2008 Michigan Wolverines football team

American college football season January 2019 February 2026 2008 Michigan Wolverines football Michigan Wolverines Logo.svg Big Ten Conference Big Ten 3–9 2–6 Rich Rodriguez 1st Calvin Magee 1st Spread option Scott Shafer 1st Multiple Brandon Graham Mike Massey Tim Jamison Will Johnson Terrance Taylor Michigan Stadium thumb|Brandon Graham tackles Terrelle Pryor during 2008 Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game. thumb|Obi Ezeh attempts shoestring tackle on Beanie Wells during 2008 Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game. The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The 2008 season marked Rodriguez's first season as Michigan head coach, having replaced longtime head coach Lloyd Carr following Carr's retirement at the end of the 2007 season. Rodriguez installed a spread option offense, a marked departure from Michigan's prior offensive approaches. Rodriguez's first season was one of adjustment, with Michigan suffering its first losing season since 1967, and more losses (9) in a single season than in any other in the program's 129-year history. The losses included a 13–10 defeat to a Toledo team that posted a 3–9 record that season; this was Michigan's first-ever loss to a team from the Mid-American Conference. In addition, Michigan's loss to Ohio State on November 22 was the fifth straight, the most consecutive losses by Michigan to the Buckeyes up until that point.Northwestern Wildcats vs. Michigan Wolverines - Recap - November 15, 2008 - ESPN Schedule 2008 AP Eastern August 30 3:30 p.m. l y Utah Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI ABC, ESPN2 23–25 108,421 September 6 12:00 p.m. w y Miami (OH) Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI ESPN2 16–6 106,724 September 13 3:30 p.m. l y y Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 17–35 80,795 September 27 3:30 p.m. w Wisconsin 9 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI ABC, ESPN2 27–25 109,833 October 4 3:30 p.m. l y Illinois Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI rivalry ABC, ESPN2 20–45 109,750 http://mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=137534 Time, Television Set for U-M Homecoming Tilt vs. Illinois Michigan Sports Information May 12, 2008 May 12, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080517205825/http://www.mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=137534 May 17, 2008 dead October 11 12:00 p.m. l y Toledo Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI BTN 10–13 107,267 October 18 4:30 p.m. l y Penn State 3 Beaver Stadium University Park, PA rivalry ESPN 17–46 110,017 http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/041608aaa.html Big Ten Announces Five Prime-Time Football Games to Appear on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 During 2008 Season Big Ten Conference April 16, 2008 April 16, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080420065807/http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/041608aaa.html April 20, 2008 dead mdy-all October 25 3:30 p.m. l Michigan State Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI rivalry ABC, ESPN2 21–35 110,146 November 1 12:00 p.m. l y Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN BTN 42–48 59,135 November 8 12:00 p.m. w y Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN Little Brown Jug ESPN 29–6 55,040 November 15 12:00 p.m. l Northwestern Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI rivalry ESPN2 14–21 107,856 November 22 12:00 p.m. l y Ohio State 10 Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH rivalry ABC 7–42 105,564 Rankings 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings 15 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 24 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 4 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 7 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR Game summaries Utah 2008 Utah Utes football team Utah at Michigan Utes Wolverines 6 16 3 0 10 0 0 13 August 30 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 3:30 p.m. 3:33 108,421 85 F, Sunny, SW 5 mph on Todd Geerlings Terry Gannon (Play-by-play), David Norrie (Color) & Jeannine Edwards (Sideline) ABC/ESPN2 In the season opener in Ann Arbor and Rich Rodriguez's first game as head coach, the Wolverines took on the Utah Utes. The Wolverines scored first with just over 11 minutes to go in the first, when Nick Sheridan threw an 8-yard TD pass to Michael Shaw. Utah struck back a few minutes later when Courbin Louks ran in a TD from 8 yards out. The Wolverines blocked the PAT though. Then with just over 5 minutes to go in the first, K.C. Lopata completed a 50-yard field goal. Utah's Louie Sakoda completed 3 field goals in the second quarter, from 28, 43 and 41 yards out, respectively. Then a few seconds before halftime, Utah's Brian Johnson completed a 19-yard TD pass to Bradon Godfrey. Midway through the third quarter, Louie Sakoda of Utah completed his fourth field goal of the day, this one from 53 yards out. Midway through the fourth, Steven Threet completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway. A few minutes later, Sam McGuffie ran in a TD from 3 yards out. The Wolverines attempted a 2-point conversion to tie the game but failed. Utah's defense held off the Wolverines for the remainder of the game. Statistics UTAHMICH First downs 16 11 Total yards 341 203 Rushing yards 36 36 Passing yards 344 174 Turnovers 3 3 Time of possession 35:54 24:06 Team Category Player Statistics Utah Passing Brian Johnson 21/33, 305 yards, TD, INT Rushing Matt Asiata 13 rushes, 77 yards Receiving Bradon Godfrey 7 receptions, 84 yards, TD Michigan Passing Nick Sheridan 11/19, 98 yards, TD, INT Rushing Brandon Minor 4 rushes, 21 yards Receiving Greg Mathews 3 receptions, 54 yards Miami (OH) 2008 Miami RedHawks football team Miami (OH) at Michigan RedHawks Wolverines 0 3 3 0 10 0 0 6 September 6 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 12:00 p.m. 2:59 106,724 75 F, Partly Cloudy, N 5 mph on Dan Capron Dave Pasch (play-by-play) & Andre Ware (color) ESPN2 Coming off their loss to Utah, the Wolverines stayed home to play the Miami RedHawks. The Wolverines had never lost to the Redhawks in the four games the teams had played in previous seasons. The Wolverines got on the board first with just under 11 minutes to in the first quarter when QB Steven Threet ran in the ball himself from 9 yards out for a touchdown. Then with just under 9 minutes to go in the first, the Wolverines got on the board again with a 47-yard field goal by K.C. Lopata. The RedHawks finally scored late in the half with a 27-yard field goal by Nathan Parseghian. With that the 2 teams retired to the locker rooms. The RedHawks scored next, on a 23-yard field goal by Nathan Parseghian with just under 7 minutes to go in the third. Then midway through the final quarter, the Wolverines capped off their victory when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 15 yards out. However, the point after attempt by K.C. Lopata failed. It was Rich Rodriguez's first win as Michigan's head coach and the Wolverines' first win of the season. The win made their all-time record against the RedHawks 5–0. Statistics MOHMICH First downs 16 15 Total yards 252 281 Rushing yards 47 178 Passing yards 235 103 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 35:13 24:47 Team Category Player Statistics Miami (OH) Passing Daniel Raudabaugh 20/33, 191 yards Rushing Thomas Merriweather 21 rushes, 77 yards Receiving Jamal Rogers 9 receptions, 78 yards Michigan Passing Steven Threet 6/13, 63 yards Rushing Sam McGuffie 17 rushes, 74 yards Receiving Martavious Odoms 3 receptions, 57 yards At Notre Dame 2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team Michigan at Notre Dame Wolverines Fighting Irish 7 10 0 0 21 7 0 7 September 13 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame, Indiana EST 3:30 p.m. 3:03 80,795 83 F, Showers and Thunderstorms, SW 15 mph on John McDaid Tom Hammond (Play-by-play), Pat Haden (Color) & Alex Flanagan (Sideline) NBC After their win over Miami, the Wolverines flew to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for their first road game of the season, renewing the longtime rivalry between the two teams. In the pouring rain, the Wolverines gave up the ball on 4 fumbles. They also threw 2 interceptions. The Fighting Irish got the first scores of the game with just under 12 minutes left in the first quarter, when Robert Hughes 2 ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. Less than a minute later, QB Jimmy Clausen completed a 10-yard pass to Duval Kamara that was run in for another TD. A few minutes later Jimmy Clausen threw another TD pass, this time a 48 yard long bomb to Golden Tate. The Wolverines got on the board late in the first quarter with their own long bomb, a 40-yard TD Steven Threet pass to Sam McGuffie. Then with just under 12 minutes to go in the second quarter, the Wolverines got on the board again with a 23-yard K.C. Lopata field goal. A few minutes later, the Fighting Irish's Robert Hughes ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. Then with just under 6 minutes in the half, the Wolverines struck back when Kevin Grady ran in a touchdown from 7 yards out. With that the teams went into their locker rooms to dry out temporarily. Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter. But the Fighting Irish capped off their scoring when the Wolverines fumbled the ball and Brian Smith picked it up and ran it back 35 yards for a touchdown. Statistics MICHND First downs 22 13 Total yards 388 260 Rushing yards 159 113 Passing yards 229 147 Turnovers 6 2 Time of possession 27:48 32:12 Team Category Player Statistics Michigan Passing Steven Threet 16/23, 175 yards, TD Rushing Sam McGuffie 25 rushes, 131 yards Receiving Martavious Odoms 6 receptions, 56 yards Notre Dame Passing Jimmy Clausen 10/21, 147 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Robert Hughes 19 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TD Receiving Golden Tate 4 receptions, 127 yards, TD No. 9 Wisconsin 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team Wisconsin at Michigan No. 9 Badgers Wolverines 6 13 0 6 0 0 7 20 September 27 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 3:30 p.m. 3:30 109,833 75 F, Partly Cloudy, NE 7 mph on Dennis Lipski Brad Nessler (Play-by-play), Bob Griese (Color), Paul Maguire & Stacey Dales (Sideline) ABC/ESPN2 Following a bye week, the Wolverines played the 500th game in the Big House against the #9 Wisconsin Badgers in their first contest against another Big Ten Conference school of the season. The Badgers missed a field goal in the first quarter but later scored on two field goal attempts. Scoring one touchdown and two field goals in the second quarter, Wisconsin finished the half with a 19–0 lead. The Wolverines gave up 5 fumbles, threw 2 interceptions and managed only 21 yards in the first half. The offense got going midway through the third quarter. A touchdown pass thrown to freshman Kevin Koger got them on the board. The Wolverines continued to have success offensively, scoring 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter. They took the lead when John Thompson returned an interception for a touchdown. The Badgers were down 27–19 with a little over 5 minutes to go. Because of a series of big passes, the Badgers scored a touchdown and went for the two-point conversion. Their initial attempt resulted in a pass caught for an apparent score, but was thwarted by an ineligible receiver penalty. On their second attempt, the ball sailed over the head of the intended target in the back of the endzone. The Badgers were unable to regain possession with an onside kick, ending the game. Their 20-point comeback was the second largest comeback in Michigan football history (the largest was a 21-point comeback victory at Minnesota in 2003). Statistics WISMICH First downs 18 14 Total yards 384 268 Rushing yards 158 172 Passing yards 246 96 Turnovers 6 3 Time of possession 36:04 23:56 Team Category Player Statistics Wisconsin Passing Allan Evridge 20/37, 226 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing P. J. Hill 22 rushes, 70 yards Receiving David Gilreath 5 receptions, 65 yards, TD Michigan Passing Steven Threet 12/31, 96 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Steven Threet 9 rushes, 89 yards Receiving Greg Mathews 4 receptions, 48 yards Illinois 2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team Illinois at Michigan Fighting Illini Wolverines 3 14 7 21 14 0 0 6 October 4 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 3:30 p.m. 3:30 109,750 62 F, Mostly Sunny, W 7 mph on Dave Witvoet Dave LaMont (Play-by-play), David Norrie (Color) & Jeannine Edwards (Sideline) ABC/ESPN2 For their 2008 Homecoming Game, the Wolverines hosted the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Wolverines dominated the first quarter, scoring a season high 14 points on 2 touchdowns. Michigan's Steven Threet was 18-of-35 for 250 yards and two TDs. Sam McGuffie ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and freshman Martavious Odoms set season highs with seven receptions and 129 yards receiving. However, they were blanked in the second and third quarter. They came back to life in the fourth quarter though, when Mark Moundros caught a 2-yard pass for a touchdown, but kicker K.C. Lopata failed on the PAT attempt. Illinois however had their best game against Michigan in the history of the Michigan / Illinois contests. The Illini set a school record for points against Michigan (45), surpassing the 39 points Red Grange helped them score in 1924 as Memorial Stadium was dedicated, and they scored the most any team has at Michigan Stadium since Florida State had 51 in 1991. It was also the Illini's first victory at the Big House since 1999, and University of Illinois quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams set a Big House record with 431 all-purpose yards, breaking the record previously held by former Illini quarterback Tony Eason (403). Illini quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams connected with Jeff Cumberland for a 77-yard pass, the longest by an Illini quarterback since 1985, and a perfectly lofted screen to running back Daniel Dufrene turned into a 57-yard TD. With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 2–3 on the season and 1–1 in the Big Ten, their worst record after five games since starting 1–4 in 1967, two years before Bo Schembechler arrived. Statistics ILLMICH First downs 19 17 Total yards 501 319 Rushing yards 191 69 Passing yards 310 283 Turnovers 0 2 Time of possession 33:06 26:54 Team Category Player Statistics Illinois Passing Juice Williams 13/26, 310 yards, 2 TD Rushing Juice Williams 19 rushes, 121 yards, 2 TD Receiving Arrelious Benn 6 receptions, 122 yards Michigan Passing Steven Threet 18/35, 250 yards, 2 TD Rushing Sam McGuffie 19 rushes, 70 yards, TD Receiving Martavious Odoms 7 receptions, 129 yards Toledo 2008 Toledo Rockets football team thumb|left|Zoltan Mesko punting Toledo at Michigan Rockets Wolverines 7 0 3 3 7 3 0 0 October 11 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 12:00 p.m. 3:18 107,267 70 F, Sunny, Wind: Calm Todd Geerlings Thom Brennaman (Play-by-play), Charles Davis (Color) & Charissa Thompson (Sideline) BTN After their huge loss to Illinois, the Wolverines hosted the Toledo Rockets. It was the first time the two teams had ever played. In the first quarter, the Rockets scored first when a pass from Michigan QB Steven Threet was intercepted in the end zone by Tyrrell Herbert and run back 101 yards for a touchdown. Later in the first quarter, the Wolverines got on the board with 27-yard TD pass from Steven Threet to Brandon Minor. The next score came on a 26-yard field goal by Michigan kicker K.C. Lopata midway through the second quarter. With that, the teams went into the locker rooms at the half with a score of 10–7. In the second half, the Rockets shut out the Wolverines and scored two more field goals, both by Alex Steigerwald. He completed a 29-yard attempt in the third quarter and a 48-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. With less than a minute remaining in the game, the Wolverines got into the red zone and attempted a field goal to take the game into overtime. Lopata missed the field goal though, sealing the victory for the Rockets and marking the first time the Wolverines had ever lost to a Mid-American Conference team. To make matters worse - this was not a good MAC team; Toledo ended up posting a 3–9 overall record, and was 2–6 in the MAC. In the game, Nick Moore of the Rockets set a record of 20 receptions against The Wolverines. With the humbling loss, the Wolverines fell to 2–4, their worst start in 41 years. Statistics TOLMICH First downs 17 19 Total yards 327 290 Rushing yards 70 170 Passing yards 265 126 Turnovers 1 3 Time of possession 33:08 26:52 Team Category Player Statistics Toledo Passing Aaron Opelt 33/50, 257 yards Rushing DaJuane Collins 10 rushes, 65 yards Receiving Nick Moore 20 receptions, 162 yards Michigan Passing Nick Sheridan 8/16, 65 yards, 2 INT Rushing Sam McGuffie 25 rushes, 105 yards Receiving Sam McGuffie 5 receptions, 44 yards At No. 3 Penn State 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team Michigan at Penn State Wolverines No. 3 Nittany Lions 10 7 0 0 7 7 12 20 October 18 Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, Pennsylvania EST 4:30 p.m. 3:13 110,017 46 F, Clear, E 6 mph on Bill LeMonnier Sean McDonough (Play-by-play), Chris Spielman (Color) & Rob Stone (Sideline) ESPN In the fourth-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, the Penn State Nittany Lions ended a nine-game losing streak to the Wolverines, dating back to 1997. Michigan tallied 204 yards of offense and scored on their first three possessions to take a 17–7 lead early in the second quarter, but the Nittany Lion defense made key halftime adjustments and limited the Wolverines to only 87 yards the remainder of the game. Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark's touchdown pass to Jordan Norwood late in the first half cut Michigan's lead to 17–14, Penn State's first deficit at halftime this season. The Nittany Lions would outscore the Wolverines 32–0 in the second half for a 46–17 win. Clark finished 18 of 31 for 171 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 45 yards and two one-yard touchdowns but lost a fumble on State's second drive which led to a Wolverine field goal. Evan Royster ran for a career-high 174 yards on 18 carries for a 9.7 yard per carry average, including a 44-yard touchdown for Penn State's first points. Deon Butler had a season-high eight receptions for 105 yards, his fourth-career 100-yard game. Stephfon Green took a screen pass from Pat Devlin and outran the Wolverines defense 80 yards for the Nittany Lions' final score. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the defense with 11 tackles. Defensive tackle Jared Odrick made a career-high six stops, with 2.5 tackles for loss, but his biggest play occurred with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter. Odrick sacked Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan, who was in for the injured Steven Threet, in the end zone for a safety and Penn State's first lead of the game, 19–17. Aaron Maybin finished with four tackles, including a sack of Threet that forced a fumble, recovered by Abe Koroma, and led to a Penn State touchdown.http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/101808aaa.html Nittany Lions Go to 8-0 With 46-17 Thumping of Michigan Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics October 18, 2008 October 19, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081021171711/http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/101808aaa.html October 21, 2008 live Statistics MICHPSU First downs 15 22 Total yards 291 482 Rushing yards 202 231 Passing yards 106 251 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 30:19 29:41 Team Category Player Statistics Michigan Passing Steven Threet 9/13, 84 yards Rushing Brandon Minor 23 rushes, 117 yards, TD Receiving Martavious Odoms 3 receptions, 34 yards Penn State Passing Daryll Clark 18/31, 171 yards, TD Rushing Evan Royster 18 rushes, 174 yards, TD Receiving Deon Butler 8 receptions, 105 yards Michigan State 2008 Michigan State Spartans football team Michigan State at Michigan Spartans Wolverines 7 7 7 14 7 7 7 0 October 25 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 3:30 p.m. 3:15 110,146 52 F, Cloudy/Light Rain, SW 15 mph on Dave Witvoet Sean McDonough (Play-by-play), Chris Spielman (Color) & Rob Stone (Sideline) ABC/ESPN2 After their blowout loss at Penn State, the Wolverines went back to Ann Arbor to take on their in-state rivals, the Michigan State Spartans, for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The Spartans struck first, scoring on a huge 61-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer to Blair White with just under 12 minutes to go in the first quarter. The Wolverines tied it up near the end of the first quarter when Brandon Minor scored on a 19-yard TD pass from Steven Threet. The Spartans took the lead back near the end of the half with a 64-yard TD run by Javon Ringer. The Wolverines tied it back up less than a minute later when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 2 yards out. Midway through the third quarter, the Wolverines took their only lead of the game when QB Steven Threet ran in a touchdown himself from 2 yards out. From there, Michigan State took control of the game. The Spartans tied it back up when Charlie Gantt scored on a 4-yard TD pass near the end of the third quarter. The Wolverines were shut out in the fourth quarter. The Spartans took the lead in the fourth quarter when Javon Ringer ran in another TD, this time from 3 yards out, and sealed their win when Josh Rouse scored on a 7-yard TD pass. With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 2–6 overall and 1–3 vs. Big Ten opponents. Statistics MSUMICH First downs 22 13 Total yards 473 252 Rushing yards 167 84 Passing yards 351 197 Turnovers 4 4 Time of possession 35:18 24:42 Team Category Player Statistics Michigan State Passing Brian Hoyer 17/29, 282 yards, 3 TD Rushing Javon Ringer 37 rushes, 194 yards, 2 TD Receiving Blair White 4 receptions, 143 yards, TD Michigan Passing Steven Threet 13/27, 168 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Brandon Minor 15 rushes, 55 yards, TD Receiving Martavious Odoms 6 receptions, 42 yards At Purdue 2008 Purdue Boilermakers football team Michigan at Purdue Wolverines Boilermakers 14 14 0 14 14 7 14 13 November 1 Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, Indiana EST 12:00 p.m. 3:22 59,135 59 F, Partly Cloudy, WNW 4 mph on Dan Capron Wayne Larrivee (Play-by-play), Charles Davis (Color) & Charissa Thompson (Sideline) BTN In week 10, the Wolverines traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the Purdue Boilermakers. The Wolverines gained an early lead in the first quarter. First Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 45 yards out. A few minutes later Martavius Odoms got a huge score when he ran a punt back 73 yards for another TD, putting the Wolverines up 14–0. The Boilermakers quickly tied it up though with 2 TD's of their own later in the first quarter. First Kory Sheets ran in TD from 2 yards out. Then Justin Siller ran in a TD from 10 yards out. The Wolverines went up by 14 again in the second quarter though. First Laterryl Savoy scored on an 11-yard TD pass. Then the Wolverines got another big TD run, this time on a 51-yard rush by Darryl Stonum. The Boilermakers struck back with less than a minute to go in the half when Kory Sheets scored another TD, this time on a 3-yard run. At halftime the Wolverines were up 28–21. In the 3rd quarter, the Wolverines were shut out, but the Boilermakers scored 2 more TD's, both by Kory Sheets, making his day's total 4. His 3rd of the game came on a 7-yard pass, tying the game. His final TD of the game was on a 5-yard run which put the Boilermakers ahead. The scoring continued to see-saw in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines tied it back up when Brandon Minor ran in a TD from 12 yards out. Then Greg Orton put the Boilermakers back up by catching a 4-yard TD pass. The Wolverines re-tied the game when Brandon Minor got his 3rd TD of the game, this time on a 1-yard run. The Boilermakers put the game in the win column with less than 30 seconds left when Desmond Tardy caught a 28-yard TD pass. With the loss, Michigan was disqualified from all bowl games this season, the first time since 1967. Brandon Minor's 154 yards and 3 touchdowns set a school record. Purdue's 48 points was the most the school had ever scored against Michigan, and their first win against Michigan since 2000. Statistics MICHPUR First downs 15 25 Total yards 300 522 Rushing yards 177 256 Passing yards 144 266 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 37:42 22:18 Team Category Player Statistics Michigan Passing Steven Threet 9/21, 123 yards, 2 TD Rushing Brandon Minor 24 rushes, 155 yards, 3 TD Receiving Darryl Stonum 2 receptions, 61 yards, TD Purdue Passing Justin Siller 21/34, 266 yards, 3 TD Rushing Kory Sheets 30 rushes, 118 yards, 3 TD Receiving Greg Orton 8 receptions, 89 yards, TD At Minnesota 2008 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team Michigan at Minnesota Wolverines Golden Gophers 6 10 6 7 0 0 3 3 November 8 Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeMinneapolis EST 12:00 p.m. 2:58 55,040 Indoors John O'Neill Pam Ward (Play-by-play) & Ray Bentley (Color) ESPN thumb|left|Players and coaches celebrate with the Little Brown Jug after their victory In week 11, the Wolverines flew to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the Little Brown Jug. The first half was dominated by Michigan. Wolverines Kicker K.C. Lopata scored 3 field goals in the first half, 2 in the first quarter from 44 yards and 34 yards respectively, then another in the second quarter from 26 yards. Then Greg Mathews caught an 8-yard TD pass to put the Wolverines up 16–0 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Wolverines scored first on a 48-yard field goal. Then the Golden Gophers finally got on the board with a 28-yard field goal from kicker Joel Monroe. Then K.C. Lopata got his fifth and final field goal of the game, this one from 23 yards out. In the fourth quarter, the Golden Gophers managed to score on another field goal, this one from 32 yards out. The final score of the game was when Mark Moundros of the Wolverines ran in a TD from 3 yards out. It was the Wolverines' 12th straight win in the Metrodome. With the Gophers' move to the new TCF Bank Stadium in the 2009 season, the Wolverines could claim to have never lost in the Metrodome. center|750px|thumb|The 91st battle for the Little Brown Jug Statistics MICHMINN First downs 20 8 Total yards 435 188 Rushing yards 232 83 Passing yards 203 127 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 25:47 34:13 Team Category Player Statistics Michigan Passing Nick Sheridan 18/30, 203 yards, TD Rushing Michael Shaw 8 rushes, 71 yards Receiving Greg Mathews 6 receptions, 79 yards, TD Minnesota Passing Adam Weber 13/24, 105 yards, INT Rushing DeLeon Eskridge 11 rushes, 80 yards Receiving Brandon Green 2 receptions, 36 yards Northwestern 2008 Northwestern Wildcats football team Northwestern at Michigan Wildcats Wolverines 7 0 14 0 7 7 0 0 November 15 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, Michigan EST 12:00 p.m. 3:03 107,856 45 F, Light Steady Rain, W 20 mph on Dave Witvoet Pam Ward (Play-by-play) & Ray Bentley (Color) ESPN2 For their final home game of the season, the Wolverines hosted the Northwestern Wildcats. In the rain and snow, the Wildcats struck first midway through the first quarter when Stephen Simmons ran in a 21-yard TD. The Wolverines tied it up near the end of the 1st when QB Nick Sheridan ran in a TD himself from 3 yards out. The only score of the 2nd quarter was when Rick Reyes of the Wolverines blocked a punt and picked it up for a 3-yard TD run. The second half was all Northwestern. First Ross Lane caught a 17-yard TD pass to tie it up. Then Eric Peterman caught a 53 yard long bomb for another TD, sealing the win for the Wildcats. With this loss, Michigan fell to 3–8, the school's most losses in a single-season in 129 years of football. It was also just Northwestern's second win in Ann Arbor in its past 21 trips. The program's only other win there since 1960 came in the Rose Bowl season of 1995. Statistics NUMICH First downs 14 15 Total yards 257 264 Rushing yards 59 181 Passing yards 220 84 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 27:19 32:41 Team Category Player Statistics Northwestern Passing C. J. Bachér 17/29, 198 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Stephen Simmons 22 rushes, 56 yards, TD Receiving Eric Peterman 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD Michigan Passing Nick Sheridan 8/29, 61 yards Rushing Carlos Brown 23 rushes, 115 yards Receiving Greg Mathews 5 receptions, 46 yards At No. 10 Ohio State 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team thumb|left|James Laurinaitis chases Brandon Minor during the 2008 Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game Michigan at Ohio State Wolverines No. 10 Buckeyes 0 7 0 0 7 7 14 14 November 22 Ohio StadiumColumbus, Ohio EST 12:00 p.m. 3:04 105,564 28 F, Partly Cloudy, W 4 mph on Bill LeMonnier Brad Nessler (Play-by-play), Bob Griese (Color), Paul Maguire (Color) & Stacey Dales (Sideline) ABC For their final game of the season, the Wolverines traveled to Columbus, Ohio to take on their bitter rival the Ohio State Buckeyes for the 105th time in the rivalry (see Michigan-Ohio State rivalry). The Buckeyes scored first when Chris Wells ran in a 59-yard TD. The Buckeyes made it 14-0 when Brian Hartline caught a 53 yard long bomb for another TD just after the start of the second quarter. Michigan got their only points of the game when Brandon Minor ran in a 1-yard TD near halftime. The second half was all Ohio State. First Daniel Herron got a huge 49-yard run for a TD in the 3rd quarter. Later in the 3rd, Brian Robiske caught an 8-yard TD pass. Just after the start of the 4th, Daniel Herron scored again, this time on a 2-yard TD run. Brian Hartline later caught an 18-yard TD pass. With the loss, Michigan's season ended with a 3–9 record, officially the worst for the school in the 129 years of the football program. This was their fifth loss in a row to Ohio State, and made the 2008 senior class the second in a row never to beat the Buckeyes. Statistics MICHOSU First downs 11 13 Total yards 198 416 Rushing yards 111 232 Passing yards 109 209 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 30:35 29:25 Team Category Player Statistics Michigan Passing Nick Sheridan 8/24, 87 yards Rushing Brandon Minor 14 rushes, 67 yards, TD Receiving Martavious Odoms 5 receptions, 37 yards Ohio State Passing Terrelle Pryor 5/13, 120 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Beanie Wells 15 rushes, 134 yards, TD Receiving Brian Hartline 2 receptions, 71 yards, 2 TD Personnel Coaching staff Rich Rodriguez – Head coach Calvin Magee – Associate head coach / offensive coordinator Scott Shafer – Defensive coordinator Tony Dews – Wide receivers Greg Frey – Offensive line Tony Gibson – Assistant to the Regional Head Coach / Secondary Jay Hopson – Defensive assistant Fred Jackson – Running backs Rod Smith – Quarterbacks Bruce Tall – Defensive line Alex Herron – Graduate assistant/offense Jahmile Addae – Graduate assistant/defense Eric Smith – Offensive Quality Control Bryan Wright – Offensive Quality Control Adam Braithwate – Defensive Quality Control Dan Hott – Defensive Quality Control Mike Barwis – Strength and conditioning coordinator Roster (as of December 15, 2008)http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/roster-2008-archive.html 2008 Michigan Football Roster University of Michigan September 18, 2008Quarterback 12 David Cone – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 3 Justin Feagin – Freshman 8 Nick Sheridan – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 10 Steven Threet – 10px|Redshirt Freshman Wide receiver 17 Toney Clemons – Sophomore 89 Jon Conover – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 21 Junior Hemingway – Sophomore 13 Greg Mathews – Junior 31 Ryan Meyers – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 9 Martavious Odoms – Freshman 37 Ricky Reyes – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 7 Terrence Robinson – Freshman 18 James Rogers – Sophomore 16 Roy Roundtree – Freshman 82 LaTerryal Savoy – 10px|Redshirt Junior 22 Darryl Stonum – Freshman Offensive lineman 56 Ricky Barnum – Freshman 61 Zac Ciullo – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 79 Perry Dorrestein – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 74 John Ferrara – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 72 Mark Huyge – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 63 Rocko Khoury – Freshman 62 Tim McAvoy – 10px|Redshirt Junior 57 Elliott Mealer – Freshman 50 David Molk – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 60 David Moosman – 10px|Redshirt Junior 70 Bryant Nowicki – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 78 Dann O'Neill – Freshman 65 Patrick Omameh – Freshman 71 Mark Ortmann – 10px|Redshirt Junior 91 Tom Pomarico – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 69 Michael Ramirez – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 52 Stephen Schilling – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 64 Kurt Wermers – Freshman 75 Cory Zirbel – 10px|Redshirt Junior Fullback 32 Vince Helmuth – Sophomore 43 John McColgan – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 44 Mark Moundros – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 24 Kevin Grady – 10px|Redshirt Junior Running back 23 Carlos Brown – Junior 15 Michael Cox – Freshman 34 Avery Horn 10px|Redshirt Freshman 20 Michael Shaw – Freshman 38 Mike Milano – 10px|Redshirt Junior 4 Brandon Minor – Junior 35 Jimmy Potempa – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 2 Sam McGuffie – Freshman Tight end 46 Jon Bills – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 86 Kevin Koger – Freshman 83 Mike Massey – 10px|Redshirt Senior 88 Brandon Moore – Freshman 96 Mike Therman – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 81 Steve Watson – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 80 Martell Webb – Sophomore 85 Carson Butler – 10px|Redshirt Junior Defensive tackle 97 Will Johnson – 10px|Redshirt Senior 93 Jason Kates – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 68 Mike Martin – Freshman 95 Renaldo Sagesse – Sophomore 67 Terrance Taylor – Senior Defensive end 92 Greg Banks – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 88 Andre Criswell – 10px|Redshirt Junior 55 Brandon Graham – Junior 39 Will Heininger – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 90 Tim Jamison – 10px|Redshirt Senior 89 Tim North – 10px|Redshirt Junior 99 Adam Patterson – Junior 53 Ryan Van Bergen – 10px|Redshirt Freshman Linebackerhttp://www.michigandaily.com/content/freshman-linebacker-transfer-seeing-game-action Freshman Linebacker to Transfer Before Seeing Game Action The Michigan Daily September 18, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080912144515/http://www.michigandaily.com/content/freshman-linebacker-transfer-seeing-game-action September 12, 2008 live 25 Kenny Demens – Freshman 9 Marell Evans – Sophomore 45 Obi Ezeh – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 51 Mike Fish – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 42 J.B. Fitzgerald – Freshman 59 Paul Gyarmati – Freshman 58 Brandon Herron – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 52 Kevin Leach – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 46 Brandon Logan – Senior 8 Jonas Mouton – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 50 Ohene Opong-Owusu – 10px|Redshirt Junior 54 Austin Panter – Senior 49 John Thompson – 10px|Redshirt Senior Cornerback 17 Tony Anderson – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 22 Bobby Centrelivre – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 33 Boubacar Cissoko – Freshman 35 Doug Dutch – 10px|Redshirt Senior 12 J.T. Floyd – Freshman 19 Zach Johnson – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 14 Morgan Trent – 10px|Redshirt Senior 6 Donovan Warren – Sophomore 29 Troy Woolfolk – Sophomore Safety 3 Stevie Brown – Junior 38 Artis Chambers – Sophomore 30 Shakir Edwards – 10px|Redshirt Senior 27 Brandon Harrison – Senior 26 Nick Koenighsknecht – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 21 Jordan Reilly – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 25 Doug Rogan – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 23 Floyd Simmons – Freshman 28 Brandon Smith – Freshman 5 Charles Stewart – 10px|Redshirt Senior 32 Karl Tech – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 40 Michael Williams – 10px|Redshirt Freshman Long snapper 59 Sean Griffin – 10px|Redshirt Senior 73 George Morales – Freshman Punter 30 Chris Berry – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore 41 Zoltan Mesko – 10px|Redshirt Junior Place kicker 34 Jason Gingell – 10px|Redshirt Senior 84 K.C. Lopata – 10px|Redshirt Senior 92 Jason Olesnavage – 10px|Redshirt Junior 97 Scott Schrimscher – 10px|Redshirt Freshman 43 Bryan Wright – 10px|Redshirt Sophomore Players redshirted in 2008 56 Ricky Barnum – Freshman 15 Michael Cox – Freshman 25 Kenny Demens – Freshman 12 J.T. Floyd – Freshman 59 Paul Gyarmati – Freshman 21 Junior Hemingway – Sophomore 63 Rocko Khoury – Freshman 57 Elliott Mealer – Freshman 88 Brandon Moore – Freshman 73 George Morales – Freshman 65 Patrick Omameh – Freshman 78 Dann O'Neill – Freshman 7 Terrence Robinson – Freshman 16 Roy Roundtree – Freshman 23 Floyd Simmons – Freshman 28 Brandon Smith – Freshman 64 Kurt Wermers – Freshman References External links 2008 Football Team – Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History 2008 Michigan at NCAA.org Michigan Category:Michigan Wolverines football seasons Michigan Wolverines football