By the numbers: Michigan's winningest senior class of all time; Wolverines looking to make bowl, avoid disaster

Michigan Wolverines football will honor its senior class Saturday. The Maize and Blue are set to take on Northwestern in the penultimate regular-season game, before closing out the month at Ohio State Nov. 30.

The 16 members from the 2021 recruiting class that are still on the team boast a 45-8 record, with five of the losses coming this season. The winningest class in program history won three Big Ten championships and a national title, coming away with 12, 13 and 15 victories in 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively.

The 2020 recruiting haul — which still has three members on the team in running back Kalel Mullings, safety Makari Paige and offensive tackle Jeffrey Persi — won 42 games in their first four seasons from 2020-23 and are up to 47 and counting overall.

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Michigan is 5-5 this season, one win away from guaranteeing a bowl berth. While Michigan has had a rough season overall, the Maize and Blue are 5-2 at home, with a chance to add a sixth victory. Since the current seniors were freshmen in 2021, Michigan has lost only two outings at The Big House — both this season — against Texas (31-7) and Oregon (38-17).

“So thankful for them, and want them to go out on a high note, especially in their last game at The Big House,” first-year head coach Sherrone Moore said of the senior class.

Michigan looking to make bowl, avoid disaster

Michigan has two remaining opportunities to notch one victory to become bowl eligible. There’s still a chance the Wolverines could reach the postseason with their current win total, but it’s seeming extremely unlikely.

There are already 63 programs with six or more victories, and spots for 82 teams in the 2024 postseason. Some six-win teams may actually get left out of the postseason.

Michigan hasn’t missed bowl eligibility since 2014, when it went 5-7 in Brady Hoke‘s last season at the helm. The Wolverines finished with a sub-.500 record in 2020 (2-4), but it was a shortened season with no nonconference slate, and every team was bowl eligible.

Michigan has only missed bowl eligibility three times since 1974 — the final season in which non-Big Ten champions didn’t go to bowl games.

Season	Record	Head Coach
2014	5-7	Brady Hoke
2009	5-7	Rich Rodriguez
2008	3-9	Rich Rodriguez

By the numbers: Michigan vs. Northwestern

1 Is how many receptions Michigan junior Colston Loveland needs to set the Wolverines’ single-season record for catches by a tight end. He’s also 63 receiving yards and 2 touchdown grabs away from reaching program records by a tight end in those categories.

9.1 Average depth of target for Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch, ranking sixth in the Big Ten. Lausch is entering his ninth career start, having taken over the main signal-caller duties in the third outing of the season following the benching of Vanderbilt transfer Mike Wright.

18 Points per game for Northwestern, the second-worst mark in the Big Ten (Purdue, 17.2) and the ninth-fewest in the nation. Northwestern ranks 121st in rushing offense and 119th in passing offense.

59-15-2 Is Michigan’s lead in the all-time series against Northwestern, having won the last seven meetings. The Wolverines are 36-6-2 versus the Wildcats in Ann Arbor. Michigan is 1-0 when playing Northwestern for the George Jewett Trophy, named after the player who was the first African American to play at each institution. He played for Michigan in 1890 and 1892, before transferring to Northwestern in 1893.

90 Catches over the last two seasons for Northwestern wide receiver A.J. Henning, who spent three years at Michigan from 2020-22. He leads the Wildcats with 45 receptions this season, going for 468 receiving yards and 3 scores. The Frankfort, Ill., native recorded only 25 receptions in three years with the Wolverines.

114.6 Rushing yards allowed per contest by the Northwestern defense, which checks in 28th in the sport. Opponents are averaging only 3.6 yards per carry. The Wildcats are allowing 22.8 points (52nd) and 241.7 passing yards (101st) per outing.

129th In the country is where Northwestern ranks in defensive pressure rate (20.6 percent), according to Sports Info Solutions. The Wildcats have registered 20 sacks, which is tied for 65th in the nation.