Michigan celebrates 500th game in Big House with big win

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Top 25 Overview

It was over when... When Allan Evridge's 2-point conversion with 13 seconds left to tie the game failed. Gameball goes to... John Thompson, whose 25-yard INT return for a touchdown gave Michigan its first lead at 20-19. Stat of the game... 500. In the 500th game played at the Big House, the Wolverines rallied from the biggest deficit they've faced before coming back to win. Complete Top 25 Overview

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	18	14
Total Yards	384	268
Passing	226	96
Rushing	158	172
Penalties	5-45	4-30
3rd Down Conversions	6-19	5-16
4th Down Conversions	0-0	1-1
Turnovers	4	5
Possession	36:04	23:56

Air/Ground Leaders
Wisconsin Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Evridge 20/37 226 1 2	Michigan Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Threet 12/31 96 1 2
Wisconsin Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Hill 22 70 0 10 Clay 3 52 1 46	Michigan Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Threet 9 89 0 58 McGuffie 15 36 1 10
Wisconsin Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Gilreath 5 65 1 22 Hill 3 38 0 20	Michigan Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Mathews 4 48 0 16 Koger 1 26 1 26

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				WIS	MICH
	FG	09:03	Philip Welch 21 Yd	3	0
	FG	01:18	Philip Welch 42 Yd	6	0
SECOND QUARTER				WIS	MICH
	TD	05:46	John Clay 5 Yd Run (Philip Welch Kick)	13	0
	FG	04:47	Philip Welch 41 Yd	16	0
	FG	00:10	Philip Welch 52 Yd	19	0
THIRD QUARTER				WIS	MICH
	TD	02:22	Kevin Koger 26 Yd Pass From Steven Threet (K.C. Lopata Kick)	19	7
FOURTH QUARTER				WIS	MICH
	TD	10:27	Brandon Minor 34 Yd Run (K.C. Lopata Kick)	19	14
	TD	10:24	John Thompson 25 Yd Interception Return (Two-Point Conversion Failed)	19	20
	TD	05:11	Sam Mcguffie 3 Yd Run (K.C. Lopata Kick)	19	27
	TD	00:13	David Gilreath 22 Yd Pass From Allan Evridge (Two-Point Conversion Failed)	25	27

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Rich Rodriguez earned the right to be hailed at Michigan for the first time.

Rodriguez, in his fourth game as coach, directed the Wolverines' biggest comeback in Big House history, helping them rally from a 19-point deficit to beat No. 9 Wisconsin 27-25 Saturday.

Hail To The Victors

Saturday was Michigan's 500th game in the Big House, and its 27-25 victory was its largest comeback in the stadium's history. (The 21-point comeback vs. Minnesota was on the road, the two 17-point comebacks at home).

Largest Come-From-Behind
Victories, U-M History

		Trailed	Won	Pts.
2008	Wisconsin	19-0	27-25	19
2003	Minnesota	28-7	38-35	21
1995	Virginia	17-0	18-17	17
2004	Michigan State	27-10	45-37 3OT	17

The first significant victory of his debut season in Ann Arbor wasn't sealed until Allen Evridge misfired on a 2-point conversion with 13 seconds left.

"Never had a doubt," Rodriguez joked.

It didn't seem like the Wolverines were going to have a chance to celebrate their 500th game at Michigan Stadium when they had five turnovers, trailed 19-0 and were booed off the field at halftime.

"If you were anywhere in the Ann Arbor vicinity, you heard that," Rodriguez said.

Nearly 110,000 fans changed their tune when the Wolverines sang "The Victors" in front of -- and in the stands -- with their fans.

"They weren't booing at the end," Rodriguez said.

Fast Facts

• Michigan trailed 19-0 at the half but rallied for the second largest come-from-behind victory in school history.

• Michigan has won five straight home games vs. Wisconsin.

• The Wolverines overcame five first-half turnovers but did not turn the ball over in the second half.

• Michigan lost four fumbles in the game, one shy of the team record.

-- ESPN research

The Wolverines (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten) gave their followers fodder to be disappointed by fumbling three times, throwing two interceptions and picking up only one first down by halftime.

"This one was really pretty gloomy," Rodriguez acknowledged.

Wisconsin was the one who went home somber after blowing a chance to win at Michigan Stadium for the first time since 1994.

"To have it go down that way was disheartening," coach Bret Bielema said.

After the Badgers squandered their cushion, they had two opportunities to snatch the game back.

Evridge fumbled inside the Michigan 10 on their next-to-last drive.

On Wisconsin's final possession, David Gilreath had a 22-yard touchdown catch and Travis Beckum caught a reception for 2 in the final seconds. But the 2-point conversion that would've tied the game was negated by a penalty. On the retry, Evridge's pass went high and through the end zone.

Bielema said illegal man downfield was the right call because Beckum didn't line up correctly.

Rittenberg: Regrets

A 2-point conversion attempt with 13 seconds left on the clock encapsulated the type of day Wisconsin had. And the Badgers could only blame themselves, writes Adam Rittenberg. Blog

"He should've been lined up off the line of scrimmage," Bielema said. "Obviously, it would've made the play legal."

The Rodriguez-era had gotten off to a rocky start with losses to Utah at home and Notre Dame. The Wolverines were in danger of starting 1-3 and losing a Big Ten home opener for the first time since 1967, two years before Bo Schembechler arrived on campus.

Instead, Rodriguez can already claim one of the most memorable victories in the history of college football's winningest program.

Previously, Michigan's largest comeback wins at home came after being down by 17 points against Virginia in 1995, coach Lloyd Carr's debut, and in 2004 against Michigan State.

"They told us about it and that just makes this that much sweeter," said defensive end Brandon Graham, who had three sacks and forced two fumbles. The Wolverines rallied for a win from a 21-point deficit five years ago at Minnesota.

Few saw the latest comeback coming.

But Michigan played turnover-free ball in the second half and finally scored with 2:22 left in the third quarter when Steven Threet connected with tight end Kevin Koger for 26 yards.

The Wolverines took a 20-19 lead on John Thompson's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:27 left in the fourth quarter, just seconds after Brandon Minor's 34-yard touchdown run.

Sam McGuffie's 3-yard touchdown run made it 27-19 for Michigan with 5:11 left. The Wolverines turned a stunned and silent crowd into a euphoric one.

"It's pretty good when you get 100,000 people cranked up," Rodriguez said.

Threet finished 12 of 31 for 96 yards, a score and two interceptions. He ran for 89 yards, including a 58-yard gain that stunned everyone in the stadium and set up McGuffie's TD.

"He surprised a lot of people -- probably even himself," Rodriguez said. "That was a huge play."

Evridge was 20-of-37 for 226 yards with a TD and two interceptions. P.J. Hill was held to 70 yards on 22 carries.

"I heard all the same things that were being yelled from the stands when they were coming in at halftime," Bielema said. "To respond the way they did in the third quarter, my hat goes off to them."