Postgame Notes: #16 Michigan 49, Rutgers 16
11/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
TEAM
• Today's game featured an attendance of 109,879, giving U-M 264 consecutive home games played in front of crowds in excess of 100,000.
• Today's game marked just the second all-time meeting between two of college football's oldest programs. U-M evened the record to 1-1 with a victory this afternoon in the first series matchup at Michigan Stadium.
• With today's victory, U-M improves to 7-2 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Ten.
• U-M has won the time-of-possession battle in seven of nine contests, averaging a seven-minute-plus advantage this season. Michigan earned an even greater disparity than average this afternoon, owning the ball for (33:04) compared to Rutgers' (26:56)
• Over the last 31 quarters, U-M has outscored the opponent 258-76 stretching back to the second quarter against Oregon State (Sept. 12).
OFFENSE
• U-M has produced a balanced offensive attack so far this season, averaging 174.6 yards per contest on the ground and 184.0 yards per game through the air.
• Michigan reached the 1,500-yard plateau on the ground this afternoon, finishing with 175 yards to bring the season total to 1,572.
• Michigan reached the 1,500-yard mark through the air this afternoon, finishing with 337 yards to bring the season total to 1,809.
• U-M's offensive line has allowed 13 sacks in nine games.
• The Michigan offense has converted on 28-of-29 red-zone chances this season, including 21 touchdowns and seven field goals (TDs on last four straight -- four TDs on four red-zone trips to Minnesota) .
• The Maize and Blue has been converting at a 42-percent clip on third-down opportunities in 2015 (55-of-130). U-M has also moved the chains on 4-of-12 fourth-down chances.
• Sione Houma's first-quarter reception gained 32 yards, a new career long (previous 27 yards).
• Tight end Jake Butt has caught at least one pass in 12 straight contests and 20 of his last 23 games overall.
• Butt's 56-yard reception marked a career long, as well as the longest pass play of the year for Michigan.
• Jake Butt's 102 receiving yards today marked his first 100-yard performance and a career high.
• Jake Rudock passed for 337 yards today, a career best and his first 300-yard performance at Michigan. It marks the 12th-highest single-game total in U-M history.
• Michigan's 35 first-half points mark the highest offensive performance this season, besting the 31 points U-M put up in the opening 30 minutes against BYU. The 51 combined points by both teams at halftime also mark a season high.
DEFENSE
• U-M had yielded just 107 points all season (11.8 avg), allowing a balanced 56 points in first halves this year and 51 points in second halves.
• Michigan has been stout on third downs, allowing just 27 conversions on 124 attempts (22 percent).
• The defense has broken up 43 passes in 2015, led by 19 from Jourdan Lewis.
• With his 18th and 19th pass breakups of the season in today's game, Jourdan Lewis claimed sole ownership of the single-season Michigan record, which had previously been shared by Leon Hall (2006) and Marlin Jackson (2002) at 18 PBUs.
• Michigan has allowed just 16 red-zone possessions to opponents all season long (fewest in FBS), allowing points on 15 of those drives, including just six touchdowns surrendered.
• Jarrod Wilson recorded his first interception of the season in the second quarter, the eighth by a U-M defensive player this season.
• Chris Wormley recorded a career-best two sacks this afternoon, giving him four on the year, a career-high season total.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• U-M has converted on 12-of-15 field goals and all 30 PATs this season.
• Of U-M's 39 punts, 17 have been downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
• Michigan's opponents average 21.8 yards per return (21 for 398), and U-M's kickoff unit has totaled 26 touchbacks on 55 kickoffs.
• Blake O'Neill has eight punts of 50 yards or better and has at least one punt downed inside the five-yard line in five of nine contests.
