Rose Bowl Matchups

KEYS TO THE GAME

Lonnie White takes a closer look at Michigan vs. Texas:

1 Stop the run: A goal for both teams, but maybe more important for the Wolverines, who have to slow down Texas running back Cedric Benson.

2 Avoid turnovers: Michigan freshman quarterback Chad Henne cannot afford to turn the ball over against the Longhorns’ opportunistic defense.

3 Tackle, tackle, tackle: Teams playing in bowl games often suffer in fundamentals and poor tackling is often a problem for losing teams.

TEXAS RUN OFFENSE VS.

MICHIGAN RUN DEFENSE

* The Longhorns’ offensive line has been steady all season, but moving a big Wolverine front will be tough. Texas had the nation’s No. 2 ground attack with Benson, rushing for 302.4 yards a game. Michigan relies heavily on strong safety Ernest Shazor to help stop the run. Shazor led the team in tackles with 80.

Edge: Texas.

TEXAS PASS OFFENSE VS.

MICHIGAN PASS DEFENSE

* Wolverine cornerback Marlin Jackson is a major playmaker and if Longhorn quarterback Vincent Young makes a mistake in Jackson’s area, watch out. Teams have thrown away all season from Jackson, a two-time All-American. Young has thrown for 1,669 yards with 11 touchdowns but also has thrown 10 interceptions. Senior receiver Tony Jeffrey led the Longhorns with 29 catches for 399 yards.

Edge: Michigan.

MICHIGAN RUN OFFENSE VS.

TEXAS RUN DEFENSE

* This is the matchup that probably will determine today’s winner. The Longhorns’ Derrick Johnson will try to be a headache for the Wolverines. Johnson tied an NCAA Division I-A record with eight forced fumbles this season. The Wolverines rely on freshman Mike Hart, who led the Big Ten in rushing, behind a strong offensive line, led by Remington Trophy winner David Baas at center.

Edge: Texas.

MICHIGAN PASS OFFENSE VS.

TEXAS PASS DEFENSE

* Wolverine receiver Braylon Edwards is a difference maker and the more he touches the ball, the better Henne will look. Edwards led the Big Ten in yards receiving with 1,221 in 87 catches. The Longhorns count on safeties Michael Huff and Phillip Geiggar to make big plays in the secondary.

Edge: Michigan.

SPECIAL TEAMS

* Michigan kicker Garrett Rivas led the team in scoring but is not a proven threat on long field goals. The Longhorns have blocked 29 kicks over the last four seasons. Texas kicker Dusty Magnum is fourth on the Division I-A active scoring list.

Edge: Texas.

INTANGIBLES

* Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr is a Rose Bowl veteran, but he hasn’t won in Pasadena since the Wolverines defeated Washington State to take home the national championship in the 1997 season. This will be Texas Coach Mack Brown’s first Rose Bowl experience, but that is not the case for the Longhorns’ co-defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, who coached on UCLA Rose Bowl-winning teams in 1982, 1983 and 1985.

Edge: Texas.

The pick: Texas, 23-21.

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TEXAS BOWL HISTORY

* RECORD: 20-21-2

*--* Season Bowl Result 2003 Holiday Washington State 28, Texas 20 2002 Cotton Texas 35, LSU 20 2001 Holiday Texas 47, Washington 43 2000 Holiday Oregon 35, Texas 30 1999 Cotton Arkansas 27, Texas 6 1998 Cotton Texas 38, Mississippi State 11 1996 Fiesta Penn State 38, Texas 15 1995 Sugar Virginia Tech 28, Texas 10 1994 Sun Texas 35, North Carolina 31 1990 Cotton Miami 46, Texas 3 1987 Bluebonnet Texas 32, Pittsburgh 27 1985 Bluebonnet Air Force 24, Texas 16 1984 Freedom Iowa 55, Texas 17 1983 Cotton Georgia 10, Texas 9 1982 Sun North Carolina 26, Texas 10 1981 Cotton Texas 14, Alabama 12 1980 Bluebonnet North Carolina 16, Texas 7 1979 Sun Washington 14, Texas 7 1978 Sun Texas 42, Maryland 0 1977 Cotton Notre Dame 38, Texas 10 1975 Bluebonnet Texas 38, Colorado 21 1974 Gator Auburn 27, Texas 3 1973 Cotton Nebraska 19, Texas 3 1972 Cotton Texas 17, Alabama 13 1971 Cotton Penn State 30, Texas 6 1970 Cotton Notre Dame 24, Texas 11 1969 Cotton Texas 21, Notre Dame 17 1968 Cotton Texas 36, Tennessee 13 1966 Bluebonnet Texas 19, Mississippi 0 1964 Orange Texas 21, Alabama 17 1963 Cotton Texas 28, Navy 6 1962 Cotton LSU 13, Texas 0 1961 Cotton Texas 12, Mississippi 7 1960 Bluebonnet Texas 3, Alabama 3 1959 Cotton Syracuse 23, Texas 14 1957 Sugar Mississippi 39, Texas 7 1952 Cotton Texas 16, Tennessee 0 1950 Cotton Tennessee 20 Texas 14 1948 Orange Texas 41, Georgia 28 1947 Sugar Texas 27, Alabama 7 1945 Cotton Texas 40, Missouri 27 1943 Cotton Texas 7, Randolph Field 1942 Cotton Texas 14, Georgia Tech 7

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MICHIGAN BOWL HISTORY

* RECORD: 18-17

*--* Season Bowl Result 2003 Rose USC 28, Michigan 14 2002 Outback Michigan 38, Florida 30 2001 Citrus Tennessee 45, Michigan 17 2000 Citrus Michigan 31, Auburn 28 1999 Orange Michigan 35, Alabama 34 (OT) 1998 Citrus Michigan 45, Arkansas 31 1997 Rose Michigan 21, Washington State 16 1996 Outback Alabama 17, Michigan 14 1995 Alamo Texas A&M; 22, Michigan 20 1994 Holiday Michigan 24, Colorado State 14 1993 Hall of Fame Michigan 42, N.C. State 7 1992 Rose Michigan 38, Washington 31 1991 Rose Washington 34, Michigan 14 1990 Gator Michigan 35, Mississippi 3 1989 Rose USC 17, Michigan 10 1988 Rose Michigan 22, USC 14 1987 Hall of Fame Michigan 28, Alabama 24 1986 Rose Arizona State 22, Michigan 15 1985 Fiesta Michigan 27, Nebraska 23 1984 Holiday Brigham Young 24, Michigan 17 1983 Sugar Auburn 9, Michigan 7 1982 Rose UCLA 24, Michigan 14 1981 Bluebonnet Michigan 33, UCLA 14 1980 Rose Michigan 23, Washington 6 1979 Gator North Carolina 17, Michigan 15 1978 Rose USC 17, Michigan 10 1977 Rose Washington 27, Michigan 20 1976 Rose USC 14, Michigan 6 1975 Orange Oklahoma 14, Michigan 6 1971 Rose Stanford 13, Michigan 12 1969 Rose USC 10, Michigan 3 1964 Rose Michigan 34, Oregon State 7 1950 Rose Michigan 14, California 6 1947 Rose Michigan 49, USC 0 1901 Rose Michigan 49, Stanford 0

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