Weekly Release #11
11/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
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#10 Michigan (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten)
Saturday, Nov. 20, 1999 (Noon EST)
Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Projected Attendance: 111,000-plus
Radio Coverage: WJR (760 AM Detroit) will originate the game on the Michigan Football Network. Frank Beckmann handles play-by-play, Jim Brandstatter is the analyst and Steve Courtney provides sideline reports and analysis. WUOM (91.7 FM) has Tom Hemingway doing play-by-play and Tom Slade as analyst.
TV Coverage: ABC Sports will broadcast the game to a national audience. Brent Musburger handles play-by-play with Gary Danielson providing color commentary. Jack Arute provides sideline reports.
Series History: This will be the 96th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines hold a 54-35-6 advantage in the all-time series, and have a 20-14-3 record against the Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium (28-16-4 mark in Ann Arbor). Michigan has a 7-2-1 record in the last 10 meetings with Ohio State, including five straight wins in the "Big House." Head coach Lloyd Carr has a 3-1 record against the Buckeyes.
Last Meeting: (No. 7 Ohio State 31, No. 11 Michigan 16 -- Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 21, 1998) Ohio State ended a 16-game conference winning streak by Michigan with a 31-16 victory at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-3 lead before the Wolverines scored a touchdown on a three-yard pass from Tom Brady to receiver Tai Streets. With Ohio State leading 21-10, the Buckeyes tacked on 10 third-quarter points while Michigan managed only a pair of Jay Feely field goals (34 and 30 yards) in the second half. Brady set single-game Wolverine passing records in attempts (56), completions (31) and passing yards (375). Streets hauled in nine passes for 118 yards, Marcus Knight made seven receptions for 116 yards and DiAllo Johnson caught four passes for 55 yards. Linebacker Sam Sword led Michigan's defense with 14 tackles.
QUICKLY ON COACH CARR ...
Lloyd Carr (Northern Michigan, 1968)
Fifth season as Michigan Head Coach
47-13 overall record at Michigan
Carr has an 8-2 record in his fifth year as Michigan's head coach and his 20th season with the University of Michigan football program. He led the Wolverines to a 10-3 overall record, back-to-back Big Ten titles and a 45-31 victory in the CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl last season. In 1997, Carr led the Wolverines to a 12-0 record and a share of the national title that earned him national Coach of the Year honors. Carr, previously a Michigan assistant coach for 15 years, began his college coaching career as a defensive backs coach at Eastern Michigan (1976-77) before joining Gary Moeller's staff at Illinois in the same role (1978-79). Carr came to Michigan in 1980 as Bo Schembechler's secondary coach. Carr served as defensive coordinator (1987-94) and was assistant head coach (1990-94).
Did You Know
-- Lloyd Carr is one of only nine current Division I-A coaches who have won a national title. The others are: Joe Paterno, Penn State (2, 1982 and 1986); Dennis Erickson, Oregon State (2, 1989 and 1991 at Miami, Fla.); Bobby Bowden, Florida State (1, 1993); Lavell Edwards, Brigham Young (1, 1984); Steve Spurrier, Florida (1, 1996); Lou Holtz, South Carolina (1, 1987 at Notre Dame); John Robinson, UNLV (1, 1978 at Southern Cal); Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee (1, 1998). Carr was the quickest to win his national title though, winning college football's top team honor in only his third year as a collegiate head coach.
-- Lloyd Carr has the best winning percentage of all the previous Michigan coaches at Michigan Stadium. Carr is 27-4 (.871) in his career at the "Big House" and ranks fifth among all-time Michigan coaches in terms of winning percentage at home.
MICHIGAN TEAM AND PLAYER NOTES ...
"The Big Game"
This will be the 82nd straight year that Michigan and Ohio State will meet on the gridiron. The two programs have met every year since 1918, a streak that ranks ninth in NCAA Division I-A for the longest uninterrupted series. The overall series dates back to 1897, when Michigan beat Ohio State 34-0 in Ann Arbor.
Michigan on Nov. 20
This will be the 14th time in school history that Michigan has played on Nov. 20. The Wolverines have a 9-4 record on this date and are 5-4 all-time against Ohio State (3-0 against Minnesota and beat Wittenberg).
| Year | Rank | Opponent | Site | Result |
| 1897 | * | Wittenberg | H | W, 32-0 |
| 1909 | * | Minnesota | A | W, 15-6 |
| 1920 | * | Minnesota | A | W, 3-0 |
| 1926 | * | Minnesota | A | W, 7-6 |
| 1937 | -- / 19 | Ohio State | H | L, 0-21 |
| 1943 | 4 / -- | Ohio State | H | W, 45-7 |
| 1948 | 1 / 18 | Ohio State | A | W, 13-3 |
| 1954 | 12 / 1 | Ohio State | A | L, 7-21 |
| 1965 | -- / -- | Ohio State | H | L, 7-9 |
| 1971 | 3 / -- | Ohio State | H | W, 10-7 |
| 1976 | 4 / 8 | Ohio State | A | W, 22-0 |
| 1982 | 13 / -- | Ohio State | A | L, 14-24 |
| 1993 | -- / 5 | Ohio State | H | W, 28-0 |
* prior to the Associated Press national poll | ||||
Wolverines Eye Win No. 795
Michigan enters the Ohio State game needing one victory for its NCAA-leading 795th victory in Division I-A football. The Wolverines have compiled a 794-259-36 (.746) record during their 120 years of gridiron action, and rank second only to Yale (799) in all-time all-division wins. Michigan is second in winning percentage to Notre Dame (.754).
Final Home Game for Seniors
Saturday's game against Ohio State will be the final home game for 20 Michigan senior football players. This years senior class has compiled a four-year record of 38-9 and has a 25-6 Big Ten Conference mark during that period. They have been a part of back-to-back bowl victories (Rose and Citrus), won back-to-back Big Ten titles (1997 and 1998) and claimed the 1997 national title.
1999 Michigan Football Seniors
| Player, Position | Hometown (High School) |
| Mark Bergin, QB | Rochester Hills, Mich. (Rochester) |
| Tom Brady, QB | San Mateo, Calif. (Serra) |
| Kevin Bryant, WR | Farmington, Mich. (Harrison) |
| Steve Frazier, OL | Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood) |
| Ian Gold, ILB | Belleville, Mich. (Belleville) |
| James Hall, RLB | New Orleans, La. (St. Augustine) |
| Tommy Hendricks, SS | Houston, Texas (Eisenhower) |
| Ken Jackson, DB | Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek) |
| DiAllo Johnson, WR | Detroit, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary's) |
| Matt Johnson, SS | New Buffalo, Mich. (New Buffalo) |
| Dhani Jones, ILB | Potomac, Md. (Winston Churchill) |
| Marcus Knight, WR | Sylacauga, Ala. (Comer) |
| Brandon Kornblue, PK | Boca Raton, Fla. (Boca Raton) |
| Patrick Kratus, DL | Rocky River, Ohio (St. Ignatius) |
| Rob Renes, NT | Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa) |
| Tate Schanski, DB | Perry, Mich. (Perry) |
| Aaron Shea, FB | Ottawa, Ill. (Ottawa) |
| Jeff Smokevitch, LB | Birmingham, Mich. (Seaholm) |
| Josh Williams, DE | Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek) |
| Chris Ziemann, OL | Aurora, Ill. (Waubonsie) |
Long Distance Scoring
Michigan has scored 36 offensive touchdowns this season and 16 field goals. The Wolverines have scored 30 of those 36 touchdown drives by marching 50 or more yards, with 15 of those touchdown drives going for more than 80 yards (three over 90 yards). Only six of the 16 field goal drives have been for more than 50 yards.
Brady's Bunch
Senior quarterback and co-captain Tom Brady (San Mateo, Calif./Serra HS) enters the Ohio State game with seven career 250-yard or better passing games. Brady completed 17-of-36 passing attempts for 259 yards at Penn State and led the Wolverines to a come-from-behind victory. He threw a pair of touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Marcus Knight (Sylacauga, Ala./Comer HS) against the Nittany Lions, including the game-winning 11-yard pass with 1:46 remaining. He scored on a five-yard run with 3:26 left in the contest to pull Michigan within three points (27-24).
For his performance against the Penn State, Brady was named the ABC Player of the Game for the third time this season and fourth time in his career (second year in a row against Penn State). Brady also tied Todd Collins (1991-94) for the school record with 14 career 200-yard or better passing games.
Brady's 250-Yard or Better Passing Games (7)
| Yards | Att. | Comp. | Opponent (Year) |
| 375 | 56 | 31 | at Ohio State, 1998 (Jr.) |
| 307 | 38 | 23 | vs. Illinois, 1999 (Sr.) |
| 285 | 41 | 30 | at Michigan State, 1999 (Sr.) |
| 282 | 27 | 19 | at Minnesota, 1998 (Jr.) |
| 267 | 36 | 23 | at Notre Dame, 1998 (Jr.) |
| 259 | 36 | 17 | at Penn State, 1999 (Sr.) |
| 250 | 25 | 15 | vs. Purdue, 1999 (Sr.) |
Brady Nears 5,000 Passing Yards
Senior quarterback Tom Brady enters the Ohio State game among the top five in all three major career passing categories. Brady lists third in career completions (392), fourth in attempts (638) and fifth in yardage (4,832). He needs 168 yards to become the fourth Michigan quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards in a career and just eight completions to reach 400 in his career. With 11 passing attempts against Ohio State, Brady would move past Steve Smith (1980-83) and into third place on Michigan's all-time career passing attempt list.
Career Passing Yards
| | Player | Yards | Years |
| 1. | Elvis Grbac | 6,460 | 1989-92 |
| 2. | Todd Collins | 5,858 | 1991-94 |
| 3. | Jim Harbaugh | 5,449 | 1983-86 |
| 4. | Steve Smith | 4,860 | 1980-83 |
| 5. | Tom Brady | 4,832 | 1996- |
Career Passing Attempts
| | Player | Attempts | Years |
| 1. | Elvis Grbac | 835 | 1989-92 |
| 2. | Todd Collins | 711 | 1991-94 |
| 3. | Steve Smith | 648 | 1980-83 |
| 4. | Tom Brady | 638 | 1996- |
| 5. | Jim Harbaugh | 620 | 1983-86 |
Career Pass Completions
| | Player | Comp. | Years |
| 1. | Elvis Grbac | 522 | 1989-92 |
| 2. | Todd Collins | 457 | 1991-94 |
| 3. | Tom Brady | 392 | 1996- |
| 4. | Jim Harbaugh | 387 | 1983-86 |
| 5. | Brian Griese | 355 | 1994-97 |
Brady Goes Over 2,000-Yard Mark
With his 259-yard passing effort at Penn State, Tom Brady became only the second quarterback in Michigan history to throw for over 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons (Todd Collins achieved the feat in 1993 and 1994). Brady has completed 163-of-268 passing attempts this season for 2,067 yards and 14 touchdowns. He needs just one touchdown to equal his career high of 15 set last year. Brady lists seventh in Michigan's season records in completions (163), attempts (268) and passing yards (2,067) this season, while listing tied for 12th in touchdown passes (14).
Brady Eyes 30th Touchdown Pass
Senior quarterback Tom Brady enters his final home game needing one touchdown pass to become the seventh Wolverine to throw 30 or more touchdowns in a career. With 29 career passing TDs, Brady needs two touchdowns to equal Jim Harbaugh (1983-86) for sixth place and four TD passes to catch Brian Griese (1994-97) for fifth. Brady has thrown 24 of his 29 career touchdown passes in Big Ten Conference games and has collected a TD pass in all 15 conference games that he has been the team's starting quarterback.
Michigan's Career Touchdown Passes Thrown
| | Player (Years) | TDs | Needed |
| 1. | Elvis Grbac (1989-92) | 71 | 42 |
| 2. | Rick Leach (1975-78) | 48 | 19 |
| 3. | Steve Smith (1980-83) | 42 | 13 |
| 4. | Todd Collins (1991-94) | 37 | 8 |
| 5. | Brian Griese (1994-97) | 33 | 4 |
| 6. | Jim Harbaugh (1983-86) | 31 | 2 |
| 7. | Tom Brady (1996- ) | 29 | |
Brady Climbing Quarterback Starts List
Tom Brady looks to make his 24th consecutive start at quarterback in the regular-season finale against Ohio State. With his start at Penn State, Brady broke a tie with Brian Griese (1995-97) and Fred Norcross (1903-05) for eighth place in starts by a Michigan quarterback. Brady needs starts in the Ohio State game and a potential bowl game to tie Bob Timberlake (1962- 64) for seventh place all-time. The school record for starts by a Michigan quarterback is 47 held by Rick Leach (1975-78).
Michigan's Career Starts by a Quarterback
| | Player (Years) | Starts | Needed |
| 1. | Rick Leach (1975-78) | 47 | 24 |
| 2. | Elvis Grbac (1989-92) | 38 | 15 |
| 3. | Steve Smith (1981-83) | 35 | 12 |
| 4. | Dennis Franklin (1972-74) | 31 | 8 |
| 5. | Jim Harbaugh (1984-86) | 30 | 7 |
| 6. | Todd Collins (1992-94) | 26 | 3 |
| 7. | Bob Timberlake (1962-64) | 25 | 2 |
| 8. | Tom Brady (1996-99) | 23 | |
Thomas Has Second Alone
With his two-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter at Penn State, Anthony Thomas secured second place alone in Michigan's career rushing touchdown list. With 35 career rushing TDs, Thomas broke a tie with former Wolverine quarterback Rick Leach (1975-78). He needs 12 touchdowns to equal the school record of 47 held by former Michigan and current Oakland Raiders tailback Tyrone Wheatley (1991-94).
Michigan's All-Time Career Rushing TD List
| | Player (Years) | TDs | Needed |
| 1. | Tyrone Wheatley (1991-94) | 47 | 12 |
| 2. | Anthony Thomas (1997- ) | 35 | |
Touchdown Thomas
Anthony Thomas has scored 15 rushing touchdowns for the second straight season and needs four rushing TDs in the final two contests to equal the school record of 19 held by Ron Johnson (1966-68). Johnson had his record-setting 19-touchdown season in 1968, rushing for 1,391 yards on 255 carries. Thomas has scored a rushing touchdown in six straight games and in eight of the 10 games this season. He has six multiple-rushing-TD games this season and 10 for his career. Thomas has rushed for 22 touchdowns in his last 12 games.
Thomas' Multiple Rushing Touchdown Games (10)
1999 -- Notre Dame (2), Rice (2), Purdue (2), Illinois (2), Indiana (3), Northwestern (2)
1998 -- Eastern Michigan (3), Wisconsin (2), Hawaii (4), Arkansas (3)
Michigan's Season Rushing Touchdowns List
| | Player (Year) | TDs | Needed |
| 1. | Ron Johnson (1968) | 19 | 4 |
| 2. | Anthony Thomas (1999) | 15 | |
| | Anthony Thomas (1998) | 15 | |
Thomas on 100-Yard Rushing Streak
Junior tailback Anthony Thomas (Winnfield, La./Winnfield HS) enters the Ohio State game with four straight 100-yard rushing games. Thomas has rushed for 100 or more yards in six games this season and 12 in his career. He rushed 34 times for 127 yards and one rushing touchdown against Penn State, the eighth-highest rushing yardage game of his career and the second most rushing attempts of his career.
Most Consecutive 100-Yard Rushing Games
| Player | No. | Stretch of Games, Year |
| Rob Lytle | 6 | Wake Forest C Purdue, 1976 |
| Jamie Morris | 6 | Indiana C Alabama, 1987 |
| Gordon Bell | 5 | Missouri C Minnesota, 1975 |
| Butch Woolfolk | 5 | Wisconsin C Michigan State, 1981 |
| Ron Johnson | 4 | Duke C Indiana, 1968 |
| Billy Taylor | 4 | Minnesota C Iowa, 1969 |
| Billy Taylor | 4 | Michigan State C Indiana, 1971 |
| Lawrence Ricks | 4 | Minnesota C Ohio State, 1982 |
| Ricky Powers | 4 | Illinois C Mississippi, 1990 |
| Tyrone Wheatley | 4 | Iowa C Minnesota, 1992 |
| Tyrone Wheatley | 4 | Washington State C Iowa, 1993 |
| Tim Biakabutuka | 4 | Northwestern C Ohio State, 1995 |
| Anthony Thomas | 4 | Illinois C Penn State, 1999 |
Thomas Climbing Season Rushing Charts
With his 127-yard rushing performance against Penn State, Anthony Thomas moved into the top 15 in Michigan's season rushing records. Thomas has 252 rushing attempts for 1,146 yards (4.5 avg.) this season, with his 114.6 yards per game average listing 14th nationally. He lists eighth in Michigan's season records in rushing attempts (252), while ranking 13th in rushing yards (1,146). Thomas needs 211 rushing yards to break into Michigan's top 10 rushing totals in a season and just 262 yards to reach the top five. He needs just 52 carries to break the season rushing attempt record of 301 set in 1995 by current Carolina Panthers tailback Tshimanga Biakabutuka (1993-95).
Terrell Leads Receiving Effort
Sophomore wide receiver David Terrell (Richmond, Va./Huguenot HS) heads into the Ohio State game as the team's leading receiver, with 59 receptions for 873 yards this year. Terrell looks to make his 10th career start in the Ohio State game and is coming off a career-high 133-yard receiving day (six receptions) against Penn State. He has four 100-yard receiving games this year and is one shy of the school season record shared by Anthony Carter (five in 1982) and Tai Streets (five in 1998). Terrell is tied for 25th nationally in receptions per game (5.9 avg.) and is tied for 26th in receiving yards per contest (87.3 avg.).
Terrell Nears 1,000 in a Season
Sophomore wide receiver David Terrell heads into the Ohio State game needing 127 receiving yards to become the fifth player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season. He lists fifth in season receptions (59) and eighth in receiving yards (873), and needs 17 catches and 223 receiving yards to equal the school records in both categories. Jack Clancy (1963-66) holds Michigan's season reception record with 76 catches in 1966, while the schools season receiving yardage mark is 1,096 yards held by current New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer (1992-95).
Michigan's Single-Season Receptions List
| | Player (Year) | Rec. | Needed |
| 1. | Jack Clancy (1966) | 76 | 17 |
| 2. | Tai Streets (1998) | 67 | 8 |
| 3. | Desmond Howard (1990) | 63 | 4 |
| 4. | Desmond Howard (1991) | 62 | 3 |
| 5. | David Terrell (1999) | 59 | |
Michigan's Season Receiving Yards List
| | Player (Year) | Yards | Needed |
| 1. | Amani Toomer (1994) | 1,096 | 223 |
| 2. | Jack Clancy (1966) | 1,079 | 206 |
| 3. | Tai Streets (1998) | 1,035 | 162 |
| 4. | Desmond Howard (1990) | 1,025 | 152 |
| 5. | Desmond Howard (1991) | 985 | 112 |
| 6. | Anthony Carter (1981) | 952 | 79 |
| 7. | Mercury Hayes (1995) | 923 | 50 |
| 8. | David Terrell (1999) | 873 | |
Terrell Getting Defensive
In addition to offensive duties, David Terrell is showing his prowess by playing as a backup cornerback. Terrell has recorded six tackles (four solo, two assists) this season, while adding one interception (returned 11 yards) and two pass break-ups. He recorded one of his two PBUs in last weeks Penn State game, stopping a potential Nittany Lion touchdown drive and forcing a field goal.
Knight Eyes 1,500 Yards
Senior wide receiver Marcus Knight (Sylacauga, Ala./Comer HS) heads into his final home game against Ohio State needing 20 receiving yards to become the 12th player in school history to surpass the 1,500-yard receiving mark in his career. Knight has 85 career receptions for 1,480 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He ranks 12th in career receiving yards and 14th in career receptions, and needs just 34 yards and 14 catches to reach Michigan's all-time top 10 in both categories.
Michigan's All-Time Receptions List
| | Player (Years) | Rec. | Needed |
| 1. | Anthony Carter (1979-82) | 161 | 76 |
| 8. | Jim Mandich (1967-69) | 119 | 34 |
| 9. | Greg McMurtry (1986-89) | 111 | 26 |
| 10. | Jamie Morris (1984-87) | 99 | 14 |
| 11. | Jerame Tuman (1995-98) | 98 | 13 |
| 12. | Vince Bean (1981-84) | 93 | 8 |
| 13. | Marcus Knight (1996- ) | 85 | |
Michigan's All-Time Receiving Yards List
| | Player (Years) | Yards | Needed |
| 1. | Anthony Carter (1979-82) | 3,076 | 1,596 |
| 8. | Jack Clancy (1963-66) | 1,919 | 439 |
| 9. | Jim Smith (1973-76) | 1,687 | 207 |
| 10. | Vince Bean (1981-84) | 1,514 | 34 |
| 11. | Jim Mandich (1967-69) | 1,508 | 28 |
| 12. | Marcus Knight (1996- ) | 1,480 | |
Knight Moves
Marcus Knight leads the receiving corps in receiving touchdowns (six) and average yards per reception (21.3 avg.) this season. He lists second in receptions (36) and receiving yards (766), with his 76.6 receiving yards per game average listing 48th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten Conference. He lists 11th in Michigans all-time season receiving yards with 766 this season and needs seven receptions to jump into the all-time season receptions list. Knight set a career high with two receiving touchdowns against Penn State and finished the game with five receptions for 79 yards. He hauled in the game-winning 11-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady with 1:46 remaining in the contest.
Receiving Duo Looks to Set School Mark
Michigan's starting receiving duo of Marcus Knight and David Terrell enters the Ohio State game needing just 47 receiving yards to become the most prolific tandem in Michigan school history. Knight and Terrell have combined for 1,639 yards on 95 receptions this season, and have scored 10 receiving touchdowns. The school-record total of 1,685 receiving yards was set in 1994 by Mercury Hayes and Amani Toomer.
Michigan's Top Receiving Tandems in a Season
| Players | Season | Yards |
| Mercury Hayes and Amani Toomer | 1994 | 1,685 |
| Mercury Hayes and Amani Toomer | 1995 | 1,681 |
| Marcus Knight and David Terrell | 1999 | 1,639 |
| Tai Streets and Marcus Knight | 1998 | 1,638 |
| Desmond Howard and Yale Van Dyne | 1991 | 1,485 |
| Desmond Howard and Derrick Alexander | 1990 | 1,475 |
| Anthony Carter and Craig Dunaway | 1982 | 1,332 |
| Anthony Carter and Vince Bean | 1981 | 1,288 |
| Paul Jokisch and Eric Kattus | 1985 | 1,263 |
| Tai Streets and Jerame Tuman | 1996 | 1,254 |
Shea Eyes 60th Reception
Senior fullback Aaron Shea (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa HS) heads into his final home game needing one reception for 60 in his career. Shea has 59 career receptions for 517 yards and five touchdowns, including career highs in all three receiving categories this season (29 receptions for 232 yards and three TDs). He caught one pass at Penn State, rushed four times for nine yards and was integral in the blocking game that provided Anthony Thomas' 127-yard rushing effort and limited the productivity of Penn State's heralded linebackers. Shea has rushed 11 times this season for 31 yards and has 27 career carries for 104 yards.
Cross Provides Kickoff Return Boost
Sophomore tailback Walter Cross (Fort Washington, Md./Oxon Hill HS) has given the Wolverines' kickoff return game a real boost in the last two contests, averaging 28.4 yards per return. Cross has returned five kickoffs for 142 yards in the last two weeks, including three for 85 yards (28.3 avg.) against Penn State. He returned a team season-long and career-best 53-yard kickoff against Penn State a week after equaling the team season-best with a 30-yard return against Northwestern.
Johnson Setting Table
Senior wide receiver and punt returner DiAllo Johnson (Detroit, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS) enters the Ohio State game ranked tied for 26th nationally in punt returns with an 11.53-yard average. Johnson has returned a team-high 19 punts for 219 yards this season. He had a big game against Penn State, returning five punts for 57 yards (11.4 avg.) and set up the game-winning touchdown with a 24-yard career-long return. He also completed a 23-yard throwback pass to sophomore quarterback Drew Henson (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) against the Nittany Lions that set up Anthony Thomas' two-yard TD run. Johnson has taken over the team's punt return duties in the last three contests and recorded eight punt returns for 10 or more yards (three each against Penn State and Indiana and two vs. Northwestern). In the receiving area, Johnson has caught a career-high 12 passes for 146 yards this season. His only receiving touchdown this year was a game-winning 23-yard pass against Wisconsin from Tom Brady (his other receiving TD was the game-winner in last year's Citrus Bowl). Johnson has 22 career receptions for 322 yards (14.6 avg.) and two TDs.
Johnson's Double-Digit Punt Returns (10)
Penn State (14, 10 and 24), Northwestern (16 and 19),
Indiana (18, 10 and 12) and Rice (17 and 21)
Gold Sets Career High in Tackles
Senior inside linebacker Ian Gold (Belleville, Mich./Belleville HS) enters his final home game leading the team with a career-high 74 tackles (54 solo, 20 assists). Gold surpassed his previous career-best 68-tackle 1998 season with 11 stops against Penn State. He recorded a team-leading 11 tackles (eight solo, three assists) against the Nittany Lions, and secured the victory by forcing a quarterback Kevin Thompson fumble late in the contest. Gold finished the Penn State game with a career-best two sacks (nine yards), as well as three TFLs (11 yards), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In addition to leading the squad in tackles this season, Gold lists second on the team in tackles for loss (10 for 33 yards) and sacks (four for 19 yards). He has also contributed two PBUs and forced three fumbles this year.
Gold Nears 200-Tackle Mark
With his 11-tackle performance at Penn State, Ian Gold needs 18 tackles to reach the 200-tackle plateau in his career. Gold has four career double-digit tackle games, with his career high of 13 tackles being set on two occasions (Michigan State this year and Indiana in 1998). Gold has 182 career tackles (133 solo, 49 assists), 21 TFLs and six sacks.
Gold's Career Double-Digit Tackle Games:
| No. | Opponent, Year |
| 13 | at Michigan State, 1999 (Sr.) |
| 13 | Indiana, 1998 (Jr.) |
| 12 | at Northwestern, 1998 (Jr.) |
| 11 | at Penn State, 1999 (Jr.) |
Jones Eyes 30th Career Start
Senior inside linebacker Dhani Jones (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill HS) looks to make his 30th career start at linebacker in the final appearance at the "Big House." He is currently tied with Matt Dyson (1991-94) and Andy Cannavino (1978-80) for 10th in career starts by a Michigan linebacker and will secure 10th alone should he start against Ohio State. Jones ranks second on the team with 64 tackles this season (45 solo, 19 assists), while listing tied for third in TFLs (nine for 29 yards) and fifth with two sacks. He is the team's leader in career tackles with 230 (154 solo, 76 assists) and has contributed 29 career TFLs and nine sacks.
Hendricks Tackles Fifth
Senior strong safety Tommy Hendricks (Houston, Texas/Eisenhower HS) enters his final home game against Ohio State fifth all-time in career tackles by a Michigan defensive back. Hendricks was second on the team with eight tackles (five solo, three assists) at Penn State, and lists third in tackles with 63 (47 solo, 16 assists) this season. He needs 16 tackles to equal his career high of 79 set last year and just seven stops to surpass Garland Rivers (1983-86) for fourth place among defensive back in career tackles. In addition to his 63 tackles this year, Hendricks has six TFLs, three PBUs and one interception (returned 12 yards).
Michigan Defensive Backs All-Time Tackles
| | Player (Years) | Tackles | Needed |
| 1. | Don Dufek Jr. (1973-75) | 233 | 41 |
| 2. | Marcus Ray (1995-98) | 242 | 26 |
| 3. | Tripp Welborne (1987-90) | 238 | 22 |
| 4. | Garland Rivers (1983-86) | 222 | 6 |
| 5. | Tommy Hendricks (1996-99) | 216 | |
| 6. | Thom Darden (1969-71) | 211 | |
Hendricks Looks to Tie for Second
Tommy Hendricks looks to start his 36th consecutive game in the Michigan secondary against Ohio State. He is tied for sixth in career starts by a Michigan defensive back and could join Charles Woodson (1995-97), David Key (1988-90), Garland Rivers (1984-86) and Jim Pickens (1975-77) for second all-time with 36 starts. A Thorpe Award candidate, Hendricks could end his career second alone in career starts by a defensive back at Michigan. The school record is 38 starts held by Brad Cochran (1982-85).
Michigans Career Starts by a Defensive Back
| | Player (Years) | Starts | Needed |
| 1. | Brad Cochran (1982-85) | 38 | 3 |
| 2. | Charles Woodson (1995-97) | 36 | 1 |
| | David Key (1988-90) | 36 | 1 |
| | Garland Rivers (1984-86) | 36 | 1 |
| | Jim Pickens (1975-77) | 36 | 1 |
| 6. | Tommy Hendricks (1996- ) | 35 | |
| | Vada Murray (1988-90) | 35 | |
| | Tony Gant (1982-86) | 35 | |
| | Mike Jolly (1977-79) | 35 | |
Whitley Ties Single-Game PBU Mark
Junior cornerback James Whitley (Norfolk, Va./Norview HS) heads into the regular-season finale against Ohio State after equaling the Michigan single-game record with five pass break-ups against Penn State. Whitley tied Thom Darden's (1969-71) mark set against Purdue on Oct. 11, 1969, and in the process moved into both the season and career pass break-up charts. Whitley is second on the team with a career-high nine PBUs this season, listing tied for ninth in season PBU records, and has 19 career PBUs. He is tied with former Wolverine and current All-Pro cornerback Ty Law of the New England Patriots in the career pass break-ups and needs four to equal Da
