TheWolverine.com - Borton's Blog: By the numbers

October 1, 2009

John Borton
TheWolverine.com Senior Editor

T-minus 45 hours and counting until the Wolverines and Spartans square off, on what might be soggy Spartan Stadium turf. While you wait, here are a few straight numbers on which to chew, from both sides of the rivalry.

? Michigan has now scored more than 30 points in four straight games. The last time the Wolverines pulled that off was from 2002-03. U-M knocked off Florida in the Outback Bowl, 38-30, capping the 2002 season, then rolled over pretenders Central Michigan (45-7), Houston (50-3) and Notre Dame (38-0 to begin the 2003 campaign.

? The last time the Wolverines put 30 on the board in four straight games during the same season, it was in the year 2000, beginning with the misery-inducing 54-51 loss at Northwestern. U-M followed that up by beating Penn State (33-11), Ohio State (38-26) and Auburn in the Citrus Bowl (31-28). Michigan made it five straight in the season opener of 2001, knocking off Miami (Ohio), 31-13. U-M could tie that mark with a win over Michigan State on Saturday.

? The last time Michigan scored 30 at least five times in a row in the same season - try 1992, over Oklahoma State (35-3), Houston (61-7), Iowa (52-28), Michigan State (35-10), Indiana (31-3) and Minnesota (63-13). That's six, in case you lost count.

? Why does 30 matter anyway? Well, it's all relative, given a pair of defenses that might make this one a 51-50 cliffhanger. But the Wolverines are 7-1 all time at Michigan State when scoring 30 points or more. The only loss away from The Big House (and before Plaxico Burress arrived there), occurred when the lanky Spartan helped shoot down the Wolverines, 34-31, in 1999.

? Michigan State, meanwhile, is 1-1 at home when putting 30 on the Wolverines (obviously not a regular occurrence). Beside the Plaxico game, the Spartans lost to U-M in overtime in 2005, 34-31.

? Everyone knows by now that MSU hasn't won two in a row over Michigan since the Spartans took three straight from 1965-67. What you might not know is that MSU's longest streak ever against Michigan is four, from 1934-37 and again from 1950-53. MSU also took three straight from 1960-62. Michigan's longest win streaks in the series: 14 (1916-29), 10 (1938-49), eight (1970-77), six (2002-07) and five (1979-83).

? Michigan has twice started freshman quarterbacks against Michigan State, winning both times (Chad Henne in 2004, 45-37, in triple overtime, and Rick Leach in 1975, 16-6). Of the two, only Leach had to win on the road.

? From 1915-1947, ever game but one in the series (1924) was played in Ann Arbor.

? Michigan's 67 wins over Michigan State represents the most the Wolverines possess over all but one program, Minnesota (70). With the Gophers rotating on and off the U-M schedule and MSU an annual foe, it's safe to say the Spartans are well on their way to becoming the most generous contributor to Michigan's all-time wins crown.

? MSU coach Mark Dantonio is trying to snap the "MSU-tanks-after-Michigan" line of thinking, greatly reinforced by his immediate two predecessors. Dantonio's squads have held their own, post-Michigan, going 2-2 in 2008 and 2-1 in 2007.

Compare that to the teams of John L. Smith, in 2006 (1-5), 2005 (1-5), 2004 (1-3) and 2003 (1-3). Bobby Williams fared slightly better, in 2002 (1-2), 2001 (2-3) and 2000 (2-2). Not since Nick Saban's Spartans went 4-2, post-Michigan, in 1999, and 5-3 in 1998, has MSU been two games over .500 in the wake of its "one-game season."

? Michigan State's highest point total ever against the Wolverines occurred in perhaps the Spartans' most painful loss, the 45-37 triple-overtime contest in 2004. MSU's 35 points last year tied for second, with its point total in a 35-6 victory over the Wolverines in 1957. Michigan's top six point totals, all in wins, are as follows: 119-0 in 1902, 55-7 in 1912, 63-0 in 1922, 55-3 in 1926, 55-7 in 1946 and 55-0 in 1947.

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