Michigan
8-3 , 6-2
Ohio State
8-3 , 5-3
Wolverines Better Buckeyes to Claim 40th Big Ten Title
11/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan football team won its 40th Big Ten Conference championship with a 38-26 victory over No. 12 Ohio State today (Saturday, Nov. 18) at Ohio Stadium. The Wolverines (8-3, 6-2 Big Ten) received a strong performance from their defense, and junior quarterback Drew Henson (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) iced the game with a one-yard, fourth-down keeper with 1:18 remaining to secure the victory.
Henson led the offense by completing 14-of-25 passing attempts for 303 yards and three touchdown passes. Senior tailback Anthony Thomas (Winnfield, La./Winnfield HS) contributed a hard-fought 60 rushing yards on 29 carries and had two catches for 89 yards against the Buckeyes' stingy defense, including a 70-yard touchdown reception for Michigan's first score. Junior wide receiver David Terrell (Richmond, Va./Huguenot HS) caught five passes for 99 yards and scored two touchdowns (21 and 32 yards).
Defensively, inside linebackers Larry Foote (Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) and Carl Diggs (Warren, Ohio/Harding HS) tied for the team lead with nine tackles apiece. Foote added an interception (20-yard return) that U-M converted into a touchdown. Junior/sophomore Julius Curry (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Gallagher HS) added eight tackles and scored the first defensive points of the season for the Wolverines, on a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Ohio State built a 9-0 lead by scoring on its first two possessions of the game. Jonathan Wells scored on an 11-yard fourth-down run on the opening possession and Dan Stultz connected on a 37-yard field goal after missing the point-after attempt on the touchdown drive. The Buckeyes gained possession inside U-M territory on both drives as Nate Clements returned the opening kickoff 80 yards to the U-M 20-yard line, and David Mitchell intercepted a third-down Henson pass on the Wolverines' opening drive and returned it 21 yards to the U-M 15-yard line. The Michigan defense held firm on the second series and forced the Stultz field goal.
Michigan trimmed the lead to 9-7 as Henson tossed a screen right to Thomas on third-and-10. Thomas took the screen with a wall of blockers and weaved his way 70 yards for the touchdown. The scoring play tied Thomas with Tyrone Wheatley (1994-97) for the school touchdown record (54) and was the first receiving touchdown of his career.
The Wolverines gained a 14-9 advantage on another quick-striking drive as Henson threw across the field to an open Terrell in the left corner of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown. Michigan received the ball at Ohio State's 43-yard line to start the three-play drive as junior inside linebacker Foote intercepted Steve Bellisari's pass and returned it 20 yards. After Thomas lost two yards on first down, Henson and Terrell hooked up on a 24-yard pass play on the left sideline one play prior the touchdown.
The Buckeyes trimmed the lead to 14-12 on the final play of the first half as Stultz connected on a 26-yard field goal. Ohio State moved into scoring territory as Bellisari completed 4-of-5 passing attempts for 57 yards and a key 19-yard pass play to Vaness Provitt at the two-yard line. The 11-play scoring drive covered 72 yards in 2:13.
Michigan took the second-half kickoff after deferring to open the game and proceeded to gain a 21-12 advantage. Henson completed a 32-yard pass to Terrell in the left corner of the end zone immediately after U-M converted a fake field goal. Lined up to attempt a field goal, redshirt freshman John Navarre (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy HS) ran under center and handed the ball to sophomore fullback B.J. Askew (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain HS) for a three-yard gain on fourth-and-two at the OSU 35-yard line. U-M took 4:21 off the clock as it gained 27 rushing yards and 49 passing yards on the 10-play scoring drive.
The Wolverines converted an Ohio State turnover into points as junior placekicker/punter Hayden Epstein (Cardiff, Calif./Torrey Pines) connected on a 25-yard field goal to increase U-M's lead to 24-12. The drive started after junior/sophomore defensive end Dan Rumishek (Addison, Ill./Addison Trail HS) intercepted a deflected pass at the OSU 42-yard line. U-M moved to the 12-yard line as Henson completed a 25-yard pass to junior wide receiver Marquise Walker (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger HS) on the second play from scrimmage. Thomas gained nine rushing yards on four carries during the drive as the Wolverines converted the turnover into points.
Michigan's defense scored its first points of the year on Ohio State's next possession as Curry intercepted the Bellisari pass and returned it 50 yards for his first career touchdown and a 31-12 lead.
The Buckeyes chipped into the Wolverines with back-to-back touchdown drives that brought the score to 31-26. Tailback Jonathan Wells capped a 66-yard scoring drive (13 plays in 3:41) with a two-yard touchdown run, and Bellisari hit wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambo on an 18-yard pass play across the middle for a TD (five plays and 46 yards in 1:25).
With 6:55 remaining in the game, Michigan moved out to midfield with a pair of first downs. Henson completed a screen pass to Thomas for 19 yards on the first play of the drive and Thomas gained another first down with two carries for 10 yards before Ohio State forced a punting situation. Epstein and the coverage unit pinned the Buckeyes at their nine-yard line (OSU was called for a block in the back penalty).
After a pair of incompletions to start the drive, Bellisari completed a nine-yard pass to Jonathan Wells on third down. With a fourth-and-one play from its 18-yard line, Bellisari handed to Wells, who was hit for no gain by junior/sophomore outside linebacker Victor Hobson (Mt. Laurel, N.J./St. Josephs Prep).
Michigan took over scored the game-clinching points as Henson scored on a one-yard keeper to the left on fourth down. The Wolverines' six-play scoring drive covered 18 yards in 1:57, with Thomas gaining 17 yards on five carries.
Ohio State was unable to generate a drive and Michigan knelt down to run out the remaining time on the clock and claim its 40th Big Ten Conference football title in school history.
The Wolverines await selection to their 26th consecutive bowl game.
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
MI 0, OSU 6
OSU - Wells, Jonathan 11 yd run (Stultz, Dan kickfailed), 4 plays, 20 yards, TOP 1:57
MI 0, OSU 9
OSU - Stultz, Dan 37 yd field goal 4 plays, -5 yards, TOP 1:30
MI 7, OSU 9
MI - Thomas, Anthony 70 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Epstein, Hayden kick) 3 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:46
MI 14, OSU 9
MI - Terrell, David 21 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Epstein, Hayden kick) 3 plays, 43 yards, TOP 0:58
MI 14, OSU 12
OSU - Stultz, Dan 26 yd field goal 11 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:13
MI 21, OSU 12
MI - Terrell, David 32 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Epstein, Hayden kick) 10 plays, 74 yards, TOP 4:32
MI 24, OSU 12
MI - Epstein, Hayden 25 yd field goal 6 plays, 34 yards, TOP 3:17
MI 31, OSU 12
MI - Curry, Julius 50 yd interception (Epstein, Hayden kick)
MI 31, OSU 19
OSU - Wells, Jonathan 2 yd run (Stultz, Dan kick), 13 plays, 66 yards, TOP 3:41
MI 31, OSU 26
OSU - Rambo, Ken-Yon 18 yd pass from Bellisari, S (Stultz, Dan kick) 5 plays, 46 yards, TOP 1:25
MI 38, OSU 26
MI - Henson, Drew 1 yd run (Epstein, Hayden kick), 6 plays, 18 yards, TOP 1:50
