1987 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1987 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its 19th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the team compiled an 8–4 record, defeated Alabama in the Hall of Fame Bowl, outscored opponents by a total of 331 to 172, and was ranked No. 19 and No. 18, respectively, in the final AP and UPI polls.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Demetrius Brown with 1,251 passing yards, tailback Jamie Morris with 1,703 rushing yards and 90 points scored, and split end Greg McMurtry with 474 receiving yards.
Two Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1987 All-America college football team: offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott and defensive lineman Mark Messner. Five Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1987 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
Schedule
Game summaries
Notre Dame
Washington State
Long Beach State
Wisconsin
at Michigan State
Iowa
at Indiana
Northwestern
at Minnesota
at Illinois
Ohio State
vs. Alabama (Hall of Fame Bowl)
- Jamie Morris 23 Rush, 234 Yds
Players
Roster
Offense
- Geoffrey Bissell, wide receiver, senior, West Bloomfield, Michigan
- Tony Boles, running back, sophomore, Westland, Michigan
- Andrew Borowski, center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Demetrius Brown, quarterback, junior, Miami, Florida - started 10 games at quarterback
- Jeffrey Brown, tight end, junior, Shaker Heights, Ohio - started all 12 games at tight end
- Jarrod Bunch, running back, sophomore, Ashtabula, Ohio - started 9 games at fullback
- Chris Calloway, wide receiver, sophomore, Chicago, Illinois - started 5 games at flanker
- Bob Cernak, tight end, senior, Lockport, Illinois
- Dave Chester, offensive guard, senior, Titusville, Florida - started 6 games at left offensive guard
- Michael Dames, offensive guard, senior, Miami, Florida - started 6 games at left offensive guard
- Doug Daugherty, offensive tackle, sophomore, Romeo, Michigan
- Dave Dever, offensive guard, senior, Midland, Michigan
- Dean Dingman, offensive guard, freshman, East Troy, Wisconsin
- Tom Dohring, offensive tackle, sophomore, Dearborn, Michigan - started 6 games at left offensive tackle
- Jumbo Elliott, offensive tackle, senior, Lake Ronkonkoma, New York - started all 12 games at right offensive tackle
- Mark Erhardt, offensive tackle, senior, North Olmsted, Ohio
- J. Patrick Fitzgerald, wide receiver, senior, Vandalia, Ohio
- Leroy Hoard, fullback, sophomore, New Orleans, Louisiana - started 1 game at fullback
- Mike Husar, offensive tackle, senior, Chicago, Illinois - started 6 games at left offensive tackle
- Allen Jefferson, tailback, sophomore, Detroit, Michigan
- John Kolesar, flanker, junior, Westlake, Ohio - started 7 games at flanker
- Dave Mandel, tight end, senior, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Scott Mandel, tight end, senior, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Greg McMurtry, split end, sophomore, Brockton, Massachusetts - started all 12 games at split end
- Keith Mitchell, tight end, junior, Southgate, Michigan
- Jamie Morris, tailback, senior, Ayer, Massachusetts - started all 12 games at tailback
- Marc Ramirez, center/guard, senior, Prairie View, Illinois
- Greg Skrepenak, offensive tackle, freshman, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
- Michael Taylor, quarterback, junior, Lincoln Heights, Ohio - started 2 games at quarterback
- John Vitale, center, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started all 12 games at center
- Derrick Walker, tight end, junior, Glenwood, Illinois
- Phil Webb, running back, senior, Romeo, Michigan - started 2 games at fullback
- David Weil, offensive guard, junior, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Tripp Welborne, wide receiver, freshman, Greensboro, North Carolina
Defense
- Bobby Abrams, defensive back, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 7 games at outside linebacker, 2 games at inside linebacker
- David Arnold, defensive back, junior, Warren, Ohio - started 9 games at cornerback
- Allen Bishop, defensive back, senior, Miami, Florida - started 8 games at cornerback
- Ernest F. Bock, defensive back, senior, Northville, Michigan
- Carlitos Bostic, outside linebacker, senior, Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Erik Campbell, defensive back, senior, Gary, Indiana - started all 12 games
- Keith Cooper, outside linebacker, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 4 games at outside linebacker, 3 games at inside linebacker
- John Duerr, outside linebacker, senior, Dearborn, Michigan
- Dave Folkertsma, defensive tackle, senior, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- J. J. Grant, inside linebacker, junior, Liverpool, New York - started 7 games at inside linebacker
- Mark Gutzwiller, defensive back, junior, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Billy Harris, middle guard, Xenia, Ohio - started 10 games at middle guard
- Rick Hassel, defensive back, junior, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Scott Herrala, defensive back, junior, Muskegon, Michigan
- John Herrmann, defensive tackle, junior, Sussex, Wisconsin - started all 12 games at defensive tackle
- Joseph H. Holland, outside linebacker, junior, Birmingham, Michigan
- David Key, defensive back, sophomore, Columbus, Ohio
- Sean Lafountaine, defensive back, sophomore, Hanover Park, Illinois
- Don Lessner, defensive back, senior, Trenton, Michigan
- Doug Mallory, strong safety, senior, DeKalb, Illinois - started all 12 games at strong safety
- Warde Manuel, defensive tackle, sophomore, New Orleans, Louisiana - started 5 games at outside linebacker
- Andree McIntyre, inside linebacker, senior, Chicago, Illinois - started 3 games at inside linebacker
- Mark Messner, defensive tackle, senior, Hartland, Michigan - started all 12 games at defensive tackle
- John Milligan, linebacker, sophomore, Trenton, Michigan - started 5 games at inside linebacker
- Anthony Mitchell, defensive back, junior, Titusville, Florida - started 7 games at free safety
- Vada Murray, defensive back, sophomore, Cincinnati, Ohio
- T. J. Osman, defensive tackle, sophomore, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - started 2 games at middle guard
- Cornelius Simpson, linebacker, freshman, Highland Park, Michigan - started 4 games at inside linebacker
- Bob Stites, inside linebacker, senior, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rick Stites, inside linebacker, senior, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Mike Teeter, middle guard, sophomore, Fruitport, Michigan
- Steven Thibert, outside linebacker, senior, Union Lake, Michigan - started 2 games at outside linebacker
- Brent White, defensive tackle, junior, Dayton, Ohio
- Timothy Williams, linebacker, sophomore, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - started 1 game at inside linebacker
- John Willingham, outside linebacker, senior, Dayton, Ohio - started 5 games at outside linebacker
Kickers
- Mike Gillette, place-kicker, junior, St. Joseph, Michigan
- Monte Robbins, punter, senior, Great Bend, Kansas
- Rick Stukiewicz, place-kicker, senior, Troy, Michigan
Awards and honors
- Captains: Jamie Morris, Doug Mallory
- All-Americans: Jumbo Elliott, Mark Messner
- All-Conference: Mark Messner, John Elliott, Jamie Morris, John Vitale, Mike Husar
- Most Valuable Player: Jamie Morris
- Meyer Morton Award: Jamie Morris
- John Maulbetsch Award: Tim Williams
- Frederick Matthei Award: Derrick Walker
- Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Dave Mandel
- Dick Katcher Award: Mark Messner
- Hugh Rader Jr. Award: John "Jumbo" Elliott
- Robert P. Ufer Award: Jamie Morris
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Bo Schembechler
- Assistant coaches: Alex Agase, Tirrel Burton, Cam Cameron, Lloyd Carr, Jerry Hanlon, Bill Harris, Jerry Meter, Les Miles, Gary Moeller, Tom Reed
- Trainer: Russ Miller
- Manager: Aaron Studwell, Scott Boyle, Patrick Perkins, Bob McArdle