Michigan Monday: Game 9 vs. Purdue

Game Notes Nuggets

• The Wolverines have been victorious in 18 straight Big Ten games dating to 2021, one shy of matching the longest streak in program history. The record is owned by Gary Moeller's 1990-92 teams which won 19 straight.

• U-M has won 23 consecutive regular-season games dating to 2021, the seventh-longest streak in Big Ten history.

• U-M is one of seven undefeated teams at 8-0 in the FBS, but the only one to win each of its games by 20-plus points.

• The 2023 Wolverines are the first team in the AP era (since 1936) to score at least 30 points and hold each of their opponents to 10 points or fewer in their first eight games. The 1905 Minnesota team was the last Big Ten team to achieve a similar streak (30-plus points scored, 14 points or fewer allowed), but it lasted only seven games.

• The last U-M team to hold each of its first eight opponents to 10 points or fewer was the 1972 squad.

• U-M's streak of scoring 30-plus points has hit 11 straight games, the longest in program history. The 1976 squad (eight straight games) previously held the record.

• After scoring 45 points at Nebraska, 52 points at Minnesota and against Indiana, and 49 at Michigan State, the Wolverines have scored 40-plus points in four straight Big Ten games for the first time.

• The team's four-game scoring total (198 points) has been met or eclipsed only four times in the modern era: in the 2022 season (200 points, games one-four), the 2016 season (twice; 208 points, games one-four; 210 points, games six-nine), and the 1947 season (222 points, games one-four). The point-a-minute teams of 1901, 1902, 1903, and 1904 also accomplished the feat.

• The Wolverines are averaging a scoring margin of +34.8 across their eight wins this season, the best figure in the country and the only rate above +25 points per game. Only five other teams have an average margin of +23 points per game.

• Michigan is one of four teams to rank in the top 10 in both scoring offense (sixth, 40.6 points per game) and scoring defense (first, 5.9 points per game allowed). Penn State (third, defense; tied-10th, offense), Georgia (seventh, defense; tied-seventh, offense), and SMU (fifth, defense; tied-seventh, offense) are the other three.

• The 2023 team's plus-278 cumulative scoring margin is the program's best through eight games since 1976 (plus-294 points).

• U-M's 0.651 points per play on offense is the best rate in the Big Ten and second overall. The Wolverine defense allows 0.104 points per play against, the lowest rate in the nation. U-M's rate of 0.4 punts per score is the third-lowest rate nationally and leads the Big Ten (LSU, Georgia, 0.3).

• 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 10 of 13 major team categories Full list: overall team, No. 1 (97.4), offense, No. 2 (93.0), passing, No. 9 (89.7), receiving, No. 1 (89.4), run-blocking, No. 3 (89.4), defense, No. 2 (94.3), run defense, No. 5 (91.3), tackling, No. 1 (90.7), pass rush, No. 3 (90.1), and pass coverage, No. 4 (92.4).

• In J.J. McCarthy's 21 career starts, U-M is 20-1. In that span, the offense has registered 196 drives in which the quarterback starts and finishes the possession (excludes kneel-downs). The Wolverines have points on 120 of those drives (61.2 percent) with 90 touchdowns (45.9 percent of all drives) and 30 field goals.

• Through eight games in 2023, McCarthy has completed 132-of-169 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 78.1, second-best in the country (Bo Nix, Oregon, 78.3). His completion rate is paired with an average depth of target (ADOT) of 10.5 yards downfield, whereas Nix's is 6.5.

• In East Lansing, McCarthy was 8-of-13 for 151 yards with four touchdowns on passes 10-plus yards downfield. This season, his 14.3 yards per attempt on play action is third in the nation (minimum 20 attempts).

• Among players with at least 20 career touchdown passes, McCarthy has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in Michigan history (45:10 / 4.5:1), 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 (8.30) and ranks fourth in touchdown percentage as a passer (8.1).

• McCarthy eclipsed 5,000 career yards as a passer and entered the top 10 all-time with his performance at MSU. He stands 317 yards shy of Tom Brady (5,351 career pass yards) for ninth all-time with his head coach (5,449 yards) eighth on the list.

• He also rose to a tie for sixth in all-time touchdown passes (45) with Shea Patterson. Rick Leach (48) and Denard Robinson (49) are fifth and fourth on the list, respectively.

• With 18 passing scores this season, McCarthy ranks second in the Big Ten and lists 17th in the nation. He also leads the conference and ranks second in the nation in pass efficiency (199.1) and yards per attempt (10.64), in addition to completion percentage (78.1). He is ESPN's No. 1 quarterback in total QBR (93.8) and tied as PFF's No. 1-graded quarterback (Jayden Daniels, LSU; 92.3).

• McCarthy is averaging 245.9 yards of total offense per game in 2023 despite 21.1 pass attempts per game and only four fourth-quarter pass attempts on the season. Running back Blake Corum is tied for the NCAA lead with 13 rushing touchdowns despite four fourth-quarter rushes on the year.

• Corum ranks ninth all-time in rushing with 3,097 yards after passing Billy Taylor (3,072) against MSU. He is 220 yards shy of Rob Lytle (3,317 yards) for eighth place.

• Corum is up to third on the career rushing touchdowns list with 44. Only Tyrone Wheatley (47) and Anthony Thomas (55) have more.

• Donovan Edwards ranks ninth among running backs in all-time receptions (59), one shy of Chris Howard and five shy of Gerald White for seventh. Edwards is fifth in receiving yards by a running back with 649, 161 shy of the career record held by Anthony Thomas (810).

• Corum is tied for the national lead in rushing touchdowns (13) while wide receiver Roman Wilson is tied for third in receiving touchdowns (10). Corum ranks 10th in total points scored (78).

• Wilson's 10 receiving touchdowns are the most by a Wolverine pass catcher in the Harbaugh era (previously, Jehu Chesson, nine, 2015). Wilson's 10 scores are the most by a Michigan wideout since Mario Manningham had 12 in 2007 and the most through eight games since Desmond Howard's Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1991 (17 through eight games).

• For his career, Wilson is up to 18 receiving touchdowns (plus two rushing), tied with Amani Toomer (18) for eighth-most all-time. Tai Streets (19) and Derrick Alexander (22) are next on the list.

• Cornelius Johnson has had at least 71 receiving yards in four of eight contests including a season-best 86 yards against Minnesota. Johnson has at least one catch of 20-plus yards in five of eight contests. Eighteen (18) of his 23 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 (minimum 16 targets): Wilson (2.99) ranks 30th in the country and second in the conference, Johnson (2.29) ranks seventh in the league, and Colston Loveland (2.72) is 49th nationally and third among Big Ten players. Among tight ends only, Loveland's figure ranks No. 2 across the country, only to Georgia's Brock Bowers (3.03).

• With his first career multi-score game against Michigan State, Loveland is up to four touchdowns this season and six for his career. One more will tie him with Luke Schoonmaker (seven) for the 10th-most in a career by a U-M tight end and make him one of eight U-M tight ends with at least five in a season.

• Loveland has at least one catch in every game so far this year. With 23 catches for 364 yards, he has built on his freshman season totals (16 for 235, two touchdowns).

• Loveland, Wilson (nine receiving each), and Johnson (seven receiving, one rushing) have combined for 26 explosive plays (20-plus yards). Six Wolverines have five or more explosive plays overall.

• Tight end AJ Barner set career-highs (including his career at Indiana) when he hauled in eight passes for 99 yards at Michigan State. He and Loveland (two each) combined for half of Michigan's eight pass plays of 20-plus yards in the game.

• Efficient offensive play has led to one of the country's best conversion rates on third down (56.5 percent, second) and team pass efficiency ratings (191.45, third).

• Michigan's offensive line has allowed only eight sacks on the season (1.0 per game), the 11th-fewest nationally. With that unit as the engine, U-M permits the second-fewest negative plays per game (3.00) of any team in the country.

• The Wolverine defense ranks among the nation's best in turnovers created (14, 27th), rushing defense (85.8 yards per game, sixth), fourth down conversion rate against (22.2, fourth), passes intercepted (11, 10th), pass efficiency defense (96.25, second), and leads the nation in the following categories: total defense (226.8 yards per game), pass yards allowed (141.0 per game), first downs allowed (11.5 per game), defensive touchdowns (tied; four), red zone defense (33.3 percent), and scoring defense (5.9 points per game).

• U-M has allowed 47 points across eight games for an NCAA-leading 5.9 points allowed per game, the lowest average scoring against through seven weeks since 1973 (5.38). Opponents are averaging 0.104 points per play and 0.566 points per possession against U-M (nine scores on 83 possessions).

• The defense has held opponents to three plays or fewer in 46.9 percent (39-of-83) of possessions with 30 three-and-outs and nine 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, one at MSU).

• On the season, U-M has allowed 92 first downs, an average of 11.5 per game which is the lowest rate nationally and the only mark under 14.0 (Penn State). On average, teams reach a first down by passing 5.8 times per game, the lowest rate in the country and the only mark below 6.5 (South Alabama).

• Opponents average 0.9 red zone trips per game against the Wolverines, the fewest in the country and one of two rates under 2.0 per game (Air Force, 1.7).

• 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 four interceptions returned for touchdowns this season (Mike Sainristil, Will Johnson, Keon Sabb), tied for the program record set in 1998 and matched in 2018. On the season, U-M has allowed three passing touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and the Wolverines average 26.6 yards per interception return.

• Sainristil is now tied for the all-time lead in career interceptions returned for a touchdown with his two this season, as well as the single-season mark. His 158 return yards are ninth. Reaching 175 return yards would take him to fifth.

• In total, Michigan has forced 14 turnovers (11 interceptions, three fumble recoveries) and lost five turnovers with at least one interception-for in five straight games.

• U-M is dominant out of the locker room. Opponents have accumulated 14 total first downs in eight third quarters played. No team has reached 75 yards of offense in the quarter and four teams have been held under 15 yards of total offense.

• PFF gives Michigan front-seven defenders eight of the top 25 grades for run defense in the Big Ten: Kris Jenkins, third; Michael Barrett, sixth; Cam Goode, tied-eighth; Josaiah Stewart, tied-12th; Braiden McGregor, tied-15th; Mason Graham, 18th; Derrick Moore, tied-22nd; Kenneth Grant, 25th.

• The 13.3 completions per game U-M's pass defense is permitting are the fewest in the country.

• The FBS-leading 2.1 points per half that U-M is allowing across second halves so far this season are a full 2.0 points less than the next-closest team (Air Force, 4.1).
• Twenty-two (22) different players have at least a share of a tackle for loss on the season. Thirteen (13) different players have recorded at least a share of a sack so far this season, led by Josaiah Stewart (4.0).

• Moore (20.2 percent) has the 11th-best pass rush win rate in the nation and the best in the Big Ten (minimum 10 pass rush snaps per game) with Jaylen Harrell (19.4) ranking 16th and second in the league. McGregor (17.0) ranks 26th nationally and third in the Big Ten and Graham (15.1) is 12th, third among interior players.

• Punter Tommy Doman is averaging 4.31 seconds of hangtime per attempt, the third-best average of any punter in the country (minimum one punt per game), and the best in the Big Ten. U-M's net punting (42.79 yards per attempt) ranks ninth nationally.

• The Wolverines are also among the best kickoff return defense units in the country, allowing 13.78 yards per return attempt (sixth, NCAA). Doman has delivered 39 touchbacks on 56 kickoffs this season (69.6 percent).

#2 Michigan (8-0) vs. Purdue (2-6)

What You Need to Know

Michigan in Night Games

Game Promotions

Wolverines and Boilermakers

Michigan in the Big Ten Conference

Game Notes Nuggets

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