Defense, Passing Game Lead Wolverines Past Rice

Saturday, September 11

Ann Arbor, Mich.

12:10 PM

Michigan

2-0

Rice

0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Rice

Michigan

9/11/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #6 Michigan 37, Rice 3
Records: U-M (2-0), Rice (0-2)
Attendance: 110,501
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 18 -- at Syracuse (Syracuse, N.Y.), 8 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6 University of Michigan football team was dominant in the 37-3 victory over the Rice Owls on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 11) before 110,501 fans, the 150th straight Michigan Stadium home crowd of at least 100,000. The Wolverine defense allowed just 157 total yards of offense for Rice, while the Maize and Blue offense pounded out 356 total yards, including 224 through the air.

The Wolverines (2-0) opened the scoring with a 24-yard Jeff Del Verne (Sylvania, Ohio/St. John's HS) field goal at 2:48 of the first quarter. Michigan, after holding Rice to three plays and punt, took possession of the ball on its 39-yard line and drove 54 yards on 11 plays. The Wolverine scoring drive was keyed by two long pass plays, a 21-yard Marquise Walker (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger HS) reception on third-and-six and a 16-yard pass to Marcus Knight (Sylacauga, Ala./Comer HS) on second-and-15.

Michigan extended its lead to 10-0 on a Drew Henson (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) one-yard touchdown dive at 12:46 of the second quarter. Henson entered the game for Michigan's third possession and marched the Wolverines 64 yards on eight plays. On his first play from scrimmage, Henson rolled to his left and found David Terrell (Richmond, Va./Huguenot HS) for a 34-yard gain. Later in the drive, Terrell picked up six yards on a reverse and Anthony Thomas (Winnfield, La./Winnfield HS) ran for 11 yards around the left end to move the ball inside the Rice five-yard line.

The Wolverines had opportunities to add to their lead in the second quarter. After holding Rice to three plays and out on its first possession of the quarter, Michigan took control of the ball on its own 40-yard line. The Wolverines proceeded to drive to the Rice 22-yard line, aided by a 26-yard pass from Tom Brady (San Mateo, Calif./Serra HS) to Knight on third-and-eight. The Wolverines went for it on fourth-and-two and were stopped short.

With the score 10-0, DeWayne Patmon (San Diego, Calif./Patrick Henry HS) collected his sixth career interception to give Michigan the ball at the Rice 47-yard line. Todd Howard (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) created the opportunity with a hit to jar the ball free and allowed Patmon to dive under it. The Wolverine offense could not capitalize as it went three-and-out, but Henson pooch-punted the ball to the six-yard line.

After the Wolverine defense held Rice to another punt, DiAllo Johnson (Detroit, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS) gave Michigan great field possession with a 17-yard punt return to the Rice 28-yard line. After the offense sputtered, Del Verne booted a 38-yard field goal, his career long, to extend the Wolverine lead to 13-0.

The Michigan offense got one more chance in the first half and gave the Wolverines a 20-0 lead with a Terrell touchdown on a 14-yard slant from Henson. It was Henson's fourth career TD pass and the second of Terrell's career. The drive started with five consecutive plays from tailback Walter Cross (Fort Washington, Md./Oxon Hill HS) covering 21 yards, but was keyed by an 18-yard Walker reception. Walker caught a five-yard pass and broke two tackles before getting tripped up at the 14-yard line.

The Wolverine defense destroyed the Owls in the first half, allowing just 63 yards and three first downs on eight Rice possessions while the offense ground out 246 yards to end the half with a 20-0 advantage.

Michigan opened up the second half three plays and out but continued its defensive dominance when Josh Williams (Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek HS) made a solid hit on the ball carrier, jarring the ball loose and was recovered by Grady Brooks (Dallas, Texas/Lincoln HS), his first career fumble recovery. The Wolverines then took the ball and marched 46 yards on nine plays, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown run by Thomas to give Michigan a commanding 27-0 lead with 9:04 left in the third quarter.

Rice's next series led to more misfortunes when Travis Hale's punt was blocked by Walker and recovered by Brandon Williams (Omaha, Neb./Central HS), who returned the ball eight yards to the Owls' four-yard line. On the next play Thomas took the handoff and gave the Wolverines a 34-0 lead with a four-yard TD, his third of the season and 24th of his career in 26 games.

The Wolverines' dominance continued as they stopped Rice on the next three plays and then drove 51 yards on nine plays before settling for a Del Verne 30-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, making the score 37-0.

The Maize and Blue's shutout was denied when the Owls drove the ball 56 yards on nine plays -- led by runs of 22 and 18 yards by quarterback Corey Evans -- and dented the scoreboard with a 34-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the game. The drive was the first time in the game that the Owls crossed the 50-yard line.

Next week, Michigan will travel to Syracuse for its first road game of the 1999 season. The Wolverines will battle the Orangemen on Saturday (Sept. 18) in a nationally televised primetime game on CBS (8 p.m. EST).

Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423