The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in the
2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The regular season began on August 31, 2006 and ended on ...
. The team's head football coach was
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Henry Carr Jr. (born July 30, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Michigan Wolverines compiled a record ...
. The Wolverines played their home games at
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
.
The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14. They won their first 11 games and rose to No. 2 in the national rankings before losing a close battle in
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
to top-ranked
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Michigan concluded their schedule in the
Rose Bowl against the
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
. The game was tied 3–3 at half time, but USC pulled away in the second half, handing Michigan their second loss of the season.
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines finished the season with a record of 11–2, ranked No. 8 in the nation, and tied for second in the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
with
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, whom they defeated, 27–13, early that season.
Preseason
The 2005 offseason saw a coaching shakeup, prompted by the departure of coordinators
Terry Malone
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), A ...
and
Jim Herrmann
James Herrmann (born December 8, 1960) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL and was recently the defensive coordinator for the New York Guardians of ...
.
Ron English
Ron English (born June 6, 1959) is an American contemporary artist who explores brand imagery, street art, and advertising.
Career
English has produced images on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. He coined the term POPa ...
was promoted from secondary coach to defensive coordinator and
Mike DeBord
Mike DeBord (born February 7, 1956) is an American football coach who was most recently the offensive coordinator at the University of Kansas. He was previously the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football ...
from special teams coach to offensive coordinator, while
Steve Szabo and
Ron Lee
Ronald Henry Lee (born November 2, 1952) is an American former basketball player who played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Oregon, and epitomized the "Kamikaze Kids" un ...
were hired as assistant coaches.
Between the new coaching staff and many returning starters, the Wolverines, led by third year starting quarterback
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman st ...
, expected to compete for the
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
title and associated
BCS bowl
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
bid. The voters of the
coaches' poll and
AP poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
also expected improvement, respectively ranking Michigan
#15 and
#14.
True sophomore Antonio Bass suffered a career ending knee injury in fall practice. Bass was expected to play wide receiver and occasionally quarterback. Projected starting right tackle Mike Kolodziej's career was cut short due to injury just before the season due to unknown medical problems.
Schedule
Game summaries
Vanderbilt
Michigan's defense held the
Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
to 171 total yards of offense (129 passing, 42 rushing). Star junior running back
Mike Hart ran for 146 yards on 31 carries to kick off the 2006 season. Defensive coordinator
Ron English
Ron English (born June 6, 1959) is an American contemporary artist who explores brand imagery, street art, and advertising.
Career
English has produced images on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. He coined the term POPa ...
's squad proved to be considerably more aggressive than recent Wolverine defenses, collecting six sacks and forcing two turnovers (both via lost fumbles). Michigan's offense was led by a strong rushing attack, which unveiled a new scheme using
zone blocking
In American football, blocking or interference (or running interference) involves legal movements in which one player uses his body to obstruct another player's path. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players from tackling the ball c ...
. Behind this zone blocking scheme, the Wolverines rushed for 246 yards on the day and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Michigan scored on their first drive of the game, as Hart busted off several big runs, and true sophomore running back
Kevin Grady
Kevin Lee Grady, Jr. (born June 24, 1986) is a former American football running back. He completed his athletic eligibility for the Michigan Wolverines football team during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. He began his Michigan career ...
finished it off with a 19-yard touchdown run. Later in the first, Michigan thought they had a touchdown pass from junior quarterback
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman st ...
to true sophomore receiver
Mario Manningham. But after reviewing the play, it was ruled that Manningham dropped the ball, and Michigan settled for a 33-yard field-goal by senior kicker
Garrett Rivas
Garrett Rivas (born June 1, 1985) is a former American football kicker who played in af2 and the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Michigan where he held the former school records for career scoring, field goals and poi ...
. In the second quarter, Vanderbilt caught the Wolverines by surprise, as sophomore receiver
Earl Bennett
Earl Bryan Bennett (born March 23, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who is currently the director of player development at Vanderbilt. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played co ...
completed a halfback toss pass to wide open senior receiver Marlon White for a 30-yard touchdown. Bennett, led the Commodores on the day with 6 catches for 58 yards). On U-M's ensuing drive, Henne hit senior wide receiver
Steve Breaston on a short hook route, and Breaston proceeded to make a phenomenal run after the catch, juking out several Commodores before finally being shoved out of bounds. The play went for 29 yards, and it set up a 48-yard field-goal by Rivas. At halftime, it was 13–7 Wolverines. The third quarter was sluggish for both teams, but with 2:29 to go, Henne found senior tight end Tyler Ecker in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Ecker made a leaping catch with his arms stretched out in the air, and he managed to haul it down with one foot in the end zone. Vanderbilt wasn't out of it yet, and they advanced to the Michigan 27 yard-line with under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and a great chance to cut its deficit to one score. However, a 4th down and 5 pass on that drive fell incomplete. Michigan put the game away for good with 2:11 left, as Manningham redeemed himself with a 27-yard bomb of a touchdown catch on 3rd and 10, setting the final score at 27–7. Michigan's defense was vicious all day, as they held Vanderbilt to 1.6 yards per carry. Senior defensive end Rondell Biggs led the Michigan defense with 6 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Grady finished with 5 carries for 30 yards and one touchdown, Manningham had 3 catches for 44 yards and one touchdown, and Breaston led Michigan with 4 catches for 68 yards. Sophomore Quarterback Chris Nickson was Vanderbilt's leading passer and rusher, but he only completed 11 of 25 passes for 99 yards, and he was held to 16 carries for 22 yards on the ground.
Central Michigan
In a game interrupted by the first weather delay in
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
history, Michigan kept it on the ground against the
Chippewas
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
, rushing 50 times against only 21 pass attempts. The Wolverines running game once again dominated, rushing for 252 yards and averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Their defense was also relentless, holding the Mid-American Conference champions dangerous spread offense to 204 total offensive yards (188 passing and a measly 16 yards rushing).
The game started off badly for Michigan, as Hart fumbled on the game's first play. It was his first fumble since the 2004 game against Iowa, having gone over 700 touches without fumbling. However Manningham recovered the fumble, and Hart scored a 5-yard touchdown run on that opening drive. It was Hart's first touchdown-running or receiving-since midway through the 2005 season, when he scored a third-quarter touchdown run in a 27–25 win over Penn State. Hart had gone six straight games without scoring a touchdown. The Chippewas marched to the U-M 14 yard line directly following Hart's touchdown run, but All-American senior defensive end
LaMarr Woodley
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the s ...
sacked sensational redshirt freshmen quarterback
Dan LeFevour
Daniel Terrence LeFevour (born March 19, 1987) is a former Canadian football quarterback. He was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and spent time with three other NFL teams (without appearing in a re ...
and caused a fumble, which he recovered. Hart added another touchdown run with 1:28 to go in the first quarter, this time from 18 yards out. CMU fumbled and turned the ball over again following Hart's second TD, and the fumble was once again recovered by Woodley. The Wolverines converted that turnover into a 21–0 lead, as Grady crashed in from three yards out with 12:24 left in the second quarter. On the drive following Grady's touchdown, CMU got on the scoreboard, with LeFevour finding junior receiver Justin Gardner for a 38-yard touchdown strike. The two teams then exchanged field-goals, and it was 24–10 Michigan at halftime. The Chippweas got the ball to start the third quarter, and they advanced to the Michigan 34 yard line, but a LeFevour pass on 4th and 7 fell incomplete, and the Wolverines all but put the game away on the ensuing possession. Breaston made a brilliant 26 yard run on a wide receiver reverse, and Hart finished off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run-his third score of the day. Rivas added his second field goal of the day with 1:22 remaining to give Michigan a 34–10 lead going into the fourth quarter. With 11:41 left in the game, junior outside linebacker Max Pollack intercepted a bad pass by LeFevour and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown and a 41–10 lead. Pollack was merely a substitution at OLB, and he also was only a walkon. At this point, Michigan had all their backups on the field, and CMU scored one more touchdown: a 3-yard pass from LeFevour to senior receiver Damien Linson.
Hart finished with 19 carries for 116 yards and 3 touchdowns. Grady added 12 carries for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. Breaston had 6 touches for 109 all purpose yards, and All-American senior middle linebacker
David Harris led the Wolverines with 6 tackles. Aside from his 2 touchdown passes, LeFevour had a rough day, completing only 17–36 passes for 153 yards and the interception that was returned for a touchdown. He was also sacked 4 times, and as a result had 8 carries for −21 yards. Linson led the CMU receiving unit with 6 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown, while Gardner added 3 catches for 54 yards and one touchdown. The CMU running game was abominable, averaging only 0.8 yards per carry. Sophomore Ontario Sneed led the way with 11 carries for 33 yards, but almost all those yards came off a 25-yard run. Otherwise, Michigan limited him to only 10 carries for 8 yards.
Notre Dame
In a nationally-televised game, Michigan routed the 2nd-ranked
Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Divisi ...
of Notre Dame in South Bend, 47–21. Using a combination of an aggressive defense, a vertical passing combination of Chad Henne to
Mario Manningham, and ball control running by Mike Hart, the Wolverines intercepted Irish quarterback
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
three times and completely frustrated the Irish. Irish running back
Darius Walker
Darius Adunte Walker (born October 21, 1985) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) and current college football analyst for Fox. He worked as a college football analyst and sideline reporter for Mounta ...
ran for just 25 yards on ten carries. Henne, although intercepted once, was 13 for 22 and completed three touchdown passes to Manningham, who had four receptions for 137 yards.
Steve Breaston provided most of the remainder of the passing attack with six catches for 42 yards. Hart had a touchdown and 124 yards rushing. Defenders LaMarr Woodley and
Prescott Burgess had long returns for touchdowns on Irish turnovers. The final score was 47–21 in a break-out game for the Wolverines. The Wolverines gave Coach Lloyd Carr a Gatorade bath after the huge victory which boosted them in the rankings and put them in contention for a national title.
Wisconsin
Michigan entered the game ranked sixth nationally in the AP poll, while
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
was unranked. The game marked the Big Ten opener for both teams. Wisconsin came into the game averaging nearly 200 yards rushing per game, but Michigan entered the game ranked number 1 in the nation in rushing defense, allowing only 21 yards per game.
The Wolverine defense won this matchup, holding Wisconsin to just 12 rushing yards and 3 second half points. Mario Manningham caught seven passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, giving him five in the past two weeks. Adrian Arrington had his best game to date, catching four passes for 79 yards.
Minnesota
The Wolverines won their third straight revenge game, reclaiming the
Little Brown Jug after losing it to the
Gophers in 2005. This marked the first season since 1999 that Michigan made it through the month of September undefeated. The offense came out hot, scoring 21 points in the first half. Hart rushed for a season-high 195 yards on 31 carries, and Henne had another efficient game, completing 17 of 24 passes for 284 yards. Manningham had his third straight 100 yard game, while Arrington continued his emergence as Michigan's No. 2 receiver, scoring the first two touchdowns of the game. David Harris led the defense with nine tackles.
Michigan State
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
suffered its third straight loss of the season as Michigan retained the
Paul Bunyan Trophy
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
* Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
for the fifth straight year. It was a mistake-filled game for the Spartans, who committed 11 penalties for a total loss of 87 yards. The Wolverines dominated the ground game on both sides of the ball, allowing 60 yards rushing on defense and gaining 211 yards on offense. Hart shared carries with both Kevin Grady and
Brandon Minor, and the latter, a true freshman, broke a 40-yard run for the first touchdown of his career. Henne only attempted 17 passes, but three of them went for touchdowns, one to Arrington and the other two to Manningham.
Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall (born December 9, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and earned consensus All-American honors. Hall was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first rou ...
and Jamar Adams both intercepted passes from
Drew Stanton
Drew may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places
;In the United States
* Drew, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Drew, Mississippi, a city
* Drew, Missouri, an unincorporated community
* Drew, Oregon, an unincorporated community
* Drew County, Arkansas
...
, and Burgess had eight tackles, including the Wolverines' only sack of the afternoon.
Penn State
Michigan's defensive front seven was the story of the game, collecting seven sacks and holding the
Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interc ...
to −14 net rushing yards. On a third-quarter pass play,
Alan Branch
Alan Keith Branch (born December 29, 1984) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft and has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and N ...
knocked Penn State's quarterback
Anthony Morelli
Anthony Michael Morelli (born June 21, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Penn State.
Morelli was a member of the San Jose S ...
out of the game with a concussion; Penn State's backup quarterback Daryl Clark was later injured on a rushing attempt. Third-string quarterback Paul Cianciolo managed to throw the Nittany Lions' only touchdown pass of the game. The game was a homecoming for Pennsylvania native Henne, who played the only game of his career at Penn State. With Manningham not playing due to a knee injury suffered against Michigan State, Arrington and Breaston caught the bulk of Henne's passes, each collecting five receptions. Hart picked up his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season and scored the winning touchdown.
Iowa
The
Hawkeyes gave Michigan one of its toughest contests of the year, staying within a touchdown well into the fourth quarter. After getting held to only 27 yards in the first half, Hart rushed for 99 in the second and scored the only two touchdowns of the game. Henne spread the ball out amongst his receivers with Manningham out, including Arrington, Breaston, and true freshman
Greg Mathews. Arrington again was the Wolverines' leading receiver; the Iowa native caught eight passes for 79 yards. Offensive linemen Rueben Riley was injured in the second half, but was ably replaced by
Justin Boren
Justin Matthew Boren (born April 28, 1988) is a former American football guard. Though a guard in the NFL, Boren played both guard and center during his high school and college football career. In high school, he was widely regarded as one of ...
in the first meaningful time of the true freshman's career. Shawn Crable led the defense with three sacks on Iowa's senior quarterback
Drew Tate
Drew Tate (born October 8, 1984) is an American gridiron football coach and former player. He is the tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he had held since 2022. He played college football as a quarterback at the Univer ...
. Woodley also picked up two sacks, bringing his total on the year to nine, good for fourth in the nation.
Northwestern
On a cold, windy day, with Manningham still out, Michigan stuck with a conservative game plan against the
Wildcats
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
, throwing the ball only 20 times against 46 rushes. Northwestern, one week after losing to Michigan State in the largest comeback in
Division I FBS
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A ...
history, turned the ball over five times to Michigan and were held to −13 yards on the ground. Hart led the offense with 95 yards, and in relief senior Jerome Jackson saw his first significant action of the season, gaining 59 yards on nine attempts. The defense had contributors from all positions: Defensive backs Hall and Willis Barringer each had interceptions, linebacker Harris had both a sack and an interception, and lineman Woodley had two sacks, forcing and recovering a fumble on one.
Ball State
A game that Michigan was expected to win big – and in which it once held a big lead – turned into a surprisingly close affair. The Wolverines' offense uncharacteristically gave up a quick nine points to the
Cardinals
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, coached by future Michigan head coach
Brady Hoke
Brady Patrick Hoke (; born November 3, 1958) is an American football coach in his second stint as the head coach at San Diego State University. He was previously the head coach at the University of Michigan from 2011 to 2014.
Hoke grew up in O ...
, with Hart fumbling out of the Michigan end zone for a
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are two slightly dif ...
and Henne throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown to give Ball State an early 9–7 lead. The Wolverines subsequently controlled the second and third quarters to build a 31–12 lead and seemed well in control of the game. However, the Michigan second-string defenders struggled to stop the Cardinal offense, and the first-string defense was forced to return late in the game to stave off a final Ball State drive. For the first time since its 2003 game against Houston, Michigan had a pair of 100-yard rushers: Hart with 154 on 25 carries, and Minor with 108 on 12 carries. Each scored a touchdown, as did Jackson, who gained 68 yards on six carries.
The Ball State game was notable for two other reasons: First, it was the 200th consecutive game with at least 100,000 people in attendance at
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
. In addition, actor
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors ...
directed the
Michigan Marching Band
The Michigan Marching Band (also known as the University of Michigan Marching Band or simply MMB) is the official marching band of the University of Michigan. The band performs at all Michigan Wolverines football home games, select away games, and ...
during their halftime performance in a salute to old-time television shows. Stewart was part of the
Royal Shakespeare Company's fall 2006 residency at the University of Michigan, and directed the band to the theme from
Star Trek. Upon being asked if he had any advice for the Wolverines for their upcoming Ohio State game, Stewart replied, "Boldly go and beat the Buckeyes. Make it so, number one!"
Indiana
Michigan jumped to an early lead with a touchdown pass to
Adrian Arrington
Adrian Jarrard Arrington (born November 7, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and was called up from the team's practice squad before week 17 of ...
and a touchdown run by
Mike Hart.
Steve Breaston also had a big game with a 62-yard touchdown reception and an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown. Indiana allowed five sacks, and Michigan cornerback
Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall (born December 9, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and earned consensus All-American honors. Hall was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first rou ...
broke the school record for most deflected passes in a career. Michigan won 34–3.
Ohio State
On November 17, 2006,
Bo Schembechler, the esteemed former coach of the Michigan Wolverines football program, died at the age of 77. He collapsed prior to taping his weekly college football preview show. His death came the day before one of the biggest games in the history of the
Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry: the two teams both brought undefeated records to the game for the first time since 1973, and met as the #1- and #2-ranked teams for the first time in the 103-game history of the series.
In the game against the
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tre ...
, second-ranked Michigan received the ball to start the game and promptly scored a touchdown on a run by Mike Hart, the first of three he would score in the game. However, top-ranked Ohio State answered with a touchdown on its own initial drive, and dominated the rest of the half to take a 28–14 lead into intermission. Michigan scored on its first two possessions of the second half to close the deficit to four points, but could not wrest away the lead. The two teams exchanged touchdowns for the remainder, with each scoring twice; the Wolverines converted a two-point attempt to make the score 42–39 with less than three minutes remaining. A subsequent onside kick by the Wolverines was unsuccessful, and the Buckeyes came away with the victory. This game was significant in the BCS Bowl Line-up, as rather than being matched with the Buckeyes in the championship game, the Wolverines were matched in the Rose Bowl a record seventh time with the
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
.
USC (Rose Bowl)
Michigan lost to the
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
in the
Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 2007. The game was tied 3–3 at the half but the high powered USC offense came out in the second half, giving USC the 32–18 victory.
Statistical achievements
The team earned the Big Ten rushing defense statistical championships for all games by holding opponents to 43.4 yards per game.
The team also earned the Big Ten rushing defense statistical championships for conference games by holding opponents to 50.9 yards per game.
[ They were the conference leaders in quarterback sacks for conference games (3.3 sacks per game) and all games (3.3 sacks per game).]
Garrett Rivas
Garrett Rivas (born June 1, 1985) is a former American football kicker who played in af2 and the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Michigan where he held the former school records for career scoring, field goals and poi ...
set the current Michigan Wolverines football records for career scoring (354), surpassing Anthony Thomas' 2000 record (336), field goals
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
(64), surpassing Remy Hamilton
Remy Martin Hamilton (born August 30, 1974) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). In college, he was an All-American for the Michigan Wolverines football team. A ...
's 1996 record (63), and point after touchdown
The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
s (162), surpassing J. D. Carlson's 1991 record (137). He has also tied Mike Gillette's 1988 record of 13 career 40-yard field goals.[
]
Players
Michigan returned 18 of 22 starters for 2006, one of the highest totals in the nation.
Key returning starters for the offense included quarterback Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman st ...
, running back Mike Hart, and wide receiver and kick returner Steve Breaston. Henne and Hart, who both started in 2004 as true freshmen, looked to rebound from their 2005 sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort.
It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students ...
s. Hart, Breaston, and captain Jake Long all missed significant time due to injury in 2005.
On defense, captains LaMarr Woodley
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the s ...
, David Harris and Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall (born December 9, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and earned consensus All-American honors. Hall was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first rou ...
respectively anchored the defensive line, linebacking corps and defensive secondary. Woodley and Hall were four-year starters.
Depth chart
Roster
Awards and honors
* Mark Bihl – Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982.
A member of the National College ...
finalist
* Alan Branch
Alan Keith Branch (born December 29, 1984) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft and has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and N ...
– Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is presented by his own foundation. I ...
watchlist
* Steve Breaston – Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
watchlist, Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best al ...
watchlist, Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...
watchlist
* Prescott Burgess – Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ameri ...
watchlist
* Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Henry Carr Jr. (born July 30, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Michigan Wolverines compiled a record ...
– George Munger Award semifinalist
* Tyler Ecker – John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, a ...
watchlist
* Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall (born December 9, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and earned consensus All-American honors. Hall was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first rou ...
– Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist, Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...
finalist, Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize th ...
quarterfinalist
* David Harris – Dick Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
semifinalist
* Mike Hart – Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football League ...
finalist, Maxwell Award semifinalist, Walter Camp Award watchlist
* Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman st ...
– Maxwell Award semifinalist, Walter Camp Award watchlist, Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...
semifinalist, Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...
finalist
* Jake Long – Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...
watchlist
* Mario Manningham – Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
semifinalist
* Garrett Rivas
Garrett Rivas (born June 1, 1985) is a former American football kicker who played in af2 and the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Michigan where he held the former school records for career scoring, field goals and poi ...
– Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
semifinalist
* LaMarr Woodley
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the s ...
– Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombar ...
winner, Ted Hendricks Award winner, Chuck Bednarik Award finalist, Lott Trophy quarterfinalist, Outland Trophy watchlist, Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist
Coaching staff
* Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Henry Carr Jr. (born July 30, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Michigan Wolverines compiled a record ...
– Head Coach – 27 years at U-M
* Mike DeBord
Mike DeBord (born February 7, 1956) is an American football coach who was most recently the offensive coordinator at the University of Kansas. He was previously the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football ...
– Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends – 11 years
* Ron English
Ron English (born June 6, 1959) is an American contemporary artist who explores brand imagery, street art, and advertising.
Career
English has produced images on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. He coined the term POPa ...
– Defensive Coordinator/Safeties – 4 years
* Erik Campbell
John Erik Campbell (born January 21, 1966) is an American gridiron football coach and former player. He is currently the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Bowling Green State University football team.
Campbell played c ...
– Wide Receivers/Assistant Head Coach – 12 years
* Fred Jackson – Running Backs/Associate Head Coach – 15 years
* Scot Loeffler
Scot Loeffler (born November 1, 1974) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Bowling Green State University. He formerly served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boston College. He was ...
– Quarterbacks – 5 years
* Andy Moeller – Offensive Line – 7 years
* Steve Stripling
Steve Stripling (born November 25, 1953) is a retired American college football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive line coach at the University of Cincinnati. Stripling served as interim head coach at Central Michigan ...
– Defensive Line – 2 years
* Steve Szabo – Linebackers – 1 year
* Ron Lee
Ronald Henry Lee (born November 2, 1952) is an American former basketball player who played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Oregon, and epitomized the "Kamikaze Kids" un ...
– Cornerbacks – 1 year
References
External links
2006 Football Team – Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
2006 Michigan
at NCAA.org
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
2006 statistics
at ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
Michigan Wolverines football seasons
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...