By The Numbers: Karan Higdon Just 83 Yards Shy Of 2,000 For His Career

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Michigan senior running back Karan Higdon has a chance to join elite company on Saturday against Maryland.

The Florida native needs just 83 more yards to reach 2,000 for his career, a feat that didn't seem attainable after he racked up only 19 yards on the ground as a freshman in 2015.

Higdon took a step in the right direction the following year when he compiled 425 yards, and then exploded onto the scene in 2017 when he ran for 994.

The senior has actually eclipsed the century mark just eight different times in his career, but it always is a good omen — Michigan is 8-0 in those contests.

Of Higdon's 100-yard performances, two came during his first two seasons (both in 2016) before he ripped off three last year (in two of which he gained 200 yards), and then another three through the team's first five games of 2018.

Higdon has been on a tear over the last 12 games he has played in (since the Oct. 14 contest at Indiana last season), averaging 106 yards per outing in that span. Six of his eight 100-yard efforts have come during that stretch alone, including the two 200-yard showings against Indiana and Minnesota in 2017.

His 119.7 rushing yards per game so far this year are the second most in the Big Ten (behind Wisconsin sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor's 157) and ninth most nationally, while his 479 yards overall are the third most in the league.

Higdon's five rushing touchdowns are also tied for third in the conference.

Obtaining 83 more yards won't be easy for the senior this weekend, though — Maryland's rush defense stands at 18th nationally (104 yards per contest allowed) and has held all four of its opponents to four yards per carry or lower this season, including two below 2.5 (Bowling Green and Minnesota).

In fact, the Terrapin defense is only yielding 2.6 yards per rush on the year, which is tied for eighth-best mark in the country.

If Higdon is able to hit the 2,000-yard mark, he'll join an elite club at Michigan that only has 22 members in it (since 1949).

Eighty-three more rushing yards would also make Higdon just the seventh Wolverine since 1996 to rack up at least 2,000 yards on the ground in a career.

Higdon also has an outside shot at the 3,000-yard club, needing 1,083 more yards this season to do so (an average of 135.4 yards over eight games).

Only nine Wolverines (since 1949) reside in that elite territory.

3 Games this year (Western Michigan, SMU and Nebraska) where Michigan has totaled at least 434 yards of offense. The Wolverines hit that mark just once in all of 2017 (471 against Rutgers on Oct. 28).

10.5 Tackles for loss for fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich this season, which is tied for the most in all of college football. The Pennsylvania native is deadlocked with five other players for the nation's lead.

10.7 & 7.5 Are the yard per carry averages for Maryland redshirt freshman running back Anthony McFarland and senior Ty Johnson, respectively, which are good for the two best marks in the Big Ten. McFarland's 10.7 tally is the third best in the FBS.

17-Point comeback victory last week at Northwestern was tied for the third largest in school history. The biggest was in 2003 when U-M came back from a 21-point deficit to beat Minnesota, while the second biggest was a 19-point hole the Wolverines dug themselves out of to take down Wisconsin in 2008.

20th Is where the Maryland defense ranks nationally, allowing just 313.8 yards per game.

23-16 Was the final score of the Maize and Blue's Nov. 22, 2014, home loss to the Terrapins. The setback all but assured there would be no bowl game for U-M that year, sealing Brady Hoke's eventual firing and accelerating interim AD Jim Hackett's pursuit of then-San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

55.3 Percent of its passes Maryland is completing on the year, which is 100th in college football. On the flip side, Michigan is allowing foes to connect on just 53.1 percent of their throws, which is 21st best nationally.

80 Degrees for a projected high on Saturday, which should make for an unusually warm early October afternoon in the Midwest. However, there is also a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms.

122-13 Is what U-M has outscored Maryland by during the Harbaugh era — 28-0 in 2015, 59-3 in 2016 and 35-10 in 2017.

232.6 Yards per game the Wolverine defense is allowing, which is the lowest mark in the entire nation. The next-best Big Ten defense is Iowa's, which is yielding 260.5 yards per outing.

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