Best
Wolverine Bowl Moment:
38 bowl games, 18 bowl victories and 20 trips to Pasadena ensure
there are plenty of viable candidates. Slipping by Alabama in
overtime in the 2000 Orange Bowl. Beating Washington in 1981, the
school's first Rose Bowl win in 16 years. Or capping a perfect 1947
season by trouncing USC 49-0. Still, it's tough to deny the 1997
squad, which got past Washington State 21-16 in the Rose Bowl.
While it wasn’t the sharpest Wolverine effort, it enough to give
the Wolverines their first national title in nearly half a century. Best Gator Bowl Moment: How good was last year’s 41-14
thumping of Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game? Good enough to
trump the 52-20 annihilation of No. 1 and unbeaten Florida State in
the 1997 Sugar Bowl as the best moment in Florida bowl history.
Considered by many to be out of the top-ranked Buckeyes’ league, the
Gators feasted on their slower opponent, holding Heisman Trophy
winner Troy Smith and Ohio State to just 82 yards of total offense.
Michigan's best win ...
Michigan 27 ... Illinois 17
Mike Hart was out, Chad Henne got hurt, and Illinois was
rolling with a 14-3 first half lead on a 26-yard Jacob Willis
touchdown catch and an eight-yard run from Daniel Dufrene, but then
the Michigan offense got the receivers involved as Mario Manningham
caught an eight-yard touchdown pass, later caught an 11-yard pass
from WR Adrian Arrington to break a 17-17 tie midway through the
fourth quarter. Arrington also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass as
part of the 24-3 run. K.C. Lopata nailed a 39-yard field goal to put
the Wolverines up ten late. Player of the
game: Michigan QB Chad
Henne completed 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns
with an interception Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Juice
Williams, 8-14, 70 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 18-85. Receiving:
Arrelious Benn, 5-35 Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 18-26, 201 yds,
2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Carlos Brown, 25-113. Receiving: Mario
Manningham, 9-109, 2 TD
Michigan's worst
performance ...
Appalachian State 34 ... Michigan 32
Appalachian State pulled off one of the biggest stunners in
college football history after Corey Lynch blocked a 37-yard Jason
Gingell field goal attempt as time ran out. ASU gave the Wolverines
all they could handle in the first half, as QB Armanti Edwards
completed all seven of his passes with two touchdown throws to
Dexter Jackson, a nine-yard scoring strike to Hans Batichon, and a
six-yard touchdown run on the way to a 28-17 lead. But Michigan
would come back as Mike Hart took over with touchdown runs from four
and 54 yards out. A missed two-point conversion, and a failed field
goal attempt, left the door open, and ASU kicked it in with a
69-yard drive in seven plays finished up by a 24-yard Julian Rauch
field goal. Michigan got within field goal range on a 46-yard
completion to Mario Manningham, but Lynch came through with the
blocked kick to pull off the upset. Player of the game: Appalachian State QB Armanti
Edwards completed 17 of 23 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns
with two interceptions and ran 17 times for 62 yards and a score. Stat Leaders: Appalachian State - Passing:
Armanti Edwards, 17-23, 227 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT Rushing: Kevin Richardson, 24-88. Receiving:
CoCo Hillary, 4-63 Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 19-37,
233 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Hart, 23-188, 3 TD. Receiving: Greg
Mathews, 7-68, 1 TD
Florida's best win ...
Florida 59 ... Tennessee 20
Florida showed off all its speed and talent scoring in all
phases. Brandon James started off the scoring with an 83-yard punt
return for a touchdown and Tim Tebow threw for two scores and ran
for another, but Tennessee hung tough thanks to a 15-yard Chris
Brown touchdown catch and a 96-yard interception return for a score
from Eric Berry. But the Gators responded with a defensive touchdown
of its own on a fumble return for a score from Dustin Doe, and then
Percy Harvin put it away with an electrifying 19-yard touchdown run
as past of a 31-point run to close out the game. Player of the
game: Florida QB Tim
Tebow finished 14-of-19 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and an
interception, while running 18 times for 61 yards and two
touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge,
26-41, 249 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Arian Foster, 11-26. Receiving: Josh Briscoe,
8-76 Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 14-19, 299 yds, 2
TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 9-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin, 4-120
Florida's worst performance ...
Auburn 20 ... Florida 17
Wes Byrum appeared to hit the game-winning 43-yard field goal
for Auburn, but Florida head coach Urban Meyer had called time out
just before the kick. No big deal. Byrum calmly nailed it again, as
the Tigers stunned the Gators. Auburn took a 17-3 lead going into
the fourth quarter, thanks to a 30-yard Byrum field goal, and
scoring runs from six yards out by Kodi Burns and three yards out
from Ben Tate. The Gators roared back in the fourth with Tim Tebow
connecting with Cornelius Ingram for a six-yard touchdown pass, and
barreling in from two yards out to tie it up. Florida had one final
drive, went three and out, and Auburn went on its march to win the
game. Player of
the game: Auburn QB
Brandon Cox completed 17 of 26 passes for 227 yards Stat Leaders: Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow,
20-27, 201 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Tim Tebow, 19-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy
Harvin, 7-119 Auburn - Passing: Brandon Cox, 17-26, 227
yds
Rushing: Ben Tate, 20-65, 1 TD. Receiving: Rod
Smith, 9-102
2007 Outback Bowl
Penn State 20 ... Tennessee 10
In a 10-10 game in the fourth quarter, Tennessee appeared to
have all the momentum after a 53-yard pass to Chris Brown, but on the next play,
Arian Foster lost a fumble, Penn State's Tony Davis picked it up, and he was
gone going 88 yards for what would turn out to be the game-winning touchdown.
The Nittany Lions iced it on a 22-yard Kevin Kelly field goal with just over
three minutes to play. The Volunteers scored first on a 44-yard James Wilhoit
field goal, and got a 42-yard LaMarcus Coker touchdown run after Penn State
scored on a 34-yard Kelly field goal and a two-yard touchdown catch from Anthony
Quarless. Player of the game ...
Penn State LB Dan
Connor made ten tackles and forced the game-changing fumble. Stat Leaders: Tennessee- Passing: Erik Ainge, 25-37, 267
yds, 1 INT Rushing: Arian Foster ,12-65 Receiving: Jayson Swain, 7-84 Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 14-25, 197 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tony Hunt, 31-158 Receiving: Jordan Norwood, 4-35
