Facts and tidbits you may not have known about Michigan football’s win over NIU
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It was a drubbing of extra proportions, and while Michigan football entered Saturday’s contest against NIU as 27.5-point favorites, the Wolverines ultimately made that spread look conservative.
Nearly everything was clicking for the maize and blue against the overmatched Huskies in the 63-10 win. Again, Michigan rushed for more than 300 yards while the passing game added over 200 en route to 606 total yards of offense. The defense held NIU to just 208 total yards of offense.
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Facts/tidbits
• Michigan improved to 18-6 in non-conference play under head coach Jim Harbaugh with today’s victory. In program history, Michigan is 35-1 against the Mid-American Conference.
• In two all-time games between Michigan and Northern Illinois, the Wolverines are now 2-0.
• The following players made their first career starts in the game: Jaylen Harrell (OLB) and Daylen Baldwin (WR). Michigan has had 11 first-time starters so far in 2021.
• After averaging 339.0 yards per game through the first two weeks of the season, Michigan finished today’s matchup with 373 yards of rushing.
• Quarterback Cade McNamara has attempted 108 passes in his career without throwing an interception.
• Running back Blake Corum entered the game with the NCAA’s top average in all-purpose yards per game (221.5), and he produced 138 yards today (125 yards rushing, 13 yards receiving).
• The reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, Corum tallied his third straight 100-yard rushing game to start the year. The last Wolverine to rush for 100-plus yards in three consecutive games was Denard Robinson (Sept. 10-24, 2011). The last time a player accomplished that feat in the first three games of a season was 2010, (also Robinson) in five straight games from Sept. 4-Oct. 2, 2010. The last running back to record 100-plus yards rushing in three consecutive games to start the season was Mike Hart (seven straight games, Sept. 1-Oct. 13, 2007).
• Blake Corum has recorded multiple touchdowns in each of the three games to start the season. Corum has now totaled seven rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown.
• In his first career start, wide receiver Daylen Baldwin set a new Michigan best with three receptions.
• Running backs Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins have both rushed for a touchdown in three consecutive games to open the season. The last Wolverine running back to accomplish the feat was Karan Higdon to start the 2018 season.
• Cade McNamara and Cornelius Johnson connected on an 87-yard touchdown pass toward the end of the first half, a career-long play for both players. This is the first 80-plus-yard touchdown reception by a Wolverine since Jeremy Gallon’s 84-yard touchdown against Ohio State (Nov. 30, 2014).
• The McNamara and Johnson touchdown connection is the third-longest receiving touchdown in program history, with the only ones longer being 97 yards (Mario Manningham, Nov. 10, 2007) and 90 yards (Derrick Alexander, Oct. 23, 1993).
• The Wolverines offense scored a touchdown in each of its five drives during the first half, racking up 328 yards of total offense.
• Freshman running back Donovan Edwards punched in his first career touchdown from four yards out and added a 58-yard touchdown. Edwards finished the game with career highs of eight attempts and 86 yards.
• The running back group of Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and Hassan Haskins are the first to each record multiple rushing touchdowns in the same game since Chris Evans and Karan Higdon accomplished the feat against Minnesota (Nov. 4, 2017).
• Michigan’s offense put up 28 points in the third quarter for the first time since doing so against Oct. 24, 1992 vs. Minnesota.
• The Wolverines offense scored a touchdown on each of its first nine drives, leading to a total of 63 points, the highest point total since the Wolverines scored 78 points at Rutgers (Oct. 8, 2016).
• U-M was efficient in the red zone, going 6-for-6.
• Defensively, U-M limited NIU to just 108 yards of total offense in the first half and a 0-for-7 mark on third down. The Wolverine defense allowed 208 yards of total offense, including only 46 yards passing for the game.
• Gemon Green recorded his first career interception in the third quarter, setting up the eighth Michigan touchdown of the game.
• Jaylen Harrell recorded his first career tackle in the opponent’s backfield, splitting a TFL with Vincent Gray.
• A.J. Henning had his first career punt-return opportunity, which went for 25 yards, setting up Michigan for a touchdown on the opening drive.
• The Wolverines did not punt in the game today, marking the first time since Nov. 5, 2016 against Maryland.
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