![]() 2 pick Ryan Leaf at quarterback, who had finished as a finalist for the Heisman along with Woodson. Washington State was making its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1931, a 67-year absence. The Wolverines were led by Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback Charles Woodson, who had become a two-way star in Ann Arbor. Michigan came into the game with a perfect 11-0 record and a shot at the school’s first national championship since 1948. It was a game littered with memorable college football talent. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) 5. I was out celebrating with the fans.PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Michigan Wolverines fan, Steve Terry, stands at the entrance to the Rose Bowl prior to the game against the USC Trojans on Januat the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. “I am going to enjoy the win and go to the Hula Bowl,” said Woodson, who exchanged a pre-game handshake with Leaf minutes before kickoff. He celebrated the victory with an emotional embrace of his father. Woodson said he would announce whether he will declare himself eligible for the NFL draft or return for his senior year within a week. “But you don’t know where he’s going to be half the time. “There was a plan going in to throw the ball away from him, no question about that,” WSU coach Mike Price said. On WSU’s opening possession, he twice blitzed and pressured Leaf into incompletions. He covered slot receivers most of the time and blitzed on occasion. “I can’t put into words how I feel right now.” “There’s no way to comprehend what we’ve done right now,” Woodson said. Though he didn’t make a lot of plays, he picked opportune times to make the ones he did. Likewise, he was contained on punt returns, gaining 18 yards on three attempts. That was about Woodson’s only offensive contribution. When WSU’s coverage nullified Howard, Woodson raced down the sideline for 8 yards. He caught a pass behind the line of scrimmage and was intending to throw downfield to Chris Howard. In addition to his interception, Woodson made a pivotal third-down conversion late in the fourth quarter to keep a clock-sapping Michigan drive alive. Woodson, the multi-dimensional Heisman Trophy winner, was barely a two-way threat. Leaf, plagued by five first-half drops and a persistent Michigan pass rush, completed 17 of 35 for 331 yards - 73 coming on WSU’s final possession - and one TD. Neither Leaf nor Woodson had standout days, by their lofty standards. He’s a good player and if you make a mistake he’ll beat you on it.” I made the mistake of throwing a bad ball. “I tried to throw it out of bounds so we could at least get three points out of it,” Leaf said. “We wanted to motion a guy down inside and pick Woodson off with motion, but the clock was running down and Ryan didn’t get the play in in quite enough time to use the motion.”Īs the play began to break down, Leaf attempted to limit the damage. “That was a real critical play,” WSU coach Mike Price said. Ironically, WSU, leading 7-0 at the time, wanted to pick off Woodson on the play. Leaf rolled to his left and threw a wobbly pass that was intercepted by Woodson in the end zone. Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson - took center stage. WSU was threatening to take a double-digit lead early in the second quarter when the Rose Bowl’s pregame subplot - Leaf vs. Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf was trying to do the right thing.
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