Conference Big Ten Conference AP No. 5 Defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr (6th year) | Coaches No. 5 1992 record 9–0–3 (6–0–2 Big Ten) | |
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Head coach Gary Moeller (3rd year) | ||
The 1992 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The team went undefeated—albeit with three ties—and won its fifth consecutive Big Ten Conference championship.
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Statistical achievements
Elvis Grbac established a Big Ten Conference career passing efficiency record that would stand for six seasons until it was surpassed by Joe Germaine. Grbac successfully defended his passing efficiency NCAA Division I FBS championship. On October 24, Derrick Alexander tied the conference single-game record with four touchdown receptions against Minnesota, becoming the fourth athlete to do so. The following season Minnesota's Omar Douglas broke the record with five. No Wolverine has matched this feat.
Tyrone Wheatley was the Big Ten rushing leader with 131.3 yards per conference game and 123.4 yards per game against all opponents. Wheatley also led the conference in scoring (for the first of two consecutive season) with an average of 9.3 points per game in all games, although he trailed Michigan State's Craig Thomas in conference games. Grbac led the conference in passing efficiency for the third consecutive year (157.9 efficiency in conference games and 150.2 in all games).
The team led the Big Ten in rushing offense both in conference games (284.8 yards per game) and all games (268.1 yards per game). It also led in passing efficiency for both conference games (148.3) and all games (148.1). It was the conference leader in total offense both for conference games (463.0 yards per game) and all games (466.9 yards per game). The Wolverines also led the Big Ten in scoring for conference games (35.0 points per game) and all games (35.9 points per game).
The team led the conference in rushing defense for the third of four consecutive years (six times in the 1990s) for all games by holding opponents to 90.8 yards per game. The team also led the conference for the second of five consecutive (six times in the 1990s) in rushing defense against conference opponents (78.6 yards per game). The team led the conference in total defense for all games (305.3), while Ohio State led for conference games. The team was led the conference in quarterback sacks for conference games (4.9 sacks per game) and all games (3.8 sacks per game). It led the conference in net punting average for conference games (35.9 yards), while Wisconsin led for all games.
The team extended the streak that set the conference record for most consecutive conference game wins (19) that stood until Ohio State eclipsed it in 2007. The team still holds the record for most consecutive conference road wins (17).
Wheatley established the following school records: career rushing touchdowns (47), eclipsing Rick Leach's 16-year-old record of 34 and broken six years later by Anthony Thomas; single-season yards per carry (7.34, min 75 carries), eclipsing Bill Daley's 49-year-old record of 6.81 and still standing; single-game yards per carry (11.79 - October 3, min 15 carries), eclipsing Ron Johnson's 24-year-old record of 11.19 and eclipsed by his own 15.70 performance in the January 1, 1993 Rose Bowl, which is still unsurpassed. On September 19 against Oklahoma State, Todd Collins set the school record for single-game pass completions (29), which would last until Tom Brady threw for 31 in 1998. That season, he set the current single-season pass completion record (65.3), surpassing Jim Harbaugh's 65.0 set in 1986 and tied by Elvis Grbac in 1991. Collins and Grbac posted the sixth and seventh four-touchdown pass single-game performance in school history. For Grbac who was the first with two the prior season, this was his third time (a current record). Grbac extended his own career touchdown record set the prior season to 71. John Navarre would reach 72 in 2003. Grbac also ended his career as the school record holder in pass attempts (835), surpassing Steve Smith's 648 set in 1983 and broken by Navarre in 2003; pass completions (522), eclipsing Harbaugh's 387 set in 1986 and broken by Navarre in 2003; completion percentage (62.5), eclipsing Harbaugh's 62.4 and broken by Collins in 1994; career passing efficiency (148.1), eclipsing Harbaugh's 145.6 and still unbroken; passing yards (6460), eclipsing Harbaugh's career yardage record of 5449, but Navarre would eclipse this record in 2003; career 150-yard passing games (23) eclipsing Harbaugh's 19, tied by Collins in 1994 and eclipsed by Navarre in 2003.
Awards and honors
The individuals in the sections below earned recognition for meritorious performances.