Michigan
4-0 , 1-0
Wisconsin
3-1 , 0-1
Wolverines Open Big Ten Season With Comeback Win
9/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan football team claimed a 27-13 victory in its Big Ten Conference opener against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday (Sept. 23) in front of 111,058 fans at Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines defense held the Badgers to six straight three-and-outs to begin the second half, and Michigan tallied four sacks and held the Big Ten's leading rusher, P.J. Hill, to 54 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Aided by the solid defensive showing, junior quarterback Chad Henne (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson HS) was able to take chances down the field, throwing for 211 yards on 18 completions and two touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Mario Manningham (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding HS) hauled in seven catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first U-M receiver since Braylon Edwards in 2003 to record multiple touchdowns in back-to-back contests. Junior receiver Adrian Arrington (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington HS) came away with four catches for 79 yards, and junior tailback Mike Hart (Syracuse, N.Y./Onondaga Central HS) rushed 23 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Michigan was led by fifth-year senior linebacker David Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Ottawa Hills HS), who collected 10 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Prescott Burgess (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding HS) finished with seven tackles and a 14-yard sack. Fifth-year senior safety Willis Barringer (Toledo, Ohio/Scott HS), senior safety Brandent Englemon (Covington, Ky./Holmes HS) and junior cornerback Morgan Trent (Brighton, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS) all produced five tackles, with Trent coming away with one tackle for loss.
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Wolverines drove the ball to Wisconsin's 44-yard line before an interception of Henne by strong-side linebacker DeAndre Levy killed the Michigan drive on third-and-two. The Badger defense, which came into the game leading the Big Ten in both pass defense and pass defense efficiency, took advantage of the bobbled pass by Manningham, ripping away control of the ball and returning it five yards to the UW 40-yard line.
It did not take the Badgers long to convert on the turnover as Hill took a swing pass in the left flat from quarterback John Stocco 29 yards for the score. The touchdown came on a third-and-two at 9:50 in the first quarter, giving Wisconsin a 7-0 lead. The score marked the first time in 2006 that Michigan trailed. Hill led the Badger effort on the possession, finishing with two carries for 23 yards in addition to the touchdown. Stocco was 2-of-2 for 37 yards, including an eight-yard completion to tight end Andy Crooks.
The rest of the first quarter saw a defensive battle as the two top defenses in the Big Ten fought back and forth, swinging field position in each team's favor. Both quarterbacks were sacked on third-down plays, stalling offensive drives, and Henne was stuffed on a fourth-and-one rush. The opening quarter of the game marked the first time this season that U-M was held scoreless in a period.
After forcing a three-and-out by the Badger offense, the Wolverines took over on their first possession of the second quarter at the Wisconsin 36-yard line, following fifth-year receiver Steve Breaston's (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills HS) spectacular 29-yard punt return, his longest of the season. Two runs by Hart for 12 yards set up U-M just outside of the Badgers' red zone. The Wolverines opted to test the Badgers' vaunted pass defense with a 24-yard jump ball from Henne to Manningham down the right sideline. Manningham pulled down the lob over corner Allen Langford and tied the game at 7-7 at the 14-minute mark in the second quarter. The Henne-Manningham scoring connection was their fifth of the season and fourth in the past two games.
The remainder of the first half was more of a field-position game, featuring two powerful rushing attacks, short passes and a combined five punts between the two teams. The Wolverines and Badgers both connected on field goals, with the Badgers' coming at the 5:41 mark. The 39-yard field goal by Taylor Mehlhaff capped off a 10-play, 66-yard drive that began at Wisconsin's 12-yard line and put the Badgers ahead 10-7.
Following the Wisconsin field goal, the Wolverines were unable to move the ball and were forced to punt after only three plays. A booming punt by sophomore Zoltan Mesko (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg HS) backed up Wisconsin returner Zach Hampton to his own 18-yard line before the Badger defensive back was forced to muff the punt by fifth-year senior cornerback Darnell Hood (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Gallagher HS). Fifth-year long-snapper Turner Booth (Baltimore, Md./Rockville HS) recovered the football at the Wisconsin 18-yard line, and three plays later senior kicker Garrett Rivas (Tampa, Fla./Jesuit HS) converted a 31-yard field goal with 2:48 remaining in the first half to tie the score at 10.
Entering the locker room, Hart led all rushers with 49 yards, while Henne was 10-of-13 passing for 97 yards and a touchdown. Arrington and Manningham both had three catches, with Arrington coming away for 59 yards and Manningham tallying 39 yards and the touchdown.
The third quarter saw the Michigan defense dominate, as Wisconsin was able to muster just 10 yards on four possessions, with all of the drives ending in three-and-outs. Hill, the Badgers' steady tailback, gained 17 yards on six carries during the quarter. The Wolverines' defensive performance resulted in solid field position for the Maize and Blue offense.
Set up at the Michigan 44-yard line, the Wolverines moved the ball and proceeded to take a 17-10 lead on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Henne to Manningham at 3:17 in the third quarter. The catch came on third-and-four and capped off a four-play drive that began on a 12-yard grab by the sophomore wideout. The touchdown came against Langford, who Manningham beat for his first touchdown. Langford also intercepted a Henne pass in the end zone early in the second half.
The Michigan lead extended to 24-10 on the legs of Hart who powered in a five-yard score at 11:40 in the fourth quarter. It was the fifth touchdown on the season for Hart, who had two other carries for eight yards on the drive. Arrington contributed a catch for 20 yards on a second down early in the possession.
Rivas connected on a 32-yard field goal at the 5:29 mark in the fourth quarter to widen the lead to 27-10. Manningham was once again a guiding force on the drive with two catches for 11 yards, and sophomore running back Kevin Grady (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapid HS) tallied three carries for 13 yards.
Wisconsin's last-ditch effort for a comeback fell short, as the Badgers were only able to connect on a 26-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the game.
The Wolverines will play the first of their two night games this season when they face Minnesota next Saturday (Sept. 30) at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. The game will be televised by ESPN starting at 7 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT).
Contact David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
WIS 7, MICH 0
WIS - Hill, P.J. 29 yd pass from Stocco,John (Mehlhaff,Taylo kick) 5 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:44
WIS 7, MICH 7
MICH - Manningham, M. 24 yd pass from Henne, Chad (Rivas, Garrett kick) 3 plays, 36 yards, TOP 1:22
WIS 10, MICH 7
WIS - Mehlhaff,Taylo 39 yd field goal 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 3:56
WIS 10, MICH 10
MICH - Rivas, Garrett 31 yd field goal 4 plays, 4 yards, TOP 0:57
WIS 10, MICH 17
MICH - Manningham, M. 38 yd pass from Henne, Chad (Rivas, Garrett kick) 4 plays, 56 yards, TOP 1:55
WIS 10, MICH 24
MICH - Hart, Mike 5 yd run (Rivas, Garrett kick), 4 plays, 33 yards, TOP 1:39
WIS 10, MICH 27
MICH - Rivas, Garrett 32 yd field goal 9 plays, 26 yards, TOP 4:15
WIS 13, MICH 27
WIS - Mehlhaff,Taylo 26 yd field goal 12 plays, 77 yards, TOP 3:10
