2005 record 7–5 (5–3 Big Ten) | ||
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Defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann (9th year) | ||
The 2005 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in almost all intercollegiate sports including men's college football. Despite a disappointing 7–5 finish after being ranked as high as #2 early in the season, Michigan did not lose a game by more than a touchdown and upset Penn State, who finished #3 in the nation, on a last second touchdown pass from Chad Henne to Mario Manningham. The team earned an invitation to participate in the 2005 Alamo Bowl, where it lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a 32–28 margin. The team's first five conference games were all decided in the final 24 seconds of regulation or in overtime.
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Statistical achievements
The team led the conference in kick return average in all games (23.4), while Michigan State led in conference games. Mike Hart set the school record for career 200-yard games (4), passing Ron Johnson's 3 set in 1968. He extended the record, which is still standing, to 5 in 2007. His 200-yard game came after missing two and a half games due to injury. During the three injury-affected games Michigan lost to Notre Dame and Wisconsin and slipped out of the polls for the first time since 1998, snapping the nation's longest streak of 114-straight poll appearances.