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1981 Michigan Wolverines football team

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1981 Michigan Wolverines football
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 10
APNo. 12
Record9–3 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPButch Woolfolk
Captains
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
(Capacity: 101,701)
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 15 Ohio State + 6 – 2 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
No. 18 Iowa + 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
No. 12 Michigan 6 – 3 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
Illinois 6 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Wisconsin 6 – 3 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Minnesota 4 – 5 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Michigan State 4 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Purdue 3 – 6 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Indiana 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Northwestern 0 – 9 – 0 0 – 11 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 13th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 9–3 record (6–3 against conference opponents) and outscored all opponents by a total of 355 to 162. Ranked No. 1 by both the AP and UPI in the preseason polls, Michigan lost to Wisconsin in its season opener, then defeated No. 1 Notre Dame the following week, and ended its season with a victory over UCLA in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. The Wolverines were ranked No. 10 in the final UPI poll and No. 12 in the AP Poll.[1][2]

Running back Butch Woolfolk was selected as the team's most valuable player. The team's statistical leaders included Woolfolk with a school record 1,459 rushing yards, wide receiver Anthony Carter with 952 receiving yards, and quarterback Steve Smith with 1,661 passing yards, 2,335 yards of total offense, and 72 points scored.[3]

Five Michigan players, all on offense, received first-team All-America honors: Anthony Carter (consensus); offensive guard Kurt Becker (consensus); offensive tackle Ed Muransky (consensus); offensive tackle Bubba Paris; and Butch Woolfolk. Thirteen Michigan players were named to the 1981 All-Big Ten Conference football team.

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 122:30 p.m.at WisconsinNo. 1
L 14–2168,733
September 191:30 p.m.No. 1 Notre Dame*No. 11
ABCW 25–7105,888
September 261:00 p.m.Navy*No. 7
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 21–16105,213
October 31:30 p.m.at IndianaNo. 8
W 38–1750,612
October 101:00 p.m.at Michigan StateNo. 6
ONTVW 38–2077,923
October 171:00 p.m.IowaNo. 5
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
L 7–9105,915
October 241:00 p.m.NorthwesterndaggerNo. 18
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
W 38–0104,361
October 312:00 p.m.at MinnesotaNo. 15
W 34–1352,875
November 71:00 p.m.IllinoisNo. 12
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
ONTVW 70–21105,570
November 141:30 p.m.at PurdueNo. 11
W 28–1069,736
November 2112:00 p.m.Ohio StateNo. 7
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
ABCL 9–14106,043
December 318:00 p.m.vs. No. 19 UCLA*No. 16
MTNW 33–1450,107
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Season summary

[edit]

At Wisconsin

[edit]
Week 1: Michigan at Wisconsin
1 234Total
Michigan 0 770 14
• Wisconsin 0 1470 21
  • Date: September 12
  • Location: Madison, WI
  • Game attendance: 68,733
Scoring summary
Q29:17MICHSteve Smith 4-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 7–0
Q23:47WISMarvin Neal 17-yard pass from Jess Cole (Doran kick)TIE 7–7
Q20:02WISDavis 1-yard run (Doran kick)WIS 14–7
Q39:16MICHWoolfolk 89-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)TIE 14–14
Q35:13WISWilliams 71-yard pass from ColeWIS 21–14

On September 12, 1981, Michigan, ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP and UPI polls, opened its season losing to unranked Wisconsin by a 21–14 score in front of a crowd of 68,733 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin had not scored a point against Michigan since 1976, and it was Michigan's first loss to Wisconsin since 1962.

In his first start, Michigan's sophomore quarterback Steve Smith completed only three of 18 passes for 39 yards and was intercepted three times by Wisconsin safety Matt Vanden Boom. After a scoreless first quarter, Dave Keeling of Wisconsin fumbled a punt and Michigan drove 33 yards for the touchdown, a four-yard run by Smith. Wisconsin followed with two second quarter touchdowns in the final four minutes of the half to take a 14–7 lead.[4][5]

With nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, Butch Woolfolk ran 89 yards for a touchdown on an off-tackle play to tie the game at 14–14. Wisconsin retook the lead on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Jess Cole to John Williams. Neither team was able to score in the fourth quarter.[4][5]

After the game, Schembechler told reporters: "Our offense wasn't any good; our defense wasn't any good; our kicking game wasn't any good, and our coaching was poor. It's a miracle we only lost by 7 points."[6]

For the first time since 1945, Bob Ufer was not Michigan's radio play-by-play announcer. Ufer, who had announced 360 consecutive Michigan football games, was recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot and was also battling cancer. He was replaced by Frank Beckmann.[7] Ufer died the following month.

Notre Dame

[edit]
Week 2: Notre Dame at Michigan
1 234Total
Notre Dame 0 007 7
• Michigan 0 7126 25
Scoring summary
Q212:08MICHAnthony Carter 71-yard pass from Steve Smith (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 7–0
Q3MICHCarter 15-yard pass from Smith (kick failed)MICH 13–0
Q3MICHLawrence Ricks 1-yard run (run failed)MICH 19–0
Q412:35MICHSmith 6-yard run (pass failed)MICH 25–0
Q47:42NDDean Masztak 8-yard pass from Tim Koegel (Harry Oliver kick)MICH 25–7

On September 19, 1981, Michigan defeated Notre Dame, ranked No. 1 in both the AP and UPI polls, by a 25–7 score in front of a crowd of 105,888 at Michigan Stadium.

On the opening drive, Michigan drove to the Notre Dame 14-yard line, but Ali Haji-Sheikh missed a field goal. Notre Dame then drove to the Michigan five-yard line and faked a field goal attempt on fourth down. Notre Dame completed a pass, but the receiver fell down at the four-yard line, and Michigan took over on downs. After a scoreless first quarter, Steve Smith connected with Anthony Carter for a 71-yard touchdown pass—the fourth longest pass play in Michigan history. Michigan again drove deep into Notre Dame territory before the half, but the drive ended on an interception. Michigan led, 7–0, at halftime.[8][9]

At the start of the third quarter, Michigan intercepted a Notre Dame pass, drove 52 yards down the field, and scored on a 15-yard pass from Smith to Carter. On the extra point attempt, the snap bounced off B. J. Dickey's head, and Ali Haji-Sheikh's pass attempt fell incomplete. Still in the third quarter, Michigan again drove downfield, took the ball at the one-yard line on a pass interference penalty, and scored on a one-yard run by Lawrence Ricks. Michigan attempted a two-point conversion, but an end-around by Carter was stopped at the two-yard line.[10][9]

In the fourth quarter, Michigan mounted a 53-yard, six play touchdown drive capped by six-yard touchdown run by Smith, and Michigan led, 25–0. Notre Dame's only scoring drive began when Joe Johnson intercepted a Steve Smith pass at Michigan's 42-yard line. After a long completion from Tim Koegel to Tony Hunter, Koegel threw eight yards for a touchdown to Dan Masztak with 7:42 remaining in the game.[8][9]

Butch Woolfolk gained 139 yards on 23 carries. Aside from his two touchdown passes to Carter, Smith struggled in his second start, completing only four of 15 passes and throwing two interceptions. On defense, Michigan limited Notre Dame to 213 yards of total offense, and middle linebacker Mike Boren was selected by the ABC broadcasting crew as the Star of the Game.[9]

After the game, Michigan coach Schembechler dedicated the game ball to radio play-by-play announcer Bob Ufer who was dying of cancer. Schembechler praised his team's performance: "This was a great win for us, because we came back from our poorest performance I can ever remember. We're not there yet -- we've got a ways to go -- but that looked a whole lot better than a week ago."[11] Michigan's 18-point margin of victory over top-ranked Notre Dame was one of the largest margins of victory over a No. 1 team to that point in history.[12]

[edit]
Week 3: Navy at Michigan
1 234Total
Navy 0 673 16
• Michigan 7 770 21
  • Date: September 26
  • Location: Ann Arbor, MI
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 105,213
Scoring summary
15:24MICHButch Woolfolk 4-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 7–0
213:08MICHSteve Smith 2-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 14–0
25:51NAVYSteve Fehr 46-yard field goalMICH 14–3
20:32NAVYFehr 31-yard field goalMICH 14–6
39:37MICHVince Bean 8-yard pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 21–6
30:00NAVYMarco Pagnanelli 22-yard run (Fehr kick)MICH 21–13
48:52NAVYFehr 45-yard field goalMICH 21–16

On September 26, 1981, Michigan defeated Navy, 21–16, before a crowd of 105,213 at Michigan Stadium.

In the first quarter, Michigan drove 46 yards on seven plays, with Anthony Carter taking the ball to the 10-yard line on a 22-yard reception. Butch Woolfolk ran four yards for the touchdown. Early in the second quarter, Michigan drove 66 yards on 11 plays, including several passes to Carter and Vince Bean. Quarterback Steve Smith scored on a two-yard option run. On Michigan's next drive, Smith was intercepted by Navy's Elliott Reagans, and Anthony Carter sustained a sprained right ankle colliding with Reagans. Carter did not return to the game. Later in the second quarter, Michigan's Tony Jackson fumbled a punt, and Navy recovered at Michigan's 35-yard line. Steve Fehr kicked a 46-yard field goal, and then a 31-yarder with 32 seconds left in the half, to narrow the lead to 14–6 at halftime.[13][14]

Early in the third quarter, Evan Cooper intercepted a Navy pass and returned it to Navy's 34-yard line. Michigan scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Vince Bean. Navy responded with a 12-play, 94-yard drive ending with a 22-yard touchdown run by quarterback Marco Pagnanelli on the final play of the third quarter. Navy then drove 66 yards on its next possession, ending with a 45-yard field goal. Late in the fourth quarter, Navy drove 48 yards to Michigan's 22-yard line. With two minutes remaining in the game, Pagnanelli threw to a wide open Troy Mitchell in the end zone, but the pass was overthrown.[13][14]

After the game, coach Schembechler said: "I don't think we were ready to play. They were the better team today. This team has not performed like a Michigan team yet. They're not hungry, and unless they become that, I don't see us winning the championship."[14]

At Indiana

[edit]
Week 4: Michigan at Indiana
1 234Total
• Michigan 7 1768 38
Indiana 10 070 17
Scoring summary
111:18INDBob Stephenson 20-yard pass from Babe Laufenberg (Mike Greenstein kick)IND 7–0
14:08MICHSteve Smith 3-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)TIE 7–7
10:14INDGreenstein 22-yard field goalIND 10–7
28:57MICHCraig Dunaway 6-yard pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 14–10
22:58MICHButch Woolfolk 1-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 21–10
20:00MICHHaji-Sheikh 42-yard field goalMICH 24–10
35:33MICHWoolfolk 24-yard run (kick failed)MICH 30–10
33:15INDDuane Gunn 48-yard run (Greenstein kick)MICH 27–17
412:44MICHLawrence Ricks 2-yard run (Anthony Carter pass from Smith)MICH 38–17

On October 3, 1981, Michigan defeated Lee Corso's Indiana Hoosiers, 38–17, before a crowd of 50,612 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.

On the opening possession, Michigan drove to the Indiana 29-yard line, but Stan Edwards fumbled, and Indiana recovered at its 36-yard line. Indiana quarterback Babe Laufenberg led a three-play, 65-yard touchdown drive capped by a 20-yard pass from Laufenberg to Bob Stephenson. On the next possession, Michigan drove 74 yards on 14 plays (including 55 yards by Butch Woolfolk), scoring on a three-yard run by quarterback Steve Smith. Indiana drove back down the field and kicked a 22-yard field goal to move back ahead, 10–7, at the end of the first quarter. Michigan pulled away with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. Michigan's touchdowns were scored by Craig Dunaway on a six-yard pass from Smith and Woolfolk on a one-yard run. Ali Haji-Sheikh added a 42-yard field goal on the last play of the half.[15][16]

Early in the third quarter, Indiana advanced to the Michigan five-yard line on drive that featured a 16-yard pass from tailback John Roggeman to Laufenberg. However, on third-and-goal, Laufenberg's pass was intercepted by Marion Body. Woolfolk scored on a 24-yard touchdown run, but the extra point failed due to a fumbled snap. Indiana responded with a 48-yard touchdown run on a reverse by wide receiver Duane Gunn. In the fourth quarter, Michigan drove 75 yards on 12 plays with Lawrence Ricks scoring on a two-yard run. Smith then passed to Anthony Carter for a two-point conversion.[15][16]

Michigan out-gained Indiana by 597 yards to 316. Woolfolk rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. It was Woolfolk's sixth consecutive 100-yard game, tying a Michigan school record. Steve Smith completed 12 of 19 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.[15][16]

At Michigan State

[edit]
Week 5: Michigan at Michigan State
1 234Total
• Michigan 2 14814 38
Michigan State 7 1030 20
Scoring summary
1MSUOtis Grant 5-yard pass from Clark (Morten Andersen kick)MSU 7–0
1MICHsafety Ralf Mojsiejenko run out of end zoneMSU 7–2
2MICHAnthony Carter 11-yard run (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 9–7
2MICHSteve Smith 1-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 16–10
2MSUTed Jones 28-yard pass from Clark (Andersen kick)MICH 16–14
2MSUAndersen 28-yard field goalMSU 17–16
3MSUAndersen 31-yard field goalMSU 20–16
3MICHLawrence Ricks 3-yard run (Smith pass from Carter)MICH 24–20
4MICHSmith 37-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 31–20
4MICHRicks 5-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 38–20

On October 10, 1981, Michigan defeated Michigan State, 38–20, before a crowd of 77,923 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan rushed for 445 yards, led by Butch Woolfolk with 253 yards on 39 carries. Michigan State quarterback Bryan Clark, the son of Detroit Lions head coach Monte Clark, completed 21 of 38 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also intercepted three times (one each by Tony Jackson, Mike Boren, and Jerry Burgei).[17][18]

Iowa

[edit]
Week 6: Iowa at Michigan
1 234Total
• Iowa 6 030 9
Michigan 0 700 7
  • Date: October 17
  • Location: Ann Arbor, MI
  • Game attendance: 105,915
Scoring summary
1IOWATom Nichol 20-yard field goalIOWA 3–0
1IowaNichol 36-yard field goalIOWA 6–0
26:30MICHAnthony Carter 17-yard pass from Steve Smith (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 7–6
3IOWANichol 30-yard field goalIOWA 9–7

On October 17, 1981, Michigan lost to Iowa by a 9–7 score before a crowd of 105,915, the third largest in the history of Michigan Stadium up to that time.[19] It was Iowa's first win over Michigan since 1962.

Iowa's freshman place-kicker Tom Nichol accounted for all nine of Iowa's points, kicking two field goals in the first quarter and the game-winner in the third quarter. Nichol's first field goal was set up when Michigan's Evan Cooper fumbled a punt that was recovered by Iowa at Michigan's 38-yard line. Michigan scored in the second quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Steve Smith to Anthony Carter.[20][19]

Iowa's defense held Michigan to only 155 yards of total offense. Anthony Carter accounted for 91 of those yards on five catches. After the game, Iowa coach Hayden Fry said: "Nobody expected us to win today except for those guys in the next room. Hell, before this year, Michigan didn't even know we existed."[19]

Northwestern

[edit]
Week 7: Northwestern at Michigan
1 234Total
Northwestern 0 000 0
• Michigan 14 1077 38
  • Date: October 24
  • Location: Ann Arbor, MI
  • Game attendance: 104,361
Scoring summary
1MICHAnthony Carter, 24-yard pass from Steve Smith (Bob Bergeron kick)MICH 7–0
1MICHNorm Betts, 52-yard pass from Smith (Bergeron kick)MICH 14–0
2MICHLawrence Ricks, 51-yard run (Bergeron kick)MICH 21–0
2MICHBergeron, 24-yard field goalMICH 24–0
3MICHSmith, 13-yard run (Bergeron kick)MICH 31–0
4MICHRicks, 60-yard run (Bergeron kick)MICH 38–0

On October 24, 1981, Michigan defeated Northwestern, 38–0, before a crowd of 104,361 at Michigan Stadium. Quarterback Steve Smith threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third touchdown. Lawrence Ricks rushed for 126 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Butch Woolfolk rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries to break Rob Lytle's Michigan career record of 3,317 rushing yards.[21]

At Minnesota

[edit]
Week 8: Michigan at Minnesota
1 234Total
• Minnesota 10 7314 34
Michigan 0 706 13
  • Date: October 31
  • Location: Minneapolis
  • Game attendance: 52,879
  • Television network: ESPN
Scoring summary
1MICHAli Haji-Sheikh 32-yard field goalMICH 3–0
1MICHStan Edwards 10-yard pass from Steve Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 10–0
2MINNMike Hohensee 4-yard run (Jim Gallery kick)MICH 10–7
2MICHEdwards 1-year pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 17–7
3MICHHaji-Sheikh 33-yard field goalMICH 20–7
4MICHAnthony Carter 25-yard pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 27–7
4MINNNick Davidson 39-yard pass for Hohensee (kick failed)MICH 27–13
4MICHLawrence Ricks 1-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 34–13

On October 31, 1981, Michigan defeated Minnesota, 34–13, before a crowd of 52,875 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.

Minnesota played nine men on the defensive line, seeking to stop Michigan's run game but leaving single coverage on Michigan wide receivers Anthony Carter and Vince Bean. Quarterback Steve Smith completed 13 of 20 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. Carter caught eight passes for 154 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Butch Woolfolk added 84 rushing yards on 17 carries. Stan Edwards caught two touchdown passes and rushed for 55 yards on 13 carries. Ali Haji-Sheikh also kicked two field goals. On defense, Michigan defensive backs Keith Bostic and Tony Jackson intercepted Mike Hohensee passes in the first half.[22][23]

Illinois

[edit]
Week 9: Illinois at Michigan
1 234Total
Illinois 21 000 21
• Michigan 7 211428 70
Scoring summary
Q1ILLEason, 3-yard run (Bass kick)ILL 7–0
Q1MICHCarter, 60-yard pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)TIE 7–7
Q1ILLCurtis, 5-yard run (Bass kick)ILL 14–7
Q1ILLD. Smith, 7-yard pass from Eason (Bass kick)ILL 21–7
Q2MICHSmith, 1-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)ILL 21–14
Q2MICHDunaway, 9-yard pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)TIE 21–21
Q2MICHSmith, 42-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 28–21
Q3MICHCarter, 12-yard pass from Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 35–21
Q3MICHSmith, 14-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 42–21
Q4MICHRicks, 1-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 49–21
Q4MICHEdwards, 7-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 56–21
Q4MICHRogers, 4-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 63–21
Q4MICHHassel, 6-yard pass from Dickey (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 70–21

On November 7, 1981, Michigan defeated Illinois by a 70–21 score before a crowd of 105,570 at Michigan Stadium. Illinois took a 21–7 lead in the first quarter, but Michigan scored nine unanswered touchdowns in the remainder of the game. Anthony Carter caught six passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Steve Smith rushed 15 times for 116 yards and also completed 9 of 15 passes for 224 yards.[24][25]

At Purdue

[edit]
Week 10: Michigan at Purdue
1 234Total
• Michigan 7 0021 28
Purdue 3 070 10
Scoring summary
15:03PURTim Clark 26-yard field goalPUR 3-0
11:12MICHCraig Dunaway 27-yard pass from Steve Smith (Ali Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 7-3
38:38PURJeff Feulner 5-yard run (Clark kick)PUR 10-7
411:30MICHSmith 26-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 14-10
44:32MICHButch Woolfolk 1-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 21-10
43:26MICHLawrence Ricks 5-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 28-10

On November 14, 1981, Michigan defeated Purdue, 28–10, before a crowd of 69,736 at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Wolverines had lost three of their last four games at Ross–Ade.

Purdue quarterback Scott Campbell fumbled on the opening drive, with Jerry Burgei recovering for Michigan. On the next play, Steve Smith threw an interception, Purdue took over at Michigan's 30-yard line, and Michigan's defense held. Later in the quarter, Purdue recovered a Steve Smith fumble at Michigan's 42-yard line and took the lead on a 26-yard field goal by Tim Clark, a kicking specialist who lost all the toes on his kicking foot in a childhood lawnmower accident. After the field goal, Michigan drove 66 yards, ending with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Craig Dunaway who was wide open at the two-yard line, aided by double-coverage on Anthony Carter. Michigan led, 7–3, at halftime.[26][27]

Halfway through the third quarter, Purdue recovered a Butch Woolfolk fumble and drove 65 yards on 11 plays and retook the lead on a five-yard touchdown run by tailback Jeff Feulner. Haji-Sheikh missed a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter. Trailing at the start of the fourth quarter, Michigan rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Early in the quarter, Steve Smith ran 26 yards for a touchdown. Woolfolk than scored on a one-yard run to cap a 13-play drive. On the next series, Keith Bostic intercepted a Campbell pass, and Lawrence Ricks scored on a five-yard run with 3:26 left in the game.[26][27]

Steve Smith completed 12 of 20 passes for 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception; he also rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Carter caught seven passes for 103 yards, and Woolfolk rushed for 82 yards on 22 carries. For Purdue, Feulner rushed for 106 yards on 24 carries.[26][27]

Ohio State

[edit]
Week 11: Ohio State at Michigan
1 234Total
• Ohio State 0 707 14
Michigan 3 060 9
Scoring summary
Q1MICHAli Haji-Sheikh, 19-yard field goal)MICH 3–0
Q2OSUArt Schlichter, 1-yard run (Atha kick)OSU 7–3
Q3MICHHaji-Sheikh, 26-yard field goalOSU 7–6
Q3MICHHaji-Sheikh, 23-yard field goalMICH 9–7
Q4OSUSchlichter 6-yard run (Atha kick)MICH 14–9

On November 21, 1981, Michigan lost to Ohio State, 14–9, in front of a crowd of 106,043 persons, the second largest crowd up to that point in the history of Michigan Stadium. Michigan had been favored in the game by eight points.[28] The game was played in snow, and the Michigan student section entertained itself throwing snowballs at the Ohio State band.[29]

Anthony Carter returned the opening kickoff 54 yards and nearly broke free for a touchdown. Michigan drove to the Ohio State 25-yard line, but Steve Smith's pass was then intercepted by Doug Hill. Michigan's defense held, and Anthony Carter returned the Buckeyes' punt 18 yards to the Ohio State 29-yard line. Michigan drove inside the 10-yard line but settled for a 19-yard field goal by Ali Haji-Sheikh. Late in the first half, Ohio State linebacker Marcus Marek intercepted a second pass by Smith, this time at the Ohio State 18-yard line. After the interception, Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter led the Buckeyes on an 82-yard drive ending in a one-yard quarterback sneak by Schlichter. Ohio State led, 7–3, at halftime.[30][28]

In the third quarter, Michigan mounted two drives inside Ohio State's 10-yard line, but in both cases settled for Haji-Sheikh field goals. At the start of the fourth quarter, Michigan led by a 9–7 score. In the fourth quarter, Michigan drove down the field and had a first-and-goal from the eight-yard line, but Smith's pass on third down was intercepted by Kelvin Bell of Ohio State. After the interception, Schlichter led Ohio State on an 80-yard drive, ending with a six-yard touchdown scramble by Schlichter with 2:50 left in the game.[30][28] At the end of the game, the Ohio State carried coach Earle Bruce off the field.

Michigan out-gained Ohio State by 367 yards to 257, but failed to convert on key scoring opportunities. After the game, coach Schembechler said: "We just haven't done a good job offensively. We played hard and the defense played well. They only had two drives on us. Other than that, they didn't do anything. We shouldn't have lost. This is one game we should have won."[28]

Schlichter, in his final game for Ohio State, completed 12 of 24 passes with two interceptions and had the two rushing touchdowns, while Steve Smith completed only 9 of 26 passes and threw three interceptions, each time after Michigan had driven deep into Ohio State territory. Butch Woolfolk totaled 84 rushing yards on 18 carries, but was responsible for a turnover on a third-quarter fumble. Tim Spencer led the Ohio State backs with 110 yards on 25 carries. Anthony Carter caught four passes for 52 yards. Linebacker Marcus Marek led the Ohio State defense with 12 solo tackles and an interception.[30][28]

Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl

[edit]
Main article: Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
1 234Total
• Michigan 10 0320 33
UCLA 0 077 14
  • Date: December 31
  • Location: Houston
  • Game attendance: 40,309
Scoring summary
Q1MICHAli Haji-Sheikh, 24-yard field goalMICH 3–0
Q1IowaAnthony Carter, 50-yard pass from Steve Smith (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 10–0
Q3UCLAJojo Townsell, 17-yard pass from Tom Ramsey (Norm Johnson converts kick)MICH 10–7
Q3MICHHaji-Sheikh, 47-yard field goalMICH 13–7
Q4MICHButch Woolfolk, 1-yard run (run failed)MICH 19–7
Q4UCLATim Wrightman, 9-yard pass from Ramsey (Johnson kick)MICH 19–14
Q4MICHSmith, 9-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 26–14
Q4MICHB. J. Dickey, 5-yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick)MICH 33–14

On December 31, 1981, Michigan, ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll, defeated No. 19 UCLA, 33–14, in the 1981 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, played before a crowd of 40,309 at the Houston Astrodome. The Wolverines won their second bowl game of 1981, having earlier defeated Washington in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

In the first quarter, Butch Woolfolk ran for 52 yards to the UCLA 25-yard line and then drove to the seven-yard line. The drive ended with 24-yard field goal by Ali Haji-Sheikh. On the next Michigan possession, quarterback Steve Smith threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Carter. Michigan's defense was otherwise stymied in the first half by a record 12 penalties for 118 yards, including an unsportsmanlike conduct infraction against the Michigan bench (announced in the press box as "illegal use of the mouth"). Michigan's defense held UCLA to a total of 58 yards (only five rushing) in the first half, and Paul Girgash intercepted a Tom Ramsey pass. Both team missed field goals in the half, including a 53-yard attempt by Haji-Sheikh as the half ended. Michigan led, 10–0, at halftime.[31][32]

Early in the third quarter, Anthony Carter fumbled a punt, and UCLA's Don Rogers recovered the ball at the Michigan 19-yard line. Ramsey threw a 17-yard pass to JoJo Townsell, and Michigan's lead was narrowed to 10–7. Shortly thereafter, Haji-Sheikh kicked a 47-yard field goal for Michigan. At the start of the fourth quarter, Michigan drove 74 yards capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Woolfolk. Michigan's two-point conversion failed, and the Wolverines led, 19–7. With seven-and-a-half minutes left in the game, Ramsey threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Tim Wrightman to narrow the lead to five points. On the next drive, Steve Smith ran nine yards for a touchdown on a bootleg to extend the lead to 26–14. Michigan scored a final touchdown on a five-yard run by backup quarterback B. J. Dickey.[31]

In his final game for Michigan, Woolfolk rushed for 186 yards on 27 carries and was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player. The Los Angeles Times wrote: "Michigan's dominance along both the offensive and defensive lines was near total."[32] Quarterback Steve Smith completed 9 of 15 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. Anthony Carter caught six passes for 127 yards. On defense, the Wolverines held UCLA to only 33 rushing yards. Overall, the Wolverines out-gained the Bruins by 483 yards to 195 yards.[31][32]

Award season

[edit]

Michigan led the nation with five of its players, all on offense, receiving first-team honors from one or more of the selectors on the 1981 All-America college football team. The honorees were:

Thirteen Michigan players were selected by the AP and/or UPI as first or second-team players on the 1981 All-Big Ten Conference football team. They were: Anthony Carter at wide receiver (AP-1, UPI-1), Ed Muransky at offensive tackle (AP-1, UPI-1), Butch Woolfolk at running back (AP-1, UPI-1), Kurt Becker at offensive guard (AP-1, UPI-1), Bubba Paris at offensive tackle (AP-1, UPI-2), Stan Edwards at running back (AP-2, UPI-2), Keith Bostic at defensive back (AP-2, UPI-2), Tony Jackson at defensive back (AP-2, UPI-2), Paul Girgash at linebacker (AP-2), Don Bracken at punter (AP-2), Norm Betts at tight end (UPI-2), Robert Thompson at defensive lineman (UPI-2), and Brian Carpenter at defensive back (UPI-2).[36][37]

Team awards were presented as follows:

  • Most Valuable Player: Butch Woolfolk[38]
  • Hustler of the Year: Tony Jackson[38]
  • Champion of the Year: Brad Fischer[38]
  • Meyer Morton Award: Stanley Edwards
  • Frederick Matthei Award: Lawrence Ricks
  • Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Norm Betts
  • John Maulbetsch Award: Tom Dixon

Personnel

[edit]

Full roster

[edit]
1981 Michigan Wolverines football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
OL 59 Art Balourdos Fr
WR 27 Vincent Bean So
G 65 Kurt Becker Sr
TE 82 Norm Betts Sr
WR 25 Fred Brockington Sr
WR 1 Anthony Carter Jr
TE 83 Milt Carthens So
QB 10 B. J. Dickey Sr
G 64 Jerry Diorio So
C 69 Tom Dixon So
TE 88 Craig Dunaway Sr
FB 32 Stanley Edwards Sr
C 51 Jeff Felten Sr
QB 20 Brad Fischer Sr
C 54 Tom Garrity Sr
FB 48 Thomas Hassel So
QB 2 Rich Hewlett Jr
G 76 Stefan Humphries So
FB 35 Jerald Ingram Jr
TE 81 Eric Kattus Fr
OT 72 Ed Muransky Sr
OT 79 Tom Neal Sr
OT 76 Bubba Paris Sr
RB 46 Lawrence Ricks Jr
RB 38 Rick Rogers Fr
QB 16 Steve Smith So
OT 68 Rich Strenger Sr
C 55 Larry Sweeney So
TB 24 Butch Woolfolk Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 3 Marion Body Sr
ILB 40 Mike Boren So
SS 13 Keith Bostic Jr
CB 15 Jerry Burgei Jr
CB 9 Brian Carpenter Sr
DT 63 Winfred Carraway Sr
DB 30 Brad Cochran Fr
DB 10 Jeff Cohen Jr
DT 92 Cedric Coles Sr
CB 21 Evan Cooper So
LB 36 Mike Czarnota Sr
ILB 50 Paul Girgash Jr
DB 31 Stuart Harris Sr
DT 66 Mike Hammerstein Fr
ILB 94 Jim Herrmann Jr
FS 37 Tony Jackson Sr
DT 73 Doug James So
DB 23 Louis Kovacs Jr
LB 93 Mike Lemirande Sr
DB 44 John Lott Jr
ILB 42 Mike Mallory Fr
DT 96 Dave Meredith So
DT 79 Clay Miller Fr
LB 97 Ben Needham Sr
DT 78 Tony Osbun Sr
SS 43 Jeff Reeves Sr
OLB 89 Carlton Rose So
MG 53 Al Sincich Fr
DB 6 Kevin Smith Sr
OLB 99 Robert Thompson (C) Sr
LB 49 Sanford Washington Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
PK 19 Bob Bergeron So
P 28 Don Bracken So
PK 6 Ali Haji-Sheikh Jr
P 14 Karl Tech Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Offense letter winners

[edit]

Defense letter winners

[edit]

Kickers

[edit]

Professional football

[edit]

The following players were claimed in the 1982 NFL draft.

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Butch Woolfolk Running Back 1 18 New York Giants
Bubba Paris Tackle 2 29 San Francisco 49ers
Stan Edwards Running Back 3 72 Houston Oilers
Ed Muransky Tackle 4 91 Los Angeles Raiders

[39]

A total of twenty-three (23) members of the 1981 Michigan football team went on to play professional football. They are: Kurt Becker (Chicago Bears, 1982–88, 1990, Los Angeles Rams, 1989), Marion Body (Michigan Panthers, 1983), Keith Bostic (Houston Oilers, 1983–88), Cleveland Browns, 1990), Don Bracken (Green Bay Packers, 1985–90, Los Angeles Rams, 1992–93), Anthony Carter (Michigan Panthers, 1983–84, Oakland Invaders, 1985, Minnesota Vikings, 1985–93, Detroit Lions, 1994–95), Milt Carthens (Indianapolis Colts, 1987), Evan Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles, 1984–87, Atlanta Falcons, 1988–89), Jerry Diorio (Detroit Lions, 1987), Tom Dixon (Michigan Panthers, 1984), Craig Dunaway (Pittsburgh Steelers, 1983), Stanley Edwards (Houston Oilers, 1982–86, Detroit Lions, 1987), Paul Girgash (Michigan Panthers, 1984), Ali Haji-Sheikh (New York Giants, 1983–85, Atlanta Falcons, 1986, Washington Redskins, 1987), Mike Hammerstein (Cincinnati Bengals, 1986–90), Stefan Humphries (Chicago Bears, 1984–86, Denver Broncos, 1987–88), Eric Kattus (Cincinnati Bengals, 1986–91, New York Jets, 1992), Ed Muransky (Los Angeles Raiders, 1982–84, Orlando Renegades, 1985), Bubba Paris (San Francisco 49ers, 1983–90, Indianapolis Colts, 1991, Detroit Lions 1991), Lawrence Ricks (Kansas City Chiefs, 1983–84), Carlton Rose (Washington Redskins, 1987), Rich Strenger (Detroit Lions, 1983–87), Robert Thompson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1983–84, Detroit Lions, 1987), and Butch Woolfolk (New York Giants, 1982–84, Houston Oilers, 1985–86, Detroit Lions, 1987–88).

Coaching staff

[edit]

Michigan's assistant coaches in 1981 included six individuals who went on to success as head coaches—Miles (who won the 2007 national championship with LSU), Carr (who won the 1997 national championship with Michigan), McCartney (who led Colorado to a national title in 1990), Vanderlinden (head coach at Maryland for four years), Moeller (who led Michigan to three Big Ten championships and a No. 5 ranking in 1992), and Schudel (head coach at Ball State from 1985 to 1994).

  • Trainer: Russ Miller
  • Managers: John D. Carr, Charles Fromm, Thomas Luxton, Greg Pearlman, Fred Spademan, Randall Tharp

Statistics

[edit]

Rushing

[edit]
Player Att Net Yards Yds/Att TD
Butch Woolfolk 253 1459 5.8 6
Steve Smith 134 674 5.0 12
Stan Edwards 92 446 4.8 1
Lawrence Ricks 86 413 4.8 9
Rick Rogers 22 128 5.8 1

[3]

Passing

[edit]
Player Att Comp Int Comp % Yds Yds/Comp TD
Steve Smith 210 97 11 46.2 1661 17.1 15

[3]

Receiving

[edit]
Player Recp Yds Yds/Recp TD
Anthony Carter 50 952 19.0 8
Vince Bean 16 336 21.0 1
Craig Dunaway 11 152 13.8 3
Stan Edwards 7 97 13.9 2
Norm Betts 4 76 19.0 1

[3]

Scoring

[edit]
Player TDs XPM FGM Points
Steve Smith 12 0 0 72
Ali Haji-Sheikh 0 35 8 59
Anthony Carter 9 0 0 54
Lawrence Ricks 9 0 0 54
Butch Woolfolk 6 0 0 36

[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1981 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "1981 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "1981 Michigan Wolverines Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Joe Lapointe (September 13, 1981). "Badgers humble U-M". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1H, 8H.
  5. ^ a b Mike Mihanovic (September 13, 1981). "Michigan jolted: Badger 'D' devours Wolverines". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Wisconsin shocks #1 Michigan". Ukiah Daily Journal. September 13, 1981. p. 6.
  7. ^ Carol Charltron (September 13, 1981). "Blue fans miss 'Mr. Meechigan' Bob Ufer". The Michigan Daily. p. 1 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  8. ^ a b Joe Lapointe (September 20, 1981). "U-M lashes No. 1 Irish, 25-7". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 8D – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c d Greg DeGulis (September 20, 1981). "Blue maims Notre Dame, 25-7: Two Carter TDs nail No. 1 Irish". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  10. ^ "U-M's D dominates, 20-0". Detroit Free Press. September 29, 1985. p. D1.
  11. ^ "Michigan upsets #1 Notre Dame". Ukiah Daily Journal. September 20, 1981.
  12. ^ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 91. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  13. ^ a b Joe Lapointe (September 27, 1981). "Michigan survives a Naval assault". Detroit Free Press. p. 1H, 10H – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b c Mark Mihanovic (September 27, 1981). "Michigan survives Navy scare". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  15. ^ a b c Joe Lapointe (October 4, 1981). "U-M douses Indiana's dazzle: Woolfolk rolls up 176 yards, 2 TDs to lead 38-17 win". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1E, 6E – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b c Mark Mihanovic (October 4, 1981). "Blue offensive blast overpowers befuddled Hoosiers, 38-17". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  17. ^ Jack Saylor (October 11, 1981). "U-M ground game grinds down MSU". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1H, 7H – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Mark Mihanovic (October 11, 1981). "Blue surge bombs MSU, 38-20". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  19. ^ a b c Buddy Moorehouse (October 18, 1981). "Iowa kills Blue Rose Bowl hopes, 9-7". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 12 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  20. ^ "U-M squanders MSU gift: Iowa puts thorn in Wolverines' Rose goal, 9-7". Detroit Free Press. October 18, 1981. pp. 1H, 6H – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Michigan stops Northwestern". The Pantagraph. October 25, 1981. p. C3.
  22. ^ Joe Lapointe (November 1, 1981). "U-M buries Gophers". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1H, 9H – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Drew Sharp (November 1, 1981). "'M' soars past Gophers, 34-13". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 8 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  24. ^ "Michigan blitzes Illinois". The Pantagraph. November 7, 1981. p. C1.
  25. ^ "Michigan blitzes Illinois". The Pantagraph. November 7, 1981. p. C3.
  26. ^ a b c Joe Lapointe (November 15, 1981). "U-M foils Boilermakers: Win sets up Rose War with OSU". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1E, 7E – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ a b c Greg DeGulis (November 15, 1981). "Michigan stalls Boilermakers, 28-10". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  28. ^ a b c d e Drew Sharp (November 23, 1981). "OSU puts Blue in 'Bonnet Bowl'". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 9 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  29. ^ Jon Pepper (November 22, 1981). "Woody scolded: 'No clapping in the press box'". Detroit Free Press. p. 10H – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ a b c Joe Lapointe (November 22, 1981). "Color U-M Rose plans blue". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1H, 10H – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ a b c Mike Downey (January 1, 1982). "Michigan Wins, 33-14: U-M bops Bruins' bonnets". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ a b c Richard Hoffer (January 1, 1982). "Schembechler Beats Clock and UCLA, 33-14". Los Angeles Times. p. III-1, III-9 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ a b c d "'M' tops AP honors". The Michigan Daily. December 2, 1981. p. 8 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  34. ^ "Michigan's Academic All-Americans". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 18, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
  35. ^ "1981 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  36. ^ "Writers name Eason Big Ten quarterback". The Pantagraph. December 2, 1981. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.(AP)
  37. ^ "All-Big Ten Football Team". The Indianapolis Star. November 25, 1981. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.(UPI)
  38. ^ a b c "Woolfolk selected MVP for 1981". The Michigan Daily. November 25, 1981. p. 7 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  39. ^ "1982 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
  40. ^ "Blue fans dazzled by QB Smith". The Michigan Daily. November 8, 1981. p. 1 – via Bentley Historical Library.
[edit]
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