Best and worst from Michigan’s win over Northwestern

Michigan Wolverines football dismembered Northwestern, 50-6, Saturday at The Big House. Here are the best and worst from the game.

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The right way to go out

Michigan’s fourth-year senior class is now 46-8 in their careers. While they won’t add to their many championships (three Big Ten, one national title), they went out on top at The Big House, dismantling Northwestern.

Michigan is 28-2 at home over the last four seasons, with both losses coming this year (Texas, Oregon).

The Wolverines have experienced that bad taste of losing all too often this season. But on this day, in that house, in front of those fans for one last time, Michigan came away on the winning end behind a performance reminiscent of so many over recent seasons. That had to feel good.

Best half

Michigan led 17-6 at halftime, about what was expected. But the Wolverines turned it up a notch in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 33-0 in what became a rout pretty quickly.

Michigan put up 251 total yards in the second half — more than the 206 it had in four quarters of a 20-15 loss to Indiana last time out — and held the Wildcats to only 43 yards (1.7 per play).

Michigan got the run game going to the tune of 187 yards, which was much-needed after the Wolverines recorded only 174 combined in its previous two games — against Oregon (105) and Indiana (69).

All in the second half, the Wolverines forced a safety on an intentional grounding in the end zone, got their second interception of the day and had a 63-yard kick return.

A game’s going well when 11 different receivers catch passes, 9 Wolverines notch a rush and 30 different players register a tackle.

Best trend

Michigan’s defense had been up-and-down early in the season. After allowing a bunch of big plays and 27 points in a loss at Washington in early October, there was a lot of heat on coordinator Wink Martindale, who’s in his first season back in college after 20 years in the NFL.

Ever since then, the Wolverines have been much better, save for a brutal first half in a 38-17 loss to Oregon in which the Ducks scored on four of their first five drives. At the same time, Michigan was without both of its starting cornerbacks, and one of Oregon’s touchdowns should’ve been an incompletion but the officials botched it.

In the last 10 quarters — the second half of the Oregon game, the 20-15 loss to Indiana and Saturday’s tilt — Michigan has allowed only 539 total yards.

Wreaking havoc

The Wolverines surrendered just 127 yards in this one (117 passing, 10 rushing). Northwestern was sacked 6 times and had 8 total negative plays. Quarterback Jack Lausch completed 10 of 21 passes for 106 yards and 2 interceptions, and the Wildcats had only 2 plays through the air that resulted in 15-plus yard gains.

Lausch runs around like a mad man back there, but Michigan really limited that by staying disciplined with its rush lanes.

The Northwestern run game was completely nonexistent. The Wildcats had only 2 runs of 10-plus yards and, adjusting for sack yardage, averaged only 2.3 yards per carry.

Best stat

Northwestern averaged 2.6 yards per play, the fewest by a Michigan opponent all season and since holding Connecticut to 2.1 in a 59-0 win Sept. 17, 2022. Coincidentally, A.J. Henning — a Northwestern receiver who spent three seasons at Michigan — had a punt return touchdown in that game against UConn.

Dynamic duo

Now that was more like it.

Michigan’s run game got going, as mentioned, led by graduate Kalel Mullings (12 rushes, 92 yards, 3 TD) and senior Donovan Edwards (10 rushes, 65 yards, 1 TD) in their last game inside The Big House.

The Wolverines’ 201 rushing yards are the most they’ve had in a game since the 27-24 win over USC Sept. 21, and both outings were highlighted by long runs. Michigan had 6 runs of 10-plus yards, including 4 that went for 20-plus yard gains.

Mullings bolted 47 yards before scoring plays later, and Edwards ran up the middle for 24 yards and then 20 for a touchdown on the next play.

The coolest part: Both Mullings and Edwards ran for touchdowns on their final carries at The Big House.

Biggest bounce-back performance

Michigan senior quarterback Davis Warren threw his seventh interception of the season on a bad decision to fire the ball over the middle to junior tight end Colston Loveland. But other than that, this was one of his best — if not the best — performances of the season.

Warren struggled in the last game against Indiana, completing 50 percent of his passes, but he was pressured on 61.8 percent of his dropbacks, so it was hard to get in a rhythm and become comfortable. He was pressured only 3 times on 36 dropbacks (8.3 percent!!!), showing major progress for the offensive line (and displaying that Northwestern’s pass rush is awful).

Warren completed 26 of is 35 pass attempts for 195 yards and a touchdown to Loveland at the end of the first half. The two-minute drill to close out the second quarter really gave Michigan some life. That started a streak of four-straight touchdown-scoring drives and six-consecutive scoring drives.

To beat Ohio State next week, Michigan will absolutely have to get some big-time plays out of its quarterback. He won’t have to carry the team — there are other prerequisites to pulling off the upset — but he must make timely passes and keep drives alive. In that regard, this was a really nice showing. Warren completed 7 of his 9 third-down passes with 5 conversions.

Winning the ‘middle eight’

Michigan emphasizes winning the ‘middle eight’ minutes of the game, and the Wolverines did just that. The defense held Northwestern to a field goal, before the offense managed the clock extremely well and marched down the field on an 11-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that ended with eight seconds left in the half. Michigan then got the ball to start the third quarter and drove 75 yards in 5 plays — 4 were runs by Mullings — for another score.

Stud freshmen

In games as lopsided as this one, a lot of players get their opportunities. Frankly, Michigan has been waiting for a chance to play some young guys all season long. Better late than never.

Freshman running back Jordan Marshall didn’t just have a 63-yard kick return that set up a touchdown, he also recorded the first carries of his career — and he impressed. Marshall rushed 7 times for 17 yards with an 8-yard long, making the most of the holes that were there.

Freshman safety Mason Curtis, meanwhile, has been talked up for being a “tackling machine.” He did tally a tackle, but he showed he can cover, too. The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder could’ve batted the ball down on fourth down, but he chose to pick it off instead. After all, wearing the turnover buffs is much more fun than not.

Biggest looming storyline

Loveland didn’t come out of the locker room after halftime and missed the second half with an unspecified injury. The weird thing is that he scored a touchdown and looked fine on his final play of the first half, even celebrating in the end zone.

Heading into Ohio State week, all eyes will be on Loveland’s status. He’s Michigan’s most reliable playmaker on offense, with 53 catches, 560 yards and 4 touchdowns on the year.

On to Ohio State

At the podium during his postgame press conference, Michigan senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart — who posted 2 sacks against Northwestern — looked fired up, as if he was ready to play another game.

That’s what Ohio State week does. Michigan fans chanted “beat Ohio” once it was apparent the game was in hand, and everyone’s minds turned to the Buckeyes as soon as the clock hit zero.

“We know what’s in front of us,” head coach Sherrone Moore said to his team after the game.

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