With a defense featuring Curtis
Greer and Chris Godfrey on the
line, Mel Owens at outside linebacker,
and Dwight Hicks and
Mike Harden in the backfield, the
Wolverines held all but three of
their opponents under 10 points
during the 1977 season. Michigan
had won 10 of 11 games and
outscored its opposition by a
three-to-one margin heading into
the Rose Bowl to face the
University of Washington
Huskies.
Michigan failed to get out of the
gate quickly enough and even a
20-point second half could not rescue
the Wolverines. A first half
low center snap resulted in a 13-
yard loss on a fourth down punt
and gave Washington field position
early. Ten plays later, quarterback
Warren Moon scored from
two yards out. A field goal and
Moon’s second TD put the
Huskies up 17-0 at halftime.
Moon’s 28-yard scoring pass to
Spider Gaines after Washington
had stopped Michigan on the
Husky three-yard line appeared to
put the game away in the third
quarter, but Wolverine quarterback
Rick Leach launched one of the
finest aerial assaults in the history
of this classic contest. First, he
fired a Rose Bowl record TD pass
of 76 yards to Curt Stephenson.
Washington countered with an 18-
yard field goal, but Leach completed
four straight passes, and
Russell Davis scored from the
two. Later in the fourth quarter,
Leach fired first down passes of
11 and 12 yards to Ralph Clayton,
then connected with Stanley
Edwards, filling in for the injured
Harlan Huckleby, for 32 yards and
a TD.
Leach led another dramatic
drive to the Washington eight-yard
line, but a diving interception by
linebacker Michael Jackson
stopped Michigan and preserved
the 27-20 Washington win. |  |
SCORING
First Quarter
W Moon, 2-yard run
(Robbins kick)
Second Quarter
W Robbins, 30-yard field goal
W Moon, 1-yard run
(Robbins kick)
Third Quarter
W Gaines, 28-yard pass from Moon
(Robbins kick)
M Stephenson, 76 yard pass from
Leach (Willner kick)
W Robbins, 18-yard field goal
Fourth Quarter
M R. Davis, 2-yard run
(Willner kick)
M Edwards, 32-yard pass from
Leach (kick failed)
Team Stats UM UW
First Downs 22 17
Net Yards Rushing 149 164
Net Yards Passing 239 234
Total Plays 75 72
Total Yards 388 398
PA/PC/Int 27/14/2 24/13/2
Punts/Avg. 4/42.5 5/39.0
Return Yards 124 92
Fumbles/Lost 2/1 0/0
Penalties/Yards 3/11 6/47
Rushing — (M): R. Davis 18-79; Edwards 15-74;
Clayton 2-12; Leach 9-5; Anderson 1-(-13);
R. Smith 3-(-8); (W): Steele 13-77;
Gipson 15-48; Rowland 8-32.
Passing — (M): Leach 14-27-239;
(W): Moon 12-23-188; Wilson 1-1-46
Receiving — (M): Clayton 5-84; R. Davis 3-26;
Edwards 2-41; R. White 2-8; R. Smith 1-4;
Stephenson 1-76; (W): Gaines 4-122;
Greenwood 3-28; Gipson 2-24; Stevens 1-46;
Steele 1-8; Rowland 1-3; K. Richardson 1-3. |
