Charles Woodson stiff-armed the Heisman Trophy bowl jinx.

Other Heisman winners have struggled in the postseason, but three weeks after he became the first primarily defensive player to win the award, Woodson proved his worth Thursday in top-ranked Michigan’s 21-16 victory over No. 8 Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

Woodson’s major contribution came early in the second quarter, when he stopped a possible Washington State scoring drive with a leaping interception in the end zone. The Wolverines already trailed 7-0 and probably would have been in deep trouble if the Cougars had scored again.

Asked if he planned to declare himself eligible for next spring’s NFL draft, the junior from Fremont, Ohio, said, “I’ll tell you next week.”

Later, Woodson teased Michigan fans by adding, “If I were to come back next season, I think we’d have a great chance to do it again.”