2001 FBL at Washington -- postgame notes
9/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Walker Sets School Reception Record
Senior wide receiver Marquise Walker (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger HS) was named the ABC Player of the Game after setting the Michigan single-game reception record with 15 catches against Washington. Walker finished the contest with 15 catches for 159 yards, caught a pair of touchdown passes, ran a 12-yard reverse, blocked a punt for a safety and made six receptions that converted third downs.
Walker Surpasses 100-Catch Plateau
Marquise Walker became the 11th player in school history to catch 100 career passes with his 12-yard reception on third down that kept the Wolverines' first possession of the third quarter alive. He has caught a pass in 26 straight games and has 108 career receptions for 1,329 yards and eight touchdowns.
Walker's Big Half
Marquise Walker accounted for all nine points for the Wolverines in the first half, blocking the first-quarter punt for a safety and catching a five-yard touchdown reception from Navarre with 17 seconds left in the second quarter. He caught six passes for 51 yards in the first half, including three receptions that converted third downs.
Navarre Sets Career Highs, Surpasses 1,000 Career Yards
Junior/sophomore quarterback John Navarre (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy HS) set career highs in completions (26) and attempts (44) against Washington while passing for 248 yards and two TDs. He became the 24th signal-caller in school history to pass for 1,000 career yards, and he heads into next week's game with 1,030 yards on 85-of-153 passing and 11 touchdown passes.
Curry Has Big Return Day
Senior/junior strong safety Julius Curry (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Gallagher HS) had a career-best day for the Wolverines returning punts. Curry returned a career-high five punts for 93 yards.
Safety Note
The first-quarter punt block by Marquise Walker that netted Michigan a 2-0 lead was the third of his career (Rice in 1999 and Indiana last year). The last time the Wolverines registered a safety was Oct. 23, 1999, against Illinois, and the last punt block came last season at Ohio State (38-26 victory on Nov. 18).
Backfield Starts
Sophomore tailback Chris Perry (Advance, N.C./Fork Union Military, Va.) and junior/sophomore fullback Phil Brackins (Pigeon Forge, Tenn./Gatlinburg-Pittman HS) made their first career starts in today's game against Washington. Perry rushed a career-high 24 times for 95 yards in the contest.
74,080
The announced sellout crowd of 74,080 fans was the seventh largest in Huskey Stadium history, and was the third largest crowd against a non-conference opponent in Washington football history. The Wolverines have played 14 consecutive games in front of a sellout crowd, with the last non-sellout coming against Alabama in the 2000 FedEx Orange Bowl.
Michigan Against Washington, Pac-10
The Wolverines dropped to 6-5 all-time vs. Washington, including a 2-2 road record. U-M has compiled a 43-18-1 record against the Pacific-10 Conference.
