American college football season
1988 Michigan Wolverines football Conference Big Ten Conference Coaches No. 4 AP No. 4 1988 record 9–2–1 (7–0–1 Big Ten) Head coach Offensive coordinator Gary Moeller (2nd season)Defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr (2nd season)MVP Mark Messner Captains
Home stadium Michigan Stadium (Capacity: 101,701)Seasons
1988 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
No. 4 Michigan $
7
–
0
–
1
9
–
2
–
1
Michigan State
6
–
1
–
1
6
–
5
–
1
Illinois
5
–
2
–
1
6
–
5
–
1
Iowa
4
–
1
–
3
6
–
4
–
3
No. 20 Indiana
5
–
3
–
0
8
–
3
–
1
Purdue
3
–
5
–
0
4
–
7
–
0
Ohio State
2
–
5
–
1
4
–
6
–
1
Northwestern
2
–
5
–
1
2
–
8
–
1
Wisconsin
1
–
7
–
0
1
–
10
–
0
Minnesota
0
–
6
–
2
2
–
7
–
2
Rankings from AP Poll
The 1988 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season . In its 20th season under head coach Bo Schembechler , the team compiled a 9–2–1 record (7–0–1 against conference opponents), won the Big Ten championship, defeated USC in the 1989 Rose Bowl , outscored opponents by a total of 361 to 167, and was ranked No. 4 in the final AP and UPI polls .[1] [2]
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Michael Taylor with 957 passing yards, tailback Tony Boles with 1,408 rushing yards, and split end Greg McMurtry with 470 receiving yards, and placekicker Mike Gillette with 97 points scored.[3]
Two Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1988 All-America college football team : center John Vitale (consensus) and defensive tackle Mark Messner (consensus). Seven Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1988 All-Big Ten Conference football team .
Schedule [ ]
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance September 10 9:00 p.m. at No. 13 Notre Dame * No. 9 Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry )CBS L 17–1959,075
September 17 3:30 p.m. No. 1 Miami (FL) * No. 15 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI ABC L 30–31105,834
September 24 1:00 p.m. Wake Forest * No. 19 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI W 19–9102,776
October 1 2:00 p.m. at Wisconsin No. 19 Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI W 62–1461,180
October 8 12:00 p.m. Michigan State No. 17 Big 10 Synd. W 17–3106,208
October 15 3:30 p.m. at Iowa No. 15 ABC T 17–1767,700
October 22 3:30 p.m. No. 14 Indiana No. 20 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI ABC W 31–6106,104
October 29 2:00 p.m. at Northwestern No. 14 Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL W 52–733,647
November 5 3:30 p.m. Minnesota No. 14 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (Little Brown Jug ) ABC W 22–7102,171
November 12 1:00 p.m. Illinois No. 13 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI W 38–9105,714
November 19 12:00 p.m. at Ohio State No. 12 ABC W 34–3190,176
January 1, 1989 5:00 p.m. vs. No. 5 USC * No. 11 Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl )ABC W 22–14101,688
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to game All times are in Eastern time
Rankings [ ]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Final
AP
11
10
9
15
19
19
17
15
20
14
14
13
12
11
11
11
4
Coaches
10 (1)
10 (1)
10
16
RV
20
20
17
RV
14
13
12
11
10
11
11
4
[4]
Game summaries [ ]
at Notre Dame [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
#9 Michigan
0
7 7 3
17
• #13 Notre Dame
10
3 0 6
19
Date: September 10Location: Notre Dame Stadium , South Bend, Indiana Television network: CBS
Scoring summary 1 ND Watters 81-yard punt return (Ho kick) ND 7-0
1 ND Ho 31-yard field goal ND 10-0
2 ND Ho 38-yard field goal ND 13-0
2 MICH Hoard 1-yard run (Gillette kick) ND 13-7
3 MICH Taylor 1-yard run (Gillette kick) MICH 14-13
4 ND Ho 26-yard field goal ND 16-14
4 MICH Gillette 49-yard field goal MICH 17-16
4 1:13 ND Ho 26-yard field goal ND 19-17
Miami (FL) [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• #1 Miami (FL)
7
7 0 17
31
#15 Michigan
3
17 3 7
30
Date: September 17Location: Michigan Stadium , Ann Arbor, Michigan Game attendance: 105,834
Scoring summary 1 Michigan Mike Gillette 22-yard field goal Michigan 3-0
1 Miami (FL) Cleveland Gary 49-yard pass from Steve Walsh (Carlos Huerta kick)Miami (FL) 7-3
2 Michigan Mike Gillette 30-yard field goal Miami (FL) 7-6
2 Miami (FL) Cleveland Gary 1-yard run (Carlos Huerta kick) Miami (FL) 14-6
2 Michigan Jeffrey Brown 5-yard pass from Michael Taylor (pass failed) Miami (FL) 14-12
2 Michigan John Kolesar 18-yard pass from Michael Taylor (Chris Horn run) Michigan 20-14
3 Michigan Mike Gillette 29-yard field goal Michigan 23-14
4 Michigan Chris Calloway 16-yard pass from Michael Taylor (Mike Gillette kick)Michigan 30-14
4 5:23 Miami (FL) Rob Chudzinski 7-yard pass from Steve Walsh (Dale Dawkins pass from Steve Walsh)Michigan 30-22
4 2:58 Miami (FL) Cleveland Gary 48-yard pass from Steve Walsh (pass failed) Michigan 30-28
4 0:43 Miami (FL) Carlos Huerta 29-yard field goal Miami (FL) 31-30
See also: 1988 Miami Hurricanes football team
[5]
[6]
Wake Forest [ ]
Tony Boles 33 Rush, 213 Yds [7]
Wisconsin [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (October 2015 )
Michigan State [ ]
Kicker Mike Gillette scored on a 40-yard fake punt run, a play that was put in during halftime, and kicked a 30-yard field goal as Michigan's defense registered five sacks and an interception against the winless Spartans.[8]
at Iowa [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Michigan
3
7 7 0
17
Iowa
7
10 0 0
17
Date: October 15Location: Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City, Iowa Game attendance: 67,700Television network: ABC
Scoring summary 1 IOWA Cook 5-yard pass from Hartlieb (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0
1 Mich Gillette 43-yard field goal IOWA 7–3
2 IOWA Skillett 32-yard field goal IOWA 10–3
2 IOWA Hudson 5-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 17–3
2 Mich Taylor 5-yard run (Gillette kick) IOWA 17–10
3 Mich Kolesar 24-yard pass from Taylor (Gillette kick) Tied 17–17
See also: 1988 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
A 17-17 tie at Kinnick Stadium was the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect Big Ten season for the Wolverines.[9]
Indiana [ ]
Northwestern [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (October 2015 )
Minnesota [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (October 2015 )
Illinois [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (October 2015 )
Ohio State [ ]
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes
1
2
3 4 Total
Michigan
10
10
0 14 34
Ohio St
0
0
14 17 31
at Ohio Stadium , Columbus, Ohio
Date : November 19, 1988Game time : 12:10 p.m.Game weather : Overcast, 44 °F (7 °C)Game attendance : 90,176Referee : John NealowBox Score
Game information
First quarter
MICH – Mike Gillette 22-yard field goal, 5:47. Michigan 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:09.
MICH – Greg McMurtry 57-yard pass from Demetrius Brown (Mike Gillette kick), 1:06. Michigan 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:44.
Second quarter
MICH – Leroy Hoard 18-yard run (Mike Gillette kick), 8:35. Michigan 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:53.
MICH – Mike Gillette 56-yard field goal, 0:00. Michigan 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:35.
Third quarter
OSU – Carlos Snow 4-yard run (Pat O'Morrow kick), 12:06. Michigan 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 2:48.
OSU – Bill Matlock 9-yard run (Pat O'Morrow kick), 4:59. Michigan 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:08.
Fourth quarter
OSU – Bobby Olive 4-yard pass from Greg Frey (Pat O'Morrow kick), 11:26. Ohio St 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 3:42.
OSU – Pat O'Morrow 21-yard field goal, 8:30. Ohio St 24–20. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:50.
MICH – Leroy Hoard 8-yard run (Mike Gillette kick), 4:20. Michigan 27–24. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:03.
OSU – Bill Matlock 16-yard run (Pat O'Morrow kick), 2:02. Ohio St 31–27. Drive: 6 plays, 92 yards, 2:12.
MICH – John Kolesar 41-yard pass from Demetrius Brown (Mike Gillette kick), 1:37. Michigan 34–31. Drive: 2 plays, 41 yards, 0:15.
Top passers
MICH – Demetrius Brown – 11/17, 223 yards, 2 TD
OSU – Greg Frey – 14/29, 192 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
MICH – Leroy Hoard – 23 rushes, 158 yards, 2 TD
OSU – Carlos Snow – 21 rushes, 170 yards, TD
Top receivers
MICH – John Kolesar – 3 receptions, 95 yards, TD
OSU – Bobby Olive – 3 receptions, 59 yards, TD
vs. USC (Rose Bowl) [ ]
Rose Bowl
1
2 3 4 Total
• Michigan
3
0 6 13
22
USC
0
14 0 0
14
Date: January 2Location: Rose Bowl , Pasadena, California Game attendance: 101,688Referee: Gordon RieseTV announcers (ABC ): Keith Jackson , Bob Griese
Main article: 1989 Rose Bowl
See also: 1988 USC Trojans football team
Players [ ]
Offense [ ]
Tony Boles – started 10 games at tailback (team's leading rusher in 1988 with 1,408 yards)
Demetrius Brown – started 3 games at quarterback (48 of 84 for 775 passing yards)
Jeffrey Brown – started 11 games at tight end
Jarrod Bunch – started 5 games at fullback
Chris Calloway – started 5 games at flanker and 1 game at split end (led team with 4 touchdown catches)
Dave Chester – started 2 games at left guard
Dean Dingman – started 12 games at right guard
Tom Dohring – started 10 games at left tackle
Leroy Hoard – started 6 games at fullback and 1 game at tailback (team's second leading rusher in 1988 with 752 yards)
Chris Horn – started 1 game at fullback
Mike Husar – started 10 games at left guard and 2 games at left tackle
John Kolesar – started 7 games at flanker (team's second leading receiver with 18 catches for 356 yards)
Greg McMurtry – started 10 games at split end (team's leading receiver with 27 catches for 470 yards)
Greg Skrepenak – started 12 games at right tackle
Michael Taylor – started 9 games at quarterback (65 for 122 for 957 passing yards)
John Vitale – started 12 games at center
Derrick Walker – started 1 game at tight end and 1 game at split end
Tracy Williams – started 1 game at tailback
Defense [ ]
Bobby Abrams – started 12 games at outside linebacker
Erick Anderson – started 6 games at inside linebacker (led team with 77 tackles)
David Arnold – started 10 games at cornerback
Mike Evans – started 1 game at defensive tackle
J. J. Grant – started 9 games at inside linebacker (tied for second on the team with 72 tackles)
Mark Gutzwiller, defensive back
John Hermann – started 2 games at defensive tackle
David Key – started 12 games at cornerback (fifth on the team with 63 tackles)
Alex Marshall – started 9 games at outside linebacker
Mark Messner – started 12 games at defensive tackle (fourth on the team with 70 tackles)
Anthony Mitchell – started 1 game at outside linebacker
Vada Murray – started 12 games at free safety (second on team with 4 interceptions)
T. J. Osman – started 12 games at middle guard
Todd Plate – started 2 games at cornerback
Marc Spencer – started 3 games at inside linebacker
Tripp Welborne – started 12 games at strong safety (led team with five interceptions; tied for second on the team with 72 tackles)
Brent White – started 9 games at defensive tackle
Tim Williams – started 2 games at outside linebacker
Special teams [ ]
Tony Boles – kick off returns (14 returns for an average of 24.1 yards)
Mike Gillette – placekicker (18 of 27 on field goals) and punter (46 punts for an average of 39.9 yards)
Gulam Khan – placekicker (0 for 1 on field goals)
John Kolesar – kickoff returns (13 returns for an average of 23.5 yards); punt returns (17 returns for an average of 11.9 yards)
Awards and honors [ ]
All-Americans: Mark Messner , John Vitale
All-Conference: Mark Messner, John Vitale, Mike Husar, John Kolesar, Tony Boles , Mike Gillette, David Arnold
Most Valuable Player: Mark Messner
Meyer Morton Award: John Vitale
John Maulbetsch Award: Tripp Welborne
Frederick Matthei Award: Warde Manuel
Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: David Weil
Dick Katcher Award: Mark Messner
Hugh Rader Jr. Award: Mark Messner
Robert P. Ufer Award: John Kolesar
Coaching staff [ ]
Head coach: Bo Schembechler
Assistant coaches: Tirrel Burton , Cam Cameron , Lloyd Carr , Jerry Hanlon , Bill Harris, Jim Herrmann , Les Miles , Gary Moeller , Bobby Morrison , Tom Reed
Trainer: Russ Miller
Manager: Pat Perkins, Scott Boyle
References [ ]
External links [ ]
Venues
Washtenaw County Fairgrounds (1883–1892)
Regents Field (1893–1905)
Ferry Field (1906–1926)
Michigan Stadium (1927–present)
Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold
Western Conference Big Ten Big Nine Big Ten National championships in bold