Following their bye week, the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines were back in action on Saturday night, and they once again put on a dominant display from beginning to end. The Wolverines are now 9-0 on the year and firmly in the College Football Playoff picture. Based on the most recent FanDuel odds (+230), Michigan is the overwhelming favorite to win it all.
Here are some of the most noteworthy stats from Michigan’s big win over Purdue on Saturday night, courtesy of ALPHASPORTNEWS.COM
Since 2021, Michigan has won 21 straight games at Michigan Stadium, which ties for the third-longest winning streak in program history and is the longest since Bo Schembechler’s 28-game run from 1969–73.
Since 2021, the Wolverines have won 21 straight Big Ten games, which is the longest winning run in program history.
Because the 2021 and 2022 Big Ten title games are not considered conference games by the Big Ten, Michigan has won 19 straight Big Ten games, which ties them for the longest streak in Michigan history with Gary Moeller’s 1990–92 squad.
From 2021 until the present, Michigan has won 24 straight regular-season games, which is tied for the fifth-longest run in Big Ten history.
The Wolverines continued their school record of scoring forty points or more in five consecutive Big Ten games after scoring forty-plus points at Nebraska, fifty-two points at Minnesota and against Indiana, forty-one points at Michigan State, and forty minutes against Purdue.
Michigan’s (239) points scored in their last five games against Big Ten opponents, including their 41 points against Purdue, is a program record for the most points scored in five conference games. U-M’s 12-game string of scoring 30 or more points is the longest in program history. The record was held by the 1976 team (eight games in a row).
It was Michigan’s fifth straight game with 20 points or more in the first half. In seven of their nine games this season, the Wolverines have reached that milestone. Michigan’s cumulative point differential (226) against Big Ten opponents this season is the largest in the program’s history through six conference games, as they defeated Purdue by 28 points.
The Wolverines scored 445 yards of offense on Saturday, bringing their total offensive yardage against Big Ten opponents to over 400. This season, they have scored more than 400 yards against eight of nine opponents. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s 5,369 passing yards surpass Tom Brady’s 5,351 career pass yards with 335 passing yards (24-for-37) today, moving him up to ninth place all-time. With 5,449 yards, he is 80 yards short of head coach Jim Harbaugh.
U-M is 21-1 in McCarthy’s 22 career starts. With the exception of kneel-downs, the offense has recorded 209 drives during which the quarterback starts and completes the possession. With 95 touchdowns (45.0 percent of all drives), 32 field goals, and points on 127 of those drives (60.8 percent), the Wolverines are in the lead.
Running back Blake Corum is currently tied with Tyrone Wheatley for second place on the career rushing touchdowns chart at 47 after scoring three touchdowns on the ground on Saturday. Anthony Thomas, who amassed 55 career rushing touchdowns between 1991 and 1994, is the all-time leader. In addition, Corum leads the country in running touchdowns this season with 16, ahead of both Kairee Robinson (13), and La’Damian Webb (15).
Running back Donovan Edwards passed Chris Howard, who caught 60 passes in total between 1994 and 1997, to claim sole ownership of seventh place among U-M running backs all-time with 62 receptions after receiving three passes for 41 yards on Saturday. He ranks fourth in receiving yards by a running back with 690, 120 short of Anthony Thomas’s career record (810) and two short of Gerald White for seventh place on the list.
With nine catches for 143 yards, wide receiver Roman Wilson set career highs in receptions and receiving yards. Three receptions of 20 yards or more and a 35-yard catch in the fourth quarter were the highlights of the evening. Wilson has more than 12 20-yard plays, which leads the club.
On Saturday, wide receiver Semaj Morgan ran 44 yards for his first-ever running touchdown in the third quarter. Against Bowling Green, Corum’s 54-yard rush was the second-longest ground gain of any Michigan player this season.
The U-M defense has not allowed an opponent to score more than one touchdown. A 20-yard rush by UNLV, a 69-yard pass by Rutgers, a 74-yard rush by Nebraska, a 35-yard throw by Minnesota, a 44-yard pass by Indiana, and a 24-yard pass by Purdue are the six explosive plays that have resulted in scores that U-M has given up this season. This season, no club has attempted a play inside Michigan’s 10-yard line.
Michigan has lost six turnovers with at least one interception in seven consecutive games and forced 15 turnovers overall (12 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries). Since pitching another shutout against Purdue in the third quarter of the season, Michigan has outscored opponents 114-0 in the third quarter.
In the second quarter, defensive back Will Johnson recorded his second interception of the year. U-M has surrendered 12 interceptions to just three throwing scores this season. Makari Paige, a defensive back, led the defense with eight total tackles, a career high (seven, TCU).
James Turner, the kicker, made two field goals (30 and 31 yards) for Michigan, a career-high. This season, Turner has made eight out of ten field goals. Tommy Doman, the punter, forced the Boilermakers to spend the entire evening in the shadow of their own end zone. The first Wolverine to accomplish it since Brad Robbins against Indiana in 2020, all four of his punt returns were downed inside the 20-yard line, and two of them were downed inside the 10.
