The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/763983
12 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 4 Points separated 10-2 U-M from a perfect season in 2016, which stands as the program's lowest total margin of defeat since 1988, when the 9-2-1 squad was just three points from an unblemished campaign. 4 U-M defenders finished this year with double- digit tackles for loss — redshirt sophomore line- backer Jabrill Peppers (16), senior linebacker Ben Gedeon (15.5), redshirt junior linebacker Mike McCray (12.5) and senior defensive end Taco Charlton (11). That has not happened at Michigan since 1999, and four others could eclipse the milestone in the bowl game be- cause they currently have 8.5 or more. 7 Primarily defensive players have been named Heisman finalists in the history of the award given to college football's top player, after Peppers was invited to the presentation in New York this year. He is the first defender to attend the ceremony since Notre Dame's Manti Te'o in 2012. 28 Pa s s e s h ave b e e n c o m p l e t e d against senior cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling, who were targeted 93 times during the regular season according to Pro Football Focus (30.1 percent). Per PFF's numbers, the duo defended a total of 24 passes, and Lewis' 15.4 quarterback rating allowed was the lowest among cornerbacks who were targeted at least 20 times. 200 Career wins for Tom Brady after the New England Patriots' 22-17 triumph over the New York Jets Nov. 27, which tied Peyton Manning for the league's all-time record (including playoffs). The game marked Brady's 50th win after facing a fourth- quarter tie or deficit. The 17th- year veteran won the follow- ing two weeks to claim the record and make him 202-61 in his career (.768 winning percentage); Manning was 200-92 (.685). 933 Snaps played during the regular season by JABRILL PEPPERS at 15 different positions, an average of 77.8 per game. He lined up at six different positions on defense, logging 726 snaps (of a possible 747, 97.2 percent); played five different spots on offense, totaling 53 plays; and played the remaining 154 snaps on special teams. 60,904 Career passing yards for Brady after nine games played in 2016, making him just the fifth in league history to eclipse 60,000. The others: Peyton Manning (71,940), Brett Favre (71,838), Drew Brees (65,073) and Dan Marino (61,361); all but Brees are retired. 16,926,000 Was the total number of viewers who turned in live (streaming online and TV) to watch U-M at Ohio State Nov. 26, mak- ing it the most-watched game of 2016 by a wide margin. In overtime, the number peaked at 20,200,000 viewers. ABC's TV audience of 16,647,000 gave the game the record for noon (ET ) kickoffs across all networks and was the network's second-most viewed game ever, dating back to 1991 (791 games), trailing only the 2006 version of The Game (21,037,000 viewers). By The NUMBERS PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL