Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan Monday: Game 8 at Michigan State
10/15/2018 12:06:00 PM | Football
#6/#7 Michigan (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) at #24/NR Michigan State (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten)
Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Mich.
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 • 12:05 p.m. EDT
Television: Fox
Radio: Michigan/IMG Sports Network
Monday, Oct. 15
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Coach Harbaugh Weekly Press Conference | Watch
Inside Michigan Football Radio Show (7 p.m. at Pizza House) | Listen
• U-M holds a 69-36-5 edge in the all-time series with MSU and a 36-27-2 advantage in the 65 games played for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
• Michigan leads the nation in pass defense and is second in total defense. The Wolverines have held six of seven opponents to their lowest yardage total of the season.
• Karan Higdon has five 100-yard rushing efforts this season, including all four conference games.
• Higdon and Donovan Peoples-Jones are tied for the team lead with six touchdowns.
• Devin Bush leads the team in tackles (45) and sacks (3.5).
Wolverines and Spartans
• This will be the 111th meeting between Michigan and Michigan State.
• The Wolverines hold a 69-36-5 advantage in the all-time series and have won 24 of the last 39 games played between the two schools.
• Michigan sports a 20-14-2 all-time record against Michigan State in East Lansing, including an 18-11-1 mark at Spartan Stadium.
• U-M won the last meeting at Spartan Stadium, 32-23, during the 2016 season, while MSU claimed a 14-10 victory last year in Ann Arbor.
• The annual battle on the gridiron between Michigan and Michigan State started in 1898, and the two programs have met every year since 1945, a streak of 73 consecutive seasons.
• With the exception of 1943 and 1944, when the series was suspended due to World War II, the Wolverines and Spartans have met on the football field every year since 1910.
Series vs. MSU: Michigan leads 69-36-5
Series Streak: Michigan State won 1
Last Meeting vs. MSU: 2017 (L, 14-10)
Last Michigan Win: 2016 (32-23)
Television Coverage
Fox will broadcast the game to a national audience. Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (color) and Jenny Taft (sideline) will call the game.
Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• Saturday's game between the in-state rivals will be the 66th played for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
• The Wolverines hold a 36-27-2 advantage in the trophy game.
• Michigan has won 32 of the past 48 games played between the two schools since 1970.
• Michigan State has won eight of the past 10 games played in the series.
• The Paul Bunyan Trophy dates back to 1953, when Michigan State entered the Big Ten, and has become the cornerstone of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry.
• A donation by then-Michigan governor G. Mennen Williams, the Paul Bunyan Trophy stands nearly four feet tall.
• The wooden trophy depicts the figure of legendary folk hero Paul Bunyan astride an axe, with his feet planted over the state of Michigan. On each corner of the state lies a flag emblazoned with the Michigan 'M' or the Spartan 'S.' Each year the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State game is awarded ownership of the prize.
Michigan claimed the Paul Bunyan trophy in 2016 with a 32-23 victory in East Lansing.
In the Polls
• Following its 38-13 victory over Wisconsin, Michigan returned to the top 10 of the national polls for the first time this season.
• U-M heads into the Michigan State game ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press rankings and No. 7 in the Amway Coaches poll. MSU is listed No. 24 in the AP poll.
• Michigan began the season ranked 14th in both national polls.
• This will be the 53rd time that Michigan enters a match-up with Michigan State ranked in the top 25 of the AP poll. The Wolverines have compiled a 31-20-1 record in those contests but are 6-10-1 when both teams are ranked in the AP poll.
Game Notes Nuggets
• The State of Michigan is the most well-represented on Michigan's roster, with 50 players hailing from the Great Lakes State.
• Michigan leads the Big Ten in five defensive categories: scoring defense, total defense, pass defense, pass efficiency against and defensive touchdowns. U-M is top-15 nationally in each of those categories as well, including allowing an NCAA-low 129.1 yards of passing per contest.
• Michigan's defense has held six of seven opponents to their lowest yardage total of the season and ranks ninth nationally with 15.4 points allowed per game. The offense ranks 23rd at 38.1 points per contest and has scored in 22 of 28 quarters played this season.
• The smothering defensive unit is led by Devin Bush (45 tackles) and Chase Winovich (39 tackles) in the front seven; each leads his respective position group in stops. They rank first and tied-second on the team in tackles, respectively, with Winovich tied with safety Tyree Kinnel.
• According to Pro Football Focus College, Winovich leads the nation in run stops by an edge defender, and his 10.5 tackles for loss lead the Big Ten. Bush's 3.5 sacks are the most among all Wolverines. Twelve different players have been in on at least one sack this season, and 21 different players have at least half a TFL.
• The U-M secondary has been key in taking the ball away from its opponents, led by three interceptions from Josh Metellus. Metellus added 104 return yards with his three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown.
• Both Metellus and Lavert Hill intercepted Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook last weekend in a forgettable performance for the Badger signal-caller. His stellar record on the road features only two blemishes at 15-2, with both of his career road losses coming in Ann Arbor.
• Hill returned his interception 21 yards for the second pick-six of his career (Cincinnati, 2017). Hill is just the third Michigan player with multiple interceptions returned for a touchdown, joining Lance Dottin (1989-91) and Thom Darden (1969-71).
Karan Higdon and the Wolverines had their way with Wisconsin on Saturday night pic.twitter.com/ClwGiwgVaY
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 14, 2018
• The Wolverines' rushing attack has worn down opponents, including the 320-yard performance last weekend against Wisconsin. It was the highest rushing figure allowed by any Badgers team since Jan. 2, 2012 against Oregon and just the second time a benchmark that high has been reached since 2005.
• Running back Karan Higdon has five consecutive starts with at least 100 rushing yards. That is tied for the second-longest such streak in program history with Denard Robinson (2010) and Mike Hart (2004). Hart's 2007 stretch of eight straight games with 100 yards or more on the ground is the program standard.
• Higdon ranks No. 10 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten with 114.5 yards per game on the ground. He has a 100-yard effort in five straight appearances, four of which are in Big Ten games.
• Quarterback Shea Patterson has been among the most efficient passers in the nation, with the U-M aerial attack listing second in the Big Ten and 26th nationally with a 154.16 efficiency rating. Patterson also boasts a touchdown-to-interception ratio of better than 3:1 with 10 scores to three interceptions.
• Kicker Quinn Nordin converted on three of his field goal tries last weekend and now ranks eighth all-time at Michigan in field goals made (30) and 10th in attempts (36) just 20 games into his career. Nordin's 63 points scored, 11 made field goals and 9.0 points per game scoring average are all tops in the Big Ten this year.
• Punter Will Hart is also the Big Ten's best, averaging 51.1 yards per attempt, the only player in the conference averaging over 50 yards per punt. As a whole, the punting unit sits 11th nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten with a 42.1-yard net average.
