By The Numbers: U-M’s D-End Duo Has Turned Into One Of The Big Ten’s Best
Coming into the year, defensive line and running back were viewed as the two weakest positions on the Michigan Wolverines' 2019 football team.
The former certainly lived up to that negative billing early in the year, surrendering 208.6 rushing yards per game throughout the Maize and Blue's first three contests.
The bottom fell out Sept. 21 at Wisconsin, when the Wolverines' defensive front was one of the culprits in giving up 359 rushing yards to the Badgers, while also allowing them to average 6.3 yards per carry and find the end zone five times.
The position group admitted after that loss that they were challenged by head coach Jim Harbaugh, and the results they've produced since that discouraging performance in Madison have been nothing short of amazing.
U-M's defense has only allowed 56.0 rushing yards per game in the four outings since (against Rutgers, Iowa, Illinois and Penn State), and has limited its four opponents to just 1.8 yards per carry.
A large factor in the defense and the resurgence of its front has been the play of junior Kwity Paye and sophomore Aidan Hutchinson, who comprise Michigan's starting defensive end duo.
The tandem had a combined four starts in their careers (all by Paye last season while filling for an injured Rashan Gary) entering the year, but are now playing like a pair of grizzled veterans.
Paye has already racked up a team-best eight tackles for loss through six games (he missed the Oct. 12 Illinois contest with injury), while Hutchinson is close behind with six.
The junior actually got off to a slow statistical start through the Wolverines' first three affairs, only compiling a lone stop behind the line of scrimmage. Paye then apparently took Harbaugh's challenge to heart following the blowout in Madison, however, and has accumulated 6.5 tackles for loss in the three tilts he has competed in since.
Hutchinson has picked up his game lately as well, logging 3.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in U-M's last three contests, after tallying 2.5 through the club's first four games.
The duo's phenomenal play over the last month has elevated them into a tie for third place in the Big Ten in terms of combined tackles for loss by starting defensive end duos on the year.
| Team | Player (Tackles For Loss) | Total |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Illinois |
Oluwole Betiku (11.5) Ayo Shogbonyo (7.5) |
19 |
|
2. Penn State |
Yetur Gross-Matos (9) Shaka Toney (6.5) |
15.5 |
|
T-3. Michigan |
Kwity Paye (8) Aidan Hutchinson (6) |
14 |
|
T-3. Purdue |
George Karlaftis (10.5) Derrick Barnes (3.5) |
14 |
|
T-5. Ohio State |
Chase Young (10.5) Zach Harrison (3) |
13.5 |
|
T-5. Michigan State |
Kenny Willekes (7.5) Jacub Panasiuk (6) |
13.5 |
|
7. Northwestern |
Joe Gaziano (7.5) Alex Miller (4.5) |
12 |
|
T-8. Nebraska |
Khalil Davis (6) Ben Stille & Alex Davis (2 apiece) |
8 |
|
T-8. Iowa |
Chauncey Golston (5) A.J. Epenesa (3) |
8 |
|
10. Indiana |
Michael Ziemba (4) & James Head/Allen Stallings (3 apiece) |
7 |
|
11. Wisconsin |
Matt Henningsen (3) Isaiahh Loudermilk (3) |
6 |
|
T-12. Maryland |
Bryce Brand (4) Tyler Baylor (1.5) |
5.5 |
|
T-12. Minnesota |
Esezi Otomewo (3.5) Tai'yon Devers (2) |
5.5 |
|
14. Rutgers |
Elorm Lumor (2) & Jamree Kromah/Robin Jutwreten (1 apiece) |
3 |
The top four players on the chart — Illinois' Oluwole Betiku and Ayo Shogbonyo, and Penn State's Shaka Toney and Yetor Gross-Matos — are all veterans, with the former three being redshirt juniors and the latter a junior.
Hutchinson and Purdue's George Karlaftis are the lone two youngsters among the first eight players listed, with Hutchinson a sophomore and Karlaftis just a freshman.
In addition, the U-M tandem has also excelled at getting to opposing signal-callers this season, with Paye racking up 4.5 sacks and Hutchinson 2.5. The junior's 4.5 quarterback takedowns are actually the second most on the team, trailing only senior linebacker Josh Uche's 5.5.
Michigan has faced Illinois and Penn State, respectively, each of the past two weeks, and saw its offensive line shine against the quartet of Betiku, Shogbonyo, Gross-Matos and Toney, holding the four players to a combined zero sacks and two tackles for loss.
By The Numbers: Notre Dame at Michigan
3.4 Yards per rush is what Michigan averaged at Penn State last week, led by freshman running back Zach Charbonnet's 81 yards, two touchdowns and 5.1 yards per attempt. The 3.4 yard per carry average may not seem all that significant, but it takes on a bit more meaning when considering PSU's opponents had only been tallying 1.5 yards per attempt entering the contest, which was the best mark in all of college football.
4.7 Was the average margin of victory by the winner in the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry from 2009-12, in what was arguably the most thrilling four-game stretch in the matchup's history. Michigan won by exactly four points in 2009, 2010 and 2011, while Notre Dame eked out a seven-point victory (the largest margin in the four-year stretch) in South Bend in 2012.
6th Straight night game in the series between the two historic rivals, with 2010 being the last time the two played during the day. Saturday will also be the third straight primetime affair in the series at Michigan Stadium, a place U-M had never played under the lights until the 2011 showdown with the Irish (which resulted in a thrilling 35-31 Wolverine win).
7 Rushing touchdowns for Charbonnet on the year after he found the end zone twice at Penn State, which are tied for the third most in the Big Ten. His 457 yards, meanwhile, lead all freshmen in the conference.
8th Night game in the history of The Big House, with four of the previous seven having occurred since 2017 alone. The Maize and Blue have an all-time record of 6-1 in home night games, with the lone loss occurring in a rainy affair to Michigan State, 14-10, on Oct. 7, 2017.
11 Straight home wins for U-M, with the last loss in Ann Arbor occurring on Nov. 25, 2017, to Ohio State. Nine of the 11 have been by at least 11 points, with the lone exceptions both occurring this season — the 24-21 double-overtime victory against Army Sept. 7 and the 10-3 triumph over Iowa Oct. 5.
80 Percent chance of rain on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, according to weather.com. Lows are only expected to hit 47 degrees, and wind gusts should be kept to a minimum with maximum projections of nine miles per hour.
2013 Was the last time Michigan beat Notre Dame, in a 41-30 shootout at The Big House. Quarterback Devin Gardner had a phenomenal game for the Wolverines, throwing for 294 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 82 yards and a score. U-M has lost its last two meetings to the Irish since then, in 2014 and 2018.
1879 & 1887 Is when Michigan and Notre Dame both played their inaugural seasons of football, respectively. The Wolverines are tied for the third-oldest Football Bowl Subdivision program in the nation, while the Irish are tied for the 12th oldest. Notre Dame's first-ever football game was actually an 8-0 defeat at the hands of U-M in South Bend on Nov. 23, 1887.
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