Michigan Football: Wolverines Lead The Nation In Critical Statistic

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines are a perfect 6-0 after six weeks, and one of the biggest contributing factors is playing mistake-free football.

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines are a perfect 6-0 at the halfway point of the season, and one of the biggest contributing factors to that perfect record is playing mistake-free football. The Wolverines are currently the least penalized team in the country, accumulating just 14 through six weeks. Even more impressive, Michigan has been penalized just once over the last two road games against Nebraska and Minnesota, and have just five total penalties over the last four games. 

A look at the teams with the fewest penalties through 6 weeks of football 👏 pic.twitter.com/xK0bWDwSkv

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 10, 2023

Penalties by game:

• vs. ECU: 5/35
• vs. UNLV: 4/30
• vs. Bowling Green: 1/10
• vs. Rutgers: 3/18
• vs. Nebraska: 0/0
• vs. Minnesota: 1/10

National rankings:

• Fewest Penalties: No. 1 (14)
• Fewest Penalties per game: No. 1 (2.3)
• Fewest Penalty yards: No. 1 (103)
• Fewest Penalty yards per game: No. 1 (17.2)

Playing mistake-free football is certainl the hallmark of a veteran team, but it's also a hallmark of great coaching. Now in his ninth season as head coach of the Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh has assembled an elite staff in Ann Arbor. His offensive coordinator, Sherrone Moore, is widely regarded as one of the the top assistants in the nation. His defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, has one of the most dominant defensive units in the nation. Add in guys like Jay Harbaugh, Mike Hart, Ron Bellamy, Chris Partridge, Kirk Campbell, Steve Clinkscale, Mike Elston and Grant Newsome - all guys who have the potential to be future head coaches at the colligate level. 

Perhaps one of the biggest factors in Michigan's discipline is a coach that Harbaugh regards as the "x-factor," strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. 

“He is the X-factor in our football program,” Harbaugh said last season. “He is the center of player development. He is phenomenal; more than anybody in our entire program. It’s with every player, it’s with every position group.”

As Michigan moves closer toward the final stretch of the season, it's clear that there is more than enough talent on this roster to win a national championship. For a team with this much experience and talent, one of the biggest indicators of future success is discipline. To that end, the Wolverines are right on track toward competing for the biggest prize in all of college football.