• The U-M offense has tallied 37 plays of 20-plus yards on offense (22 receiving, 15 rushing) through eight weeks (six in week one, four, eight, three, seven, one, three, four). Justice Haynes and Andrew Marsh are tied for the team lead with nine such plays (all rushes for Haynes, eight receiving for Marsh), followed by Donaven McCulley (five; all receiving). Additionally, Marsh has three via kickoff return.
• The offensive line has paved the way for 21 touchdowns on the ground so far this year while allowing only 10 sacks against in the pass game. The unit has employed five different starting lineups in eight games due to injuries.
• The offense is permitting opposing defenses to create an average 3.75 negative plays per game, ranking U-M 14th nationally in tackles for loss allowed.
• Running back Justice Haynes fronts a two-punch rushing attack with Jordan Marshall. Whichever back starts for U-M has reached at least 100 yards rushing with at least one touchdown in seven of eight contests this year (159, 125, 104, 149, 117, 152 yards for Haynes; 133 yards for Marshall), with the lone exception being at USC when Haynes left with an injury.
• Both backs went for 100-plus yards last weekend against the Spartans (110, Marshall), the first time U-M has had two 100-yard rushers in the series since 1994. It was U-M’s first instance of two 100-yard rushers in the same game since the National Championship Game against Washington to end the 2023 season and the most combined yards by two backs (262) since Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum combined for 339 yards against Penn State in 2022.
• Marshall is a plus-yardage rusher and pile-dragger. He has just one yard lost on 99 carries this year, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
• The Michigan run game is 15th in the FBS, averaging 220.1 yards per contest. Six different players have scored on the ground this year, led by Justice Haynes, who ranks seventh in the nation with 10 rushing touchdowns despite missing nearly two full games. Jordan Marshall has five scores on the ground.
• Haynes’ 857 total rushing yards are the most in the Big Ten (fourth, FBS), despite Haynes ranking sixth in carries across the league. Even though he missed most of the contest at USC and all of the game against Washington, Haynes is third nationally in rushing yards per game (122.4), averaging 7.08 yards per carry (sixth, FBS).
• Haynes is one of only four backs with five or more runs of 40-plus yards and one of only four backs with four or more runs of 50-plus yards.
• As an offense, only U-M and UTSA have six plays of 50-plus rushing yards.
• Quarterback Bryce Underwood is averaging 5.2 yards per carry with three touchdowns of his own. Adjusted for sacks, Underwood averages 6.9 yards per carry (35 rushes for 242 yards).
• Altogether, U-M has nine 100-yard rushing performances on the year (Haynes, 6; Marshall, 2; Underwood, 1).
• Underwood’s 61.1 percent completion rating (121-of-198 passing) comes with an average of 7.95 yards per attempt and a pass efficiency rating of 135.5. He ranks 36th in the nation with 12.61 yards per completion.
• Michigan’s passing game continues to develop through Underwood. Twelve (12) different players have caught passes this year, including five with 10 or more receptions. Freshman Andrew Marsh has 20 catches, 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns across the last month of the season.
• Tight ends have combined to catch 28 passes for 332 yards this season (11.9 yards per catch). Five different players in the room have caught a pass.
• U-M is winning the turnover battle with a 15:6 ratio (three fumbles lost, three interceptions), ranked eighth-best in the country. U-M’s 15 turnovers gained rank 12th 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). Sullivan 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.
• U-M is ranked 24th in total defense; only three opponents (Oklahoma, USC, MSU) have eclipsed 300 yards of total offense against the Maize and Blue.
• The Wolverines rank eighth nationally in interceptions (11) and have multiple turnovers in five of eight games, with at least one in each contest. Nine different 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 Cole Sullivan (three).
• Last weekend against MSU was the first game without an interception for the Michigan defense since Oregon in 2024, ending a streak of 11 straight games with at least one pick.
• Through seven games, 18 different players have an interception or pass breakup: four linebackers, three defensive linemen, and 10 defensive backs. Zeke Berry leads the defense with six passes defended (five breakups, one interception). The Wolverines are second in the Big Ten in total pass breakups (passes defended plus interceptions) with 39 (Oregon, 50).
• The pass rush has averaged 2.63 quarterback takedowns per game (25th, FBS). U-M’s 21 sacks generated are tied-fourth in the Big Ten; Central Michigan (fifth-highest rushing rate across FBS) is the only team to escape without a sack taken against the Wolverines.
• That figure has helped pad a TFL rank of 28th nationally, with the defense averaging 6.6 negative plays per contest. Derrick Moore leads the team with 6.5 sacks, and he’s tied for the team lead in TFL with Jaishawn Barham.
• Derrick Moore has consecutive games with multiple sacks for the first time in his career, vaulting him up to 15th nationally (6.5). That figure ranks third among Big Ten players, and first in conference play.
• On the ground, opponents have 21 rushes of 10-plus yards, tied for the 13th-fewest across the FBS.
• The defense has been outstanding at limiting the big play. Opponents have just one play of 50-plus yards this season. Michigan is one of 19 teams to allow one such play or fewer.
• The rushing defense is ranked 15th, allowing 95.5 yards per contest and 3.0 yards per carry.
• Linebacker Ernest Hausmann is pacing the defense with 52 tackles through eight games, followed closely by Jimmy Rolder (52). TJ Metcalf leads the secondary (32 stops) and Trey Pierce (18) has the most among interior defensive linemen.
• Opponents are not finding much success in the red zone against the Wolverines. U-M allows points in 78.3 percent of red zone drives, the 26th-stingiest mark in the nation.
• Opponents have combined to score only four field goals and four touchdowns in fourth quarters this year. U-M has permitted only seven touchdowns and four field goals across seven second halves. That average of 7.5 points allowed per game in second halves ranks tied-12th across the FBS.
