ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 11 -- Remy Hamilton may have given Michigan the win in its 5-0 triumph Saturday over Purdue, but Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr credited Clarence Thompson with the save. Thompson came up on a corner blitz to record a safety in the fourth quarter, lifting the 13th-ranked Wolverines in a game with a score more suited for baseball and weather conditions designed for sled-dog racing. At various times during the game, conditions included stiff wind, snow, rain and a wind-chill factor that reached eight degrees below zero. 'It's the worst weather conditions I've ever played in,' Michigan quarterback Brian Griese said. 'It was just hard standing up out there. You can't think about the wind, the snow and the rain. You just have to throw the ball normally, or you'll find yourself overcompensating.' Hamilton kicked a 25-yard field goal in the first quarter to give Michigan a 3-0 lead. The score remained that way until Thompson broke through to tackle Purdue quarterback Rick Trefzger in the end zone with 11:47 remaining. 'The biggest play of the game was when we brought Thompson off the corner and he got the safety,' Carr said. 'That changed the entire complexion of the game and forced Purdue to get a touchdown to win.' In between the scores, the Michigan defense completely shut down the Boilermakers, allowing just four first downs and 113 total yards. The closest Purdue came to scoring was a missed 52-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half.
It was the only time in the game that Purdue crossed midfield. 'It was a hard field to do anything on,' Purdue coach Jim Colletto said. 'Our offense is not strong enough to get into a pushing match like that. Michigan is good, but on this field we couldn't get anything going. We couldn't run wide, we couldn't run up the middle and we couldn't throw.' It was the first shutout posted by Michigan since a 28-0 win over Ohio State in the last game of the 1993 regular season. Purdue last had been shut out Oct. 21 by Ohio State, 28-0. 'I've come in here and been beaten 49-to-something a few times, but believe me, 5-0 is tougher than that,' Colletto said. Purdue's Mike Alstott entered the contest with eight consecutive 100- yard rushing games, but was held to just 19 yards on 11 carries. 'He's one of the best in the Big Ten,' Michigan defensive tackle William Carr said. 'But when you practice against Tim (Biakabutuka) every day, you can stop pretty much anybody in the country.' Biakabutuka left the game in the second half after suffering a pulled right calf muscle. The junior gained 84 yards on 14 carries before leaving. Michigan's field goal was set up when Purdue's Craig Allen failed to handle a punt, giving the Wolverines possession at the Boilermakers 2- yard line. After three plays lost a total of five yards, Hamilton was called upon for the short kick. Michigan (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten) had numerous opportunities to increase its lead, but Hamilton missed three field goals, receiver Amani Toomer threw an interception inside the Purdue 5-yard line on a gadget play and 285-pound defensive tackle William Carr was stopped on a fourth-and-1 run deep in Purdue territory. In addition, Toomer's interception was preceded by a holding penalty that negated a 12-yard TD run by Clarence Williams. However, Michigan's repeated failures to score helped them dominate the field position war, repeatedly leaving Purdue (3-5-1, 1-4-1 Big Ten) stuck in the shadow of its own end zone. 'Because it was cold, it made them run the ball more and gave us the ability to stack up against the run,' Michigan linebacker Jarret Irons said. 'Any time you go against a great player like Mike Alstott, you have to have an emphasis on him. ... We corralled him whenever he touched the ball. We had 11 guys flying around all the time.' Purdue had a final opportunity for the win when it took possession on its own 9-yard line with 2:15 remaining. The drive reached the Purdue 45-yard line before a Glen Steele sack of Trefzger ran out the clock. It was Michigan's fifth sack of the game. Griese completed 11 of 24 passes on the afternoon for 101 yards and one interception as Michigan posted its ninth consecutive win over Purdue since a 31-29 Boilermaker victory in 1984. 'I just tried to make the safe plays and get the first downs,' said Griese, whose father, NFL Hall of Famer Bob Griese, saw him play in person for the first time. 'The whole field was bad, except outside the numbers.' Michigan's five points represents the lowest offensive output for the Wolverines since a 3-3 tie against Illinois in 1985. Michigan had not scored that few points in a win since a 3-0 shutout of Minnesota in 1932.
