Things you may not have known about Michigan football’s win over Nebraska
Michigan football went on the road for the first time in 2023 and absolutely eviscerated Nebraska in Lincoln, 45-7.
The Cornhuskers reportedly had the top run defense in the country, but the maize and blue managed 249 yards on the ground. Nebraska likewise had the fifth-rated rushing offense and the country, and aside from a garbage-time long run, the Wolverines held their own.
Certainly, if you watched the game, you had a good idea of what happened. But what don’t you know about the game? The good news is MGoBlue.com has you covered!
Here are some notes and tidbits that you may not have known about the big win.
Notes/tidbits:
U-M extended its conference win streak to 17 games with today’s victory, the second longest in program history (19 games, 1990-92).
Today’s game marked the 13th in the all-time series between Michigan and Nebraska. The Wolverines lead 8-4-1 after today’s win with a 2-1-1 mark in Lincoln.
LaDarius Henderson made his first career start as a Wolverine, lining up at left tackle, while Rayshaun Benny did the same at defensive tackle. Henderson and Benny are the ninth and 10th Wolverines to make their first U-M starts this season (five on defense; four on offense).
J.J. McCarthy has made 18 career starts under center for U-M, producing 176 drives in which he started and finished the possession (excludes kneel-downs). The Wolverines have points on 105 of those drives (59.6 percent) with 76 touchdowns and 28 field goals.
U-M’s opening possession chewed more than five minutes off the clock and ended with a 29-yard touchdown strike from McCarthy to Roman Wilson. It was the first opening-drive score allowed by Nebraska this season.
Wilson caught another touchdown before the half to bring him to eight for the season, the most touchdown catches by a U-M receiver since Donovan Peoples-Jones (2018).
Those plays marked McCarthy’s 36th and 37th career touchdown passes, tying him with Todd Collins for ninth-most in U-M history.
U-M’s second score came off a 20-yard run from Kalel Mullings. It was Mullings’ first touchdown of the campaign and the longest run of his career.
McCarthy also ran for a touchdown, a 21-yard score in the second quarter. It was the longest rushing touchdown of his career, and capped a nine-play, 88-yard drive that lasted 5:02 — the fourth scoring drive of 80-plus yards for U-M this year.
U-M entered the game with five explosive (20-plus) rushing plays for the season but no touchdowns. The Wolverines recorded two rushing scores of 20-plus yards in the first half.
Nebraska entered the game as the national leader in run defense (185 total yards allowed), rushing yards allowed per game (46.2 average) and yards per carry allowed (1.83). The Wolverines posted 131 rushing yards, a 6.0 yards-per-carry average, and two rushing touchdowns in the first half alone.
Kenneth Grant’s interception at 8:39 in the first quarter was the first of his career. The ball was tipped by Braiden McGregor, his first pass breakup of the year.
Not long after, U-M stuffed a 4th-and-1 attempt from Nebraska’s offense at the 12-yard line. The Huskers tried another fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter and was stifled again. Opponents are 0-for-9 trying to convert fourth downs against U-M this year.
Entering the game, U-M allowed 3.3 points per first half, the lowest figure in the nation. The Huskers were shut out in the first half.
After gaining 74 yards Saturday, Blake Corum now ranks in the top 10 all-time of Michigan rushers, with 2,917 yards. Corum overtook former Michigan back Gordon Bell, who recorded 2,900 yards from 1973-75. Corum needs 83 yards to reach 3,000 all-time, and 155 to jump to No. 9 in the all-time list.
Corum’s 40 career rushing touchdowns leave him standing alone at fifth all-time at U-M, overtaking Chris Perry, who recorded 39 touchdowns on the ground between 2000-03.
On the season, U-M has allowed 57 first downs, an average of 11.4 a game. Opponents are scoring 0.63 points per possession against U-M (six scores on 50 possessions).
After four plays of 30 rushing yards or more against Louisiana Tech last week, Nebraska’s second-ranked offense nationally in that category did not register a 30-yard rush against Michigan.
U-M limited Nebraska’s sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg and senior running back Anthony Grant to minus-two and 16 yards rushing, respectively, after both eclipsed the 135-yard mark last weekend.
Individually, Corum ran for 74 yards and one score. His total rushing yards surpassed Nebraska’s previous high for individual rushing yards allowed by 19 yards (Colorado’s Dylan Edwards had 55 yards in week two).
Nebraska came into the game ranked sixth in team rushing yards at 234.8 yards per game but could only muster 106 yards rushing against the U-M defense, with 74 of them coming on Josh Fleeks’ fourth quarter touchdown run.
Michigan snapped Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone II’s three-game receiving touchdown streak. He was the first Nebraska tight end to record a score in three straight games since Mike McNeill in 2008.
U-M handed sophomore Haarberg his first career loss as a starter. Haarberg became the first Huskers QB to win his first two career starts (against Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech) since Tommy Armstrong Jr. in 2013, and the first to win two games as a native Nebraskan since 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch.
