Michigan at Rutgers
Saturday, Oct. 31 • TBA • Piscataway, N.J.
Michigan Monday: Game 6 vs. Penn State
Date Saturday, Oct. 17
Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ET
Location Michigan Stadium
TV CBS
What You Need to Know
- This will be the 14th game between Michigan and Penn State at the Big House; U-M holds a 9-4 advantage.
- Four of Michigan's five games have been decided in the final minute.
- The Wolverines rank third nationally in total defense (241.4 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (146.8 yards per game).
- The Maize and Blue have two defensive touchdowns on interceptions by Jonah Lea'ea and Nathaniel Staehling.
- JJ Buchanan ranks 17th nationally in receiving yards per game (89.2).
- Troy Bowles leads the defense with 40 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss.
- Trey Butkowski leads the team in scoring with 25 points (four field goals, 13 PATs).
Game Resources
Gameday Information
Michigan Stadium
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Mobile Tickets
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Gameday Promotions
Game Presented by DTE
Homecoming
Special pregame and halftime performances featuring the Michigan Alumni Band.
Wolverine Walk
Welcome the Michigan Football team as it makes its way from near the northeast entrance of Crisler Center to the Michigan Stadium tunnel approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes prior to kickoff.
Weekend of Champions
Michigan will recognize championship teams and individuals celebrating their 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries on the field.
Football Alumni Recognition
Recognition of the 1971 Big Ten championship team on its 55th anniversary.
Gameday DJ
DJ Truth
Meijer Fan Fest
Pioneer High School
Weekly Notes
Explore this week's Michigan Football notes by category.
Homecoming
- This will be Michigan's 124th Homecoming game (excluding alumni exhibitions) and the 128th all-time Homecoming game played by the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
- Michigan has a 96-27 record in Homecoming games (97-28-2 including exhibitions).
- U-M has won 13 straight Homecoming games and 25 of its last 29.
- The Wolverines have won 49 of their last 56 Homecoming games dating back to 1968, the year before Bo Schembechler's arrival.
- Schembechler compiled a 21-0 Homecoming record during his Michigan coaching career.
Michigan vs. Penn State
- This will be the 28th meeting between Michigan and Penn State.
- The Wolverines lead the all-time series against the Nittany Lions, 17-10.
- Michigan holds a 7-3 advantage in games decided by seven points or fewer and a 2-1 mark in games decided by three points or fewer.
- This will be Kyle Whittingham's second meeting with Penn State; his previous matchup came in the Rose Bowl, a 35-21 loss to the Nittany Lions on Jan. 2, 2023.
- This will be the 14th meeting between the Wolverines and Nittany Lions at the Big House.
- Michigan has compiled a 9-4 home record against Penn State.
- U-M has won four of the past five games against Penn State at Michigan Stadium, with its lone loss a 27-17 defeat during the 2020 COVID-19 season.
- The Wolverines won five straight home games against Penn State from 1998-2007.
Team
- The Wolverines are searching for their first Big Ten win of the season. U-M returns to Michigan Stadium, where it is 3-2 over its last five conference games.
- In their first matchup with Penn State since 2023, the Wolverines look to build on a 17-10 lead in the all-time series. Michigan has won three straight meetings with the Nittany Lions and is 9-4 all-time in Ann Arbor.
- Eight Wolverines have made their first collegiate starts this season: tight end Jalen Hoffman, linebackers Troy Bowles and Chase Taylor and defensive end Dom Nichols against Western Michigan; tight end Eli Owens against Oklahoma; cornerback Shamari Earls and wide receiver Salesi Moa against UTEP; and offensive lineman Avery Gach (rhino) against Iowa.
Offense
- U-M has had at least one scoring drive of 10-plus plays in four of five games this year. The offense also has had at least one scoring drive of six plays or fewer in every game, demonstrating its ability to score on sustained drives and big plays.
- Michigan is seeking more consistency in explosive plays (20-plus yards). The offense has generated 12 of Michigan's 18 explosive plays, with the remaining six coming on interception and special teams returns.
- The passing game has produced four touchdowns on explosive plays, including three between quarterback Bryce Underwood and wide receiver JJ Buchanan.
- JJ Buchanan (seven) and Andrew Marsh (four) lead the team in explosive offensive plays, all on receptions. Marsh led U-M in 2025 with 15 explosive plays on offense (14 receiving, one rushing) and another eight via special teams returns.
- A balanced group of contributors has scored for the Maize and Blue this season, with six different touchdown scorers (three rushing, three receiving).
- Jordan Marshall (three touchdowns) has found the end zone most often on the ground, while Buchanan (four touchdowns) leads the team in receiving touchdowns.
- Adjusted for sacks, Underwood has averaged 5.3 yards per carry during his career (119 rushes for 633 yards) and has 49 carries for 242 yards so far in 2026.
- Underwood is two weeks removed from a career-high 276 passing yards against Iowa, when he threw two touchdowns. He has five passing touchdowns this season.
- JJ Buchanan leads Michigan with four receiving touchdowns (33rd nationally) and ranks second on the team in scoring with 24 points, behind Trey Butkowski (25). Buchanan also leads the team in receiving yards (446, 26th nationally).
- U-M has two receivers who have combined for four 100-yard games this season: JJ Buchanan (126 vs. Western Michigan, 130 vs. Iowa) and Andrew Marsh (105 vs. UTEP, 106 vs. Iowa). Of the team's nine pass-catchers this year, three are freshmen (Savion Hiter, Salesi Moa, Travis Johnson).
- The offensive line continues to gel; four players have made double-digit starts at Michigan: left guard/tackle Evan Link (22 starts, 21 at tackle), right tackle Andrew Sprague (15), center Jake Guarnera (15; 10 at guard) and left tackle Blake Frazier (13, including three at right tackle).
- The line permits an average of 3.8 negative plays per game, ranking 26th nationally in tackles for loss allowed.
Defense
- The defense ranks third nationally in total defense, allowing 241.4 yards per game.
- Through five games, the U-M defense has yielded eight touchdowns and ranks 20th nationally in scoring defense (15.8 points per game allowed). No team has scored more than 14 points in a half against U-M this year.
- Twelve different players combined for 11 tackles for loss against UTEP, the most by a U-M defense in a single game since 2022 (11 against Colorado State, Sept. 3). Seventeen different players have at least a share of a tackle for loss through five games.
- As a unit, the defense ranks 25th nationally in tackles for loss per game (6.8). Dom Nichols leads the team with 5.0 tackles for loss.
- Linebacker Troy Bowles leads the defense with 40 tackles, 15 more than the next-closest defender. Jyaire Hill (25) leads the secondary, and John Henry Daley (15) leads the defensive linemen.
- Daley also leads the team with 3.0 sacks. Eight different players have at least a share of a sack this season.
- The pass defense has limited opponents, ranking fifth nationally in passing yards allowed per game (146.8).
- The rush defense has held opponents below 100 yards twice, allowing an average of 94.6 yards per game (17th nationally). Minnesota is the only team to score a rushing touchdown against U-M this year.
- The defense has forced five turnovers in five games, including four interceptions, two of which have been returned for touchdowns. Those two defensive touchdowns make U-M one of five teams nationally with multiple defensive scores.
- Jonah Lea'ea recorded the shortest pick-six in program history when he returned an interception nine yards for a touchdown against UTEP to close nonconference play. At Minnesota, Nathaniel Staehling recorded the longest road pick-six in program history with a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown.
- Jyaire Hill recorded the first interception of the season against Oklahoma. It was the third of his career, tying him with Zeke Berry for second-most among cornerbacks on the roster (Smith Snowden, five). Among all defensive backs, safety Rod Moore (seven) leads the team.
- Twenty different players recorded a pass breakup or interception in 2025, led by Zeke Berry (11, including one interception). Nine players have recorded at least one this season, led by Snowden (three).
Special Teams
- Kicker Trey Butkowski was 19-for-22 on field goals in his lone season at Pitt after joining the team as a walk-on. He is 4-for-4 this year.
- Butkowski has three field goals of 40-plus yards as a Wolverine: a 40-yarder against Oklahoma on his first attempt of the year, a 49-yarder against UTEP and a 41-yarder against Iowa.
- Punter Cam Brown averaged 43.9 yards on 22 punts during his freshman season at Utah and has averaged 43.3 yards per punt this season.
- Brown has punted 24 times this season, with 11 punts inside the 20-yard line. He has forced 12 fair catches and had two punts downed at the one-yard line against Oklahoma, when he pinned the Sooners inside their 20 on six of seven attempts.
- Kickoff specialist Jacob Baggett has generated 15 touchbacks on 22 kickoffs.
- U-M is one of seven teams nationally to have blocked or tipped multiple punts.
Michigan vs. Indiana
Saturday, Oct. 24 • Noon • Fox • Michigan Stadium
Upcoming Games
Michigan vs. Michigan State
Saturday, Nov. 7 • TBA • Michigan Stadium
