MADISON - After four straight four-loss seasons and a summer of soul-searching, Michigan's coaches concluded that a lack of grit and mental toughness had been holding back their talented teams. They demanded change, and Saturday they got it. Their top-ranked Wolverines gutted out a 26-16 victory over No. 23 Wisconsin to secure at least a share of their first Big Ten title since 1992.
The game set the stage for next week's showdown in Ann Arbor with No. 4 Ohio State - the team that was undefeated and ranked No. 2 the past two years before losing to Michigan. All the Wolverines have achieved this season will be highlighted or erased then, running back Chris Howard said, because "no one will remember what you did in the past if you lose that kind of game."
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| MARGARET MYERS/Daily Tight end Jerame Tuman (80) hugs wide receiver Tai Streets on Saturday after Streets scored the Wolverines second touchdown in the Michigan-Wisconsin game. |
But nine perfect seasons have been ruined in the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, which often displays a different Michigan team than the one that usually plays in games like Saturday's. Letdown losses have haunted the Wolverines, who last year lost to a struggling Purdue team and blew a 16-point lead to lose at Northwestern.
The Wolverines, who jumped from No. 4 to No. 1 after beating Penn State last week, had lost their previous three games as a top-ranked team. Saturday's victory was their first as the nation's top team since 1977. Michigan has won 10 games for the first time since 1991 and is 10-0 for the first time since 1974.
And for the first time in recent memory, letdowns have been liquidated.
"It's tough when you're down and when you have all the critics telling you you're mediocre, that you don't have it anymore, you can't coach, you can't play," Carr said. "All those things make it tough for guys to continue to believe. I think the great thing about this group of kids is their resolve. We haven't had an emotional letdown all year long."
They marched out bearing what Carr called the "tremendous pressure" of being No. 1 before 79,806 fans at notoriously noisy Camp Randall Stadium. They played in wind-chill temperatures that plunged below 15 degrees in a brisk breeze. And they were able to overcome difficulties on offense as their defense, rated best in the nation, struggled. The defense gave up its second touchdown reception and second second-half touchdown of the season, and it was scored upon in the fourth quarter for just the second time.
Carr said "the offense won this game for us," and defensive end Glen Steele said the offense "bailed out the defense. They just played great."
Quarterback Brian Griese was 19-of-26 for 254 yards and a touchdown, connecting with wide receiver Tai Streets five times for 108 yards. Streets struggled the past two weeks with a dislocated finger on each hand, but he was able to contribute to an offense that totaled 486 yards. Howard chipped in, too, with 100 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
Wisconsin (5-2, 8-3) challenged Michigan's defense despite the loss of the NCAA's No. 3 rusher, sophomore Ron Dayne, to a severe right ankle sprain. Dayne was evaluated in warmups, when Badgers coach Barry Alvarez said he decided not to "take any chances." Senior Carl McCullough, who was a 1,000-yard rusher before Dayne arrived here, stepped in and gained 102 yards on 20 carries.
McCullough "played very hard and really gave us a spark," Alvarez said. "He lifted all of our kids up in the first half. The way he ran and the way he finished runs, how physical he was, he was impressive."
The option, led by scrambling quarterback Mike Samuel, was particularly helpful for the Badgers in gaining 235 yards of total offense. Samuel was only 8 for 21 for 81 yards and a touchdown, but he rushed for 49 yards on 15 carries.
"They killed us with the option; he was running all over the place," said Michigan's Charles Woodson, who had an interception at cornerback and threw a 28-yard pass on a throw-back to Griese in the first quarter to "show off" his arm.
"Michigan needed this game," Griese said. "It's indicative of the character of this team to come in here, under these circumstances, and win. We didn't expect it to be easy, and it wasn't. But we're not going to be denied. The Michigan tradition hasn't been upheld the past few years, and now we're upholding it.
"But sharing the Big Ten title isn't one of our goals. We want to win the Big Ten title, and now we're in a position to do it. That's what next week will be all about."
11-17-97
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