Carr calls win 'just wonderful'

Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is honored before Saturday's game.

ANN ARBOR -- Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr watched and listened to the Wolverines make a "loud statement" Saturday in a 45-17 thumping of 17th-ranked Nebraska.

Carr spoke in a formal gathering after the game on a day he was honored by the university for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame next month.

Carr retired after the 2007 season, compiling a sterling resume that included a 122-40 record, five Big Ten titles, and a national championship in 1997. Current UM coach Brady Hoke was an assistant under Carr from 1995 to 2001.

"I don't think you could ask a coaching staff and a team to do a better job than this team has done," Carr said of the 9-2 Wolverines. "It's just wonderful to see."

Carr had little interest discussing the pregame ceremony, when he paraded to midfield and fans at the south end of the stadium held up cards that together formed a picture of Carr's face. Instead, he wanted to discuss a resounding win, an improving team, and next week's rivalry game against Ohio State.

"This team has started to believe in itself," Carr said. "Coming back here today, this crowd was outstanding and they'll be outstanding again next week."

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Carr admitted he misses coaching on days like Saturday, when the Wolverines dominated in every facet and looked the part of a defensive-minded, run-oriented team that embodied the Carr era.

"When you're part of a great victory, there's nothing like it," he said. "But I'm so happy for Brady and his staff and the players. Michigan football is where we want to be."

LIGHTS OUT: The Wolverines' performance against Nebraska was electrifying in some regards, but not when it came to actual power in Michigan Stadium.

Parts of the venue, including the two giant video boards high above each end zone, were hit by a power outage about 90 minutes before kickoff. Backup power provided emergency lighting in some areas; the scoreboards were powered and rebooted by halftime; other areas, like the main press box, remained without power several hours after the game ended.

A UM spokesman said officials were trying to identify the cause or causes for the failure and reported that other campus areas were unaffected.

During the first half, the north end zone board did have a game clock and play clock operating, but the south board did not.

Michigan's offense operated towards the south end zone during the first quarter, meaning quarterback Denard Robinson was not facing the only available play clock.

The Wolverines were penalized for one delay, but thereafter the UM fans counted down the play clock, en masse, whenever it approached the five-second mark.

"I appreciate the fans helping us out," Robinson said.

UM coach Brady Hoke said it was important for coaches to signal offensive plays as quickly as possible, for the huddle to be set quickly, and for substitute personnel groups to move into and out of the game without hesitation.

"I thought [Denard] did a tremendous job with that situation," Hoke said.

Both video boards were fully powered and offered complete information throughout the second half.

SHORT YARDS: Safety Jordan Kovacs led UM with seven tackles. The Clay graduate, whose knee has been bothering him, limped off the field after making a stop in the second half but returned to start the next drive. ... Nebraska's Lavonte David totaled 17 tackles, including 14 solo. He was third in the Big Ten in tackles entering the day. ... UM left guard Ricky Barnum (ankle) did not play, and Marvin Robinson, who has been charged with second-degree home invasion charges, did not dress.