Tale Of The Tape: Sizing Up Michigan And Nebraska
Michigan Wolverines football will take on Nebraska Saturday night in Lincoln.
Here, we've set the stage for each aspect of the matchup between the Wolverines and Cornhuskers, with a statistical and analytical breakdown, and give our take on who has the advantage in each area.
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MICHIGAN'S OFFENSE VS. NEBRASKA'S DEFENSE
| Category | Michigan | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
|
Points Per Game |
39.8 (12th) |
15.5 (12th) |
|
Total Yards Per Game |
436.8 (40th) |
322.0 (42nd) |
|
FPI Offense / Defense Efficiency Rank |
4th |
17th |
|
PFF Offense / Defense Rank |
18th |
44th |
Pass Game
Here are some stats and analytics on Michigan's passing offense and Nebraska's pass defense, followed by our analysis.
| Category | Michigan Offense | Nebraska Defense |
|---|---|---|
|
Completion Percentage |
62.1 (63rd) |
62.8 (94th) |
|
Yards Per Game |
181.1 (111th) |
199.8 (43rd) |
|
Yards Per Attempt |
9.6 (13th) |
6.2 (24th) |
|
Touchdowns |
7 (71st) |
6 (37th) |
|
Interceptions |
1 (6th) |
5 (33rd) |
|
Sacks Per Game |
0.2 (2nd) |
1.8 (86th) |
| PFF Category | Rank |
|---|---|
|
U-M Passers |
10th |
|
U-M Receivers |
44th |
|
U-M Pass Blocking |
56th |
|
NU Pass Rush |
27th |
|
NU Coverage |
23rd |
Analysis: Michigan redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara has not been sacked this year, and Nebraska's pass rush has gotten home all too often, making it conceivable to believe that the Wolverines will be able to keep him clean. Last week at Wisconsin, the Wolverines proved they can push the ball down field, racking up 253 yards through the air despite not having a ton of help from the run game.
Michigan's numbers don't tell the full story of how solid its passing game is, with efficiency being the name of the game and giving the Maize and Blue the slight edge.
Advantage: Michigan
Run Game
Here are some stats and analytics on Michigan's potent rushing offense and Nebraska's run defense, followed by our analysis.
| Category | Michigan Offense | Nebraska Defense |
|---|---|---|
|
Yards Per Game |
255.0 (7th) |
122.2 (44th) |
|
Yards Per Carry |
5.6 (5th) |
3.7 (54th) |
|
Touchdowns |
18 (12th) |
3 (17th) |
|
Tackles For Loss Per Game |
2.2 (1st) |
6.7 (48th) |
| PFF Category | Ranks |
|---|---|
|
U-M Runners |
7th |
|
U-M Run Blocking |
55th |
|
NU Run Defense |
83rd |
|
NU Tackling |
43rd |
Analysis: Michigan's rushing attack has been a bit quieter and less explosive over the last two games, but churning out 112 ground yards against the Badgers last week can't be overlooked, even if it took 44 carries.
The Huskers are giving up just 122.2 yards on the ground and have fared well the last two weeks — trending in the opposite direction that Michigan has — yielding only 108 yards combined against Northwestern and Michigan State.
Advantage: Michigan
NEBRASKA'S OFFENSE VS. MICHIGAN'S DEFENSE
| Category | Nebraska | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
|
Points Per Game |
32.3 (50th) |
12.8 (6th) |
|
Total Yards Per Game |
502.0 (11th) |
285.8 (15th) |
|
FPI Offensive / Defensive Efficiency Rank |
27th |
15th |
|
PFF Rank |
56th |
6th |
Pass Game
Here are some stats and analytics on Nebraska's pass game and Michigan's pass defense, followed by our take.
| Category | Nebraska Offense | Michigan Defense |
|---|---|---|
|
Completion Percentage |
67.1 (28th) |
53.8 (15th) |
|
Yards Per Game |
266.5 (39th) |
170. 6 (16th) |
|
Yards Per Attempt |
9.8 (8th) |
5.9 (18th) |
|
Touchdowns |
6 (89th) |
6 (37th) |
|
Interceptions |
2 (22nd) |
2 (97th) |
|
Sacks Per Game |
3.0 (112th) |
2.6 (40th) |
| Category | PFF Rank |
|---|---|
|
NU Passer |
30th |
|
NU Receivers |
19th |
|
UW Pass Blocking |
112th |
|
U-M Pass Rush |
14th |
|
U-M Coverage |
30th |
Analysis: Nebraska junior quarterback Adrian Martinez is completing two thirds of his passes and making less mistakes this season than he has in the past, but his offensive line is struggled. On the other side, Michigan's pass rush is surging, having notched six sacks last week, which has helped a secondary that has been good but not great.
Advantage: Michigan's pass rush over Nebraska's offensive line, and Nebraska's quarterback and receivers over the Wolverines' coverage
Run Game
Here are some stats and analytics on Nebraska's rushing game and Michigan's run defense, followed by our analysis.
| Category | Nebraska Offense | Michigan Defense |
|---|---|---|
|
Yards Per Game |
235.5 (14th) |
115.2 (33rd) |
|
Yards Per Carry |
4.9 (33rd) |
3.3 (31st) |
|
Touchdowns |
20 (2nd) |
1 (3rd) |
|
Tackles For Loss Per Game |
6.3 (85th) |
5.4 (79th) |
| Category | PFF Rank |
|---|---|
|
NU Runners |
74th |
|
NU Run Blocking |
53rd |
|
U-M Run Defense |
8th |
|
U-M Tackling |
6th |
Analysis: Nebraska runs everything from designed quarterback runs and straight handoffs, to the triple option, making it a hard rushing attack to stop. Michigan's defensive line has played better by the game and continues to slow down opposing rushers, making this an intriguing matchup. Due to the threat that is Martinez when he's out of the pocket, the Huskers have the slight edge.
Advantage: Nebraska
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