Big wins, tough losses mark year

MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily Michigan junior running back Chris Howard dodges past a Michigan State defenseman on Nov. 2, 1996. Michigan defeated Michigan State, 45-29.

The Michigan Wolverines are seeing the number four in their sleep these days.

And it's giving them nightmares.

Why?

Because last season marked the fourth straight year in which the Michigan football team lost four games. The last time the Wolverines had such a stretch of futility was 1934-37. If Michigan loses four games again this season, it will mark the first time in school history that the Wolverines have dropped at least four games in five successive seasons.

Still, even though MichiganŐs final 8-4 record last fall was disappointing, the season wasn't without its bright spots.

The Wolverines raced to a 4-0 start for only the second time in the past 10 seasons. Included in those victories was a 20-13 decision over Colorado on Sept. 14 in Boulder, Colo. With the victory, Michigan gained a measure of revenge for the infamous Hail-Mary loss to the Buffaloes in 1994.

Then after dispatching Boston College and UCLA, the Wolverines set their sights on another "revenge" game -- the Northwestern game. A year earlier, the Wildcats had rolled into Ann Arbor and stunned previously-undefeated Michigan, 19-13. Northwestern used that victory as a jumpstart to the Big Ten championship.

The Wolverines were determined not to let the Wildcats ruin their undefeated season again. But ruin it Northwestern did.

For a while, it looked like Michigan would do the ruining. Through three quarters, despite a hostile Evanston crowd, the Wolverines led 16-0 and were poised to go 5-0 and hand the Wildcats their first conference loss since 1994.

Then the Wolverines forgot something. They forgot to play the fourth quarter. Northwestern scored 17 unanswered points to steal the game, 17-16.

"We have no excuses," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said afterward. "We had the game under control and just made too many mistakes in the second half."

From there, the Wolverines rebounded to beat Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan State. At 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference, the Wolverines, ranked No. 9 in the nation, were in the Big Ten title chase when they went to Purdue on Nov. 9.

When they left Purdue, they were out of it.

The Boilermakers' 9-3 upset marked one of the worst losses in recent Michigan history. Purdue had not defeated a top-10 team since 1984, and MichiganŐs Rose Bowl hopes were dashed.

"(Purdue was) a very disappointing loss, because the Big Ten championship for us is out the window," Carr said afterward.

The Wolverines couldnŐt rebound the following week, dropping a tough 29-17 decision to Penn State and their record to 7-3 and 4-3.

That loss set up what most people thought would be a rout the following week in Columbus against Ohio State. The Buckeyes were undefeated and already headed to the Rose Bowl. Michigan, in all probability, was headed to the Alamo Bowl with a dismal 7-4 record.

But an Ohio State blowout didn't happen.

Behind backup quarterback Brian Griese, the Wolverines hung tough in the first half, and then scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to post a 13-9 shocker over the 18-point favorite Buckeyes. As it turned out, the victory cost Ohio State the national championship.

"Opportunities donŐt come very often to do something special in life," Carr said. "I told our team (before the game), they had a chance to do something special."

Afterwards, the Wolverines accepted a bid to the Outback Bowl to face Alabama and coach Gene Stallings in his final game as Alabama coach.

In a game similar to the Northwestern loss, Michigan dominated the first three quarters, but surrendered two late touchdowns and lost, 17-14. The Wolverines had finished the season 8-4.

And the nightmares about the number four had begun.

09-03-97