Michigan
2-2 , 1-0
Wisconsin
3-1 , 0-1
Late Scoring Flurry Gives Michigan Upset of Wisconsin
9/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Score: Michigan 27, #9 Wisconsin 25
Records: U-M (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten), Wisconsin (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 109,833
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Oct. 4 -- vs. Illinois (Michigan Stadium), 3:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan football team rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit with 27 straight points, including 20 in the fourth quarter aided by a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by fifth-year senior linebacker John Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Crockett Technical), to complete a thrilling 27-25 comeback win over Wisconsin (No. 9 AP, No. 8 USA Today) on Saturday (Sept. 27) in the Wolverines' 500th game at Michigan Stadium.
The Wolverines trailed 19-0 in the third quarter but took a 20-19 lead in the fourth on Thompson's interception return for a touchdown. With Michigan ahead by eight with 1:19 left, the Badgers drove 64 yards and scored on a 22-yard passing play, setting up a two-point attempt for the tie. UW's initial two-point try was good, but an ineligible-receiver penalty backed the Badgers up to the Michigan eight. A second pass attempt sailed over the intended receiver's head and Wisconsin's onside kick went out of bounds, giving U-M the win.
Wisconsin was thwarted in an earlier attempt to tie late in the fourth quarter with the ball on the Michigan five-yard line when junior defensive end Brandon Graham (Detroit, Mich./Crockett Technical) sacked Wisconsin quarterback Allan Evridge, forcing a fumble and giving the ball back to the Wolverine offense.
The defense kept U-M's comeback hopes alive, holding the Badgers to just one touchdown to go along with four field goals through the first 30 minutes despite five U-M turnovers and 21 yards of Wolverine offense. U-M's defense held Wisconsin to 34 yards of offense in the third quarter while the offense finally got on track.
Graham finished the day with three sacks and two forced fumbles while adding six tackles. Thompson had six tackles and the Wolverines' back-breaking interception return for touchdown in the fourth, while junior/sophomore linebackers Obi Ezeh (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central) and Jonas Mouton (Los Angeles, Calif./Venice), senior safety Brandon Harrison (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) and senior defensive lineman Terrance Taylor (Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon) finished with eight tackles apiece.
The U-M offense caught fire in the second half, gaining 247 yards and scoring three touchdowns. On U-M's second offensive possession of the half, sophomore/freshman quarterback Steven Threet (Adrian, Mich./Adrian/Georgia Tech) connected with freshman tight end Kevin Koger (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) on a 26-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for the first score, capping U-M's longest drive of the day, moving 80 yards in 12 plays to make it 19-7.
On Michigan's next offensive possession, the Wolverines looked as if they were going to have to punt from their own territory, but a personal-foul roughing-the-passer penalty on the Badgers kept the drive alive and U-M capitalized thanks to a 34-yard burst for a touchdown by junior running back Brandon Minor (Richmond, Va./Varina) to make the score 19-14. On Wisconsin's first play following the kickoff, Thompson picked off a deflected pass and rumbled into the end zone behind a convoy of defenders, giving Michigan its first lead of the game, 20-19. Michigan's two-point conversion failed, however, keeping the Wolverines ahead by one with 10:24 on the clock. The defense then forced Wisconsin to punt once more and the Wolverines' offense drove 77 yards, capped by freshman tailback Sam McGuffie's (Cypress, Texas/Cy-Fair) three-yard touchdown run, making it 27-19.
With 5:11 on the clock and needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie, Wisconsin marched methodically to the U-M five-yard line. On second-and-goal, Evridge dropped back to pass and was hammered by Graham, fumbling the ball on the eight-yard line. Taylor pounced on the loose ball and Michigan capitalized on its fourth UW turnover, taking possession with 1:42 on the clock. The offense forced Wisconsin to use all of its timeouts, and senior/junior Zoltan Mesko's (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) picture-perfect punt bounced out of bounds at the Wisconsin 36 with 1:19 remaining.
In Wisconsin's final drive, Graham picked up his third sack of the day, dropping Evridge in the backfield on the first play from scrimmage, but the Badgers rallied, moving downfield and scoring on a 22-yard pass with 13 seconds on the clock to make it 27-25. Wisconsin's initial two-point try was good, but the five-yard penalty backed the Badgers up to the Michigan eight, leading to an unsuccessful second try and a U-M victory.
Wisconsin converted two of three field goal tries in the first quarter to take an early 6-0 lead. A U-M fumble on a second-quarter punt return led to the Badgers' first touchdown and a fumble on the ensuing kickoff led to another Wisconsin field goal, making it 16-0. An interception late in the second quarter -- the fifth Wolverine turnover of the half -- put three more points on the board for the Badgers, who headed into the locker room up 19-0 at the break.
Michigan welcomes Illinois to Michigan Stadium next Saturday (Oct. 4) during homecoming weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Team Stats
WIS 3, MICH 0
WIS - Welch,Philip 21 yd field goal 5 plays, 23 yards, TOP 2:25
WIS 6, MICH 0
WIS - Welch,Philip 42 yd field goal 11 plays, 43 yards, TOP 5:30
WIS 13, MICH 0
WIS - Clay, John 5 yd run (Welch,Philip kick), 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 1:57
WIS 16, MICH 0
WIS - Welch,Philip 41 yd field goal 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 0:53
WIS 19, MICH 0
WIS - Welch,Philip 52 yd field goal 6 plays, 16 yards, TOP 1:05
WIS 19, MICH 7
MICH - Koger, Kevin 26 yd pass from Threet, Steven (Lopata, K.C. kick) 14 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:30
WIS 19, MICH 14
MICH - Minor, Brandon 34 yd run (Lopata, K.C. kick), 10 plays, 85 yards, TOP 3:02
WIS 19, MICH 20
MICH - Thompson, John 25 yd interception (Threet, Steven rushfailed)
WIS 19, MICH 27
MICH - McGuffie, Sam 3 yd run (Lopata, K.C. kick), 6 plays, 77 yards, TOP 3:03
WIS 25, MICH 27
WIS - Gilreath, David 22 yd pass from Evridge, Allan (Evridge, Allan passfailed) 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:06
