2017 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 2017 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan during the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolverines played in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan was coached by Jim Harbaugh, who was in his third season.

2017 Michigan Wolverines football
Outback Bowl, L 19–26 vs. South Carolina
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	East Division
2017 record	8–5 (5–4 Big Ten)
Head coach	Jim Harbaugh (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Tim Drevno (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Don Brown (2nd season)
Base defense	4–3
MVP	Chase Winovich
Captains	Mason Cole (Sr year) Mike McCray (Sr year)
Home stadium	Michigan Stadium (Capacity: 107,601)
Uniform

2017 Big Ten Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 5 Ohio State xy$		8	–	1					12	–	2
No. 15 Michigan State		7	–	2					10	–	3
No. 8 Penn State		7	–	2					11	–	2
Michigan		5	–	4					8	–	5
Rutgers		3	–	6					4	–	8
Indiana		2	–	7					5	–	7
Maryland		2	–	7					4	–	8
West Division
No. 7 Wisconsin xy		9	–	0					13	–	1
No. 17 Northwestern		7	–	2					10	–	3
Iowa		4	–	5					8	–	5
Purdue		4	–	5					7	–	6
Nebraska		3	–	6					4	–	8
Minnesota		2	–	7					5	–	7
Illinois		0	–	9					2	–	10
Championship: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 21
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons in Harbaugh's first two years as coach, the Wolverines began the year ranked 11th in the preseason AP Poll. In the first game of the season, Michigan defeated then-No. 17 Florida in a neutral site game in Arlington, Texas. Michigan won its remaining non-conference games as well as its conference opener against Purdue, rising to No. 7 in the polls before suffering their first loss in a home game against in-state rival Michigan State. Michigan lost three more games in conference play, all to teams ranked in the top ten at the time of play: first to then-No. 2 Penn State, then to No. 5 Wisconsin, and finally to arch-rival No. 8 Ohio State to end the regular season. Michigan ended Big Ten Conference play with a 5–4 record to finish in fourth in the Eastern Division. The Wolverines were invited to the 2018 Outback Bowl, played on New Year's Day, where they lost to South Carolina to finish the year at 8–5.

Michigan struggled to find consistent play at quarterback throughout the year, with Wilton Speight, John O'Korn, and Brandon Peters all receiving significant playing time. The team recorded only nine passing touchdowns on the year. Karan Higdon led the team on the ground with 994 rushing yards, and Grant Perry led the team in receiving with 307 yards. The defense, despite losing 10 starters from 2016, was considered one of the best in the country.[1] Lineman Maurice Hurst Jr. was named a consensus first-team All-American. Linebacker Devin Bush Jr. and linemen Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich also received first-team all-conference honors.[2]

Preseason

Spring game

Michigan played a public spring exhibition game in Michigan Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2017. The announced attendance was 57,418. The Maize team's Kyle Seychel kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired for the 31-29 win.[3]

Italy trip

The Michigan football team traveled to Italy for a week in late April for training, sight-seeing, and brand exposure.[4] The team held three public practices and hosted other publicity events. Coach Jim Harbaugh was offered the opportunity to meet Pope Francis, during which he gifted the Pope an authentic Michigan helmet and a pair of Michigan-themed Jordan Brand shoes.[5]

Recruiting

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

Recruits

Michigan's recruiting class consisted of 30 recruits, including 11 that enrolled early.[6][7][8][9] Michigan's recruiting class was ranked No. 3 by Scout, No. 4 by Rivals, No. 6 by ESPN, and No. 5 by 247Sports.com's composite rankings.[10][11][12][13] The class was considered one of Michigan's strongest recruiting classes from the modern era, and was highlighted by composite 5-star prospects WR Donovan Peoples-Jones and DL Aubrey Solomon.[14]

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Jordan Anthony LB	Silver Spring, MD	IMG Academy (Florida)	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	4.73	Dec 22, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Tarik Black WR	Hamden, CT	Cheshire Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	206 lb (93 kg)	-	Dec 14, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Nico Collins WR	Birmingham, AL	Clay-Chalkville HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	201 lb (91 kg)	4.50	Feb 1, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Chuck Filiaga OL	Aledo, TX	Aledo HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	340 lb (150 kg)	5.59	Jan 7, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ja'Raymond Hall OL	Detroit, MI	Oak Park HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	272 lb (123 kg)	5.82	Dec 5, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Brad Hawkins WR	Camden, NJ	Suffield Academy (Connecticut)	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	-	Oct 7, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Joel Honigford OL	Sugarcreek, OH	Garaway HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	273 lb (124 kg)	-	Jun 29, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
James Hudson DE	Toledo, OH	Central Catholic HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	294 lb (133 kg)	5.05	Aug 8, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Deron Irving-Bey DE	Flint, MI	Southwestern Academy	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	271 lb (123 kg)	-	Dec 19, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Donovan Jeter DT	Beaver Falls, PA	Beaver Falls Area SHS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	-	Oct 23, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaylen Kelly-Powell DB	Detroit, MI	Cass Technical HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	4.45	Nov 15, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Corey Malone-Hatcher DE	St. Joseph, MI	St. Joseph HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	5.10	Jun 2, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Oliver Martin WR	Coralville, IA	West Senior HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	189 lb (86 kg)	4.65	Jan 30, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ben Mason LB	Newtown, CT	Newtown HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	247 lb (112 kg)	-	May 3, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Dylan McCaffrey QB	Castle Rock, CO	Valor Christian HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	197 lb (89 kg)	-	Feb 15, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Phillip Paea DL	Berrien Spring, MI	Berrien Springs HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	-	Apr 2, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kwity Paye DE	Providence, RI	Bishop Hendricken HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	234 lb (106 kg)	4.60	Oct 24, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Donovan Peoples-Jones WR	Southfield, MI	Cass Technical HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.42	Dec 15, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Brad Robbins P	Westerville, OH	Westerville South HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	-	Feb 1, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Josh Ross LB	Southfield, MI	St. Mary's Preparatory HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	221 lb (100 kg)	4.84	Mar 22, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Cesar Ruiz OL	Camden, NJ	IMG Academy, FL	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	336 lb (152 kg)	5.26	Dec 19, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Benjamin St-Juste DB	Rosemere, Quebec	Cegep du Vieux Montreal	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	188 lb (85 kg)	4.58	Jun 23, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
O'Maury Samuels RB	Los Lunas, NM	Los Lunas HS	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	4.45	Apr 3, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Drew Singleton LB	Union, NJ	Paramus Catholic HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	213 lb (97 kg)	-	Dec 23, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Aubrey Solomon DL	Leesburg, GA	Lee County HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	305 lb (138 kg)	5.47	Feb 1, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Andrew Stueber OL	Darien, CT	Darien HS	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	-	Jun 25, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kurt Taylor RB	Covington, GA	Grayson HS	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	197 lb (89 kg)	4.48	Oct 16, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ambry Thomas DB	Detroit, MI	Martin Luther King HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.48	Dec 7, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Luiji Vilain DE	Ottawa, Ontario	Episcopal HS (Virginia)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	238 lb (108 kg)	5.06	Jun 12, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
J'Marick Woods DB	Florence, AL	Florence HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	4.67	Mar 28, 2016
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 3   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 5  ESPN: 6
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2017 Michigan football commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017. "2017 Michigan football commitments". Scout.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017. "2017 Michigan football commitments". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017. "2017 Michigan Wolverines football team". 247sports.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017.

Rankings

Further information: 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ 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	Final
AP	11	8	7	8	8	7	17	19	RV	RV	21	19	19	RV	RV	NR
Coaches	9	8	7	8	7	7	16	15	25	24	22	18	18	RV	NR	NR
CFP	Not released									NR	NR	24	24	NR	NR	Not released

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	3:30 p.m.	vs. No. 17 Florida*	No. 11	AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX (Advocare Classic)	ABC	W 33–17	75,802[15]
September 9	12:00 p.m.	Cincinnati*	No. 8	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	ABC	W 36–14	111,384[16]
September 16	12:00 p.m.	Air Force*	No. 7	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	BTN	W 29–13	111,387[17]
September 23	4:00 p.m.	at Purdue	No. 8	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	FOX	W 28–10	60,402[18]
October 7	7:30 p.m.	Michigan State	No. 7	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (Paul Bunyan Trophy)	ABC	L 10–14	112,432[19]
October 14	12:00 p.m.	at Indiana	No. 17	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	ABC	W 27–20 ^OT	52,929[20]
October 21	7:30 p.m.	at No. 2 Penn State	No. 19	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (College GameDay)	ABC	L 13–42	110,823[21]
October 28	12:00 p.m.	Rutgers		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	BTN	W 35–14	111,213[22]
November 4	8:30 p.m.	Minnesota		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (Little Brown Jug)	FOX	W 33–10	111,090[23]
November 11	3:30 p.m.	at Maryland		Maryland Stadium College Park, MD	BTN	W 35–10	44,325[24]
November 18	12:00 p.m.	at No. 5 Wisconsin	No. 24	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (College GameDay)	FOX	L 10–24	81,216[25]
November 25	12:00 p.m.	No. 8 Ohio State		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (The Game)	FOX	L 20–31	112,028[26]
January 1, 2018	12:00 p.m.	vs. South Carolina*		Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL (Outback Bowl)	ESPN2	L 19–26	45,687[27]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Radio

Radio coverage for all games is broadcast statewide on The Michigan IMG Sports Network and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The radio announcers were Jim Brandstatter (in his final season with the team) with play-by-play, Dan Dierdorf with color commentary, and Doug Karsch with sideline reports.[28]

Game summaries

vs. Florida

See also: 2017 Florida Gators football team

Michigan vs. Florida
(Advocare Classic)

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 11 Wolverines 10 3 13 7 33 No. 17 Gators 3 14 0 0 17 Date: September 2 Location: AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX Game start: 3:41 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:28 Game attendance: 75,802 Game weather: Indoors, 72º F Referee: Brad Van Vark TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, and Holly Rowe Sources:[15][29]

Scoring summary 1 12:26 UF Eddy Piñeiro 46-yard field goal UF 3–0 1 5:27 MICH Quinn Nordin 25-yard field goal Tie 3–3 1 3:01 MICH Tarik Black 46-yard pass from Wilton Speight (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 10–3 2 12:19 UF Duke Dawson 48-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick) Tie 10–10 2 10:50 UF CJ Henderson 41-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick) UF 17–10 2 4:20 MICH Quinn Nordin 55-yard field goal UF 17–13 3 11:53 MICH Karan Higdon 3-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 20–17 3 11:05 MICH Quinn Nordin 30-yard field goal MICH 23–17 4 9:00 MICH Quinn Nordin 50-yard field goal MICH 26–17 4 1:37 MICH Noah Furbush fumble recovery (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 33–17

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
3–0	January 1, 2016	Michigan, 41–7

To begin the season, Michigan faced the Florida Gators in a neutral site game in Arlington, Texas in the Advocare Classic. This was the first meeting between the teams since the 2016 Citrus Bowl.[30] It was the fourth meeting between Michigan and Florida, and the first ever regular season meeting between the teams.

Michigan defeated Florida, 33–17.[31] Florida opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 46-yard field goal from Eddy Pineiro. Michigan responded with a 25-yard field goal from Quinn Nordin to tie the game, and a 46-yard touchdown pass from Wilton Speight to Tarik Black, for their first lead of the game. Florida added 14 points in the second quarter via back-to-back interception returns, a 48-yard interception return from Duke Dawson, and a 41-yard interception return from CJ Henderson. Wilton Speight was briefly benched in the second quarter, replaced by John O'Korn. He re-entered the game to start the second half. Michigan reduced Florida's lead to four points via a 55-yard field goal from Nordin, which made the score 17–13 in favor of Florida at half-time. Michigan then scored 20 unanswered points in the second half, via a three-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon and 30-yard field goal from Nordin in the third quarter. Michigan extended its lead in the fourth quarter via a 50-yard field goal from Nordin and a fumble recovery in the end-zone by Noah Furbush.[32]

Michigan wore all-maize alternate jerseys for the first time since 1928. With the win, Michigan ended Florida's 27-year season-opener winning streak, which was the longest active streak in the nation. Kicker Quinn Nordin became the first kicker in Michigan history with two successful conversions of field goals of 50 yards or longer in the same game. Just one game into his career, Nordin is tied for third in program history for most attempts made at 50 yards or more.[30]

vs. Cincinnati

See also: 2017 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

Cincinnati at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Bearcats 7 0 7 0 14 • No. 8 Wolverines 14 3 7 12 36 Date: September 9 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 12:06 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:35 Game attendance: 111,384 Game weather: Mid 60s, Clear and sunny, NE 10–20 MPH Referee: Don Willard TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard and Allison Williams Sources:[16][33]

Scoring summary 1 11:54 MICH Kekoa Crawford 43-yar pass from Wilton Speight (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 7–0 1 6:50 MICH Tyree Kinnel 28-yard interception return (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 14–0 1 2:13 CIN Mike Boone 1-yard run (Josh Pasley kick) MICH 14–7 2 14:03 MICH Quinn Nordin 28-yard field goal MICH 17–7 3 11:15 CIN Kahlil Lewis 10-yard pass from Hayden Moore (Josh Pasley kick) MICH 17–14 3 3:01 MICH Grant Perry 33-yard pass from Wilton Speight (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 24–14 4 9:02 MICH Quinn Nordin 24-yard field goal MICH 27–14 4 6:53 MICH Team 33-yard safety MICH 29–14 4 4:21 MICH Levert Hill 24-yard interception return (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 36–14

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

Following its opening game against Florida, Michigan hosted the Cincinnati Bearcats. This was the first ever meeting between the two teams.[34]

Michigan defeated Cincinnati 36–14.[35] Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 43-yard touchdown pass from Speight to Kekoa Crawford. Michigan extended its lead via a 28-yard interception return from Tyree Kinnel. Cincinnati reduced Michigan's lead to seven points via a one-yard touchdown run from Mike Boone. Michigan added a 28-yard field goal from Nordin in the second quarter, which made the score 17–7 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Cincinnati opened the scoring in the third quarter via a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Moore to Kahlil Lewis. Michigan responded with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Speight to Grant Perry later in the third quarter, and extended its lead in the fourth quarter via a 24-yard field goal from Nordin, a safety when Cincinnati fumbled a punt, and a 24-yard interception return from Levert Hill.[36]

Michigan's honorary captain for the game was ESPN NFL Insider and 1989 alumni Adam Schefter. Wilton Speight surpassed the 3,000-yard passing mark for his career, becoming the 13th quarterback in Michigan history to reach the milestone.[34]

vs. Air Force

See also: 2017 Air Force Falcons football team

Air Force at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 3 3 7 0 13 • No. 7 Wolverines 3 6 10 10 29 Date: September 16 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 12:01 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 111,387 Game weather: Near 80, Clear and sunny, SW 5–10 MPH Referee: Mike Cannon TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen and Michelle McMahon Sources:[17][37]

Scoring summary 1 10:51 MICH Quinn Nordin 35-yard field goal MICH 3–0 1 0:02 AF Luke Strebel 37-yard field goal Tie 3–3 2 11:48 MICH Quinn Nordin 26-yard field goal MICH 6–3 2 8:37 AF Luke Strebel 50-yard field goal Tie 6–6 2 0:04 MICH Quinn Nordin 49-yard field goal MICH 9–6 3 13:51 MICH Donovan Peoples-Jones 79-yard punt return (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 16–6 3 11:54 AF Ronald Cleveland 64-yard pass from Arion Worthman (Luke Strebel kick) MICH 16–13 3 2:59 MICH Quinn Nordin 29-yard field goal MICH 19–13 4 14:15 MICH Quinn Nordin 36-yard field goal MICH 22–13 4 1:02 MICH Karan Higdon 36-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 29–13

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–0	September 8, 2012	Michigan, 31–25

After playing Cincinnati, Michigan hosted the Air Force Falcons. This was the first meeting between the schools since 2012.[38]

Michigan defeated Air Force 29–13.[39] The teams exchanged field goals in the first and second quarter, before a 49-yard field goal from Nordin at the end of the second quarter, which made the score 9–6 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Michigan opened the scoring in the third quarter via a 79-yard punt return from Donovan Peoples-Jones. Air Force responded with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Arion Worthman to Ronald Cleveland. Michigan extended its lead via a 29-yard field goal from Nordin later in the third quarter. Michigan added 10 points in the fourth quarter via a 36-yard field from Nordin and a 36-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon.[40]

Michigan's honorary captain for the game was Michigan's director of player personnel Sean Magee. Kicker Quinn Nordin went 5-for-5 on field goal attempts to tie Michigan's single game record. Donovan Peoples-Jones' 79-yard punt return for a touchdown was the longest since Derrick Alexander returned one 79-yards against North Carolina State in 1993.[38]

at Purdue

See also: 2017 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Michigan at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 8 Wolverines 0 7 7 14 28 Boilermakers 0 10 0 0 10 Date: September 23 Location: Ross-Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN Game start: 4:12 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:28 Game attendance: 60,042 Game weather: 89º F, clear, SE 3 MPH Referee: Jerry McGinn TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Bruce Feldman Sources:[18][41]

Scoring summary 2 11:54 MICH Zach Gentry 12-yard pass from John O'Korn (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 7–0 1 9:45 PUR Brycen Hopkins 10-yard pass from Elijah Sindelar (J. D. Dellinger kick) Tie 7–7 2 6:04 PUR J. D. Dellinger 29-yard field goal PUR 10–7 3 2:42 MICH Chris Evans 10-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 14–10 4 10:36 MICH Ty Isaac 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 21–10 4 6:46 MICH Chris Evans 49-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 28–10

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
44–14	October 6, 2012	Michigan, 44–13

Following its game against Air Force, Michigan began its conference schedule when it traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana to face the Purdue Boilermakers.[42]

Michigan defeated Purdue 28–10.[43] After neither team scored in the first quarter, Michigan opened the scoring in the second quarter via a 12-yard touchdown pass from John O'Korn to Zach Gentry. Purdue responded with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Elijah Sindelar to Brycen Hopkins. Purdue then took their first lead of the game via a 29-yard field goal from J. D. Dellinger, which made the score 10–7 in favor of Purdue at half-time. Michigan then scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, via a 10-yard touchdown run from Chris Evans, a one-yard touchdown run from Ty Isaac, and a 49-yard touchdown run from Evans.[44]

Michigan's defense held Purdue to 0-for-12 on third-down conversions, as Purdue did not convert a first down in the second half. Purdue was held to only 10 total yards in the second half.[42]

vs. Michigan State

See also: 2017 Michigan State Spartans football team

Michigan State at Michigan
(Paul Bunyan Trophy)

1 2 3 4 Total • Spartans 7 7 0 0 14 No. 7 Wolverines 3 0 7 0 10 Date: October 7 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 7:43 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:36 Game attendance: 112,432 Game weather: High 70s, partly cloud with rain, SW 20–30 MPH Referee: John O'Neill TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Maria Taylor Sources:[19][45]

Scoring summary 1 8:04 MICH Quinn Nordin 30-yard field goal MICH 3–0 1 2:59 MSU Brian Lewerke 14-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick) MSU 7–3 2 8:07 MSU Madre London 16-yard pass from Brian Lewerke (Matt Coghlin kick) MSU 14–3 3 8:09 MICH Khalid Hill 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MSU 14–10

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
69–35–5	October 29, 2016	Michigan, 32–23

After a bye week, the Wolverines hosted their in-state rival, the Michigan State Spartans, in the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.[46]

Michigan State upset Michigan 14–10.[47] Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 30-yard field goal from Nordin. Michigan State responded with a 14-yard touchdown run from Brian Lewerke. Michigan State extended its lead in the second quarter via a 16-yard touchdown pass from Lewerke to Madre London, which made the score 14–3 in favor of Michigan State at half-time. Michigan reduced the Spartans lead to four points in the third quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Khalid Hill. Michigan's attempted comeback failed when O'Korn's Hail Mary pass was incomplete to end the game.[48]

Michigan's honorary captains for the game were Sue Burton, the widow of former assistant coach Tirrel Burton; Jerry Hanlon, former assistant coach under Bo Schembechler; Gordon Bell, former Michigan tailback; and Ed Muransky, former All-American tackle for Michigan. The loss snapped Michigan's 10-game home winning streak at Michigan Stadium. Michigan's five turnovers were the most since recording six in 2012. Michigan's 10 points were the program's fewest since 2014. Michigan's defense held Michigan State to 2-for-14 on third-down conversions, and only 66 total yards in the second half.[46] The game marked the first prime time game in the history of the rivalry.[49]

at Indiana

See also: 2017 Indiana Hoosiers football team

Michigan at Indiana

1 2 3 4 OT Total • No. 17 Wolverines 3 10 0 7 7 27 Hoosiers 0 3 7 10 0 20 Date: October 14 Location: Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN Game start: 12:06 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:54 Game attendance: 52,929 Game weather: 73º F, Sunny, S 9 MPH Referee: Mark Kluczyski TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams Sources:[20][50]

Scoring summary 1 6:35 MICH Quinn Nordin 40-yard field goal MICH 3–0 2 14:54 MICH Quinn Nordin 38-yard field goal MICH 6–0 2 10:19 MICH Karan Higdon 12-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 13–0 2 1:46 IND Griffin Oakes 32-yard field goal MICH 13–3 3 12:06 IND Morgan Ellison 8-yard run (Griffin Oakes kick) MICH 13–10 4 10:25 MICH Karan Higdon 59-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 20–10 4 3:27 IND Whop Philyor 8-yard pass from Peyton Ramsey (Griffin Oakes kick) MICH 20–17 4 0:00 IND Griffin Oakes 46-yard field goal Tie 20–20 OT 15:00 MICH Karan Higdon 25-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 27–20

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
56–9	November 19, 2016	Michigan, 20–10

Michigan returned to the road to face the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana in their sixth game of the season.[51]

Michigan defeated Indiana 27–20 in overtime.[52] Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 40-yard field goal from Nordin. Michigan added ten points in the second quarter via a 38-yard field goal from Nordin and a 12-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon. Indiana reduced Michigan's lead to ten points via a 32-yard field goal from Griffin Oakes, which made the score 13–3 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Indiana opened the scoring in the second half via an eight-yard touchdown run from Morgan Ellison. Michigan extended its lead in the fourth quarter via a 59-yard touchdown run from Higdon. Indiana responded with ten points in the fourth quarter via an eight-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Ramsey to Whop Philyor, and a field goal from Oakes as time expired to tie the game and force overtime. In overtime, Michigan scored via a 25-yard touchdown run from Higdon to win the game.[53]

The win marked Michigan's 500th in Big Ten conference play, becoming the first Big Ten team to reach the milestone.[51]

at Penn State

See also: 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Michigan at Penn State

1 2 3 4 Total No. 19 Wolverines 0 13 0 0 13 • No. 2 Nittany Lions 14 7 7 14 42 Date: October 21 Location: Beaver Stadium University Park, PA Game start: 7:42 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 110,823 Game weather: 70–55, Mostly sunny, NW 0–3 MPH Referee: Jerry McGin TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor and Tom Rinaldi Sources:[21][54]

Scoring summary 1 14:17 PSU Saquon Barkley 69-yard run (Tyler Davis kick) PSU 7–0 1 10:11 PSU Saquon Barkley 15-yard run (Tyler Davis kick) PSU 14–0 2 12:53 MICH Karan Higdon 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin PAT failed) PSU 14–6 2 1:45 MICH Ty Isaac 6-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) PSU 14–13 2 0:53 PSU Trace McSorley 3-yard run (Tyler Davis kick) PSU 21–13 3 5:13 PSU Trace McSorley 13-yard run (Tyler Davis kick) PSU 28–13 4 13:11 PSU Saquon Barkley 42-yard pass from Trace McSorley (Tyler Davis kick) PSU 35–13 4 7:53 PSU Trace McSorley 9-yard run (Tyler Davis kick) PSU 42–13

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
13–7	September 24, 2016	Michigan, 49–10

Following its clash with Indiana, Michigan traveled to University Park, Pennsylvania to face the Penn State Nittany Lions.[55] A group of Penn State students caused controversy when they displayed a sign saying Michigan's quarterbacks are worse than the Flint water crisis.[56] Penn State's administration has since denounced the students' actions.[57]

Michigan lost to Penn State 42–13.[58] Penn State scored 14 points in the first quarter via two touchdown runs from Saquon Barkley, from 69 yards and 15 yards, respectively. Michigan responded with 13 points in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon, and a six-yard touchdown run from Ty Isaac, to reduce the Nittany Lions' lead to one point. Penn State extended its lead in the second quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from Trace McSorley, which made the score 21–13 in favor of Penn State at half-time. Penn State then scored 21 unanswered points in the second half via a 13-yard touchdown run from McSorley in the third quarter, and a 42-yard touchdown pass from McSorley to Barkley and a nine-yard touchdown run from McSorley in the fourth quarter.[59]

vs. Rutgers

See also: 2017 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

Rutgers at Michigan
(Homecoming game)

1 2 3 4 Total Scarlet Knights 0 7 7 0 14 • Wolverines 0 21 7 7 35 Date: October 28 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 12:01 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:02 Game attendance: 111,213 Game weather: Low 40s, Partly cloudy, SW 10–15 MPH Referee: Ron Snodgrass TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen and Elise Menaker Sources:[22][60]

Scoring summary 2 12:06 MICH Khalid Hill 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 7–0 2 10:52 RU Janarion Grant 65-yard run (Andrew Harte kick) Tie 7–7 2 2:49 MICH Karan Higdon 10-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 14–7 2 0:23 MICH Chris Evans 20-yard pass from Brandon Peters (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 21–7 3 11:30 MICH Kareem Walker 5-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 28–7 3 7:01 RU Gus Edwards 2-yard run (Andrew Harte kick) MICH 28–14 4 14:10 MICH Karan Higdon 49-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 35–14

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–1	October 8, 2016	Michigan, 78–0

After its game against Penn State, Michigan faced the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Michigan's homecoming game. Michigan had demolished Rutgers in the previous meeting 78–0.[61][62]

Michigan defeated the Scarlet Knights 35–14.[63] After neither team scored in the first quarter, Michigan opened the scoring in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Khalid Hill. Rutgers responded with a 65-yard touchdown run from Janarion Grant to tie the game. Michigan responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon, and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Peters to Chris Evans, which made the score 21–7 in favor of Michigan at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter via a five-yard touchdown run from Kareem Walker for Michigan, and a two-yard touchdown run from Gus Edwards for Rutgers. Michigan extended its lead in the fourth quarter via a 49-yard touchdown run from Higdon.[64]

Michigan's 334 rushing yards were its most since recording 481 rushing yards at Rutgers last season, while its 471 total yards was a season-high, and the most since recording 660 total yards the previous season against Maryland. Karan Higdon and Ty Isaac both surpassed 100-yards rushing, marking the 40th time in program history that Michigan had a pair of 100-yard rushers. The last time Michigan accomplished the feat was last year against Rutgers. Michigan tied a season-high with 11 tackles-for-loss.[62]

vs. Minnesota

See also: 2017 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Minnesota at Michigan
(Little Brown Jug)

1 2 3 4 Total Golden Gophers 7 0 0 3 10 • Wolverines 13 7 13 0 33 Date: November 4 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 8:31 pm EDT Elapsed time: 3:08 Game attendance: 111,090 Game weather: High 40s, Cloudy with rain, NE 10–15 MPH Referee: Daniel Capron TV announcers (Fox): Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, and Holly Sonders Sources:[23][65]

Scoring summary 1 7:43 MICH Sean McKeon 20-yard pass from Brandon Peters (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 7–0 1 1:24 MINN Rodney Smith 10-yard run (Emmit Carpenter kick) Tie 7–7 1 0:58 MICH Karan Higdon 77-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick failed) MICH 13–7 2 7:00 MICH Chris Evans 60-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 20–7 3 3:27 MICH Karan Higdon 5-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 27–7 3 1:35 MICH Chris Evans 67-yard run (Chris Evans rush failed) MICH 33–7 4 1:51 MINN Emmit Carpenter 23-yard field goal MICH 33–10

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
74–25–3	October 3, 2015	Michigan, 29–26

After facing Rutgers, Michigan will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the Little Brown Jug. In the previous meeting (in 2015), Michigan defeated Minnesota, 29–26.[66]

Michigan defeated Minnesota 33–10.[67] Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Peters to Sean McKeon. Minnesota responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from Rodney Smith to tie the game. Michigan regained the lead via a 77-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon. Michigan extended its lead in the second quarter via a 60-yard touchdown run from Chris Evans, which made the score 20–7 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Michigan added 13 points in the third quarter via a five-yard touchdown run from Higdon, and a 67-touchdown run from Evans. Minnesota responded with a 23-yard field goal from Emmit Carpenter in the fourth quarter.[68]

With Karan Higdon rushing for 200 yards, and Chris Evans rushing for 191 yards, Michigan had a pair of 100-yard rushers in consecutive games for the first time since 1975. Karan Higdon recorded his second 200-yard game of the season, becoming the first Michigan running back to record multiple 200-yard games in the same season since Mike Hart in 2004. Khaleke Hudson's eight tackles-for-loss broke the single game franchise record, surpassing the previous record of seven set by Larry Foote at Iowa in 2001.[66]

at Maryland

See also: 2017 Maryland Terrapins football team

Michigan at Maryland

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 21 Wolverines 7 21 0 7 35 Terrapins 0 0 3 7 10 Date: November 11 Location: Maryland Stadium College Park, MD Game start: 3:40 pm EST Elapsed time: 3:15 Game attendance: 44,325 Referee: Jeff Servinsky TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin, Glen Mason and Elise Menaker Sources:[24][69]

Scoring summary 1 6:11 MICH Henry Poggi 2-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 7–0 2 12:21 MICH Chris Evans 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 14–0 2 11:21 MICH Zach Gentry 33-yard pass from Brandon Peters (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 21–0 2 8:21 MICH Sean McKeon 3-yard pass from Brandon Peters (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 28–0 3 0:19 UMD Henry Darmstadter 20-yard field goal MICH 28–3 4 9:46 UMD Tavion Jacobs 10-yard pass from Ryan Brand (Henry Darmstadter kick) MICH 28–10 4 4:55 MICH Chris Evans 17-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 35–10

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
5–1	November 5, 2016	Michigan, 59–3

After hosting Minnesota, Michigan traveled to College Park, Maryland to face the Maryland Terrapins.[70]

Michigan defeated Maryland 35–10.[71] Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from Henry Poggi. Michigan added 21 points in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Chris Evans, a 33-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Peters to Zach Gentry, and a three-yard touchdown pass from Peters to Sean McKeon, which made the score 28–0 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Maryland opened the scoring in the second half via a 20-yard field goal from Henry Darmstadter. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter via a 10-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Brand to Tavion Jacobs for Maryland, and a 17-yard touchdown run from Evans for Michigan.[72]

With Chris Evans surpassing the 500-yard rushing mark for the season, he joined Ty Isaac and Karan Higdon to give Michigan three running backs with at least 500 rushing yards on the season for the first time since 1991.[70]

at Wisconsin

See also: 2017 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Michigan at Wisconsin

1 2 3 4 Total No. 19 Wolverines 0 7 3 0 10 • No. 5 Badgers 7 0 14 3 24 Date: November 18 Location: Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI Game start: 12:05 pm EST Elapsed time: 3:30 Game attendance: 81,216 Game weather: 37º F, Cloudy, N 14 MPH Referee: M. Cannon TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft Sources:[25][73]

Scoring summary 1 1:15 WIS Nick Nelson 50-yard punt return (Rafael Gaglianone kick) WIS 7–0 2 2:24 MICH Ben Mason 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) Tie 7–7 3 6:36 MICH Quinn Nordin 39-yard field goal MICH 10–7 3 3:31 WIS A. J. Taylor 24-yard pass from Alex Hornibrook (Rafael Gaglianone kick) WIS 14–10 3 0:24 WIS Kendric Pryor 32-yard run (Rafael Gaglianone kick) WIS 21–10 4 2:25 WIS Rafael Gaglianone 30-yard field goal WIS 24–10

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
50–14–1	October 1, 2016	Michigan, 14–7

Following its game against Maryland, Michigan played its final road game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Michigan defeated the Badgers in a top 10 showdown during the prior meeting, winning 14–7.[74][75]

Michigan lost to Wisconsin 24–10.[76] Wisconsin opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 50-yard punt return from Nick Nelson. Michigan responded with a one-yard touchdown run from Ben Mason in the second quarter to tie the game at half-time. Michigan opened the scoring in the second half via a 39-yard field goal from Quinn Nordin, to take their first lead of the game. Wisconsin responded with 14 points in the third quarter via a 24-yard touchdown pass from Alex Hornibrook to A. J. Taylor, and a 32-yard touchdown run from Kendric Pryor. Wisconsin extended its lead in the fourth quarter via a 30-yard field goal from Rafael Gaglianone.[77]

Michigan's defense held Wisconsin to just 5-of-15 on third down conversions. Michigan's offense averaged 207.8 rushing yards per game coming into the game.

vs. Ohio State

See also: 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

Ohio State at Michigan
(The Game)

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 8 Buckeyes 0 14 7 10 31 Wolverines 7 7 6 0 20 Date: November 25 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game start: 12:05 pm EST Elapsed time: 3:42 Game attendance: 112,028 Game weather: Mid 40s, Party cloudy, NE 15–20 MPH Referee: Ron Snodgrass TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft Sources:[26][78]

Scoring summary 1 6:02 MICH Khalid Hill 2-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 7–0 2 14:57 MICH Sean McKeon 3-yard pass from John O'Korn (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 14–0 2 9:50 OSU J. T. Barrett 21-yard run (Sean Nuernberger kick) MICH 14–7 2 5:54 OSU Marcus Baugh 25-yard pass from J. T. Barrett (Sean Nuernberger kick) Tie 14–14 3 7:07 MICH Karan Higdon 2-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick blocked) MICH 20–14 3 1:34 OSU J. K. Dobbins 1-yard run (Sean Nuernberger kick) OSU 21–20 4 10:21 OSU Sean Nuernberger 44-yard field goal OSU 24–20 4 1:44 OSU Mike Weber 25-yard run (Sean Nuernberger kick) OSU 31–20

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
58–48–6	November 26, 2016	Ohio State, 30–27 ^2OT

Following its road finale against Wisconsin, Michigan hosted its arch-rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in the 114th meeting of "The Game".[79]

Michigan lost to Ohio State 31–20.[80] Michigan opened the scoring in the first quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from Khalid Hill. Michigan extended its lead in the second quarter via a three-yard touchdown pass from John O'Korn to Sean McKeon. Ohio State responded with 14 points in the second quarter via a 21-yard touchdown run from J. T. Barrett, and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Marcus Baugh to tie the game at half-time. Michigan regained the lead in the third quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from Karan Higdon. Ohio State responded with a one-yard touchdown run from J. K. Dobbins, giving them their first lead of the game. Ohio State scored 10 points in the fourth quarter via a 44-yard field goal from Sean Nuernberger, and a 25-yard touchdown run from Mike Weber.[81]

Michigan's honorary captains for the game was former Wolverine and 1997 Heisman winner Charles Woodson, and alumnus Dao-Yi Chao, creative director and co-founder of Public School New York (PSNY). Senior left tackle and offensive captain Mason Cole made his 50th consecutive start on the offensive line for the Wolverines, tying him with Jon Jansen (1995–98) for most in program history among offensive linemen. Michigan's defense held Ohio State to minus-six yards of offense in the first quarter, marking the first full quarter in negative yardage for the Buckeyes since 2010. The first play during each of Ohio State's first three possessions resulted in a Michigan tackle for loss.[79]

vs. South Carolina

Main article: 2018 Outback Bowl

See also: 2017 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

Michigan vs. South Carolina
(Outback Bowl)

1 2 3 4 Total Wolverines 6 3 10 0 19 • Gamecocks 0 3 13 10 26 Date: January 1 Location: Raymond James Stadium Tampa,. FL Game start: 12:00 pm EST Elapsed time: 3:44 Game attendance: 45,687 Game weather: 56º F, Cloudy, Light rain, N 11 MPH Referee: Stuart Mullins TV announcers (ESPN2): Adam Amin, Dusty Dvoracek, and Molly McGrath Sources:[27][82]

Scoring summary 1 3:42 MICH Quinn Nordin 35-yard field goal MICH 3–0 1 0:09 MICH Quinn Nordin 26-yard field goal MICH 6–0 2 8:45 USC Parker White 44-yard field goal MICH 6–3 2 0:00 MICH Quinn Nordin 45-yard field goal MICH 9–3 3 9:56 MICH Ben Mason 1-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick) MICH 16–3 3 5:42 MICH Quinn Nordin 48-yard field goal MICH 19–3 3 2:25 USC Rico Dowdle 17-yard run (Jake Bentley pass failed) MICH 19–9 3 0:51 USC Bryan Edwards 21-yard pass from Jake Bentley (Parker White kick) MICH 19–16 4 11:33 USC Shi Smith 53-yard pass from Jake Bentley (Parker White kick) SC 23–19 4 3:47 USC Parker White 22-yard field goal SC 26–19

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
1–2	January 1, 2013	South Carolina, 33–28

On December 3, Michigan was selected to play in the Outback Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Michigan lost the previous meeting in the 2013 Outback Bowl, by a score of 33–28. This was Michigan's 46th bowl game appearance, and sixth appearance in the Outback Bowl.[82]

Michigan lost to South Carolina 26–19, becoming the only team in the Big Ten Conference to lose its bowl game in the 2017-2018 bowl season.[83][84] Michigan scored six points in the first quarter via two field goals from Quinn Nordin, from 35-yards, and 26-yards, respectively. The teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, one from Parker White from 44-yards for South Carolina, and one from Nordin from 45-yards for Michigan, which made the score 9–3 in favor of Michigan at half-time. Michigan scored 10 points in the third quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Ben Mason, and a 48-yard field goal from Nordin. South Carolina responded with 23 straight points in the second half via a 17-yard touchdown run from Rico Dowdle and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jake Bentley to Bryan Edwards in the third quarter. South Carolina took their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter via a 53-yard touchdown pass from Bentley to Shi Smith, and extended their lead via a 22-yard field goal from White.

Michigan's defense held South Carolina to 2-of-14 on third-down conversions, as the Gamecocks did not convert their first third-down opportunity until fewer than five minutes remained in the third quarter.[85]

2018 NFL Draft

Main article: 2018 NFL Draft

	Rnd.	Pick #	NFL team	Player	Pos.	College	Conf.	Notes
	3*	97	Arizona Cardinals	Mason Cole	C	Michigan	Big Ten
	5	140	Oakland Raiders	Maurice Hurst Jr.	DT	Michigan	Big Ten

Roster

2017 Michigan Wolverines football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 5 Joe Milton Fr WR 2 Oliver Martin Fr CB 6 Myles Sims Fr WR 4 Nico Collins Fr RB 5 Kurt Taylor Fr QB 6 Michael Sessa RFr RB 6 Kareem Walker RFr WR 7 Tarik Black Fr QB 8 John O'Korn RSr WR 9 Donovan Peoples-Jones Fr QB 10 Dylan McCaffery Fr RB 12 Chris Evans So WR 13 Eddie McDoom So QB 15 Garrett Moores RSr QB 15 Alex Malzone Jr WR 16 Jack Wangler RSr TE 17 Tyrone Wheatley Jr. RSo QB 18 Brandon Peters RFr FB 19 Henry Poggi RSr RB 20 Tru Wilson RFr RB 22 Karan Higdon Jr RB 23 O'Maury Samuels Fr WR 24 Jake Martin RFr RB 27 Joe Hewlett Sr WR 28 Austin Brenner RFr WR 29 Brendan White Jr FB 30 Joe Beneducci Sr RB 32 Ty Isaac RSr TE 34 Kenneth Ferris Jr FB 35 Brian Chu Sr WR 35 Nate Schoenle RFr FB 39 Spencer Dickow Jr FB 40 Nick Volk Sr FB 41 Michael Hirsch Sr FB 42 Ben Mason Fr TE 42 Ryan Files Jr RB 44 Jared Char Fr FB 45 Travis Dantzer Fr FB 49 Tyler Plocki Fr OL 50 Michael Onwenu So OL 51 Cesar Ruiz Fr OL 52 Mason Cole Sr OL 57 Patrick Kugler RSr OL 59 Joel Honigford Fr OL 61 Dane Jokisch RFr OL 63 Sean Fitzgerald Fr OL 65 Anthony Kay Fr OL 66 Chuck Filiaga Fr OL 67 Jess Speight Fr OL 68 Andrew Vastardis RFr OL 70 Nolan Ulizio So OL 71 Andrew Stueber Fr OL 72 Stephen Spanellis RFr OL 73 JaRaymond Hall Fr OL 74 Ben Bredeson So OL 75 Jon Runyan Jr. RSo OL 76 Juwan Bushell-Beatty RJr OL 77 Grant Newsome RSo OL 79 Greg Robinson RFr TE 80 Khalid Hill RSr TE 82 Nick Eubanks RFr TE 83 Zach Gentry RSo TE 84 Sean McKeon So WR 85 Maurice Ways RJr TE 86 Conner Edmonds RFr WR 88 Grant Perry Jr TE 89 Ian Bunting RJr TE 92 Carter Selzer Fr TE 99 Ryan Veingrad Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 1 Jordan Anthony Fr DE 2 Carlo Kemp So DE 3 Rashan Gary So DE 4 Reuben Jones RSo DT 5 Aubrey Solomon Fr S 7 Khaleke Hudson So LB 8 Drew Singleton Fr LB 9 Mike McCray RSr LB 10 Devin Bush So LB 12 Josh Ross Fr CB 12 Drake Harris RJr CB 13 Ambry Thomas Fr S 14 Josh Metellus So DE 15 Chase Winovich RJr S 16 Jaylen Kelly-Powell Fr CB 17 Nate Johnson So DE 18 Luiji Vilain Fr DE 19 Kwity Paye Fr CB 20 Matt Mitchell Sr S 20 Brad Hawkins Fr CB 22 David Long RFr DB 23 Tyree Kinnel Jr CB 24 Lavert Hill So CB 25 Benjamin St. Juste Fr S 26 J'Marick Woods Fr CB 27 Hunter Reynolds Fr CB 28 Brandon Watson RJr S 29 Jordan Glasgow Jr S 30 Tyler Cochran RFr DT 31 Phillip Paea Fr DB 32 Louis Grodman Jr LB 35 Josh Uche RFr LB 36 Devin Gil RFr DB 36 Taylor Krupp Jr LB 38 Jared Wangler RJr S 43 Jacob West Jr DT 44 Deron Irving-Bey Fr LB 44 Adam Shibley Fr LB 46 Michael Wroblewski RSr DT 50 Michael Dwumfour RFr LB 51 Peter Bush RFr LB 52 Elysee Mbeme-Rosse RFr DT 53 Salim Makki Sr LB 54 Adam Fakih Fr DL 55 James Hudson Fr LB 56 Jameson Offerdahl Jr LB 58 Alex Kaminski Sr LB 59 Noah Furbush RJr DT 72 Carl Myers RFr DT 73 Maurice Hurst Jr. RSr LB 82 Dane Drobocky RFr LB 88 Carter Dunaway Jr DT 90 Bryan Mone Sr DE 92 Cheyenn Robertson Jr DT 93 Lawrence Marshall RJr DL 95 Donovan Jeter Fr DT 97 Ron Johnson RFr DE 99 John Luby Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 3 Brad Robbins Fr K/P 5 Kyle Seychel So K/P 15 Quinn Nordin RFr P 17 Will Hart RFr K 31 James Foug Jr LS 38 Camaron Cheeseman RFr LS 38 Bradley Deeg Jr K/P 41 Ryan Tice RSo LS 50 Andrew Robinson Sr	Head coach Jim Harbaugh Coordinators/assistant coaches Tim Drevno (offensive coordinator / offensive line) Don Brown (defensive coordinator) Pep Hamilton (assistant head coach / passing game coordinator) Jay Harbaugh (running backs / co-special teams coordinator) Brian Smith (defensive backs) Greg Mattison (defensive line) Kevin Tolbert (strength and conditioning) Mike Zordich (secondary / special teams) Chris Partridge (linebackers / special teams) Greg Frey (offensive tackles / tight ends / run game coordinator) Al Netter (offensive graduate assistant) Ryan Nehlen (offensive graduate assistant) Drew Terrell (offensive graduate assistant) Joe Hastings (defensive graduate assistant) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: May 5, 2017

Awards and honors

Weekly Awards Player Award Date Awarded Ref. Quinn Nordin Co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week September 4, 2017 [86] Tyree Kinnel Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week September 11, 2017 [87] Chase Winovich Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Walter Camp FBS Player of the Week September 25, 2017 [88] [89] Chris Evans Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week November 6, 2017 [90] Karan Higdon Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Khaleke Hudson Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week November 7, 2017 [91] All-American Player AP AFCA FWAA TSN WCFF Designation Devin Bush Jr. 3 2 None Maurice Hurst Jr. 1 2 2 1 2 Consensus The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections.

All-Big Ten Player Position Coaches Media Maurice Hurst Jr. DT 1 1 Devin Bush Jr. LB 1 2 Rashan Gary DL 1 2 Chase Winovich DL 2 1 Ben Bredeson OG 2 2 Mason Cole C 2 2 Lavert Hill DB 2 Hon. Karan Higdon RB 3 3 Khaleke Hudson LB 3 – Chris Evans RB Hon. Hon. Tyree Kinnel DB Hon. Hon. Mike McCray LB Hon. Hon. Josh Metellus DB Hon. Hon. Quinn Nordin K Hon. Hon. Brad Robbins P Hon. – Zach Gentry TE – Hon. Patrick Kugler OL – Hon. David Long CB – Hon. Sean McKeon TE – Hon. Donovan Peoples-Jones PR – Hon. Hon. = Honorable mention. Reference:[2][92]

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