1978 Michigan Wolverines football team

1978 Michigan Wolverines football
Big Ten co-champion
Rose Bowl, L 17–10 vs. USC
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#5
AP	#5
1978 record	10–2 (7–1 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bo Schembechler (10th year)
MVP	Rick Leach
Captain	Russell Davis
Captain	Jerry Meter
Home stadium	Michigan Stadium

1978 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#5 Michigan +	7	–	1	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
#12 Michigan State +	7	–	1	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
#13 Purdue	6	–	1	–	1			9	–	2	–	1
Ohio State	6	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	1
Minnesota	4	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Wisconsin	3	–	4	–	2			5	–	4	–	2
Indiana	3	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Iowa	2	–	6	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Illinois	0	–	6	–	2			1	–	8	–	2
Northwestern	0	–	8	–	1			0	–	10	–	1
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

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 15–24	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 10–17	105,629
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Game notes

Notre Dame

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 0 7 7 14 28 Notre Dame 7 7 0 0 14 Date: September 23 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN Game attendance: 59,075 Television network: ABC

Scoring summary 1 ND Grindinger 6-yard pass from Montana (Unis kick) Notre Dame 7-0 2 MICH Leach 4-yard run (Willner kick) Tie 7-7 2 ND Ferguson 4-yard run (Unis kick) Notre Dame 14-7 3 MICH Marsh 5-yard pass from Leach (Willner kick) Tie 14-14 4 MICH Marsh 17-yard pass from Leach (kick failed) Michigan 20-14 4 MICH Clayton 40-yard pass from Leach (run failed) Michigan 26-14 4 MICH Safety, Montana tackled by Greer Michigan 28-14

^[1]

Duke

1 2 3 4 Total Duke 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 7 17 14 14 52 Date: September 30 Location: Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan Game attendance: 104,832

Scoring summary 1 MICH R. Davis 1-yard run (Willner kick) Michigan 7-0 2 MICH Leach 12-yard run (Willner kick) Michigan 14-0 2 MICH Huckleby 1-yard run (Willner kick) Michigan 21-0 2 MICH Willner 35-yard field goal Michigan 24-0 3 MICH Huckleby 1-yard run (Willner kick) Michigan 31-0 3 MICH Reid 2-yard run (Willner kick) Michigan 38-0 4 MICH R. Smith 6-yard run (Willner kick) Michigan 45-0 4 MICH Clayton 8-yard pass from Dickey (Willner kick) Michigan 52-0

^[2]

Michigan State

Michigan's only conference loss of the season.

Ohio State

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 7 0 7 0 14 Ohio St 3 0 0 0 3 Date: Saturday, November 25 Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio Game attendance: 88,358 Television network: ABC

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.^[3]

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
• B. 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

• Captains: Russell Davis, Jerry Meter
• All-Americans: Rick Leach
• All-Conference: Rick Leach, Jon Giesler, John Arbeznik, Russell Davis, Curtis Greer, Ron Simpkins, Mike Jolly, Mike Harden
• Most Valuable Player: Rick Leach
• Meyer Morton Award: Gene Johnson
• John Maulbetsch Award: Mike Trgovac
• Frederick Matthei Award: Mike Jolly
• Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Mark DeSantis
• Rick Leach was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft.^[4]

Coaching staff

• Head coach: Bo Schembechler
• Assistant coaches: Dennis Brown, Tirrel Burton, Jerry Hanlon, Jack Harbaugh, Bill McCartney, Don Nehlen, Paul Schudel, Milan Vooletich
• Trainer: Lindsy McLean
• Manager: Nicholas J. Uriah

References

1. "Michigan Goes to the Air and the Irish to 0-2." Eugene Register-Guard. 1975 Sept 24.
2. Palm Beach Post. 1978 Oct 1.
3. "Michigan's 'Tenacity' Pays Off." Palm Beach Post. 1978 Nov 26.
4. http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/leachri01.shtml

External links

• 1978 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History