The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 19 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL It's been 25 years since Charles Wood- son strutted around The Big House, a rose clenched in his teeth and a national champi- onship beckoning. The Wolverines finished the job in Pasa- dena, capping a 12-0 season and hearing head coach Lloyd Carr proclaim: "You have left a wonderful legacy for every team that ever follows you! You just won the national championship!" A quarter-century later, those words still resound. The meaning of the accomplish- ment has deepened, to those who erupted with joy in that locker room. "At 20, you look at things one way," noted Rob Renes, a defensive line stalwart and now assistant superintendent at Reeths- Puffer Schools in Muskegon. "Twenty-five years later, you look back and go, 'Wow!' In the big scope of things, and knowing how many terrific programs, storied programs, that there are, it really was quite an accom- plishment." "When you're 45 to 50 years old, your perspective has changed a ton," agreed Jon Jansen, newly named radio analyst for Mich- igan football games. "College football has changed, the business of college athletics has changed. You look back, and you see how hard it was to do what we did. "Every year that goes by, there's a greater appreciation for what we were able to ac- complish." They look back and revel in the untainted record, and the close calls along the way. They survived Notre Dame and a flurry of turnovers, 21-14, in Week 3. They scored one touchdown on offense and still managed to outlast Ohio State at home, 20-14. They sealed the deal in a nerve-wracking 21-16 Rose Bowl win against Washington State, one that kept fans flinching to the final pos- session. But the one they remember best involved Iowa, a 21-7 halftime deficit and a riveting rally carrying them to a 28-24 home victory. A 64-yard interception return of a Brian Griese pass set up a 1-yard touchdown, then Iowa's Tim Dwight raced back 61 yards for a punt return TD and Michigan headed into halftime in deep trouble. "That game sat us all up at halftime," Renes recalled. "We were going, OK, we've got some digging to do to get out of this. Getting out of that one, we knew things could be special." Michigan outscored the Hawkeyes 21-3 in the second half, growing stronger by the moment. "At the end of that game, they knew the plays," Jansen insisted. "They knew our calls. They knew everything of what was go- ing on, and they still couldn't stop us. That is one of the greatest moments, as an offensive lineman, in running out the clock, that I can ever remember." All along the way, the Wolverines were learning lessons they'd apply for decades. Some insist they incorporate that winning mindset every single day. "Coach [Jim] Herrmann used to talk about better or worse," Renes said of Michigan's defensive coordinator. "'We're going to be better or worse today!' You never stay the same. Wolverines Look Back Fondly At The Perfect 1997 Season Charles Woodson had a season for the ages 25 years ago — excelling on defense, offense and special teams to win the Heisman Trophy — while leading U-M to a Rose Bowl victory and a share of the national championship. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 1997 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS BIG TEN CHAMPIONS Coach: Lloyd Carr Captains: Jon Jansen and Eric Mayes Overall record: 12-0 Conference record: 8-0 (first place) Date Opponent Result Sept. 13 Colorado W, 27-3 Sept. 20 Baylor W, 38-3 Sept. 27 Notre Dame W, 21-14 Oct. 4 at Indiana W, 37-0 Oct. 11 Northwestern W, 23-6 Oct. 18 Iowa W, 28-24 Oct. 25 at Michigan State W, 23-7 Nov. 1 Minnesota W, 24-3 Nov. 8 at Penn State W, 34-8 Nov. 15 at Wisconsin W, 26-16 Nov. 22 Ohio State W, 20-14 Jan. 1 Washington State* W, 21-16 * Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. Final Rankings: AP, No. 1; ESPN/USA Today, No. 2