 2008 and 2009 were Michigan ' s first back - to - back sub - . 500 seasons since 1962 and 1963 ; they also failed to win a road game for the first time since 1962 . However , several individuals excelled . Brandon Graham received numerous post - season accolades including Chicago Tribune Silver Football as conference Co - MVP , several first and second team 2009 College Football All - America Team selections , and the 2010 Senior Bowl MVP . Graham was the national statistical champion in tackles for a loss ( TFL ) and the repeat Big Ten Champion . Zoltan Mesko also received several second team All - American recognitions and was a first team Academic All - American . Mesko was the Big Ten punting average statistical champion . After the season , co - captains Graham , Mesko and leading tackler Stevie Brown were drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft and immediately after the draft Donovan Warren signed as an undrafted free agent . Preseason preview . In 2008 the Michigan Wolverines had possibly the worst season in the history of the program . The team finished with a 3 – 9 regular season record , failing to qualify for a postseason bowl game for the first time in 33 years . The Wolverines struggled to implement first - year head coach Rich Rodriguez ' s spread option offense ; Michigan was last in the Big Ten in passing offense , scoring offense , total offense and turnover margin . Going into 2009 , there was optimism that Michigan , led by newly - recruited mobile quarterback Tate Forcier , would be able to turn things around and have a winning season , or at the very least win their opening game for the first time since 2006 . The team had 10 returning offensive starters and 5 returning defensive starters . Although to some Forcier was a foregone conclusion as the starting quarterback , the battle between him , incumbent Nick Sheridan , and Denard Robinson was anticipated to be the most competitive position battle in the Big Ten Conference according to " College Football News " . Although the 2008 defense had been a disappointment , Obi Ezeh and Brandon Graham were considered to be a solid nucleus to build around . The team also employed a new defensive coordinator , Greg Robinson , to help guide this defensive turnaround . The key losses for the team were S Brandon Harrison , DE Tim Jamison , DT Will Johnson , RB Sam McGuffie , DT Terrance Taylor , LB John Thompson , QB Steven Threet , CB Morgan Trent . Recruiting . The Wolverines received several commitments from 4 - star blue chip players . Among the recruits are Anthony LaLota of the Hun School in Princeton , New Jersey who is ranked as the fourth offensive tackle in the nation by Scout . com and sixth strong side defensive end by Rivals . com . LaLota appeared in the U . S . Army All - American game on January 3 , 2009 in San Antonio , Texas . Other top recruits included a top - ten - rated dual - threat quarterback ( Tate Forcier – Rivals # 6 ) to run Rich Rodriguez ' s spread offense , and Justin Turner who was rated as the No . 3 safety . Michigan ' s 2009 recruiting class was ranked 7th nationally by Rivals . com , and 10th by ESPN . Eight players initially committed to attend Michigan in 2009 but later decommitted and signed with a different college : Anthony Fera – K ( PSU ) , Bryce McNeal – WR ( Clemson ) , Kevin Newsome – QB ( PSU ) , Dewayne Peace – WR ( Arizona ) , Jordan Barnes – LB ( Oklahoma State ) , Pearlie Graves – DT ( Texas Tech ) , DeQuinta Jones – DT , and Shavodrick Beaver – QB ( Tulsa ) Several recruits participated in the January 3 U . S . Army All - American game during which William Campbell announced his re - commitment to the program . Joining Campbell and LaLota in the All - America game were cornerback / safety Justin Turner , kicker Brendan Gibbons , and receivers Jeremy Gallon and Je ' Ron Stokes . Several recruits began early enrollment at Michigan for the Spring 2009 semester , including quarterback Tate Forcier , five - star defensive tackle Will Campbell , running back Vincent Smith , defensive end Anthony LaLota , linebacker Brandin Hawthorne , defensive back Mike Jones and safety Vlad Emilien . Practice time limit investigation . In an August 30 , 2009 " Detroit Free Press " article , several current and former players on the 2008 and 2009 teams speaking anonymously said Michigan frequently violated the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) off - season 8 hour per week and in - season 20 hour per week practice limit . Rodriguez denied all of the allegations at a press conference the next day ; " The New York Times " quoted him as saying " We know the rules , and we follow the rules . " The University of Michigan Athletic Department ' s compliance office notified both the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference of its intentions to investigate itself . Unlike the University of Michigan basketball scandal where all of the participants had left the school by the time the investigation completed and punishment was handed down , many of the athletes involved in this scandal are still students at the University of Michigan ; failure to cooperate with the investigation might result in the NCAA revoking the athletes eligibility to participate in athletic competitions . In November , the university revealed its finding that the team failed to file the proper paperwork to document the team ' s training schedule . The NCAA had the right to either accept Michigan ' s findings once the athletic department ' s inquiry was completed or to conduct its own investigation . On October 23 , 2009 the NCAA notified the school that it had decided to begin a formal investigation into the matter ; they expected it to be completed by December 31 , 2009 . On February 22 , 2010 , the NCAA accused Michigan of failing to comply with practice time rules and " failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program " under coach Rich Rodriguez . The university had 90 days to respond and appeared at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August . Michigan issued self - sanctions on May 25 , 2010 , which included cutting practice time and placing itself on two years worth of probation . Michigan did , however , dispute the claim that Coach Rodriguez " failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance . " The NCAA handed down their final verdict in the case on November 4 , 2010 , which accepted almost all of the self - sanctions that Michigan provided . Michigan was docked 130 practice hours , which was twice the number of excess hours that the university had exceeded , and placed on three years probation , which was one more than originally proposed ; but the university and Rodriguez did , however , escape the most serious charge of " failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance , " as the NCAA agreed with Michigan ' s statement that the cases were not deliberate and isolated . This ruling ended the NCAA ' s investigation of Michigan ' s football program . Preseason award watch lists . Several players excelled individually . The season began with numerous Wolverines on national award preseason watchlists . Brandon Graham led the way with five such recognitions for the Bednarik Award , Hendricks Award , Lombardi Award , Lott Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy . David Molk was on both the Lombardi and Rimington Trophy preseason lists , while Brandon Minor was on both the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award lists . Obi Ezeh , Zoltan Mesko , and Stephen Schilling were preseason Butkus Award , Ray Guy Award and Lombardi candidates , respectively . As the season started , Michigan burst out with a 4 – 0 start and saw several players recognized as Big Ten Conference player of the week early in the season : Tate Forcier , Carlos Brown and Mesko . Also , several players earned midseason or finalist watchlist recognitions : Ezeh ( Butkus ) , Mesko ( Guy ) and Graham ( Hendrick ) . During week 2 , Tate Forcier ( Offense ) and Darryl Stonum ( Special teams ) were honored by the Big Ten Conference as players of the week ( POW ) . At the same time , Forcier was also named AT & T All - America Player of the Week , as well as the Davey O ' Brien National Quarterback of the Week Award and Rivals . com National Freshmen of the Week and the Rivals . com Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor . The following week , Carlos Brown earned co - offensive POW honors along with Northwestern ' s Mike Kafka . Zoltan Mesko was named the special teams player of the week on October 11 . The only statistical leader for the team was Mesko who in eight conference games averaged 45 . 2 yards / punt , which was the first time a Michigan punter led the Big Ten in Conference game punting average since Paul Staroba in 1970 . Brandon Graham and Mesko were first - team All - Big Ten selections by both the coaches and the media . Donovan Warren was first - team by the media and second - team by the coaches and Stephen Schilling was an honorable mention on both lists . Ezeh was one of sixteen players and three from the Big Ten for the Butkus midseason watch list . Mesko was named a one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award and one of 12 finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy . Graham was one of seven finalists for the Hendricks Award . Rankings . RV - Receiving votes NR - Not ranked Radio . Radio coverage for all games was on The Michigan Wolverines Football Network , and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio , as well as online at The Michigan Sports Network Online Stream . The radio announcers were ( WJR talk show host ) Frank Beckmann with play - by - play , Jim Brandstatter with color commentary , and Doug Karsch with sideline reports . Game notes . vs . Western Michigan . In the season opener , the Wolverines played the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium . The Wolverines scored first , midway through the first quarter , with a 27 - yard touchdown ( TD ) pass from Tate Forcier to Junior Hemingway . They added to their lead five minutes later when Denard Robinson ran in a TD from 43 yards out . In the second quarter , Michigan added 17 more points : two TDs and a field goal . First was a 7 - yard TD pass from Tate Forcier to Kevin Koger . 6 minutes later , Jason Olesnavage kicked a 44 - yard field goal . Junior Hemingway scored Michigan ' s final points when he caught a 44 - yard TD pass from Tate Forcier , putting the Wolverines up 31 – 0 at halftime . Western Michigan missed a field goal just before the end of the half . The second half was largely uneventful . Michigan was content to hold their lead ; they essentially stopped passing in the fourth quarter , with Forcier being replaced by backup David Cone midway through the period . Western Michigan finally got on the board with a fourth - quarter 73 - yard TD pass from Tim Hiller to Juan Nunez . The win stopped a streak of two consecutive season opening losses . The 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team , then ranked No . 5 in the nation , lost their season opener in shocking fashion to two - time defending Division I - FCS champion Appalachian State . The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team lost their opener to Utah , who would go on to finish as the only undefeated team in Division I - FBS , winning the Mountain West Conference and the 2009 Sugar Bowl over Alabama . vs . Notre Dame . In week 2 , Michigan renewed their long - time rivalry with the visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish . On the opening drive , Notre Dame drove the field for an unsuccessful field goal attempt . Michigan scored first late in the first quarter when Brandon Minor ran in a 2 - yard TD . Notre Dame responded with a field goal by Nick Taush . Less than twenty seconds later , however , Michigan answered another touchdown on a 94 - yard kickoff return by Darryl Stonum . Notre Dame came back to take the lead in the second quarter with back - to - back touchdown passes , 4 yards to Golden Tate and 11 yards to Michael Floyd . After another three - and - out by Michigan , the Irish made their way down the field but were stopped by the Wolverine defense , forcing them to kick a 42 - yard field goal . Michigan got the ball back with less than 4 minutes in the half and marched down the field , but with little time left on the clock they had to settle to end the first half with a 39 - yard field goal . Michigan dominated the third quarter , constantly stopping the Irish and controlling the ball most of the period . The Wolverines scored the only points of the quarter on a 3 - yard TD pass to Kevin Koger . Early in the fourth quarter , after another three - and - out by Notre Dame , Forcier ran in a TD himself from 31 yards out on 4th and 3 . Notre Dame came back later in the quarter , starting with a 21 - yard touchdown pass to Tate . Following the touchdown the Irish attempted and failed to score a two - point conversion , leaving themselves down five . After Michigan had an unsuccessful drive , Notre Dame took the lead with a 2 - yard TD run by Armando Allen , who then scored on their second 2 point conversion attempt , putting the Irish ahead with less than 5 minutes remaining . Michigan responded by marching the length of the field , consuming most of the remaining time . They eventually found themselves 5 yards away from the goal line with 22 seconds left . Two plays later the Wolverines would score the game - winning touchdown on a 5 - yard pass from Forcier to Greg Mathews . The victory gave the Wolverines their first 2 – 0 start since 2006 . Michigan ' s all - time record versus Notre Dame improved to 21 – 15 – 1 as a result of the victory . This was the highest scoring game in the history of the rivalry , with a total of 72 points between the teams . vs . Eastern Michigan . In week 3 , the Wolverines hosted the Eastern Michigan Eagles from nearby Ypsilanti . Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 37 - yard field goal by Jason Olesnavage . The Eagles tied the score with 43 - yard field goal by Joe Carithers . Michigan regained the lead when Carlos Brown ran in a 9 - yard TD near the end of the quarter . Eastern Michigan re - tied the score in the second quarter with an 11 - yard TD run by Andy Schmitt . Michigan responded with 2 TDs : first a 5 - yard TD run by Michael Shaw , then a 90 - yard TD run by Carlos Brown , the third longest TD run from scrimmage in Michigan football history . The Eagles scored their final points of the game just before halftime with a 5 - yard TD run by Dwayne Priest . Michigan dominated the second half , beginning with a 13 - yard TD run by Martavious Odoms . A little over a minute later QB Denard Robinson ran in a 13 - yard TD . In the 4th quarter Odoms ran in another TD from 36 yards out . With the win Michigan started 3 – 0 for the first time since 2006 . The win also made Michigan ' s all - time record against Eastern Michigan 9 – 0 ; and 26 – 1 all time against MAC schools . Eastern Michigan would finish the 2009 season with a winless record . vs . Indiana . On their homecoming weekend , the Wolverines hosted the Indiana Hoosiers . Indiana opened the scoring with a 25 - yard TD run by Tandon Doss . Michigan responded with 2 TDs by Carlos Brown , first a 61 - yard TD catch , then a 41 - yard TD run . Indiana tied it back up with a 11 - yard TD rush by Darius Willis . In the second quarter , Indiana kicked field goals on consecutive possessions , from 24 and 20 yards . Michigan responded with a 12 - yard TD run by Brandon Minor . Indiana retook the lead with its 3rd field goal of the quarter , this one from 30 yards , making the halftime score 23 – 21 Indiana . The only points of the third quarter came from a 32 - yard Indiana field goal . Michigan regained the lead in the fourth with a 7 - yard rush by Forcier who leaped over a defender into the endzone . He also completed a quarterback sneak for a 2 point conversion the next play , giving Michigan a 29 – 26 lead . Indiana took the lead back on the next offensive play with a 85 - yard run for a TD by Darius Willis . Michigan regained the final lead with a 26 - yard Martavius Odoms TD catch , and sealed their win soon after with a controversial interception by Donovan Warren . This was the 16th consecutive time Michigan has beaten Indiana , and the 24th consecutive conference opening win for the Wolverines at home . Michigan started the season 4 – 0 for the first time since 2006 . at Michigan State . In week 5 , Michigan took their first road trip of the season to East Lansing , Michigan to play their in - state rivals the Michigan State Spartans for the Paul Bunyan Trophy . After an interception , Michigan scored first with a 36 - yard field goal early in the first quarter . The Spartans countered with a 1 - yard TD run by Larry Caper . Each team had a field goal in the 2nd quarter : Michigan had a 42 - yarder , then State had a 26 yarder , putting the Spartans up 13 – 6 at halftime . Michigan State added to their lead at the start of the 2nd half with a 15 - yard TD run by Glenn Winston . Michigan responded in the 4th quarter with a 60 - yard touchdown by Darryl Stonum , and tied it up just before time expired with a 92 - yard drive capped by a 9 - yard TD pass by Forcier to Roy Roundtree , taking the game to overtime . On its opening drive of overtime Forcier led Michigan down to the 8 - yard line but then threw a tipped interception in the end zone , ending their threat . MSU ' s Larry Caper ended the game with a 23 - yard TD run on 3rd down and 12 , breaking three Michigan tackles that would have forced the Spartans to kick a field goal for the win . The Spartans outgained the Wolverines 417 to 251 in total yards and won the rushing battle 197 to 28 . It is the 37th time in the last 40 meetings that the team who has won the rushing battle won the game . Michigan State won by six points : the last six meetings between the two teams in East Lansing have been decided by seven points or less , or a difference of 25 points in all six games combined . at Iowa . Week 6 brought the Wolverines to Iowa City , Iowa for a primetime duel against the Iowa Hawkeyes . Michigan went up early in the 1st with an interception that was returned 40 yards by Donovan Warren for a touchdown . Iowa responded a few minutes later with a 34 - yard TD pass to Tony Moeaki from Ricky Stanzi and took the lead with a 28 - yard Daniel Murray field goal soon after . Michigan responded late in the quarter when Brandon Minor ran for a touchdown from 3 yards . Iowa added 10 more points in the 2nd quarter : first a 41 - yard field goal , then a 1 - yard TD run by Brandon Wegher , making the halftime score 20 – 14 Iowa . The Hawkeyes opened the third quarter by booting a 40 - yard field goal . Michigan responded with a 1 - yard TD run late in the 3rd by Minor . Stanzi and Moeaki connected again for a 42 - yard Iowa TD in the 4th . Michigan scored on a 3 - yard TD run by QB Denard Robinson with about 4 minutes left and held Iowa to a 3 - play drive , getting the ball back just down by 2 points ( 28 – 30 ) . In the final minute of the game , Michigan drove down the field about 30 yards on an attempted drive to kick a game - winning field goal or TD , but Robinson threw a deep interception , sealing the Hawkeyes ' victory . Michigan turned the ball over five times and fell to 1 – 5 in Big Ten road games under Rich Rodriguez . Michigan QB Tate Forcier left the game with 7 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter ; it was later discovered that he sustained a concussion during the game . Backup quarterback Denard Robinson served as an able replacement , leading the Wolverines on the TD drive to bring them to within 2 until he threw the game - losing interception on the final drive . vs . Delaware State . In week 7 , Michigan hosted the from Division - I FCS , in the first ever meeting between the two teams . Michigan dominated throughout the game . They scored 7 unanswered touchdowns in the first half , four in the first quarter alone : a Michael Shaw 2 - yard run , a 6 - yard run by Vincent Smith , a blocked punt that was picked up by Brandon Graham for a score , and a 38 - yard catch by Kelvin Grady . In the second quarter , the Wolverines added three more touchdowns , on a 4 - yard run by QB Denard Robinson , a 28 - yard catch by Martell Webb , and a 7 - yard run by Kevin Grady . Delaware State finally got on the board just before halftime with a 26 - yard field goal by Riley Flickinger . The second half was more sedate . Neither team scored in the third quarter . In the fourth Delaware State kicked a second field goal , this time from 24 yards . Michigan ' s Michael Cox responded with two more touchdowns , from 57 and later 3 yards . Several Michigan school records were broken or tied in the blowout win . The Wolverines ' 727 yards of total offense set a new team record ; the 442 total offensive yards in the first half alone also set a team record . Their 57 point win tied the second - biggest margin of victory for them since 1950 , and tied for the eighth - largest margin of victory in school history . The 49 first half points was the team ' s second highest ever . The 28 point first quarter also tied a school record . Because of the effectiveness of the offense , the team did not punt the ball once , the first time this has happened since 1978 . vs . Penn State . In week 8 , Michigan hosted the Penn State Nittany Lions at rain soaked Michigan Stadium . Michigan got an early lead after the first drive of the game when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from one yard out . Penn State tied the score with a 10 - yard TD catch by Graham Zug from Daryll Clark , and took the lead for good on a 34 - yard field goal by Collin Wagner . In the second quarter Michigan surrendered a safety after a bad snap in the end zone . On the ensuing possession , the Nittany Lions scored on a 60 - yard TD pass to Andrew Quarless . Michigan responded with a 23 - yard field goal , making the halftime score 19 – 10 . Penn State dominated the second half , shutting out the Wolverines . The Nittany Lions added 13 points to their lead off of two Graham Zug TD catches in the third quarter , from 11 and 17 - yard respectively . Penn State capped off their victory with a 29 - yard field goal in the 4th . Michigan suffered their first home loss of the season . This was the first time the Wolverines had lost to Penn State at home since 1996 , ending a five - game losing streak for the Nittany Lions in Ann Arbor . Penn State defeated Michigan for the second straight season , its first win streak versus the Wolverines since a three - game streak from 1994 – 96 . at Illinois . In week 9 , the Wolverines traveled to Champaign , Illinois for a Halloween afternoon contest with the Illinois Fighting Illini . Illinois scored first midway through the first quarter with a 3 - yard TD run by Arrelious Benn . Michigan tied it up with a 2 - yard TD run by Carlos Brown . The Wolverines kicked two field goals in the second quarter , from 29 and 42 yards out respectively , making the score at halftime 13 – 7 in their favor . For the second straight game , Michigan was held scoreless in the second half . Illinois held the Wolverines on a goal line stand ; on the following possession , Illini RB Mikel LeShoure ran in a 70 - yard TD . A few minutes later , London Davis caught a 2 - yard TD pass . QB Isiah Williams ran in a TD himself from 3 yards out for Illinois ' third score of the quarter . In the fourth quarter , Illinois kicked a 23 - yard field goal and capped off their scoring with a 79 - yard TD run by Jason Ford . It was Michigan ' s first loss at Illinois since 1983 . vs . Purdue . In week 10 , Michigan hosted the Purdue Boilermakers . In the first quarter , Purdue scored first with a 35 - yard TD catch by Ralph Bolden . Michigan tied the score with a 29 - yard TD run by Brandon Minor . Purdue retook the lead with a 41 - yard field goal by Carson Wiggs . Michigan tied the score soon after with a 51 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , Michigan scored 2 touchdowns : a 55 - yard rush by Brandon Minor , and a 43 - yard catch by Ray Roundtree , giving the Wolverines a 14 - point advantage at halftime . Once again , Michigan collapsed in the second half . In the third quarter , Purdue ' s Ralph Bolden scored his second TD of the game with a 19 - yard run . Michigan QB Forcier responded with a 6 - yard TD run , but the point after touchdown attempt failed . Ralph Bolden scored his third touchdown of the day soon after with a 10 - yard rush . Next , Purdue ' s Cortez Smith caught a 54 - yard TD pass . In the fourth quarter , Purdue QB Joey Elliot ran in a 8 - yard TD . Michigan ' s Minor then ran in a TD from 1 - yard out . The Wolverines attempted to tie the game but Forcier failed to reach the end zone on a 2 point conversion , sealing the victory for the Boilermakers . It was Michigan ' s first home loss to Purdue since 1966 . at Wisconsin . For their final road game of the season , the Wolverines traveled to Madison , Wisconsin to play the Wisconsin Badgers . Wisconsin scored first with a 22 - yard TD pass by Scott Tolzien to Garrett Graham . Michigan tied the score with a 21 - yard Tate Forcier TD pass to Vincent Smith . In the second quarter , the teams traded the lead . First , Michigan took the lead with a 37 - yard Jason Olesnavage field goal . Wisconsin then went ahead with a 8 - yard TD pass to Nick Toon . Michigan went back ahead when Ryan Van Bergen picked up Scott Tolzien ' s fumble ( forced by Brandon Graham ) and ran it back 14 yards for a touchdown . Wisconsin responded with a 1 - yard TD run by John Clay , making the halftime score 21 – 17 Wisconsin . In the third quarter , Toon scored another TD off a 15 - yard catch . Michigan responded with a 10 - yard catch by Ray Roundtree . Wisconsin then scored 17 unanswered points , starting with a 7 - yard TD catch by Lance Kendricks . In the fourth quarter the Badgers sealed their victory with a 1 - yard TD run by Tolzien and a 28 - yard field goal by Philip Welch . The game was Michigan ' s third straight loss at Wisconsin . It was also Michigan ' s 6th straight conference loss , the first time this has happened since the 1958 – 59 seasons . The Wolverines ' record fell to 5 – 6 ; they needed to win next week to become bowl eligibile . vs . Ohio State . In the last game of the season , Michigan hosted their arch rivals the No . 9 nationally ranked Ohio State Buckeyes , in the 106th meeting between the two teams . Ohio State scored first when Michigan QB Forcier fumbled while scrambling in the end zone ; the ball was recovered by Ohio State ' s Cameron Heyward for a TD . Michigan ' s only score of the first half was a 46 - yard field goal . Ohio State ' s Brandon Saine ran in a 29 - yard TD late in the second quarter to make it 14 – 3 at halftime . In the third quarter Michigan closed to within four off of Vincent Smith ' s 18 - yard TD catch . Ohio State re - extended their lead to eleven a few minutes later with a 12 - yard TD catch by Daniel Herron . Michigan attempted to come back in the fourth quarter , but all of their drives except the last were ended by interceptions . The Wolverines came closest with eight minutes left , when Forcier was intercepted in the end zone by Buckeye CB Devon Torrence . On their last play of the game , the Wolverines were penalized for being in an illegal formation with five players in the backfield ; this penalty was declined , giving the ball back to Ohio State on downs and ending the game after the Buckeyes ran out the clock . It was Ohio State ' s sixth straight win over Michigan , their longest winning streak of the series . QB Tate Forcier had perhaps his worst game this season , throwing four interceptions and turning over a fumble for a TD ; prior to this game he had only thrown six interceptions all year . He became just the second Michigan quarterback to throw four interceptions against Ohio State in the last 60 years . Michigan ' s six - game losing streak to Ohio State is the third - longest streak to a single opponent in school history . The loss left Michigan ' s final record at 5 – 7 , short of the six wins needed for bowl eligibility . During the game , Brandon Graham posted 5 solo tackles for a loss , to clinch the national statisitical championship . Statistics . The offense rebounded from their 2008 performance to finish third in the Big Ten in scoring . However , Michigan ranked last in the Big Ten and 115th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in turnover margin . Graham was the national statistical champion in tackles for a loss ( TFL ) per game . Mesko led the Big Ten in punting average and Graham led the conference in total tackles for a loss . Graham posted 26 TFLs in 12 games , which led the nation with 2 . 17 average tackles for a loss per game ( ahead of conference rival O ' Brien Schofield who was second with 1 . 884 ) . Graham also defended his Big Ten total TFLs championship over Schofield by a 26 – 24 . 5 margin . Mesko led the Big Ten in punting average and was eighth in the nation with a 44 . 46 average . The per game team rankings below include 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and 11 Big Ten Conference teams : The per game rankings below include players who have played in 75 % of team ' s games and are ranked in the top 100 national leaders and top 25 conference leaders : Postseason recognition . At the conclusion of the season , Graham earned the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Big Ten co - MVP award . Graham and Mesko earned numerous 2009 College Football All - America Team recognitions . Several Michigan players earned 2009 All - Big Ten Conference recognition : Graham and Mesko were first - team ( coaches and media ) . Donovan Warren ( first - team media and second - team coaches ) and Schilling ( honorable mention coaches and media ) were also recognized . Mesko was a first - team Academic All - American . Graham also earned the MVP award at the January 30 , 2010 Senior Bowl . Graham was co - winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten co - MVPs with Penn State ' s Daryll Clark , marking the first time the award has been shared . Three Michigan players , Warren ( Junior cornerback ) , Brandon Graham ( Senior defensive end ) , and Mesko ( Senior punter ) were named to the All Big Ten First Team , and Stephen Schilling ( Senior left guard ) received honorable mention . Offensive lineman David Moosman also received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award . Mesko was one of fifteen FBS athletes selected as a first - team Academic All - American . Michigan had 10 athletes recognized as fall term of the 2009 – 10 Academic All - Conference selections for being letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade point average : Matt Cavanaugh , Jon Conover , John Ferrara , J . B . Fitzgerald , Will Heininger , Zac Johnson , Zoltan Mesko , Tim North , Jason Olesnavage , and Mike Therman . Seniors Zoltan Mesko ( 2nd team WCFF , Scout , Rivals , AP ; honorable mention SI , CFN , PFW ) and Brandon Graham ( 1st team Scout , Rivals ; 2nd team WCFF , AP , SI , CFN ; honorable mention PFW ) were named All - Americans by the Walter Camp Football Foundation , Associated Press , " Sports Illustrated " , " Pro Football Weekly " , Rivals . com & Scout . com . Graham was also a first team selection by ESPN and a second team selection by the " Sporting News " . Brandon Graham earned MVP honors at the January 30 , 2010 Senior Bowl with five tackles , two sacks , one forced fumble . In December 2009 , Warren declared himself eligible for the 2010 NFL Draft . Other athletes to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine were Graham , Mesko and Minor . Graham , Mesko and Stevie Brown were drafted 13th , 150th and 251st overall , respectively . Warren went undrafted but signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent . 2010 NFL Draft . Co - captains Graham , Mesko and Brown were drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft , and immediately following the draft Donovan Warren was signed by the New York Jets . Other draft weekend free agent signees included Mathews and Brandon Minor with the Chicago Bears , Mark Ortmann with the Carolina Panthers , Moosman with the Arizona Cardinals and Carlos Brown with the New Orleans Saints . Roster . On December 12 , 2008 RB Sam McGuffie announced he was leaving Michigan for a school closer to home because of family issues . On February 16 , 2009 , starting quarterback Steven Threet told Michigan he would transfer before the start of the 2009 season . On October 27 , 2009 , starting cornerback Boubacar Cissoko was kicked off the team for missing class , workouts and study table according to his high school coach Thomas Wilcher . He also stated that he expected Cissoko to seek a transfer .