Weekly Release #13

#15/#17 Michigan (8-3, 6-2 Big Ten)

at

#20 Auburn (9-3, 6-2 SEC)

Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl

Monday, January 1, 2001 (1 p.m. EST)

Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.

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. Sean Grande handles play-by-play duties and David Norrie provides commentary.

Series History: Michigan and Auburn will meet on the gridiron for the second time, with the Tigers winning 9-7 in the 1984 Sugar Bowl. The Wolverines have a 16-4-1 record against schools from the Southeastern Conference and will face their third straight in a bowl game (Arkansas in the 1999 Citrus Bowl and Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl). Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr is 2-0 against the SEC.

Last Meeting: (No. 3 Auburn 9, No. 8 Michigan 7, Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, La., Jan. 1, 1984) The Tigers scratched their way past the Wolverines, 9-7, as kicker Al Del Greco connected on three field goals. Steve Smith gave Michigan a 7-0 lead on a four-yard keeper midway through the first quarter, a margin the Wolverines would keep for 52 minutes of the 60-minute contest. Auburn attempted only two passes in the second half and handed off 42 times to backs Lionel James, Bo Jackson, and Tommy Agee, who together collected 306 yards on the ground. The Tigers got on the scoreboard in the third quarter by marching 68 yards, all on the ground, to set up a 31-yard Del Greco field goal. Auburn got a break when Smith was hit as he released the ball and Auburn's Gregg Carr grabbed it at the Michigan 41-yard line. Seven plays later, Del Greco chalked up his second three-pointer, a 32-yarder. After another Michigan punt, Auburn took over on its own 39-yard line. The Tigers ran a ball control offense, using 15 rushing plays and 7:21 off the clock in reaching the Wolverines' one-yard line with 27 seconds to play in the game. Michigan called a timeout, but Del Greco booted the 19-yard game-winning field goal.

Michigan in the Florida Citrus Bowl: This is the second time that the Wolverines will play in the Florida Citrus Bowl game. Michigan's previous appearance came on Jan. 1, 1999, a 45-31 victory over Arkansas.

SECTIONS: Coach Lloyd Carr |

Stat Leaders |
Team Notes |
Player Notes

QUICKLY ON COACH CARR ...

Lloyd Carr (Northern Michigan, 1968)

Sixth season as Michigan Head Coach

57-16 overall record at Michigan; 37-11 Big Ten Conference record

Lloyd Carr has an 8-3 record in his sixth year as Michigan's head coach. Carr posted a 32-5 record over the last three seasons (1997-1999) and led the Wolverines to three consecutive bowl victories (Rose, Citrus and Orange bowls). He was named the 1997 national coach of the year after guiding the program to a perfect 12-0 record and the Associated Press national championship. Carr led the Wolverines to back-to-back Big Ten Conference titles (1997-98), and his teams have finished in the top 20 nationally each of his first five years. 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).

2000 TOP STATISTICAL LEADERS ...

Rushing: Anthony Thomas (287 attempts, 1,551 yards, 16 TDs)

Passing: Drew Henson (131 completions, 217 attempts, 1,852 yards, 16 TDs)

Receiving: David Terrell (63 receptions, 994 yards, 13 TDs)

Punt Returns: Ronald Bellamy (25 returns for 293 yards, 48-yard long)

Kickoff Returns: Walter Cross (13 returns for 246 yards, 28-yard long)

Punting: Hayden Epstein (51 punts, 2,050 yards, 40.2 avg., 18 inside 20-yard line)

Tackles: DeWayne Patmon (78 -- 59 solo, 19 assists)

Sacks: Victor Hobson (3 for 12 yards)

Tackles for Loss: Victor Hobson (10 for 27 yards)

Interceptions: Todd Howard (6 for 1 yard)

Pass Break-ups: Todd Howard (13)

MICHIGAN TEAM NOTES ...

Bowl Bound

The University of Michigan football team will head into postseason competition for the 32nd overall time and the 26th straight season on Jan. 1 against Auburn in the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines have a 16-15 record in bowl action, with 13 of the 15 losses decided by one score or less and nine of the 15 victories by 10 points or more. U-M has compiled a 6-2 record in its last eight bowl games, with the setbacks coming by two and three points.

Michigan in January

The Wolverines are looking to collect their 15th victory in the month of January. Michigan has compiled a 14-12 record during the first month of the year and is 12-10 on New Year's Day. They have a 2-2 record on January 2.

Consecutive Bowl Streak

With its 26th consecutive bid to a bowl game, the Michigan football team ranks second only to Nebraska (27) in consecutive bowl appearances. The Wolverines rank tied for ninth in terms of all-time bowl appearances and are 12th in bowl victories (Auburn is making its 27th bowl appearance and has 14 wins).

All-Time Bowl Appearances (including 2000)

1.	Alabama	50
2.	Tennessee	41
3.	Texas	40
4.	Southern California	39
	Nebraska	39
6.	Penn State	36
	Georgia	36
8.	Oklahoma	34
9.	Michigan	32
	Louisiana State	32
	Ohio State	32

All-Time Bowl Victories

1.	Alabama	28
2.	Southern California	25
3.	Penn State	23
4.	Tennessee	22
5.	Oklahoma	20
6.	Georgia Tech	19
	Nebraska	19
8.	Georgia	18
	Texas	18
10.	Florida State	17
	Mississippi	17
12.	Michigan	16

Michigan vs. the Southeastern Conference

This will be the 21st time and third straight bowl game that Michigan will face a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Wolverines' matchup with the Auburn Tigers in the Florida Citrus Bowl will be the second meeting between the two programs, with the Tigers claiming a 9-7 victory in the 1984 Sugar Bowl. U-M has a 16-4-1 all-time record vs. schools from the Southeastern Conference and have played eight of the conference's 12 schools over the years. Auburn is the third SEC team that Michigan has faced in the past three bowl games (Arkansas in the 1999 Citrus Bowl and Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl), and the fourth in the last five bowl seasons (played the Crimson Tide in the 1997 Outback Bowl).

Michigan vs. the SEC

Opponent	W	L	T	Pct.
Alabama	2	1	0	.667
Arkansas	1	0	0	1.000
Auburn	0	1	0	.000
Georgia	1	1	0	.500
Kentucky	1	0	0	1.000
Mississippi	1	0	0	1.000
South Carolina	1	1	0	.500
Vanderbilt	9	0	1	.950
Totals	16	4	1	.786

Michigan vs. Auburn

This will be the second meeting between the two programs. Auburn is the only SEC team that the Wolverines have played but not beaten, losing 9-7 in the 1984 Sugar Bowl (only previous matchup). This is the second straight bowl season that Michigan plays a school from Alabama (beat the Crimson Tide 35-34 in overtime in the last year's Orange Bowl). U-M has a 2-2 record vs. the state of Alabama.

Carr in Bowls

After starting out with a pair of close bowl setbacks, Lloyd Carr looks to become the first coach in Michigan history to win four straight bowl games. Carr has guided the Wolverines to three consecutive victories on Jan. 1, winning the 1998 Rose, 1999 Citrus and 2000 Orange bowls. He has a 3-2 overall bowl record, with both setbacks coming by three or less points (22-20 to Texas A&M in 1995 Alamo Bowl and 17-14 to Alabama in 1997 Outback Bowl). This will be the sixth straight bowl for the Wolverines with Carr at the helm, and his 21st straight bowl game coached as a member of the Michigan staff.

Bowling in the Sunshine State

This will be the third straight year and fourth time in Lloyd Carr's six years as head coach that Michigan will play a bowl game in the state of Florida. The Wolverines make their ninth appearance in a Florida bowl game with their Jan. 1 date against Auburn in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Michigan has a 5-3 record in games played in the state of Florida (all bowl games) and has won five of its last six with a pair of victories in the Hall of Fame Bowl (now Outback) and single wins in the Gator Bowl, Citrus Bowl and Orange Bowl.

Date	Bowl	Opponent	Result
Jan. 1, 1976	Orange	Oklahoma	L, 6-14
Dec. 28, 1976	Gator	North Carolina	L, 15-17
Jan. 2, 1988	Hall of Fame*	Alabama	W, 28-24
Jan. 1, 1991	Gator	Mississippi	W, 35-3
Jan. 1, 1994	Hall of Fame*	North Carolina State	W, 42-7
Jan. 1, 1997	Outback	Alabama	L, 14-17
Jan. 1, 1999	Citrus	Arkansas	W, 45-31
Jan. 1, 2000	Orange	Alabama	W, 35-34 ot
* Now the Outback Bowl

Straight A's for Carr

With the Jan. 1 matchup against Auburn in the Florida Citrus Bowl, Lloyd Carr and the Michigan football team will play a third "straight A" bowl opponent. The Wolverines have beaten Arkansas and Alabama from the SEC in their last two bowl games and face Auburn to complete the cycle of A's.

Wolverines Seeks Fourth Straight Bowl Win

For just the second time in school history, the Michigan football team looks to claim wins in four consecutive bowl games. The program won its first four bowl games -- the 1902, 1948, 1951 and 1965 Rose Bowls -- but has not claimed victories in four straight bowl games since the string of bowls began in 1976. The only other time the Wolverines won three consecutive bowl games was during the 1992-94 seasons, when current Detroit Lions coach Gary Moeller led the squad to victories in the 1993 Rose, 1994 Hall of Fame and 1994 Holiday bowls.

Michigan When Ranked No. 17 by AP

The Wolverines will take the field for the eighth time in school history when ranked No. 17 by the Associated Press. It will also be the first time since Oct. 8, 1988, when the Wolverines defeated Michigan State by a 17-3 score at Michigan Stadium. Michigan has compiled a 4-3 all-time record when listed 17th by the AP, including wins in three of its last four contests.

Date	Rank*	Opponent	Site	Result
Nov. 19, 1938	17 / --	Ohio State	A	W, 18-0
Sept. 29, 1951	17 / 2	Michigan State	H	L, 0-25
Nov. 7, 1953	17 / 4	Illinois	A	L, 3-19
Nov. 3, 1956	17 / 7	Iowa	A	W, 17-14
Sept. 27, 1980	17 / --	South Carolina	H	L, 14-17
Sept. 24, 1983	17 / --	Wisconsin	A	W, 38-21
Oct. 8, 1988	17 / --	Michigan State	H	W, 17-3
* Rankings (Michigan/opponent) from the AP Top 25

Wolverines vs. 20th-Ranked Teams

This will be the sixth time that Michigan has faced a team ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press national poll. The Wolverines have compiled a 4-1 record in the previous five matchups, and claimed a 21-16 victory at Wisconsin in their last meeting with a 20th-ranked foe (Sept. 25, 1999).

Date	Rank*	Opponent	Site	Result
Sept. 11, 1971	4 / 20	Northwestern	A	W, 21-6
Sept. 18, 1982	10 / 20	Notre Dame	A	L, 17-23
Sept. 27, 1986	5 / 20	Florida State	H	W, 20-18
Nov. 25, 1989	3 / 20	Ohio State	H	W, 28-18
Sept. 25, 1999	4 / 20	Wisconsin	A	W, 21-16
* Rankings (Michigan/opponent) from the AP Top 25

40th Big Ten Conference Title

The Michigan football team claimed a share of its conference-leading 40th Big Ten title with its 38-26 victory over No. 12 Ohio State in Columbus (Nov. 18). U-M has won more conference football titles than any school, and owns the most of any sports team in the conference (U-M baseball is second and U-M's men's swimming program is third). The Wolverines football program is the only team to win a conference title in each decade. U-M has won three Big Ten titles in the past four years and claimed six titles in the past 11 years.

Two-Loss Conference Champion(s)

This is the fifth time in the history of the Big Ten Conference that the champions -- Michigan, Northwestern and Purdue -- won or shared the title with two losses in conference play (6-2 records). The Wolverines were a part of the last two-loss championship season, tying Michigan State, Illinois and Iowa in a four-way tie for the 1990 title (6-2 records). The other years in which this happened were 1959 (Wisconsin, 5-2), 1981 (Ohio State and Iowa, 6-2) and 1984 (Ohio State, 7-2).

Michigan Completes Home Slate Undefeated

For the first time since the 1997 national championship season and the second time since 1985, the Michigan football team completed the home schedule with a perfect 6-0 record. The Wolverines outscored the opposition by a 198-35 margin at the "Big House" and allowed no more than 11 points in any one home game this season.

Michigan Leads NCAA in Attendance

For the third consecutive year and 26th time in the past 27 seasons, the Michigan football team led the nation in home attendance. U-M drew 664,930 fans during its six-game home slate at Michigan Stadium, for an average of 110,822 spectators per game. The season average is the third largest in Michigan history and the season total of 664,930 is the 11th highest total in Michigan history. The Wolverines have drawn in excess of 100,000 fans to 160 consecutive games at the "Big House."

Season of Sellouts

For the second time in school history (first time was 1985), every game on the Michigan football program's schedule was a sellout. The Wolverines played all six home games in front of sellout crowds, with the five road games being sold out for the Wolverines' appearances.

No. 1 in Division I-A Victories

The Wolverines heads into the Florida Citrus bowl looking to capture their NCAA Division I-A leading 805th all-time victory. Michigan has compiled an 804-262-36 record during 121 years of gridiron action, and trails only Yale (807 wins) on the NCAA's All-Time All-Division wins list. The Wolverines rank top in Division I-A in overall wins and are second in winning percentage to Notre Dame.

First-Quarter Dominance

The Wolverines have been an extremely productive first-quarter team this season, outscoring the opposition by a 100-25 margin. Michigan allowed field goals by Wisconsin, Purdue and Penn State, gave up a touchdown during the first series to Northwestern and yielded nine points to Ohio State on a touchdown (missed PAT) and field goal. U-M scored 14 touchdowns and one field goal during the opening quarter this season and was held scoreless only twice (Wisconsin and Penn State). The Wolverines have outscored the opposition by a 418-197 margin in the opening period during Lloyd Carr's six seasons.

First-Quarter Scoring Under Carr

Year	U-M	Opp.
1995	89	16
1996	44	22
1997	37	30
1998	78	80
1999	70	24
2000	100	25

Offensive Productivity

Michigan's offense has been one of the most balanced units in the country this season, averaging over 220 yards per contest in both the rushing and passing games. The Wolverines are one of just three teams in the nation and the only squad not running a spread offense averaging over 200 yards per game in both areas (Northwestern and Clemson are the others). Michigan is averaging 225.3 passing yards per game, and is gaining 220.18 rushing yards per contest. U-M is in the top three in every offensive category in the Big Ten Conference and lists among the top 20 nationally in four areas. U-M leads the conference and rates fourth in the nation in pass efficiency rating (150.75), while it is tied for 11th nationally with a 445.45 total offensive yards per game average.

Category (Avg.)	Big Ten	NCAA
Rushing Offense (220.18)	3rd	14th
Passing Offense (225.30)	3rd	45th
Total Offense (445.45)	3rd	T11th
Pass Efficiency (150.75)	1st	4th
Scoring Offense (33.91)	2nd	17th

Turnover Margin

With its 1.00 per game turnover margin during the regular season, Michigan finished the year tied for 10th in the nation with Boston College and Arizona State. The Wolverines were second in the Big Ten Conference in turnover margin, trailing only Northwestern (1.09 avg.). A large factor in the success of the turnover game was that U-M threw only five interceptions (tied for fourth nationally) and lost just 10 fumbles during the year. The Wolverines defense recovered 12 fumbles by the opposition and intercepted 14 passes.

Rushing Dominance

With a 220.18 rushing yards per game average, the Michigan football team will average more rushing yards per game than any of Lloyd Carr's previous season's as head coach (previous best was a 201.6 avg. in 1995). The Wolverines average rushing total so far is nearly double last season's output (121.8 avg.), and the Wolverines gained more than 250 yards in a game four time this season. Michigan reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark in just four games this season, faster than each of Carr's previous five seasons. U-M lists third in the Big Ten Conference and 14th nationally in rushing offense, and gained a season-best 341 yards on 55 carries at Illinois.

Top Team Single-Game Rushing Games Under Carr

Date	Opponent	Result	Att.	Yards
Nov. 25, 1995	Ohio State	W, 31-23	57	381
Sept. 20, 1997	Baylor	W, 38-3	61	344
Sept. 23, 2000	Illinois	W, 35-31	55	341
Nov. 28, 1998	Hawaii	W, 48-17	46	327
Oct. 28, 1995	Minnesota	W, 52-17	46	305
Sept. 28, 1996	UCLA	W, 38-9	55	300
Sept. 2, 2000	Bowling Green	W, 42-7	53	289
Oct. 14, 2000	Indiana	W, 58-0	52	282
Nov. 8, 1997	Penn State	W, 34-8	54	265
Sept. 16, 2000	UCLA	L, 20-23	46	263
Nov. 14, 1998	Wisconsin	W, 27-10	53	257
Italics denote 2000 games

MICHIGAN PLAYER NOTES ...

Thomas Named Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player

Senior tailback and co-captain Anthony Thomas (Winnfield, La./Winnfield HS) was named the team's Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player for his performance during the 2000 regular season. Thomas rushed for the third-highest season rushing total in Michigan history, gaining 1,551 yards on 287 carries this year. He ranks fifth nationally in rushing offense and third in the Big Ten Conference, with his 141.0 yards per game listing as the second-best season rushing average in school history. Thomas lists third in school history with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2000, and needs three rushing TDs to tie Ron Johnson's 32-year old school record of 19 scores (set in 1968). He needs 152 rushing yards to reach Jamie Morris (1,703 in 1987) for second place and is 267 yards away from Tshimanga Biakabutuka's single-season rushing record of 1,818 yards in 1995. Thomas added 13 receptions for 239 yards during the season, and scored his first career receiving touchdown on a screen and subsequent 70-yard run at Ohio State. Thomas has gained 100 or more rushing yards in eight of the 11 games this season and has reached 150 yards in five contests in 2000.

Michigan's Season Rushing Attempts

	Player	Attempts	Year
1.	Tim Biakabutuka	303	1995
2.	Anthony Thomas	301	1999
3.	Anthony Thomas	287	2000
4.	Jamie Morris	282	1987
5.	Gordon Bell	273	1975

Michigan's Season Rushing Yards

	Player	Yards	Year
1.	Tim Biakabutuka	1,818	1995
2.	Jamie Morris	1,703	1987
3.	Anthony Thomas	1,551	2000

Thomas Garners Postseason Recognition

In addition to receiving the team MVP award, Anthony Thomas has gained numerous postseason awards and recognition. He earned All-Big Ten Conference first-team by both the coaches and media and was named one of three finalists for the 2000 Doak Walker Award. Thomas has been named to the Football News second-team All-America squad and was a third-team All-America honoree by The Sporting News and College Football News.

Thomas Nears U-M Career Rushing Yardage Mark

Anthony Thomas heads into the Florida Citrus Bowl against Auburn within striking distance of Jamie Morris' career rushing record at Michigan. Thomas has rushed a school-record 892 times for 4,288 yards and holds the U-M record with 53 career rushing touchdowns. He is second all-time at U-M and lists eighth all-time in the Big Ten Conference in rushing yards. Thomas needs 106 rushing yards to break Morris' record mark of 4,393 yards (1984-87).

Michigan's Career Rushing Yards

	Player	Yards	Years
1.	Jamie Morris	4,393	1984-87
2.	Anthony Thomas	4,288	1997-2000
3.	Tyrone Wheatley	4,178	1991-94

Michigan's Season Rushing Touchdowns

	Player	TDs	Year
1.	Ron Johnson	19	1968
2.	Anthony Thomas	17	1999
3.	Anthony Thomas	16	2000
4.	Anthony Thomas	15	1998

Thomas Eyes Scoring Record

With his 70-yard screen for a touchdown run at Ohio State, Anthony Thomas enters the Florida Citrus Bowl looking to break a tie with Tyrone Wheatley (1991-94) for the modern era record for scoring and overall touchdowns scored (each has 324 career point). Thomas has scored 54 career touchdowns (53 rushing, 1 receiving), and is the second player in school history to score 15 or more touchdowns in three straight seasons (Willie Heston did it all four years). He ranks tied for 14th nationally in scoring (9.26 avg.) and is second in the Big Ten Conference.

Thomas Charting Records

Earlier this season, Anthony Thomas captured three of U-M's four major career rushing marks, and he has captured numerous other records. He broke the career 100-yard rushing games mark against Penn State, grabbed the rushing touchdown record against Michigan State and needs one touchdown in the Florida Citrus Bowl to break a tie with Tyrone Wheatley (1991-94) for the career touchdown and scoring records. Thomas became the first player in school history to surpass 1,000 career all-purpose plays (1,007) and he needs 24 rushing/receiving attempts against Auburn to surpass 1,000 career rushing/receiving plays (976). He has a school-record 21 career 100-yard rushing games and has surpassed the century mark in 13 of the last 17 contests. In all, Thomas holds or shares 14 Michigan game, season or career records.

Anthony Thomas' Michigan Records

Game Rushing Attempts: 42 at Indiana, Oct. 30, 1999 (Tied)

Career Rushing Attempts: 892

Career Rushing Touchdowns: 53

Career 100-Yard Rushing Games: 21

Career 150-Yard Rushing Games: 8 (Tied)

Season 150-Yard Rushing Games: 5 in 2000 (Tied)

Season Average Yards Per Game: 141.0 in 2000

Career Rushing/Receiving Plays: 976

Season Rushing/Receiving Plays: 334 in 1999

Game All-Purpose Plays: 46 at Indiana, Oct. 30, 1999

Career All-Purpose Plays: 1,007

Season All-Purpose Plays: 345 in 1999

Career Touchdowns: 54 (Tied)

Career Scoring: 324 (Tied)

Hutchinson Named Consensus All-America

In addition to his recognition as a finalist for the Lombardi Award, Steve Hutchinson has been a unanimous first-team All-America selection. Hutchinson received All-America first-team honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, CNN/Sports Illustrated, Football News, College Football News and ABC Sports/Bowl Championship Series Online. He was a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award and was also a candidate for the Outland Trophy this year. Hutchinson has started 44 career games and is currently 10th on Michigan's all-time career starts list. He currently lists sixth on the school's career starts list by an offensive lineman.

Hutchinson Achieves Rare Feat

Steve Hutchinson became just the fourth player in history of the Big Ten to earn all-conference first-team honors all four years. He joins former Wolverine defensive lineman Mark Messner (1985-88), Michigan State punter Ray Stackhowitz (1977-80) and Purdue guard Dick Barwegan (1943-46) in achieving four-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team status. Hutchinson was also tabbed the Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches for his play during the 2000 season, and was a co-recipient of the Hugh H. Rader Award given annually to Michigan's top offensive lineman (shared award with Jeff Backus and Maurice Williams).

Backus Receives All-America Honors

Senior left Jeff Backus (Norcross, Ga./Norcross HS) heads into the Florida Citrus Bowl after gaining considerable All-America honors. Backus received All-America second-team accolades by College Football News and ABC Sports/Bowl Championship Series Online, while being recognized as an honorable mention All-America by CNN/Sports Illustrated. Backus was also named a co-recipient of the Hugh H. Rader Award as Michigan's top offensive lineman for the second straight season.

Backus Named All-Big Ten for Fourth Year

Jeff Backus received All-Big Ten Conference honors for the fourth consecutive season, with his first-team selection by the coaches and media. Backus earned all-conference first-team honors by the media and second-team accolades by the coaches in 1999. He was a second-team honoree by the media in 1998, while gaining honorable mention from the coaches. As a redshirt freshman on the 1997 national championship team, Backus was an All-Big Ten second-team selection by the coaches and media.

Backus Continues Starts Streak

Jeff Backus looks to make his fourth consecutive start in a bowl game when the Wolverines face Auburn on Jan. 1 in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Backus enters the Auburn game looking to tie former defensive tackle Mark Messner (1985-88) for second place on the school's career starts list, and break a tie with Greg Skrepenak (1988-91) for second place on the school's career starts list for an offensive lineman. Backus has started 48 consecutive games (every game of his career) and is currently tied with Skrepenak and former wide receiver Vince Bean (1981-84) for third place on Michigan's all-time career starts lists.

Michigan's Career Starts by an Offensive Linemen

	Player	Starts	Years
1.	Jon Jansen	50	1995-98
2.	Jeff Backus	48	1997-2000
	Greg Skrepenak	48	1988-91
4.	John Vitale	46	1985-88
5.	John "Jumbo" Elliott	45	1984-87
6.	Steve Hutchinson	44	1997-2000