1971 Michigan Wolverines football team

1971 Michigan Wolverines football
Big Ten champion
Rose Bowl, L 12–13 vs. Stanford
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 4
AP	No. 6
1971 record	11–1 (8–0 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bo Schembechler (3rd year)
Defensive coordinator	Jim Young (3rd year)
MVP	Billy Taylor
Captain	Frank Gusich
Captain	Guy Murdock
Home stadium	Michigan Stadium
Seasons ← 1970 1972 →

1971 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#6 Michigan $	8	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
Northwestern	6	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Ohio State	5	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Michigan State	5	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Illinois	5	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Wisconsin	3	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Minnesota	3	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Purdue	3	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Indiana	2	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Iowa	1	–	8	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 0 7 14 0 21 Northwestern 0 0 0 6 6 Date: September 11 Location: Dyche Stadium • Evanston, Illinois Game attendance: 42,472

Scoring summary 2 MICH Rather 18-yard run (Coin kick) Michigan 7–0 3 MICH Rather recovered fumble in end zone (Coin kick) Michigan 14–0 3 MICH Taylor 5-yard run (Coin kick) Michigan 21–0 4 NW Cooks 2-yard pass from Daigneau (run failed) Michigan 21–6

Scoring summary
2		MICH	Rather 18-yard run (Coin kick)	Michigan 7–0
3		MICH	Rather recovered fumble in end zone (Coin kick)	Michigan 14–0
3		MICH	Taylor 5-yard run (Coin kick)	Michigan 21–0
4		NW	Cooks 2-yard pass from Daigneau (run failed)	Michigan 21–6

1 2 3 4 Total Virginia 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 14 21 14 7 56 Date: September 18 Location: Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 81,391

1 2 3 4 Total UCLA 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 17 7 0 14 38 Date: September 25 Location: Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 89,177

1 2 3 4 Total Navy 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 7 8 10 21 46 Date: October 2 Location: Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 68,168

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 7 3 0 14 24 Michigan State 0 7 0 6 13 Date: October 9 Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI Game attendance: 80,093

Scoring summary Q1 12:17 MICH Taylor 38 yard run (Coin kick) MICH 7–0 Q2 MICH Coin 27 yard field goal MICH 10–0 Q3 MSU Kolch 1 yard run (Shlapak kick) MICH 10–7 Q4 MICH Taylor 2 yard run (Coin kick) MICH 17–7 Q4 MICH Slade 7 yard run (Coin kick) MICH 24–7 Q4 MSU Allen 1 yard run (run failed) MICH 24–13

Scoring summary
Q1	12:17	MICH	Taylor 38 yard run (Coin kick)	MICH 7–0
Q2		MICH	Coin 27 yard field goal	MICH 10–0
Q3		MSU	Kolch 1 yard run (Shlapak kick)	MICH 10–7
Q4		MICH	Taylor 2 yard run (Coin kick)	MICH 17–7
Q4		MICH	Slade 7 yard run (Coin kick)	MICH 24–7
Q4		MSU	Allen 1 yard run (run failed)	MICH 24–13

1 2 3 4 Total Illinois 6 0 0 0 6 • Michigan 7 14 0 14 35 Date: October 16 Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 73,406

The 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1971 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled an 11–1 record, outscored opponents 421 to 83, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and were ranked #4 in the final Coaches Poll and #6 in the final AP Poll. Frank Gusich and Guy Murdock were the team captains.

The Wolverines were undefeated in the regular season, including three consecutive shutout victories over Virginia (56–0), UCLA (38–0), and Navy (46–0). Two later victories over Indiana (61–7) and Iowa (63–7) were the Wolverines' highest point totals since a 69-point tally in 1947. The Michigan-Ohio State game set an NCAA record with a crowd of 104,016 persons at Michigan Stadium. In the 1972 Rose Bowl, Michigan lost to Stanford, 13–12, on a field goal with 12 seconds remaining.

Four Michigan players received first-team honors on the 1971 College Football All-America Team. They are:

Linebacker Dana Coin set an NCAA record by successfully converting 55 of 55 extra points without a miss during the 1971 season. He was also the team's leading scorer with 79 points.

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