Michigan Monday: Game 8 at Michigan State
#25 Michigan (5-2, 3-1 B1G) at Michigan State (3-4, 0-4 B1G)
Spartan Stadium / East Lansing, Mich.
Saturday, Oct. 25 | 7:30 p.m.
Television: NBC | Radio: Learfield Michigan Sports Network
What You Need to Know
• U-M and MSU will meet for the 118th time on Saturday.
• The Wolverines hold a 74-38-5 advantage in the all-time series.
• This will be the 73rd meeting for the Paul Bunyan Trophy; U-M holds a 41-29-2 advantage.
• Derrick Moore leads the team with 4.5 sacks this season and 15.5 in his career.
• Michigan is fourth nationally in interceptions (11) and is third in turnover margin (1.29 avg.).
• U-M ranks top 25 in rushing offense (22nd, 212.1 ypg) and rushing defense (15th, 92.7 ypg).
• Justice Haynes is fourth in the NCAA in rushing (117.5 ypg).
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Wolverines and Spartans
• This will be the 118th meeting between Michigan and Michigan State.
• The Wolverines hold a 74-38-5 advantage in the all-time series and have won 29 of the last 46 games played between the two schools.
• U-M won last season's matchup, 24-17, at Michigan Stadium and has won five of the last seven games in the series.
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Michigan vs. Michigan State at Spartan Stadium
• U-M sports a 22-15-2 all-time record against MSU in East Lansing, including a 20-12-1 mark at Spartan Stadium.
• The Wolverines have a 5-5 record against the Spartans in the last 10 games played at Spartan Stadium.
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Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• Saturday's game will be the 73rd meeting for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
• Since the battle for the trophy began in 1953 with Michigan State's inception into the Big Ten, Michigan holds a 41-29-2 advantage in the quest for the coveted trophy.
• Michigan has won 37 of the past 55 games (67 percent) played between the two rivals since 1970.
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Game Note Nuggets
• Michigan is looking for its fourth straight win in its rivalry series against Michigan State. The last time U-M won four consecutive games in the series was during a six-game win streak from 2002-07.
• The offensive line has paved the way for 18 touchdowns on the ground so far this year while allowing only nine sacks against in the pass game. The unit will start its fifth different starting lineup this weekend in the eighth game of the year due to injuries.
• The offense is permitting opposing defenses to create an average four negative plays per game, ranking U-M 17th nationally in tackles for loss allowed.
• The U-M offense has tallied 32 plays of 20-plus yards on offense (20 receiving, 12 rushing) through seven weeks (six in week one, four, eight, three, seven, one, three). Justice Haynes and Andrew Marsh are tied for the team lead with seven such plays (all rushes for Haynes, six receiving for Marsh), followed by Donaven McCulley (five; all receiving). Additionally, Marsh has three via kickoff return.
• Haynes fronts a two-punch rushing attack with Jordan Marshall, who has assumed the bell cow role over the last two contests. Whichever back starts for U-M has reached at least 100 yards rushing with at least one touchdown in six of seven contests this year (159, 125, 104, 149, 117 yards for Haynes; 133 yards for Marshall), with the lone exception being at USC when Haynes left with an injury.
• Marshall is a plus-yardage rusher and pile-dragger. He has just one yard lost on 84 carries this year, averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
• The Michigan run game is 22nd in the FBS, averaging 212.1 yards per contest. Six different players have scored on the ground this year, led by Haynes, who ranks 15th in the nation with eight rushing touchdowns despite missing nearly two full games. Jordan Marshall has four scores on the ground.
• Haynes' 705 total rushing yards are the second most in the Big Ten, despite him ranking seventh in carries across the league. Even though he missed most of the contest at USC and all of the game against Washington, Haynes is fourth nationally in rushing yards per game (117.5), averaging 7.42 yards per carry (fifth, FBS). Both figures lead the Big Ten.
• Despite time missed, Haynes is one of only four backs with five or more runs of 40-plus yards and one of only three backs with four or more runs of 50-plus yards.
• As an offense, U-M is one of nine teams in the nation with six or more rushing plays of 40-plus yards (UCF, BYU, Georgia Tech, Texas State, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Boise State).
• Quarterback Bryce Underwood is averaging 5.2 yards per carry with three touchdowns of his own. Adjusted for sacks, he averages 6.9 yards per carry (31 rushes for 215 yards).
• Underwood's 62.4 percent completion rating (113-of-181 passing) comes with an average of 7.95 yards per attempt and a pass efficiency rating of 139.8. He ranks 33rd in the nation with 12.74 yards per completion.
• Michigan's passing game continues to develop through Underwood. Twelve players have caught passes so far this year, including five with 10 or more receptions. Freshman Marsh has 17 catches, 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns across the last three weeks.
• Underwood matched his career high in completions (21) last weekend. He has only attempted 30-plus passes once, yet has three games with 19 or more completions this year and five games with 15-plus completions. Underwood has eclipsed 200 passing yards in five contests and 230-plus yards in four games.
• Tight ends have combined to catch 27 passes for 328 yards this season. Five different players in the room have caught a pass, and four of five are averaging 12.6 yards or better per catch.
• U-M is winning the turnover battle with a 14:4 ratio (two fumbles lost, two interceptions), ranked third-best in the country. U-M's 14 turnovers gained rank eighth across the FBS.
• On the defensive side of the turnover battle, Cole Sullivan leads the team with four turnovers forced (three interceptions, one fumble recovery). He is one of nine U-M linebackers to record three or more interceptions in a season and the first since Steve Morrison in 1991. Morrison's five picks that season are a single-season record for linebackers at U-M.
• The Wolverines rank fourth nationally in interceptions (11) and have multiple turnovers in five of seven games, with at least one in each contest. Nine players have U-M's 11 picks: Zeke Berry, Elijah Dotson, T.J. Guy, Brandyn Hillman, TJ Metcalf, Jacob Oden, Rod Moore, Jimmy Rolder and Sullivan (three).
• Michigan's defense has registered at least one interception in 11 straight games dating back to 2024.
• Through seven games, 18 different players have an interception or pass breakup: four linebackers, three defensive linemen, and 10 defensive backs. Berry leads the defense with five passes defended (four breakups, one interception). The Wolverines are second in the Big Ten in total pass breakups (passes defended plus interceptions) with 33 (Oregon, 43).
• The pass rush has averaged 2.43 quarterback takedowns per game (33rd, FBS). U-M's 17 sacks generated are sixth in the Big Ten and Central Michigan is the only team to escape without a sack taken against the Wolverines.
• That has helped pad a TFL rank of 26th nationally, with the defense averaging 6.7 negative plays per contest. Derrick Moore leads the team with 4.5 sacks, and Jaishawn Barham leads the team with 7.0 TFL.
• The rushing defense is ranked 15th, allowing 92.7 yards per contest and 3.0 yards per carry. Oklahoma and USC are the only teams to break 100 yards on the ground against the Wolverines. Washington was held to its lowest rushing total of the year (40 yards on 23 carries, 1.7 yards per rush).
• U-M is ranked 24th in total defense; only Oklahoma and USC have eclipsed 300 yards of total offense against the Maize and Blue.
• Linebacker Ernest Hausmann is pacing the defense with 47 tackles through six games, followed closely by Rolder (42). Each of the team's top three tacklers (Sullivan, 27) are in the linebacker room; Metcalf also has 27 tackles.
• Opponents are not finding much success in the red zone against the Wolverines. U-M allows points in 76.2 percent of red zone drives, the 20th-stingiest mark in the nation.
• Opponents have combined to score only four field goals and two touchdowns in fourth quarters this year. U-M has permitted only five touchdowns and four field goals across seven second halves. That average of 6.7 points allowed per game in second halves ranks tied-12th across the FBS.
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