Michigan Monday: Game 8 at Michigan State
#2 Michigan (7-0) at Michigan State (2-4)
Spartan Stadium / East Lansing, Mich.
Saturday, Oct. 21 | 7:30 p.m.
Television: NBC | Radio: Learfield Michigan Sports Network
What You Need to Know
• U-M and MSU will meet for the 116th time on Saturday.
• The Wolverines rank top 10 in scoring offense (10th, 39.4 avg.) and scoring defense (1st, 6.7 avg.).
• U-M has won a school-record-tying 19 straight Big Ten games (1990-92).
• Michigan is the least penalized team in the country (16 for 123 yards).
• J.J. McCarthy is second in the NCAA in completion percentage (78.2%) and pass efficiency (195.9 rating).
• Blake Corum leads the nation in rushing TDs (12) while Roman Wilson is tied for the lead in receiving TDs (9).
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Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• The game between the in-state rivals will be the 71st played for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
• The Wolverines hold a 39-29-2 advantage in the trophy game.
• Michigan has won 35 of the past 53 games played between the two schools since 1970.
• The Paul Bunyan Trophy dates back to 1953, when Michigan State entered the Big Ten, and has become the cornerstone of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry since its inception.
• A donation by then-Michigan governor G. Mennen Williams, the Paul Bunyan Trophy stands nearly four feet tall.
• The wooden trophy depicts the figure of legendary folk hero Paul Bunyan astride an axe, with his feet planted over the state of Michigan. On each corner of the state lies a flag emblazoned with the Michigan 'M' or the Spartan 'S'.
• Each year the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State game is awarded ownership of the prize.
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Wolverines and Spartans
• This will be the 116th meeting in the all-time series with Michigan State.
• The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 72-38-5, and have won 27 of the last 44 games played between the two schools dating back to 1979.
• U-M has compiled a 21-15-2 record on the road against MSU, including a 19-15-2 mark at Spartan Stadium.
• After losing his first game against the Spartans in 1969, head coach Bo Schembechler won 13 of his next 14 games in the series and posted a 17-4 record during his tenure at U-M.
• Michigan won back-to-back games in 2018 and 2019 and Michigan State followed with a pair of wins during the 2020 COVID season and 2021 season in East Lansing before the Wolverines won 29-7 last year in Ann Arbor.
• Head coach Jim Harbaugh has a 4-4 overall record against the in-state rival.
Series vs. MSU: Michigan leads 72-38-5
Series Streak: Michigan won 1
Last Meeting: 2022 (#4 U-M 29, MSU 7)
Last Michigan Win: 2022
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Greater Rushing Effort Key to Victory
• One of the major components to securing victory in the annual Michigan-Michigan State football game has been the ground game, with the most productive rushing attack winning 47 of the last 53 games in the series.
• From 1969 through 1994 -- 26 consecutive games -- the winning team gained more yards on the ground.
• MSU put an end to the string by winning in 1995 despite being out-gained in the rushing department by the Wolverines, 218 to 73.
• U-M lost the rushing battle in 2007, 191-100, but came out on top 28-24 at Spartan Stadium.
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Game Notes Nuggets
• The Maize and Blue are in the midst of a 19-game conference winning streak, tied for the longest in program history set from 1990-92 under coach Gary Moeller. The current streak is tied for the fourth-longest in Big Ten history.
• U-M has won 22 consecutive regular season games, tied for the seventh-longest streak in Big Ten history (Ohio State, 2018-21).
• Michigan has won each of its first seven games while holding each opponent under 10 points. The last team to accomplish that feat was Clemson in 1981. The last time U-M accomplished it was in 1973 when the team went 10-0-1 and allowed a season-high of 13 points.
• U-M is one of 10 undefeated teams at the FBS level, but the only one to win each of its games by 20-plus points. Only two teams (Michigan, Georgia) are 7-0.
• The 2023 Wolverines are the first Big Ten team to hold their first seven opponents of the season under 14 points while scoring at least 30 points since Minnesota in 1905.
• U-M's run of scoring 30-plus points has hit 10 straight games, the longest streak in program history. The 1976 squad (eight straight games) previously held the record.
• After scoring 52 points at Minnesota and against Indiana, the Wolverines have scored 50-plus points in consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since 1975.
• The Wolverines are averaging a scoring margin of +32.7 across their seven wins this season, the best figure in the country and one of three above 30 points per game (Penn State, Oklahoma). The Wolverines are one of four teams to rank top-10 in scoring offense (10th, 39.4 points per game) and scoring defense (first, 6.7 points per game) along with Oklahoma (fourth, eighth), Penn State (fifth, second), and Georgia (ninth, seventh).
• The 2023 team's plus-239 cumulative scoring margin is the program's best through seven weeks since 1976 (plus-249 points).
• U-M's 0.643 points per play on offense is the best rate in the Big Ten and fourth overall. The Wolverine defense allows 0.119 points per play against, the lowest rate in the nation. U-M's rate of 0.3 punts per score is tied for the lowest rate nationally and leads the Big Ten.
• Ten (10) players have made their first starts as Wolverines this season, including four on offense (AJ Barner, LaDarius Henderson, Myles Hinton, Drake Nugent) and six on defense (Rayshaun Benny, Kenneth Grant, Keshaun Harris, Quinten Johnson, Keon Sabb, Josh Wallace).
• Michigan holds top-10 PFF grades and ranks in eight of 13 major team categories: overall team, No. 1 (97.2), offense, No. 3 (92.9), passing, No. 10 (97.2), receiving, No. 3 (86.3), run-blocking, No. 3 (80.4), defense, No. 2 (93.7), run defense, No. 5 (91.3), tackling, No. 3 (90.1), pass rush, No. 4 (87.6), and pass coverage, No. 8 (92.4).
• In J.J. McCarthy's 20 career starts, U-M is 19-1. In that span, the offense has registered 190 drives in which the quarterback starts and finishes the possession (excludes kneel-downs). The Wolverines have points on 115 of those drives (60.5 percent) with 85 touchdowns (44.7 percent of all drives) and 30 field goals.
• Through seven games in 2023, McCarthy has completed 111-of-142 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 78.2, second-best in the country. His completion rate is not just on easy throws; it is paired with an average depth of target (ADOT) of 10.5 yards downfield, the third-deepest average in the Big Ten.
• Among players with at least 20 career touchdown passes, McCarthy has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in Michigan history (41:10 / 4.1:1), over Drew Henson (3.43:1), Cade McNamara and Shea Patterson (3.0:1).
• McCarthy is the program's career leader in yards per play (8.23) and ranks fourth in touchdown percentage as a passer (7.8).
• McCarthy is 393 passing yards shy of matching Steve Smith (4,860 career yards) to enter the top 10 all-time. He is ninth all-time in passing touchdowns with 41, one shy of Smith and seven shy of entering the top five.
• With 14 passing scores this season, McCarthy ranks second in the Big Ten. He leads the conference and ranks second in the nation in pass efficiency (195.9) and ranks third nationally in yards per pass attempt (eight-spot jump from end-of-September; 10.65) and leads the Big Ten in all three categories. He is No. 1 in the country in ESPN's total QBR (92.6).
• McCarthy is averaging 238.9 yards of total offense per game in 2023 despite 22.6 dropbacks per game and only four fourth-quarter pass attempts on the season. Running back Blake Corum has scored an NCAA-best 12 rushing touchdowns despite four fourth-quarter rushes on the year.
• Corum became the 10th player in U-M history to eclipse 3,000 career rushing yards (3,038) and is 34 yards shy of Billy Taylor for ninth place on the all-time rushing list. Rob Lytle (3,317 yards) is next.
• Corum is up to third on the career rushing touchdowns list with 43. Last weekend, he U-M greats Mike Hart (41) and Denard Robinson (42). Only Tyrone Wheatley (47) and Anthony Thomas (55) have more.
• Corum is the national leader in rushing touchdowns (12) while wide receiver Roman Wilson is tied for the national lead in receiving touchdowns (nine). Corum ranks third in total points scored (72).
• Wilson's nine receiving touchdowns are tied for the most by a Wolverine in the Harbaugh era (Jehu Chesson, nine, 2015). Mario Manningham (2006) was the last U-M wideout with nine receiving scores through the team's first seven games.
• For his career, Wilson is up to 17 receiving touchdowns (plus two rushing), tied with Marquise Walker and Jeremy Gallon for ninth-most all-time at Michigan. Amani Toomer (18) and Tai Streets (19) are next on the list.
• Cornelius Johnson has had at least 71 receiving yards in four of seven contests including a season-best 86 yards against Minnesota. Johnson has at least one catch of 20-plus yards in five of seven contests. Seventeen (17) of his 20 offensive touches have been a touchdown or first down.
• Three Wolverine pass catchers are among the Big Ten's leaders in yards per route run: Wilson (3.19) ranks 21st in the country and second in the conference, Johnson (2.59) ranks fifth in the league, and Colston Loveland (2.50) is seventh among players with at least 14 targets. Among tight ends only, Loveland's figure ranks No. 4 across the country (minimum 14 targets).
• Loveland's 54-yard touchdown catch last weekend was the longest scoring play of the year for U-M on offense and the longest play of the tight end's career. With 19 catches for 285 yards, he has surpassed his freshman season totals (16 for 235).
• Loveland has at least one catch in every game so far this year and set a new career-high with 80 receiving yards against Indiana, a game-high.
• Efficient offensive play has led to one of the country's best conversion rates on third down (55.4 percent, fourth) and team pass efficiency ratings (188.85, third).
• Michigan's offensive line has allowed only seven sacks on the season (1.0 per game), the 14th-fewest nationally. With that unit as the engine, U-M permits the second-fewest negative plays per game (2.71) of any team in the country.
• The Wolverine defense ranks among the nation's best in turnovers created (12, 20th), third down conversion rate against (31.5 percent, 16th), rushing defense (91 yards per game, 10th), fourth down conversion rate against (26.7, eighth), passes intercepted (nine, sixth), pass efficiency defense (99.09, fifth), pass yards allowed (142.1 per game, second), total defense (233.1 yards per game, second), and leads the nation in the following categories: first downs allowed per game (11.7), defensive touchdowns (three, tied), red zone defense (33.3 percent), and scoring defense (6.7 points per game).
• U-M has allowed 47 points across seven games for an NCAA-leading 6.7 points allowed per game, the lowest average scoring against through seven weeks since 1973 (4.3). Opponents are averaging 0.125 points per possession against U-M (nine scores on 72 possessions).
• Prior to this one, the last season in which U-M held each of its first six opponents to seven points or fewer was 1973, when the season-high for points against was 13 in week eight and only two teams reached double-digit scoring (10 points allowed in week 11).
• The defense has held opponents to three plays or fewer in 45.8 percent (33-of-72) of possessions with 25 three-and-outs and eight turnovers forced in the first three plays of drives (one against ECU, two against Bowling Green, one at Nebraska, two at Minnesota, two against IU).
• On the season, U-M has allowed 67 first downs, an average of 11.2 per game which is the lowest rate nationally. On average, teams reach a first down by passing 5.8 times per game, the second-lowest rate in the country (Marshall).
• Opponents average 1.0 red zone trip per game against the Wolverines, the fewest in the country and one of five rates under 2.0 per game.
• No opponent has scored more than one touchdown against the U-M defense. All five touchdowns U-M has allowed this year have been on explosive plays: a 20-yard rush by UNLV, a 69-yard pass by Rutgers, a 74-yard rush by Nebraska, a 35-yard pass by Minnesota, and a 44-yard pass by Indiana. No team has run a play inside Michigan's 10-yard line this year.
• The Wolverines have three interceptions returned for touchdowns this season (Mike Sainristil, Will Johnson, Keon Sabb), one shy of matching the program record (four) set in 1998 and matched in 2018. On the season, U-M has allowed three passing touchdowns to nine interceptions and the Wolverines average 24.0 yards per interception return.
• In total, Michigan has forced 12 turnovers (nine interceptions, three fumble recoveries) and allowed five turnovers with at least one interception in five straight games.
• U-M is dominant out of the locker room. Opponents have accumulated 10 total first downs in seven third quarters played. No team has reached 70 yards of offense in the quarter and four teams have been held under 15 yards of total offense.
• PFF gives Michigan front-seven defenders five of the top 16 grades for run defense in the Big Ten: Mason Graham, third; Kris Jenkins, fourth; Josaiah Stewart, 12th; Kenneth Grant, 14th; Braiden McGregor, 16th.
• The 12.9 completions per game U-M's pass defense is permitting are the fewest in the country.
• The NCAA-leading 2.4 points per half that U-M is allowing across second halves so far this season are a full 1.0 points less than the next-closest team (Penn State, 3.4) and 2.0 points clear of the next team (Oklahoma, 3.5).
• Twenty-one (21) different players have at least a share of a tackle for loss on the season. Twelve (12) different players have recorded at least a share of a sack so far this season, led by Jaylen Harrell (3.5).
• Josaiah Stewart (20.6 percent) has the third-best pass rush win rate in the Big Ten (minimum six pass rush snaps per game) while Derrick Moore (18.2), McGregor (17.7), and Harrell (17.6) rank 9-10-11 in the league.
• Punter Tommy Doman is averaging 4.43 seconds of hangtime per attempt, tied for the best average of any punter in the country (minimum one punt per game). U-M's net punting (41.7 yards per attempt) ranks 15th nationally.
• The Wolverines are also among the best kickoff return defense units in the country, allowing 13.75 yards per return attempt (10th, NCAA). Doman has delivered 33 touchbacks on 48 kickoffs this season.
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