Published Nov 14, 2018
By The Numbers: U-M Could Do Something Saturday It Hasn't Done Since 1901
Austin Fox  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
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With a victory over Indiana on Saturday, Michigan would put the capper on a perfect 7-0 season inside The Big House.

Undefeated home campaigns aren't all that rare around Ann Arbor — the program has had three since 2011 — but this year's has a chance to be unique.

The Wolverines have not had a close game at home all season, winning each contest by at least 21 points (the 42-21 win over Maryland on Oct. 6 stands as the tightest one).

While taking a look back at the perfect home slates throughout the years, there has almost always been at least one nail-biter that U-M has had to squeak out in the end.

For a better understanding, here's a look at the last 10 perfect home schedules, dating back to 1983. Each of them featured at least one game where U-M won by eight points or less, with the exception of 2003 (Michigan was victorious in every contest by 14 or more).

Michigan's Last 10 Undefeated Seasons at Home
Note: The 1992 campaign saw the Wolverines go 9-0-3, but was left off the list due to a 22-22 tie at home against Illinois.
YearClosest Game(s)

2016

14-7 over No. 8 Wisconsin

2012

12-10 over Michigan State

2011

35-31 over Notre Dame

2006

34-26 over Ball State

2004

24-21 over San Diego State

27-24 over No. 13 Minnesota

2003

31-17 over Indiana

35-21 over No. 4 Ohio State

2000

13-10 over No. 17 Wisconsin

1997

28-24 over No. 15 Iowa

1985

20-12 over No. 13 Notre Dame

1983

20-17 over Washington State

16-13 over No. 12 Iowa

24-21 over Ohio State

In each of the last three undefeated home slates (2016, 2012 and 2011), Michigan has needed a score in the waning moments of at least one game in Ann Arbor.

The touchdown grab by Roy Roundtree with just two seconds left to beat Notre Dame in 2011 is perhaps the most well-known contest in that span, but the 2016 and 2012 seasons also featured thrilling wins.

A last-second field goal by Brendan Gibbons helped take down MSU in 2012, while Michigan needed a 46-yard touchdown grab from Amara Darboh with just under eight minutes left to beat No. 8 Wisconsin in 2016.

The last time a U-M club won every home game by such a margin was all the way back in 1901, which happened in legendary coach Fielding H. Yost's first year on the job.

The Maize and Blue were triumphant in all seven of their home contests — which were played at Regents Field — by at least 22 points, and did not allow an opponent to score all season.

Here's a closer look at the home schedule that year, along with this year's:

1901 Home Schedule
DateOpponentResult

Sept. 28

Albion

W, 50-0

Oct. 5

Case

W, 57-0

Oct. 12

Indiana

W, 33-0

Oct. 19

Northwestern

W, 29-0

Oct. 26

Buffalo

W, 128-0

Nov. 16

Chicago

W, 22-0

Nov. 23

Beloit

W, 89-0

2018 Home Schedule
DateOpponentResult

Sept. 8

Western Michigan

W, 49-3

Sept. 15

SMU

W, 45-20

Sept. 22

Nebraska

W, 56-10

Oct. 6

Maryland

W, 42-21

Oct. 13

No. 15 Wisconsin

W, 38-13

Nov. 3

No. 14 Penn State

W, 42-7

Nov. 17

Indiana

?

By The Numbers: Indiana at Michigan

0 Interceptions thrown by junior quarterback Shea Patterson in U-M's last four games, compared to seven touchdowns during that span. The junior has only tossed one pick in Michigan's last seven contests (against Maryland on Oct. 6), and has put together an 11-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio since the start of the Nebraska game on Sept. 22. His overall ratio sits at 17-3 for the year.

2 Of U-M's last three meetings with the Hoosiers have gone to overtime, with Michigan winning both in Bloomington — a 48-41 double-overtime thriller in 2015, and a 27-20 win there last year. On top of that, four of the last seven matchups since 2009 have been decided by seven points or less.

36 Degrees for a projected high on Saturday, with a 40 percent chance of a rain/snow mix. Additionally, the 4 p.m. start means most of the game will be played in darkness (the sun sets at 5:11 that day). The game will likely have a similar feel to that of the Nov. 19, 2016, matchup in Ann Arbor, which saw U-M pull out a 20-10 victory in a contest that featured heavy snowfall.

37 Of the last 38 meetings between the two schools have been won by Michigan, including 22 straight. Indiana's lone win in that span came in 1987, while the Maize and Blue hold a dominant 57-9 edge in the all-time series.

59 Passing yards for Rutgers last week, which was a season best for the Michigan secondary. Only three teams have thrown for more than 118 yards on U-M all year — Notre Dame (170), Northwestern (174) and SMU (209).

67.3 Completion percentage for Indiana redshirt sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey this season, which is the second-best mark in the Big Ten. His 17 touchdown passes are also tied for fourth in the league, but on the flip side, his 11 interceptions are tied for the fifth most in all of college football.

392 Receiving yards or more for redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry (392), sophomore wideout Nico Collins (429) and sophomore receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (447). Then-junior wideout Grant Perry led the Wolverines in yardage last year, with just 307.

894 Rushing yards and eight touchdowns for Indiana freshman running back Stevie Scott. He has gone over the 100-yard mark four times this year, and his 894 yards are the second most of any freshman in the nation (behind Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson's 1,201).

1,005 Rushing yards for senior Karan Higdon, making him the first U-M running back to hit the plateau since Fitzgerald Toussaint tallied 1,041 yards in 2011. Higdon is the first U-M player at any position to go over 1,000 yards since quarterback Denard Robinson had 1,266 in 2012.

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