The team's statistical leaders included tailback Rick Rogers with 1,002 rushing yards, quarterback Steve Smith with 1,420 passing yards and 2,087 yards of total offense, Sim Nelson with 494 receiving yards, and placekicker Bob Bergeron with 76 points scored.[3]
Steve Smith was selected as the most valuable player on the Michigan team. Two Michigan offensive linemen, guard Stefan Humphries and center Tom Dixon, received first-team All-America honors. Six Michigan players (Humphries, Dixon, defensive linemen Al Sincich and Kevin Brooks, defensive back Evan Cooper, and placekicker Bob Bergeron) received first-team honors on the 1983 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
Prior to the season, head coach Bo Schembechler delivered the famous "The Team" speech which would go on to become an integral part of Michigan football lore.
On September 10, 1983, Michigan, ranked No. 1 preseason by Sports Illustrated, defeated Washington State, 20–17, before a crowd of 103,256 at Michigan Stadium. The game was played in extreme heat with the temperature reaching 100 degrees on the field. Washington State took a 17–14 lead with 9:42 left in the game after a 63-yard, 11-play drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run. The Wolverines responded with a 75-yard drive that included a 52-yard run by Rick Rogers. Rogers rushed for 124 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback David Hall scored the winning touchdown on a four-yard option run with 6:10 left in the game.[4][5]
Mike Mallory recovered fumble in end zone (Schlopy kick)
MICH 24–10
4
UW
Hunt 3-yard run (Jaeger kick)
MICH 24–17
4
0:34
UW
Mark Pattison 7-yard pass from Pelluer (Larry Michaels pass from Pelluer)
UW 25–24
On September 17, 1983, Michigan lost to Washington, 25–24, before a crowd of 60,638 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. After trailing 24-10 early in the fourth quarter, Washington scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and successfully passed for a two-point conversion in the final minute of play. Washington quarterback Steve Pelluer completed 15 of 15 passes in the fourth quarter. Todd Schlopy missed what would have been a game-winning 32-yard field goal with four minutes remaining in the game.[6][7]
Sim Nelson 7-yard pass from Steve Smith (Smith run failed)
MICH 22–7
3
6:53
MICH
Bergeron 37-yard field goal
MICH 25–7
3
MICH
Dan Rice 5-yard run (Bergeron kick)
MICH 32–7
4
12:17
WIS
Marck Harrison 2-yard pass from Randy Wright (Rohde kick)
MICH 32–14
4
7:35
WIS
Mike Jones 32-yard pass from Wright (Rohde kick)
MICH 32–21
4
MICH
Brian Mercer 11-yard run (kick by Bergeron blocked)
MICH 38–21
On September 24, 1983, Michigan defeated Wisconsin, 38–21, before a crowd of 77,708 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Michigan led, 32–7, at the end of the third quarter before Wisconsin mounted a fourth-quarter comeback. Michigan rushed for 351 yards in the game. Kerry Smith led with 107 yards on 22 carries. Brian Mercer added 64 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and Rick Rogers rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns. The Wolverines passed for only 42 yards on five completions. Steve Smith also threw two interceptions.[8][9]
On October 1, 1983, Michigan defeated Indiana, 43–18, before a crowd of 104,126 at Michigan Stadium. Tailback Kerry Smith rushed for three touchdowns. Steve Smith rushed for 130 yards on 14 carries and completed six of 17 passes for 82 yards. Rick Rogers also rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Indiana quarterback Steve Bradley passed for 246 yards, but he also gave up four interceptions.[10]
Dan Rice 2-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 35–0
On October 15, 1983, Michigan defeated Northwestern, 35–0, before a crowd of 103,914 at Michigan Stadium. Rick Rogers scored two rushing touchdowns. Steve Smith also rushed for two touchdown and threw for another on a two-yard pass to Dan Rice.[12]
On October 22, 1983, Michigan, ranked No. 10, defeated No. 12 Iowa, 16–13, before a homecoming crowd of 104,559 at Michigan Stadium. Bob Bergeron kicked three field goals, including the game-winning 45-yard field with eight seconds left in the game. The game-winning drive began when Michigan linebacker Rodney Lyles recovered an Owen Gill fumble with 90 seconds left in the game. Rick Rogers also scored a touchdown on a four-yard run in the third quarter.[13]
Safety, Evan Cooper tackled in end zone by Miles after fielding a punt
UI 16–6
On October 29, 1983, Michigan lost to Illinois, 16–6, before a crowd of 76,127 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. It was the first time Illinois had beaten Michigan since 1966. Illinois quarterback Jack Trudeau completed 21 of 37 passes for 271 yards, including touchdown passes of nine yard to Thomas Rooks and 46 yards to David Williams. Steve Smith completed 12 of 25 for 111 yards. Michigan was limited to two field goals by Bob Bergeron.[14] Illinois went on to win the Big Ten championship.
Carlton Rose recovered blocked punt in end zone (Bergeron kick)
Michigan 14-0
2
MICH
Triando Markray 41-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 21-0
2
PUR
Tim Clark 31-yard field goal
MICH 21-3
2
MICH
Vince Bean 30-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 28-3
2
MICH
Sim Nelson 18-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 35-3
3
MICH
Bean 4-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 42-3
4
PUR
Jeff Price 50-yard pass from Jim Everett (Clark kick)
MICH 42-10
On November 5, 1983, Michigan defeated Purdue, 42–10, before a crowd of 104,946 at Michigan Stadium. Steve Smith completed 11 of 13 passes for 159 yards, and also rushed for 126 yards on 12 carries. Purdue's quarterback Scott Campbell was held to 118 passing yards and was intercepted three times.[15]
Triando Markray 47-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 17-3
2
11:10
MICH
S. Smith 20-yard run (Bergeron kick)
Michigan 24-3
2
6:13
MICH
Markray 26-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
Michigan 31-3
2
1:11
MICH
Sim Nelson 8-yard pass from S. Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 38-3
2
0:04
MICH
Bergeron 33-yard field goal
MICH 41-3
3
12:19
MICH
S. Smith 50-yard run (Bergeron kick)
MICH 48-3
3
1:59
MICH
Greg Armstrong 1-yard run (Bergeron kick)
MICH 55-3
4
12:39
MICH
Bergeron 51-yard field goal
MICH 58-3
4
9:37
MINN
Dwayne McMullen 5-yard pass from Brett Sadek (Gallery kick)
MICH 58-10
On November 12, 1983, Michigan defeated Minnesota, 58–10, before a crowd of 40,945 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. Despite being pulled early in the third quarter, Steve Smith accounted for six touchdowns (three rushing, three passing) and compiled 327 yards in total offense (147 rushing, 180 passing).[16]
Eric Kattus 8-yard pass from Smith (Bergeron kick)
MICH 24-14
4
1:52
OSU
Cedric Anderson 32-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Spangler kick)
MICH 24-21
On November 19, 1983, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 24–21, before crowd of 106,115 at Michigan Stadium. Steve Smith ran for a touchdown and passed for two others, a 67-yard completion to Triando Markray in the first quarter and an eight-yarder to tight end Eric Kattus in the fourth quarter. Ohio State turned the ball over four times. Michigan drove to the one-yard line in the second quarter, but the Ohio State defense held, and Michigan missed a field goal attempt on fourth down. The Wolverines trailed at the start of the fourth quarter, but rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The go-ahead touchdown followed a Brad Cochran interception at midfield which he returned to Ohio State's 28-yard line.[17]
On January 2, 1984, Michigan lost to Auburn, 9–7, in the 1984 Sugar Bowl, played before a crowd of 77,893 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Michigan took the lead on a four-yard touchdown run by Steve Smith in the first quarter. Michigan was unable to score again, and Auburn came back on three field goals by Al Del Greco. Del Greco's final field goal occurred with 23 seconds remaining in the game. Bo Jackson rushed for 130 yards on 22 carries and was selected as the game's most valuable player.[18]<[19]
