Michigan celebrated its 500th game at the Big House with the first big win of the Rich Rodriguez era.

The Wolverines rallied from a 19-point halftime deficit, and when Wisconsin’s Allan Evridge misfired on a two-point conversion pass with 13 seconds left, Michigan had sealed a 27-25 victory over the ninth-ranked Badgers on Saturday.

“I’m so proud of these guys because there was probably some doubts in their mind about whether we could do it,” Rodriguez said. “This can be a really big win for us.”

Wisconsin seemed to tie the game and set up overtime with David Gilreath’s 22-yard touchdown catch and Travis Beckum’s reception for 2, but the conversion was negated by a penalty and the retry was a pass through the end zone.

Badgers coach Bret Bielema said it was the right call because Beckum didn’t line up correctly.

“He should’ve been lined up off the line of scrimmage,” Bielema said. “Obviously, it would’ve made the play legal.”

Michigan (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten) had five turnovers in the first half, leading to a 19-0 deficit, and didn’t score until late in the third quarter. But they scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and took a 20-19 lead on John Thompson’s 25-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:27 left in the fourth quarter, just seconds after Brandon Minor’s 34-yard touchdown run.

Sam McGuffie’s 3-yard touchdown run with made it 27-19 for Michigan with 5:11 left.

When the comeback victory was complete, Rodriguez’s team had rallied from the biggest deficit the Wolverines have overcome since they started playing at their storied stadium in 1927.

The Badgers also had a shot to potentially tie the game on their next-to-last drive, but Evridge fumbled inside the Michigan 10.

Michigan’s rallied from 17-point deficits at home against Virginia in 1995, coach Lloyd Carr’s debut, and in 2004 against Michigan State. The Wolverines’ biggest comeback win anywhere was at Minnesota five years ago when they were down by three TDs.

“They told us about it and that just makes this that much sweeter,” said defensive end Brandon Graham, who had three sacks and forced two fumbles.

The Wolverines were in danger of starting 1-3 and losing a Big Ten home opener for the first time since 1967, two years before Bo Schembechler arrived on campus.

But they played turnover-free ball in the second half and finally scored with 2:22 left in the third quarter when Steven Threet connected with tight end Kevin Koger for 26 yards.

The Wolverines’ 14-play, 80-yard drive took 4½ minutes, surpassing their time of possession in the first half and nearly tripling the yards they gained through three-plus quarters.

In the fourth quarter, they turned a stunned and silent crowd into a euphoric one with a huge rally.

The Badgers had chances to turn the game back their way, but a fumble ruined one drive just 8 yards away from the end zone and an illegal-man-downfield penalty foiled the 2-point conversion that would’ve tied the game.

“To have it go down that way was disheartening,” Bielema said.

Threet finished 12 of 31 for 96 yards, a score and two interceptions. He ran for 89 yards, including a 58-yard gain that surprised everyone in the stadium and set up McGuffie’s TD.

Evridge was 20-of-37 for 226 yards with a TD and two interceptions. P.J. Hill was held to 70 yards on 22 carries.

Hookscenter.com wire report.