Under pressure from the conference coaches, led by Michigan’s Bo Schembechler,
the Big Ten finally lifted its long-standing policy of limiting post-season games
to only the Rose Bowl. As a consequence, once the Wolverines lost their only regular-season
game to top-ranked Ohio State, Michigan accepted an invitation to meet the Oklahoma
Sooners in Miami’s Orange Bowl.
The fourth-ranked Wolverines left for
Miami armed with Gordie Bell, who led the nation’s secondleading rushing team
with 121.4 yards per game, and under the guidance of freshman field general Rick
Leach. Oklahoma came in as defending Associated Press National Champions despite
making its first postseason appearance since 1972, due to two years of NCAA and
Big Eight probation. The Sooners’ 10-1 record placed them second in both wire
service polls, and they marked Michigan’s first experience against a wishbone
offense since meeting UCLA three years earlier.
The first quarter was
a defensive battle, with the Wolverines putting together the only substantial
drive, starting at the Michigan five-yard line and stalling at the Oklahoma 38.
Following Bob Wood’s attempted 51-yard field goal, the Sooners opened the scoring
with successive passes of 40 yards from Steve Davis to Tinker Owens and a 39-yard
reverse by Billy Brooks for the score.
The Wolverines drove as far as
the Oklahoma nine-yard line in the third quarter, before being thwarted by a pass
interception in the end zone. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Davis ran
10 yards around the left end to increase the Sooner lead to 14-0. Michigan finally
got on the scoreboard following an Oklahoma fumble on its own two. Bell carried
it over on the next play, but Leach’s two-point conversion attempt was stopped.
The Wolverines were only able to make it as far as midfield for the duration of
the game, and the Sooners went on to a 14-6 victory.
Oklahoma was led
by the defensive efforts of Leroy and Dewey Selmon (10 and 13 tackles, respectively)
and, following Ohio State’s 23-10 loss in the Rose Bowl to UCLA, was named national
champion in both polls. Leroy Selmon went on to become the first draft choice
in the NFL college draft later that spring. |  |
SCORING Second Quarter O Brooks, 39-yard run (DiRienzo kick) Fourth Quarter
O Davis, 9-yard run (DiRienzo kick) M Bell, 2-yard run (Leach run failed) Team
Stats UM OU First Downs 12 16 Net Yards Rushing 169 282 Net Yards Passing 33 63
Total Plays 72 70 Total Yards 202 345 PA/PC/Int 20/2/3 5/3/0 Punts/Avg. 10/38.6
9/34.9 Return Yards 52 16 Fumbles/Lost 1/0 4/3 Penalties/Yards 5/24 9/90 Rushing—
(M): Leach 13-62; G. Bell 18-53; Lytle 10-32; J. Smith 5-18; Elzinga 6-4; (O):
Washington 17-73; Culbreath 11-63; Davis 19-55; Brooks 1-39; Littrell 11-28; Peacock
6-24 Passing— (M): Leach 2-15-33; Elzinga 0-4-0; G. Bell 0-1-0; (O): Davis 3-5-63
Receiving— (M): G. Bell 1-17; K. Johnson 1-16; (O): T. Owens 3-63 |
