The 1978 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.
Schedule[]
| Date
|
Time
|
Opponent#
|
Rank#
|
Site
|
TV
|
Result
|
Attendance
|
| September 16, 1978
|
|
Illinois
|
#4/4
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
|
|
W 31–0
|
104,102
|
| September 23, 1978*
|
|
at #14/14 Notre Dame
|
#5/5
|
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN
|
ABC
|
W 28–14
|
59,075
|
| September 30, 1978*
|
|
Duke
|
#4/3
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
|
|
W 52–0
|
104,832
|
| October 7, 1978*
|
|
Arizona
|
#3/3
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
|
|
W 21–17
|
104,913
|
| October 14, 1978
|
|
Michigan State
|
#5/4
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
|
|
L 24–15
|
105,132
|
| October 21, 1978
|
|
at Wisconsin
|
#9/9
|
Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI
|
|
W 42–0
|
80,024
|
| October 28, 1978†
|
|
Minnesota
|
#8/9
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
|
|
W 42–10
|
105,308
|
| November 4, 1978
|
|
at Iowa
|
#8/9
|
Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA
|
|
W 34–0
|
49,120
|
| November 11, 1978
|
|
at Northwestern
|
#7/7
|
Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL
|
|
W 59–14
|
27,013
|
| November 18, 1978
|
|
#15/16 Purdue
|
#7/7
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
|
|
W 24–6
|
105,410
|
| November 25, 1978
|
|
at #16/14 Ohio State
|
#6/6
|
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH
|
ABC
|
W 14–3
|
88,358
|
| January 1, 1979*
|
|
vs. #3/3 USC
|
#5/5
|
Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)
|
NBC
|
L 17–10
|
105,629
|
| *Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
|
Game notes[]
Illinois[]
Notre Dame[]
| by Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4
|
Total
|
| • Michigan
|
0 |
7 |
7 |
14
|
28
|
| Notre Dame
|
7 |
7 |
0 |
0
|
14
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 1 |
| ND | Grindinger 6 yard pass from Montana (Unis kick) | ND 7-0 |
|
| 2 |
| MICH | Leach 4 yard run (Willner kick) | Tied 7-7 |
|
| 2 |
| ND | Ferguson 4 yard run (Unis kick) | ND 14-7 |
|
| 3 |
| MICH | Marsh 5 yard pass from Leach (Willner kick) | Tied 14-14 |
|
| 4 |
| MICH | Marsh 17 yard pass from Leach (kick failed) | MICH 20-14 |
|
| 4 |
| MICH | Clayton 40 yard pass from Leach (run failed) | MICH 26-14 |
|
| 4 |
| MICH | Safety, Montana tackled by Greer | MICH 28-14 |
|
[1]
Duke[]
Arizona[]
Michigan State[]
Michigan's only conference loss of the season.
Wisconsin[]
Minnesota[]
Iowa[]
Northwestern[]
Purdue[]
Ohio State[]
| by Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4
|
Total
|
| • Michigan
|
7 |
0 |
7 |
0
|
14
|
| Ohio St
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
3
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 1 |
| Ohio St | Bob Atha 29 yard field goal | Ohio St 3-0 |
|
| 1 |
| Michigan | Rodney Feaster 30 yard pass from Rick Leach (Gregg Willner kick) | Michigan 7-3 |
|
| 3 |
| Michigan | Roosevelt Smith 11 yard pass from Rick Leach (Gregg Willner kick) | Michigan 14-3 |
|
Michigan held Ohio State without a touchdown for the third straight year. [2]
Rose Bowl[]
Players[]
Offense[]
- John Arbeznik, offensive guard, senior, University Heights, Ohio - started 9 games at left offensive guard
- Greg Bartnick, offensive guard, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started all 12 games at right offensive guard
- Kurt Becker, offensive guard, sophomore, Aurora, Illinois
- Jim Breaugh, quarterback, sophomore, West Bloomfield, Michigan
- David Brewster, fullback, freshman, Grafton, Wisconsin
- Ralph Clayton, wing back, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 10 games at wing back
- Michael Davis, fullback, junior, Woodbridge, Virginia
- Russell Davis, fullback, senior, Woodbridge, Virginia - started all 12 games at fullback
- Brian J. Dickey, quarterback, sophomore, Ottawa, Ohio
- Bill Dufek, offensive tackle, senior, East Grand Rapids, Michigan - started 3 games at right offensive tackle
- Stanley Edwards, tailback, sophomore, Detroit, Michigan
- Rodney Feaster, wide receiver, sophomore, Flint, Michigan - started 7 games at wide receiver
- Jon Giesler, offensive tackle, senior, Woodville, Ohio - started all 12 games at left offensive tackle
- Harlan Huckleby, tailback, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started 9 games at tailback
- Gene Johnson, tight end, senior, Flint, Michigan - started 7 games at tight end, 1 game at wide receiver
- Ed Kasparek, wide receiver, senior, Dearborn, Michigan - started 1 game at wide receiver
- Rick Leach, quarterback, senior, Flint, Michigan - started all 12 games at quarterback
- Gary Lee, quarterback, freshman, Flint, Michigan
- Mike Leoni, offensive tackle, junior, Flint, Michigan - started 5 games at right offensive tackle
- Tony Leoni, tailback, junior, Flint, Michigan
- George Lilja, center, junior, Palos Park, Illinois
- Rock Lindsay, offensive guard, senior, Lapeer, Michigan
- Doug Marsh, tight end, junior, Akron, Ohio - started 5 games at tight end
- Alan Mitchell, wide receiver, sophomore, Detroit, Michigan - started 3 games at wide receiver, 1 game at wing back
- Ed Muransky, offensive tackle, freshman, Youngstown, Ohio
- Steve Nauta, center, senior, Norristown, Pennsylvania - started all 12 games at center
- Jim Paciorek, quarterback, freshman, Orchard Lake, Michigan
- Craig Page, tailback, senior, Saginaw, Michigan
- Bubba Paris, offensive tackle, freshman, Louisville, Kentucky - started 1 game at right offensive tackle
- Bernhardt "Chip" Pederson, tight end, senior, Bay City, Michigan
- John J. Powers, offensive guard, junior, Oak Park, Illinois - started 3 games at left offensive guard, 3 games at right offensive tackle
- Lawrence P. Reid, fullback, junior, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Mark Schmerge, tight end, senior, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Kevin Smith, quarterback - free safety, freshman, Dallas, Texas
- Roosevelt Smith, tailback, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 1 game at wing back, 1 game at tailback
- John Wangler, quarterback, junior, Royal Oak, Michigan
- Butch Woolfolk, tailback, freshman, Westfield, New Jersey - started 2 games at tailback
Defense[]
- Gene Bell, safety, junior, East Liverpool, Ohio
- Norm Betts, outside linebacker - tight end, freshman, Midland, Michigan
- Mark Braman, defensive back, senior, Midland, Michigan - started 10 games at strong-side cornerback
- Gasper Calandrino, defensive back, senior, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Andy Cannavino, inside linebacker, sophomore, Cleveland, Ohio - started 6 games at inside linebacker
- Mark DeSantis, outside linebacker, senior, Harper Woods, Michigan - started 4 games at inside linebacker
- Gerald Diggs, defensive back, junior, Chicago, Illinois - started 1 game at strong-side cornerback
- Chris Godfrey, defensive tackle, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 6 games at defensive tackle
- Curtis Greer, defensive tackle, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started all 12 games at defensive tackle
- Mike Harden, defensive back, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 10 games at safety
- Stuart Harris, defensive back, sophomore, Chagrin Falls, Ohio - started 2 games at safety
- Robert K. Holloway, outside linebacker, senior, West Bloomfield, Michigan
- James N. Humphries, middle guard, junior, Detroit, Michigan
- Tony Jackson, defensive back, freshman, Cleveland, Ohio
- William Jackson, defensive tackle, senior, Richmond, Virginia
- Mike Jolly, defensive back, junior, Melvindale, Michigan
- Dale Keitz, middle guard - defensive tackle, senior, Columbus, Ohio - started all 12 games (6 at middle guard, 6 at defensive tackle)
- Tom Keller, outside linebacker, junior, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Timothy Malinak, inside linebacker, senior, Flemington, Pennsylvania
- Thomas A. Melita, middle guard, senior, Penns Grove, New Jersey
- Jerry Meter, inside linebacker, senior, Birmingham, Michigan - started all 12 games at outside linebacker
- Dan Murray, wolf, junior, Ann Arbor, Michigan - started 1 game at strong-side cornerback
- Ben Needham, outside linebacker, sophomore, Groveport, Ohio - started 2 games at outside linebacker
- Mel Owens, inside linebacker, junior, DeKalb, Illinois - started 2 games at inside linebacker
- Tom Seabron, outside linebacker, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started 10 games at outside linebacker
- Ron Simpkins, inside linebacker, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 11 games at inside linebacker
- Mike Trgovac, middle guard, sophomore, Austintown, Ohio - started 6 games at middle guard
- Gary Weber, defensive tackle, junior, Matawan, New Jersey
Kickers[]
- Bryan Virgil, place-kicker, sophomore, Buchanan, Michigan
- Greg Willner, punter - place-kicker, junior, Miami Beach, Florida
Awards[]
Coaching staff[]
References[]
External links[]
