1991 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1991 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1991 NCAA Division I - A football season . The team ' s head coach was Gary Moeller . The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium . The team was undefeated in the Big Ten Conference and was led by Heisman Trophy - winner Desmond Howard , Butkus Award - winner Erick Anderson and national statistical champion Elvis Grbac . The team won the fourth of five consecutive Big Ten championships . The team lost to national champion Washington Huskies in the 1992 Rose Bowl . Statistical achievements . Desmond Howard surpassed Anthony Carter ' s 11 - year old conference single - season record of 14 touchdown receptions by totaling 19 , which continues to be the conference record . During the season , he extended his consecutive games with a touchdown reception streak to 13 games , surpassing Carter ' s 9 , set in 1980 , a record that still stands . J . D . Carlson established the current Big Ten record for consecutive successful point after touchdown conversions at 126 . Grbac won the first of his back - to - back passing efficiency NCAA Division I FBS championships . He also won his second of three consecutive Big Ten passing statistical championships ( 177 . 8 passing efficiency in conference games and 161 . 7 in all games ) . Desmond Howard was the repeat Big Ten receiving yardage champion for all games with 82 . 1 yards per game and he won his only conference games yardage championship with a 90 . 1 average . Howard was also the scoring champion with a 11 . 3 points per game average in conference games and an 11 . 5 average overall . The team led the Big Ten in rushing offense both in conference games ( 264 . 6 yards per game ) and all games ( 231 . 9 yards per game ) . They also led in passing efficiency for both conference games ( 166 . 5 ) and all games ( 154 . 7 ) . They were the conference leader in total offense both for conference games ( 453 . 6 yards per game ) and all games ( 419 . 8 yards per game ) . They were also the Big Ten scoring statistical champions for conference games ( 39 . 5 points per game ) and all games ( 35 . 0 points per game ) . The team earned the second of four consecutive and six 1990s Big Ten rushing defense statistical championships for all games by holding opponents to 105 . 4 yards per game . The team also earned the first of five consecutive and six 1990s Big Ten rushing defense statistical championships for conference games by holding opponents to 102 . 0 yards per game . The team led the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense for conference games ( 11 . 4 points per game ) , while Iowa led for all games . They led the conference in turnover margin ( + 1 . 13 ) in conference games and ( + 0 . 92 ) in all games . They led the conference in punt return average in conference games ( 16 . 3 yards per return ) and all games ( 14 . 7 ) . Grbac posted his second ( a school record that he would later extend ) and the school ' s fifth 4 - touchdown performance against Florida State on August 28 . His season total of 25 touchdown passes surpassed his own school record of 21 set the prior year . His junior year total of 54 touchdown passes set a new school record , eclipsing Rick Leach ' s total of 48 set in 1978 . He also tied Jim Harbaugh ' s 1986 single - season completion percentage record of 65 . 0 , which was surpassed the following year by Todd Collins . On September 14 , his 20 – 22 performance against Notre Dame established the current single - game completion percentage , ecplising his own September 16 , 1989 17 – 21 performance against Notre Dame . On September 7 , Howard became the third Michigan receiver to post a 3 - touchdown reception performance and on October 19 , he became the first two do so twice ( a feat later matched by David Terrell and Braylon Edwards ) . The following season Derrick Alexander would become the only Wolverine to post a 4 - touchdown reception performance . Howard also tied Carter ' s record of three consecutive 100 - yard receiving games , a record tied by Marcus Knight in 1999 and eclipsed by Edwards in 2003 who posted four . Game notes . Notre Dame . 1991 team players in the NFL . The following players were claimed in the 1992 NFL Draft . Awards and honors . The individuals in the sections below earned recognition for meritorious performances .