Michael Lanning blogged while watching NU’s victory earlier today:
Final: Northwestern 21 Michigan 14
Northwestern improves to 8-3 and gets a great road win they can put on their bowl resume. The credit for today goes to the defense. They only allowed seven points. Yes, they did allow Michigan to convert on fourth down more than they should’ve, but in general the Michigan offense was completely stymied. None of their quarterbacks, whether Sheridan or Threet, even looked comfortable and they contained Brown after the first half. On offense, Bacher remains inconsistent and the running back remains non-existent, but the defense allowed the good aspects of the offense (i.e. the Peterman play) to outweigh the negatives (i.e. the Bacher turnovers). Overall, a great win on Michigan’s Senior Day.
1:18 4Q: Northwestern is going to win. Sheridan’s pass falls incomplete and all NU must do is kneel and they will get win number 8.
1:56 4Q: Unfortunately, NU still can’t put the ball away. The Wildcats take a three and out and although they forced Michigan to burn all their time outs the Wolverines will still get the ball back with just under two minutes to play.
2:19 4Q: And Northwestern takes over on downs. Great defense on fourth down. All the Michigan receivers were covered and the line broke through and forced Sheridan to scramble. A few first downs (maybe even just one) and Northwestern will have beaten Michigan for the first time since 2000 and the first time at the Big House for the first time since 1995.
3:33 4Q: Another fourth down and another successful quarterback keeper keeps the Wolverines alive. NU just can’t seem to put this one away.
4:09 4Q: Threet gets injured and Sheridan steps back in with Michigan at Northwestern midfield and driving.
9:51 4Q: On a crucial fourth and one on the NU 23 Steven Threet, who came in as QB for Sheridan, keeps the ball and converts the first down. The joy in Ann Arbor is short lived, however. Jordan Mabin intercepts a Threet pas in the end zone and ends the Michigan threat. It was a bad pass by Threet. He had the receiver open but just overthrew him.
13:33 4Q: I apologize for jinxing the ‘Cats. Bacher throws his second interception of the game and Michigan will get the ball at the 44. Initially it looked the the Wolverine who intercepted it, Donovan Warren, would score a touchdown, but the officials ruled that he stepped out of bounds on his way to the end zone.
15:00 4Q: The Michigan marching band is playing living on a prayer. That’s about right for the Wolverines. With one quarter to go the ‘Cats look to be in good position to improve to 8-3. Michigan’s offense was unable to generate anything in the third quarter and a NU touchdown here would all but put the game away.
End of third quarter: Northwestern 21 Michigan 14
2:36 3Q: On a fourth and six from the Michigan 36, Fitz purposely takes a delay of game penalty and decides to punt. It works out nicely, as the ‘Cats down the ball on the four. Still, I would have let Bacher go for it. Even if he didn’t get it Michigan still would have had 70 yards to go. And a touchdown would have been huge. I don’t see either team being able to come back two touchdowns in this weather.
9:24 3Q: Northwestern touchdown!! Bacher finds Peterman coming over the middle and he then sprints into the end zone for a 53 yard score. Northwestern leads 21-14. On the run after the catch Peterman used his speed to squeak in between the safeties.
Northwestern 21 Michigan 14
11:36 3Q: And it’s snowing real heavily now. Ever since I watched the famous Dolphins-Cowboys snow game on Thanksgiving I’ve always wanted to go to a game in the snow. It’s just too bad it had to happen when I have to drive home five hours in it.
11:36 3Q: Northwestern converts the short field into a touchdown with a seven yard touchdown pass from Bacher to Ross Lane. Lane had two other catches on the drive. Bacher made a great pass on the third done touchdown pass. By doing so, he atoned for the second down play, where he overthrew a completely wide open Eric Peterman.
Northwestern 14 Michigan 14
13:00 3Q: Northwestern makes a special team play of their own. The ‘Cats partially block a punt and will get the ball at the Michigan 40.
End of first half: Northwestern 7 Michigan 14
All in all, it was a pretty tight first half, as to be expected in bad weather. But, Michigan got the big play (the blocked punt) and that’s why they have a touchdown lead. The other big difference was in the running game. Michigan has 114 net yards of rushing to Northwestern’s 40. Leading the way is Carlos Brown, who has 74 yards on 13 carries.
3:09 2Q: This time Demos gets off the punt and hits it perfectly. The ‘Cats down the ball at the UM one yard line. If NU can force a three and out they should have good field position with about a minute left in the half.
4:31 2Q: Injury update: Quarterback Mike Kafka has been knocked out of the game with a concussion.
6:30 2Q: The Wolverines had been pressuring NU punter Stefan Demos all day and they finally get to him. UM blocks the punt and Ricky Reyes picks it up and takes it in for a 14-7 lead. Cue Hail to the Victors. The Wolverines may be down this year but they are still very talented and are capable of making athletic plays like blocked punts that completely change the complexion of the game. For Michigan it was the first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since 2001.
Northwestern 7 Michigan 14
8:27 2Q: Rodriguez goes for it again on fourth down, this time at NU’s 26, but this time the gamble doesn’t pay off. Sheridan’s pass is almost intercepted and the Wildcats take over.
12:56 2Q: Here in Michigan they don’t call it popped corn but popped maize. Get it, cause maize means corn and is one of the colors of Michigan. Pretty cool, huh.
End of 1st Quarter: Northwestern 7 Michigan 7
:23 1Q: Touchdown, Wolverines. Nick Sheridan with the keeper and the game is tied at 7. The key player in the drive was Carlos Brown. Brown not only converted on that big fourth down but also pulled off several long runs, including one for seventeen yards that brought UM into the red zone.
Northwestern 7 Michigan 7
2:39 1Q: Gutsy call by Rich Rodriguez. Michigan goes for it on fourth and one and converts. The Wolverines just gave the ball to running back Carlos Brown and he plowed through the NU line.
5:12 1Q: Ohh look, I got my wish.
5:12 1Q: I really wish they would play Hail to the Victors a few more times.
7:10 1Q: The ‘Cats force the Wolverines to punt. Credit John Gill with a nice tackle on Michigan’s Michael Shaw on second down for a loss of one yard. The play turned around what seemed at first to be a promising drive for UM.
9:40 1Q: Stephen Simmons breaks two tackles and sprints 21 yards into the end zone for a 7-0 lead. Northwestern not only took advantage of the Michigan fumble, but also took advantage of a face mask penalty. That was a big play for NU because it establishes the run. If Simmons can be a factor today the Wolverines can’t just concentrate on Bacher/Kafka and the team should feel feel very good about its chances. Northwestern 7 Michigan 0
11:46 1Q: Ok, maybe this is why the Wolverines are so bad. The Wildcats go three and out but on the punt the ball bounces of the Michigan return man and Northwestern recovers inside Michigan territory. Now we’ll see if the ‘Cats, unlike the Wolverines, can take advantage of a Michigan miscue.
12:45 1Q: Corey Wootton blocks the attempt and Northwestern escapes a turnover without giving up any points. This is obviously a generalization but Michigan usually doesn’t miss opportunities like that so it’s easy to see why the Wolverines have underperformed this year.
12:53 1Q: Bacher gets the start and on the opening drive throws an interception to Stevie Brown. Maybe Kafka should have started? Anyway, a nice pass break up by Jordan Mabin on the ensuing Michigan possession forces the Wolverines to settle for a field goal attempt.
10:41 A.M: The NU marching band is currently forming a star on the Michigan M. Do I sense a TO moment? Take that Michigan, you may have 11 national championships and Michael Phelps but NUMB is dancing on your field while the UM marching band is on the sideline.
Pregame: The big news here for the pregame is of course the weather. It’s damp and raining. Expect a low-scoring game where both teams will try to establish the run. I know this is blasphemy but if I was Fitz I’d start Kafka, regardless of the health of Bacher. The weather is going to neutralize any advantage in terms of passing that Bacher gives NU so why not go with the better runner?