This Week in Michigan Football: U-M vs. Wisconsin
9/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 2016
#4 Michigan vs. #8 Wisconsin
Saturday, Oct. 1 • 3:30 p.m. EDT
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday Schedule
Noon -- Weekly Press Conference
• Watch: Coach Harbaugh 
| Players
7 p.m. -- Inside Michigan Football Radio Show
Live from Pizza House in Ann Arbor
• Listen Live 
In the Polls
• Michigan: No. 4 AP, No. 5 Coaches
• Wisconsin: No. 8 AP, No. 8 Coaches
• Week 5 Rankings
Monday Press Conference
Coach Jim Harbaugh
Players
Game Notes
Quick Hits
• The Wolverines seek their 50th all-time victory against the Badgers.
• Michigan leads the nation in all-time wins and winning percentage.
• U-M leads the nation in third-down defense and is second in tackles-for-loss.
• Michigan is fourth in scoring and seventh in third-down conversions.
• The Wolverines list in the top 15 of eight defensive categories.
Wolverines and Badgers
• This will be the 65th meeting between Michigan and Wisconsin. The Wolverines hold a 49-14-1 lead in the all-time series and have a 22-6 record in games played at Michigan Stadium (27-7 all-time in Ann Arbor). U-M has claimed victories in 17 of the last 23 games played between the two schools and 31 of the last 38 matchups.
Matchup of Top 10 Teams for the First Time
• This is the first matchup between the two schools where both programs are ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Badgers enter the game ranked No. 8 in both national polls, and Michigan is fourth in the Associated Press poll and fifth in the Amway Coaches rankings.
• The last game pitting two top-10 programs at Michigan Stadium came in 2015; No. 8 Ohio State defeated No. 10 Michigan.
U-M vs. Wisconsin
• This will be the 65th meeting between Michigan and Wisconsin.
• The Wolverines have won seven of the last 11 matchups.
• This will be the first time that Jim Harbaugh coaches against Wisconsin.
• Wisconsin is tied with Indiana as the sixth-most common opponent all-time for Michigan.
Offense
• Michigan ranks in the top 10 of five offensive categories.
• The offense went 10-plus quarters before committing its first penalty of 2016; the offense has been flagged five times in four games, committing three false starts, a holding infraction and a chop block.
• U-M has been a balanced offensive unit this fall, averaging 229.8 yards per game on the ground and 238 yards passing.
• The Wolverines have run 296 offensive plays for 1,871 yards, an average of 6.3 yards per play.
• U-M is averaging 467.8 yards per contest.
• The offense has gained 919 rushing yards on 170 carries and scored 15 rushing TDs.
• The only turnovers by the offense came in the first quarter this season; an interception on the first play of the 2016 season and a fumble by Wilton Speight on a sack against Colorado.
• Michigan has an 9:1 touchdown to interception ratio.
• U-M is fifth nationally and third in the Big Ten with only two turnovers lost.
• The Wolverines are 22-of-24 on red-zone chances this season, with 18 touchdowns and four field goals; the only non-score came when U-M ended the game inside UCF's 20-yard line and a missed field goal against Colorado.
• U-M's quarterbacks have completed 64.3 percent of their passes through four games (81-of-126).
• Michigan had 16 players carry the football and 17 players catch passes through four games.
• U-M has gained 500-plus yards of total offense twice in four games: 512 yards vs. Hawaii (306 rushing, 206 passing) and a season-high 515 yards vs. Penn State (326 rushing, 189 passing).
Defense
• The defense ranks in the top 15 nationally of eight categories.
• U-M leads the nation in third-down defense, allowing the opposition to convert just 12 percent of its third-down chances (6-of-50).
• The Wolverines are ninth nationally in red-zone defense; have allowed just five red-zone opportunities, with Colorado scoring a passing touchdown and Penn State converting a field goal and passing touchdown.
• The defense has tallied 45 tackles-for-loss and 17 sacks so far this season.
• The Wolverines are second nationally and tops in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss (11.3 avg.).
• Michigan ranks fourth nationally and second in the conference in sacks (4.25 avg.).
• U-M has recovered three fumbles this season, which is already more than its total of two recoveries from all of last season.
• Michigan is 14th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 13.8 points per contest.
• The Wolverines' pass defense is among the nation's best, allowing 147.3 yards per contest, which leads the Big Ten and is 12th nationally.
• U-M is pacing the conference and lists 11th nationally in total defense (269.8 yards per game).
• The defense has forced five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles) with the special teams collecting a fumble recovery.
Special Teams
• U-M leads the nation with three block kicks this fall -- two field goals and one punt; this total does not include two deflected punts and a punt by the opposition into its own player.
• U-M leads the Big Ten and is third nationally in punt returns (23.64 avg.).
• Michigan has converted 4-of-6 field goals and each of the 28 PATs.
• Nineteen (19) of the team's 36 kickoffs have been downed for touchbacks.
• Jabrill Peppers lists third nationally and tops in the Big Ten with an 22.7-yard average per punt return.
