Highlights: Michigan 10, Northwestern 9

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet. Norfleet injured his shoulder against Indiana, and he did not appear in this game. It was no surprise when Michigan couldn't find a big-play threat even once during the Northwestern game. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier tried an end around to Devin Funchess - which was an utter failure - and the Wolverines have no speed on the outside. Add that to the gimpy Devin Gardner and a gimpy De'Veon Smith, and things look bleak for big plays. Norfleet hasn't been able to make huge plays, but he does have the ability to make 10-20 yard gains on the occasional run or reception. Hopefully he can get healthy by the next game in two weeks.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Devin Funchess as the go-to receiver. The more reliable target this year has been Amara Darboh. Darboh is pretty slow and runs poor routes at times, but he makes both the easy and the tough catches. Funchess hasn't consistently made either. Michigan needs to spread the ball around, but when they need  a play to be made, I think Darboh has to be the guy.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . James Ross III. Ross has been playing better than the third corner. Against some packages, I guess it's necessary to put a fifth defensive back in the game, but you have to put your best eleven guys out there on defense. That actually probably would involve removing the free safety, but we've been over that before. Anytime Delonte Hollowell is out there on defense, I'd rather have Ross in the game.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Delonte Hollowell. As I mentioned in the game recap, it seems like opposing coordinators and quarterbacks are aware of his presence. If they watch game tape from earlier in the season, he's the guy they should realize they can pick on. He hasn't played a great deal on defense, but he has allowed at least three touchdowns this season on out routes near the left sideline (against Notre Dame, Utah, and now Northwestern). The kid is a decent special teams contributor, but he's a liability in coverage.

Play of the game . . . Matt Godin's interception on Frank Clark's tip. Late in the second quarter, Michigan ran a zone blitz that dropped defensive end Brennen Beyer into a short zone. On a three-man rush, defensive end Frank Clark bulled Northwestern offensive tackle Jason Konopka backward, getting a hand up to knock down a Trevor Siemian pass attempt. The ball was knocked up in the air, and defensive tackle Godin reeled it in as he was falling backward to the ground. There are several options - the thwarted two-point conversion, Jake Ryan's interception, several of the 6 Michigan sacks, etc. - but I'll give it to Godin (and Clark) because it involved multiple players.

MVP of the game . . . tie between Jake Ryan and Frank Clark. Both had stellar games, particularly in the first half. Ryan finished with 11 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 1 interception (returned for 2 yards), and 1 other pass breakup. Clark had 8 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 3 batted balls, one of which was intercepted; he also sniffed out a reverse and made a very nice tackle in the backfield. This game was won by the defense, and those two really stood out.

Michigan 10, Northwestern 9

This was the scene for most of the first half (image via Zimbio)

Ugly. That was a terrible performance by everyone except Michigan's front seven and Northwestern's secondary. Each team turned over the ball 3 times, nobody could move the ball consistently, quarterbacks were falling down without being touched, and there were no big plays except when Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell returned an interception 79 yards. The Wildcats are banged up, and their offensive line isn't very good. Michigan's top skill players - Devin Gardner, Devin Funchess, Dennis Norfleet, and Derrick Green - are all limping or out entirely.

Michigan's defensive tackles have matched the secondary in interceptions. Matt Godin's interception gives the tackles two (Willie Henry had a pick against Utah), while cornerback Jourdan Lewis has 2 - and is the only player in the secondary to record an interception. The Wolverines now have 5 picks on the season after linebacker Jake Ryan got one in this game, too, but it has been a largely unproductive season for Michigan's defensive backs.

Quarterback play is wretched. Devin Gardner made some terrible decisions in the passing game, much like he did last year at Northwestern. He finished the game 11/24 for 109 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Michigan was winning the field position battle in the first half, playing in Northwestern territory almost the entire time. That added up to 0 points. On the play that turned into Campbell's interception, Bo Dever was wide open deep on the right sideline, but Gardner tried to hit Freddy Canteen in the middle of the field. Gardner looks indecisive, doesn't throw on time, and won't tuck the ball and run with any authority. When he does make a quick decision, it's usually the wrong one.

Offensive line improvement. Michigan fans may not like to hear it, but this offensive line is getting better. The Wolverines did a good job of keeping pressure off of Gardner, and they were opening up decent-sized holes in the running game. Northwestern did not get a ton of penetration, and while they don't have any huge playmakers on the defensive line, this still represents a step forward for Michigan. Fans who want head coach Brady Hoke and offensive line coach Darrell Funk gone after this season are not gathering convincing evidence on the field from the offensive line. Of course, Michigan's skill players aren't doing much with the holes provided, either.

Running back situation. Last week I called for Drake Johnson to get more playing time, and he did (10 carries for 30 yards). However, he and De'Veon Smith both looked bad early. I thought Smith, in particular, looked indecisive and slow to the hole in the first half. He spent way too much time dancing in the backfield, trying to wait for something better. One of the coaches on the sideline - presumably Fred Jackson - must have talked to Smith, because when he finally decided to hit the line with authority, the running game took off. Smith finished with 18 carries for 121 yards and 1 touchdown. Johnson, meanwhile, is the faster of the two backs, but he struggles to break tackles. I believe we saw the last of him when he fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Joey-on-the-Spot Kerridge.

The wide receivers are slow. This is not new news, but it is painfully obvious. Funchess has more speed than he's showing, but I just don't see him running hard. I think his ankle is still bothering him. Maybe that's what's sapping his concentration, since he seems to drop half the passes thrown his way. Jehu Chesson has decent speed, but he has been banged up and has perhaps the worst hands out of the entire receiving corps. Norfleet is out. Gardner - who is playing poorly anyway - has limited options, none of whom can get separation unless the defense blows a coverage. Unfortunately, there's not much help in sight. I have hopes for Maurice Ways, who I think is going to surprise some people when he hits the field. Drake Harris, who is redshirting along with Ways, used to be fast before he had a two-years-long hamstring injury. I am not counting on him to return to form. Da'Mario Jones can't seem to find his way onto the field.

The defensive line made Northwestern look silly. When backup defensive end Mario Ojemudia bull rushes through your offensive line for 2 sacks, you know things are bad. Michigan totaled 6 sacks, including 1.5 from Frank Clark, 1 from Brennen Beyer, and 1 from Willie Henry. Michigan's defensive line made Northwestern's linemen, quarterback, and play calling look silly at times. Color guy Ed Cunningham kept questioning Northwestern's decision to call dropback passes, and I actually agreed with an analyst for once. The Wildcats finally seemed to have some success when they called shorter pass routes and kept backs in the backfield to protect the quarterback. It just took them a long time to realize it. Northwestern just couldn't handle trying to block Michigan's defensive line one-on-one while waiting for routes to develop. Clark, in particular, had a great game, especially in the first half.

Jake Ryan is a monster. He had 11 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. He and Clark could both feasibly earn Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten, which Ryan also won last week against Indiana. I thought all the linebackers played well, including Joe Bolden (7 tackles) and James Ross III (5 tackles).

Everyone except Jourdan Lewis is a step slow. Michigan's secondary just isn't making plays this year. Everyone seems a step slow, even against a Northwestern offense that is slow and lacking playmakers. The one exception appears to be Lewis, but even he a) should have been called for pass interference at least once and b) should have intercepted a pass thrown to Kyle Prater. The commentators praised Lewis for batting down the ball, but he should have planted his back foot and gone up to get the pass at its highest point. Meanwhile, whenever backup cornerback Delonte Hollowell is in the game, I think opposing offensive coordinators target him; he is, of course, the guy who allowed Northwestern's lone touchdown. That has been his M.O. this year. I believe Notre Dame, Utah, and Northwestern have all scored touchdowns against Hollowell on flat routes near the offense's left sideline.

Pat Fitzgerald's decision at the end of the game. With Michigan hanging onto a 10-9 leading with a pending extra point attempt, Fitzgerald decided to go for the two-point conversion. I agree with the decision, but not the execution. Northwestern had momentum at that point, but for the entire game, Michigan dominated defensively. It seemed to take everything Northwestern had to muster that late-game rally. After losing for two straight years in overtime, it's understandable that Fitzgerald wanted to go for the win. The maxim is that you should go for the tie at home, and go for the win on the road, but Michigan had been the more consistent team in this one. Northwestern had been hitting short passes late in the game, and I believe they should have continued with what was working. They should have gone with max protection and tried to hit someone short. Instead, they rolled quarterback Trevor Siemian to the right, and when Frank Clark ended up in his face, Siemian's foot slipped and he fell to the ground. Game over.

What does this all mean? It means Michigan's offense is still terrible, and Michigan's defense is pretty good. The Wolverines managed just 256 yards, went 1-for-12 on third downs, 0-for-1 on fourth, and had just 13 first downs the whole game. The defense allowed -9 total rushing yards, and while Northwestern threw for 273, it was largely on dink-and-dunk passes late in the game.

Preview: Michigan at Northwestern

Anna Faith Carlson: Sure, that shirt looks purple, right?

Rush Offense vs. Northwestern Rush Defense
Michigan is #73 in rushing offense with 155 yards/game and they are tied for #55 with 4.54 yards/carry. Sophomore De'Veon Smith (366 yards, 4.8 yards/carry, 5 touchdowns) is still second on the team behind the injured Derrick Green, but redshirt junior Justice Hayes (169 yards, 4.1 yards/carry) and redshirt sophomore Drake Johnson (163 yards, 7.8 yards/carry) are gaining ground in both yardage and snaps. The offensive line opened some gaping holes last week, but it was against Indiana. Meanwhile, the Northwestern Wildcats are middle of the pack at #66 in rushing defense, giving up 166 yards/game, and #58 in rushing average defense (4.06 yards/carry). They have given up 221+ yards in four games this year, all of them losses; interestingly, they held run-heavy Minnesota to 121 yards and 3.1 yards/carry a couple weeks ago in a close loss. Their leading tackler once again is redshirt senior Chi Chi Ariguzo (6'3", 235 lbs.) while the two corners and a safety occupy the next three slots on the leader board. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Greg Kuhar (6'3", 300 lbs.) is the leading tackler on the defensive line with 27 total. Junior defensive end Dean Lowry (6'6", 265 lbs.) and Ariguzo lead in tackles for loss with 5.0 and 4.0, respectively. Overall, the Wildcats are tied for #98 nationally with 44 takedowns behind the line. Michigan's offensive line seems to be improving incrementally, so I would expect this to be a pretty mediocre performance from both teams' units.
Advantage: Push

Hit the jump for the rest of the preview.

USA Today College Football Countdown: #42 Northwestern

Paul Myerberg breaks down the Northwestern Wildcats of 2014.

Hit the jump for three girls wearing purple, since good looking Northwestern girls seem difficult to find.

Highlights: Michigan 27, Northwestern 19 (3 overtimes)

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Jake Butt's one-handed overtime touchdown (image via MGoBlog)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. I thought Green (19 carries, 79 yards) looked pretty solid in his first career start. He will never be the fastest back around, nor will he make many people miss. But what he's always done well is hit the hole hard. On Saturday night, he appeared to be less worried about finding the hole and less preoccupied with holding onto the football, and as long as he can do those things successfully without overthinking, he should be a good alternative to Fitzgerald Toussaint down the stretch. Those two should be splitting carries next week if Toussaint is healthy.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . nobody. I was happy with the wide receiver rotation, the tight end rotation, and the running backs. Even Graham Glasgow had an error-free day snapping the ball.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jehu Chesson. Okay, okay, I'm not suggesting that he move to defense . . . but I have been very impressed with his physicality through ten games. Whether he's blocking or on special teams coverage, the guy hits people and is a solid tackler. Brady Hoke mentioned at the beginning of the year that Chesson almost moved to cornerback at one point last year, and I would not mind having his clone in the defensive backfield.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Keith Heitzman. I was in support of Heitzman early in the year, but the more I've seen of all these guys, the rotation right now seems to be pretty good. With Jake Ryan back at SAM linebacker and Cam Gordon a very athletic backup there, Beyer looks to be a more natural fit at defensive end with Chris Wormley playing rotation snaps. Even when Heitzman's broken hand is fully healed, I think he's a third-stringer - but if he's your third string defensive end, you're in pretty good shape.

Play of the game . . . Brendan Gibbons's game-tying 44-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. You know the story already, but here it is again: Jeremy Gallon was tackled with about 11 seconds remaining after a 16-yard reception. He promptly got up, got the ball to the official to place on the right hashmark, and the field goal unit ran onto the field. While the blockers got set, wide receiver Drew Dileo came sprinting in from the opposite side of the field after running his own route, tapped the ground, and took the snap from Jareth Glanda with barely 1 second left on the clock. Gibbons hurried through his steps to knock the ball through the uprights. Honorable mention goes to Jake Butt's one-handed touchdown grab from Devin Gardner in the first overtime.

MVP of the game . . . James Ross III. I came really close to picking Gardner (24/43, 226 yards, 1 touchdown; 17 carries for 19 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 two-point conversion), but Gardner had an off day throwing the ball. He was undoubtedly a tough competitor after getting beaten up the previous two weeks and working through five sacks in this game alone, but Ross was a big reason Michigan was able to hold down Northwestern's potent, multi-pronged rushing attack. Ross ended the game with 13 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack; his tackles were the most by a Wolverine in any game this season, and he now leads the team with 75 tackles

Michigan 27, Northwestern 19 (3 overtimes)

Freshman running back Derrick Green saw his first significant Big Ten action and responded with 19 carries for 79 yards

Fire Brady Hoke? Okay, I would probably never call for a head coach's firing based on one play, but I have rarely been angrier at a single in-game decision than Hoke's call to go for it on 4th-and-2 down 9-6 with a little under six minutes remaining in the game. You have an offense that can't run the ball consistently or protect the quarterback, a chip-shot field goal begging to be taken, and you . . . run a quarterback bootleg? Don't get me wrong - that might be the best run play to call in that situation, keeping the ball in the hands of your most dynamic runner. But take the 3 points. Theoretically, a field goal in that situation ties the game at 9-9 and turns the last-second field goal into the game-winner. It all worked out in the end, but that's still the wrong decision by Hoke at that point.

Brendan Gibbons must have hated Rich Rodriguez. Ever since Brady Hoke arrived in 2011, Gibbons has been about as good as anyone could realistically ask a kicker to be, aside from the four overtime game against Penn State earlier this season. Gibbons was 4/4 on field goals in this game and 1/1 on extra points, but the most impressive kick was a 44-yard field goal from the right hash with no time on the clock to send the game into overtime.

The offensive line is fixed! The Wolverines are back to having a dominating offensive line after allowing just 5 sacks and allowing the team to rush for 139 yards on 44 carries, a 3.2-yard average. That's a marked improvement from the average of 7 sacks and -34.5 rushing yards per game for the previous two weeks. On a serious note, folks, I still think I saw Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield both whiff on pass blocks that turned into sacks, which seems to support the idea that Michigan's offensive linemen are regressing or at least remaining stagnant. The positive rushing yards were a step in the right direction, but Northwestern has a small-ish defensive front that creates plays using quickness and blitzing frequently. Perhaps a game like this will give the offensive line a tiny bit of confidence in their abilities as a unit, but people said the same thing following the Indiana game.

There may or may not be a running back controversy. Fifth year senior starter Fitzgerald Toussaint dressed but did not play in the game, allowing freshmen Derrick Green (19 carries, 79 yards) and De'Veon Smith (8 carries, 41 yards) to take all of the running back carries. Green in particular looked solid because he hit the hole hard, unlike earlier in the season when he looked tentative and preoccupied with not fumbling. He also finished runs nicely once he got in the open field by lowering his shoulder and punishing tacklers. If Michigan could open holes consistently and get him on second- and third-level defenders more often, those hits would start to take a toll and turn into some even bigger runs. In addition to his 23- and 22-yard rumbles, Smith tossed in a nifty 16-yard run up the gut. I still believe Toussaint is the more explosive back because of his ability to make people miss and accelerate, but he's not strong enough to run through tackles of first-level defenders . . . and the offensive line isn't good enough to keep those first-level defenders from getting their mitts on him.

Al Borges's creativity goes in spurts. I've noticed in offensive coordinator Al Borges's three years at Michigan that he tends to get ideas that last two or three weeks, and then he eventually abandons them. This was one of those weeks that he got creative, so we'll see how long it lasts. Hopefully, he can beat Iowa with these types of plays and then come up with some new wrinkles for Ohio State. This game featured numerous bubble screen pump fake draws to Derrick Green, which seemed to open up some running lanes. As soon as I saw Devin Funchess line up in the slot to the left in overtime, I thought to myself, "Okay, it's about time to actually run the bubble," and Devin Gardner promptly whistled it out to Funchess . . . who gained about 4 yards before fumbling (and luckily recovered his own fumble). Michigan doesn't throw it often or well enough to make the draw a staple of the offense every week, but they can still pull it out once or twice a game and hope to have some success. Additionally, Borges decided to strategically rotate his running backs, using Green and Smith in the I-formation while sending in redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes and fullbacks to help out in shotgun formations. I thought that mitigated the pass rush a little bit, even though Gardner still went down 5 times; he had more time to throw than in past games, but the wet and windy weather combined with a good coverage team caused him to hold onto the ball a little too long.

Michigan's defense is coming along nicely. They allow too many short passes, but I think defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is finally settling in with which players on his team can do what. There seems to be more situational subbing and guys moving around as the year goes on, which makes it difficult for the offense to get a bead on what the defense is doing. Nose tackle Quinton Washington had his best game of the year, and I thought Joe Bolden had a quietly solid game, too. Michigan also moved around guys like Jibreel Black and Taco Charlton; blitzed the inside linebackers quite a bit; and sent corners and safeties at times, something he has rarely seemed to do. There's no Mike Martin up the middle, and Jake Ryan isn't quite back to his former self, but it's a good unit across the board.

Wet weather woes. Overall, it was probably a good thing that the field and ball were wet, because Northwestern dropped a bunch of potential interceptions. But the same issue plagued a couple Michigan receivers who are normally sure-handed in Drew Dileo and Jeremy Gallon. Meanwhile, Gardner short-armed and airmailed some throws on the way to a 24/43 day for 226 yards and 1 touchdown. It was a pretty ugly football game to watch because of a lack of big plays, but the good guys won so I'm temporarily satisfied.

How good is Northwestern? The Wildcats are 4-6 after having won their first four games of the year. That six-game losing streak has to be frustrating. Quarterback/running back/slot receiver Kain Colter has obviously been their star, but they're one or two players away from being a serious contender in the Big Ten. They obviously miss running back/returner Venric Mark. If he were healthy or if quarterback Kain Colter could hand off the ball to running back Kain Colter or throw the ball to slot receiver Kain Colter, Michigan probably would have lost this game and Northwestern would be 7-3 or 8-2. I feel like this has often been the story with Northwestern throughout the years - they have one good player surrounded with a bunch of so-so players, which just isn't enough to get them over the hump. Last year with Colter and Mark healthy, they looked like a team on the verge of a breakout. Unfortunately for them, their recruiting hasn't allowed them to have two studs at the same time. But they're doing a good job with their 2014 recruiting class (I really like RB Justin Jackson and WR Dareian Watkins), got a good quarterback in 2013 with Matt Alviti, and seem to have things going in the right direction. Northwestern is not going away anytime soon.

Preview: Michigan at Northwestern

I apologize, but it's been a crazy week and I haven't had a ton of time to put together a preview. Here's a drive-by. Hopefully things will have settled down by next Friday to get a good preview of Iowa.

Rush Offense vs. Northwestern Rush Defense
Michigan: #97 at 135.33 yards/game
Michigan: #111 at 3.25 yards/carry
Northwestern: #70 at 168.56 yards allowed/game
Northwestern: #60 at 4.11 yards allowed/carry
Advantage: Northwestern

Pass Offense vs. Northwestern Pass Defense
Michigan: #30 passer rating at 148.62
Michigan: #95 at 12 interceptions thrown
Michigan: #108 with 26 sacks allowed
Northwestern: #33 passer rating defense at 118.83
Northwestern: #1 with 18 interceptions
Northwestern: #56 with 19 sacks
Advantage: Northwestern

Rush Defense vs. Northwestern Rush Offense
Michigan: #13 at 107.67 yards allowed/game
Michigan: #12 at 3.20 yards allowed/carry
Northwestern: #47 at 188.89 yards/game
Northwestern: #62 at 4.46 yards/carry
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Northwestern Pass Offense
Michigan: #31 passer rating defense at 118.15
Michigan: #23 with 12 interceptions
Michigan: #61 with 18 sacks
Northwestern: #63 with 131.29 passer rating
Northwestern: #64 with 9 interceptions thrown
Northwestern: #120 with 32 sacks allowed
Advantage: Michigan

Roster Notes

• Players who held scholarship offers from Michigan include DT Greg Kuhar, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo, OT Eric Olson, WR Kyle Prater.
• Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz played SE, TE, and LB at Michigan from 1966-1969. He had 14 receptions for 171 yards and 1 touchdown on offense, returned 2 kickoffs for 19 yards, and made 4 tackles in his career. He was also a graduate assistant under Bo Schembechler from 1970-1972.
• Offensive graduate assistant Scott Hamel was a walk-on running back at Michigan from 2004-2005.
• Freshman RB Godwin Igwebuike was Michigan freshman TE Jake Butt's high school teammate last year.
• Sophomore WR Cameron Dickerson's brother is Garrett Dickerson, a 2014 TE/DE target from New Jersey

Predictions

• Michigan comes out with guns blazing on offense, allowing Devin Funchess and Jeremy Gallon each to go over 100 yards receiving.
• Devin Gardner throws 2 interceptions.
• Michigan actually looks ready to defend a dual-threat quarterback for once.
• Cameron Gordon scores a touchdown on a fumble recovery.
• Michigan 28, Northwestern 24

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Michigan won in overtime by a score of 38-31
• Devin Gardner threw for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 pick.
• Roy Roundtree caught a bomb to put Michigan in scoring position.
• Kenny Demens made the game-sealing tackle in overtime.

USA Today college football countdown: #22 Northwestern

Paul Myerberg breaks down the Northwestern Wildcats, his #22 team for the 2013 season.

Hit the jump for a Wildcats cheerleader.

Video: Michigan vs Northwestern - Every Snap

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Devin Gardner was highly effective throughout Saturday's victory (image via Bleacher Report)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . no one. Most of the starters are playing fairly well, and the ones who aren't don't have much behind them.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Jerald Robinson.  I know former players keep picking him to break out each year, but he has done very little in his opportunities.  Maybe he's just one of those guys who's an all-star in practice but can't get it done in games.  That happens sometimes.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens.  Yeah, I know he's a starter.  He was pulled out of the game for long stretches of the game, though, and Joe Bolden was inserted.  Bolden isn't ready to play in these Big Ten games.  I like him and I think he'll be good, but he's just not there yet.  Demens played almost every snap last year and seemed to do fine, so in these tight games, I'd like to see the senior playing as much as possible.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Kain Colter.  Yeesh, that guy scared me.

Play of the game . . . Devin Gardner to Roy Roundtree.  That pass at the end of regulation, which was tipped by the defender and caught by Roundtree as he fell to the ground, set up the game-tying field goal by Brendan Gibbons.  It wasn't the game-winning touchdown by Gardner or the game-sealing tackle by Kenny Demens, but those plays don't happen without that highlight-reel catch by Roundtree.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner.  I almost picked Roundtree, but Gardner accounted for four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) and made a ton of huge plays in that game.  He scrambled for first downs, chucked the ball at Fitzgerald Toussaint to prevent a safety, threw the pass to Roundtree, and scored the winning touchdown.  He finished the game 16/29 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception; he also rushed 9 times for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Highlights: Michigan 38, Northwestern 31

Michigan 38, Northwestern 31

Kenny Demens makes the game-clinching tackle (image via AnnArbor.com)

Kenny Demens goes boom.  In Friday's game preview, I predicted that Demens would have a big game.  It seemed like the coaches were trying to give him a breather by playing Joe Bolden a little bit, but I'm really not sold on Bolden being ready for Big Ten play right now; he'll be good but he's not yet.  Back to my point, Demens stepped up in a big way late in the game by making the final two tackles, including a thumping hit on Northwestern superback Tyris Jones to end the game.  Games against a team like Northwestern set up well for someone like Demens, who can take on Northwestern-caliber linemen and still make plays on interior runs.  He did get burned for a touchdown in pass coverage, but he was covering a wide receiver, which was hardly a fair contest.  Demens ended the game with 9 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

Devin Gardner for Heisman? Okay, not really the Heisman, but Gardner has played really well in Denard Robinson's stead.  Brady Hoke insists that the offense doesn't really change when Gardner takes over for Robinson, but nobody who watches these games can actually believe that.  I felt bad for Kain Colter when he got hurt late in the game, but I didn't feel bad for Northwestern, because Michigan was already down their starting quarterback.  For Gardner to be so inexperienced and still have the ability to come out and beat the #24 team in the country speaks well for him.  And, oh by the way, some guys really stepped up and made plays for Gardner.  The junior QB finished the game 16/29 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, along with 9 rushes for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Roy Roundtree is stepping up. I don't know why, but Roundtree has stepped up his game now that Gardner is playing quarterback.  Robinson and Roundtree are close friends, so I'm sure it's not related to a lack of personal chemistry.  It just seems like Roundtree has realized that he needs to step up to help out his inexperienced quarterback.  I wish it had happened earlier, but I'll take it now.  He had 5 receptions for 139 yards, and his final reception in regulation was a juggling catch he made while the Northwestern defensive back interfered with him. (No interference was called, but it should have been.)

Michigan won the game in the trenches.  Brady Hoke's philosophy seems to be that he wants to wear teams down, and Michigan will do so more consistently when the offensive line improves.  Right now Michigan's interior offensive linemen are just average, but by the fourth quarter, they had sufficiently worn down the Wildcats' interior.  Toussaint started to get some running room . . . which is why I was frustrated with Michigan's play call on the penultimate regulation drive, after Dennis Norfleet had returned a kickoff to Michigan's 47-yard line.  Al Borges had overused the play action pass up to that point, because Michigan hadn't been running the ball.  So when Borges called a post-wheel (for Gallon and Funchess, respectively), Northwestern hadn't learned to respect the run yet.  He put the game on Gardner's shoulders, and while Gardner has been playing well, he hadn't been in a situation this year when Michigan needed  a crunch-time drive from him.  Michigan could have moved the ball by running on the interior with about four minutes left and down by three points.  What happened the next time Michigan had a chance to run it, in overtime?  Fitzgerald Toussaint ran for 5 yards, then 3 yards, and then Gardner ran a bootleg for the game-winning touchdown.

Stop kicking to Venric Mark!  Mark is one of the most explosive players in the Big Ten, but Michigan's kickers and punters couldn't seem to help themselves from kicking to him.  He burned Michigan for a 96-yard kickoff return late in the game, but one of the Wildcats held Brandin Hawthorne and got flagged for it.

Northwestern doesn't throw well except against Michigan. Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian completed 6/7 passes for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Kain Colter was slightly less successful at 8/14 for 96 yards and 1 touchdown.  Michigan struggled with the pace of Northwestern's offense, and the Wolverines were beaten on the edge several times (partly because of numerous obvious holding calls that weren't noticed by the referees).  Northwestern could run and pass on Michigan's defense, and there was no consistent answer until overtime.  That answer was, of course, Kenny Demens.

Jordan Kovacs is now #11.  I don't really care.  It's just a number.  Before the game Kovacs was honored by being given the #11 jersey that was previously worn by the three Wistert brothers - Francis, Albert, and Alvin.  I've seen the argument that this prevents Kovacs from becoming a legend jersey down the road, but come on, Kovacs isn't a legend.  He's a walk-on who turned into a pretty good player, but that doesn't make him a legend.  I also don't think Michigan should give Legend jerseys to true freshmen, who still have three years to taint the number with drunk driving arrests, stealing laptops, etc.

Michigan is 7-3.  The team and fans should consider themselves slightly lucky to come out of this weekend with a victory.  Being 7-3 at this juncture isn't too bad, considering that Michigan has been without its starting quarterback for the last 2.5 games.  Regardless of the opponents, they have scored 35 and 38 points with the backup QB.  The defense has picked up its game at critical junctures, and the offense is doing enough to make games winnable, at least when Russell Bellomy isn't in the game.  The Wolverines should  beat Iowa, and that would lead up to the ballyhooed game against Ohio State.

Preview: Michigan vs. Northwestern

Good looking Northwestern girls are difficult to find, so here's Arley Elizabeth wearing purple.

Rush Offense vs. Northwestern Rush Defense
Michigan ranked #28 in the country with 201 yards/game, and Denard Robinson is the #12 rusher nationally with 118 yards/game.  It's questionable whether Robinson will play due to his elbow injury, and that means the coaches would try to keep the reins on Devin Gardner if Gardner plays.  Michigan would have to lean on running backs Fitzgerald Toussaint (391 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Thomas Rawls (217 yards, 3 touchdowns).  Neither running back has been particularly effective this season.  Meanwhile, Northwestern has the #23 rush defense in the country and gives up just 121 yards/game, but that could be a function of their weak pass defense.  Defensive end Tyler Scott leads the team in tackles for loss with 8.5, and linebacker Damien Proby leads in tackles with 86.  Michigan hasn't been able to run the ball consistently against anyone with a pulse this season, but assuming Denard Robinson is healthy, the Wolverines should be able to run over and around the Wildcats.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Northwestern Pass Defense
The Wolverines are the #105 passing offense with 178 yards/game, and Robinson alone has thrown 9 interceptions; Gardner threw 1 interception in his first action at quarterback last weekend; and redshirt freshman Russell Bellomy, who is not expected to play, has thrown 4 picks in just 21 attempts.  Add one interception from running back Vincent Smith and that adds up to 15 interceptions with just 11 total touchdowns.  However, Gardner was rather productive in the passing game last week by completing 66.7% of his passes and notching 2 touchdowns.  Northwestern has given up 272 yards/game through the air, which is 107th in the nation, and ranks #48 in pass efficiency defense.  As a team the Wildcats have picked off just 3 passes this year and they're #52 in sacks with 19.  The only consistent threat as a pass rusher is the aforementioned Scott, who has 7 quarterback takedowns.  Denard Robinson generally doesn't get sacked much because teams are afraid to sell out and let him scramble for big plays, but he also doens't pass the ball well; Gardner throws the ball better but can sometimes make poor decisions with the football and hold onto it for too long.  Neither phase is very good, but Michigan should be good here, regardless of who's playing quarterback.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Northwestern Rush Offense
The Wildcats have a very effective running game with superback Venric Mark (120 yards/game) and everythingback Kain Colter (69 yards/game).  The team is #13 in the country and gains 238 yards/game.  Mark is just 5'8" and 175 lbs., but he's shifty and fast; he averages 6.5 yards/carry.  The Wolverines have the #44 rushing defense in the country and give up 143 yards/game, but that number has dropped considerably since the first two weeks, when Michigan played Alabama and Air Force; since then the Wolverines have given up about 110 yards/game.  However, that number will almost certainly increase because Michigan has a tendency to struggle against uptempo offenses; Mark and Colter will both likely make an explosive play or two, but Michigan's safeties do a pretty good job of tackling and taking proper angles to avoid giving up huge plays.  Jordan Kovacs, Jake Ryan, and whoever plays weakside end this week will have to play well to tamp down the rushing game. I also expect Kenny Demens to have a good day.
Advantage: Northwestern

Pass Defense vs. Northwestern Pass Offense
Northwestern is the #109 passing offense and gains 163 yards/game through the air, while they're #96 in passing efficiency.  Quarterback Trevor Siemian has thrown 4 touchdowns and 1 interception, while Colter has thrown 3 and 2, respectively.  Leading receiver Tony Jones has just 21 receptions for 266 yards and 2 touchdowns, so this is not an effective passing game.  On the flip side, Michigan has the #1 passing defense in the country and gives up just 145 yards/game through the air.  The Wolverines have picked off 7 passes, and even though they don't notch a ton of sacks (team leader Jake Ryan has just 3.5, and the team has 11 total), they swarm together to tackle on short passes; however, some receivers have been able to get open deep, and opposing quarterbacks just haven't been able to take advantage recently.  Michigan isn't as good at defending the pass as the numbers might suggest, so the mediocre quarterbacking in the Big Ten has helped them out in this category.  Neither of Northwestern's quarterbacks should scare Michigan defensive backs.
Advantage: Michigan

Roster Notes

• Michigan recruited DT Greg Kuhar, LB Ifeadi Odenigbo, OT Eric Olson, and WR Kyle Prater
• Players from the state of Michigan include Flint (MI) Grand Blanc WR Tony Jones, DeWitt (MI) DeWitt OT Paul Jorgensen, Freeland (MI) Midland WR Drew Moulton, and Redford (MI) Thurston LB Eric Wilson

Predictions

• Kenny Demens and Desmond Morgan have big days
• Michigan makes some big plays in the running game with Toussaint and Rawls
• Craig Roh continues to improve
• Northwestern makes a couple big plays by getting to the edge
• Michigan 38, Northwestern 20

A Look Back . . . 

• Here's a recap of last year's 42-24 victory
• Here are the awards from last season's game

Pre-Snap Read: #59 Northwestern

Attractive Northwestern girls don't seem to exist, so here's Kylie Bisutti wearing purple.

Pre-Snap Read  previews Michigan's opponent for November 10, the Northwestern Wildcats.

Michigan at Northwestern Awards

Does cringing when I see Denard throw the ball make me a bad person?
(image via TheWolverine.com)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Michael Shaw.  Shaw clearly isn't the most decisive running back in the world.  But he is very fast and, despite some people's opinions, will lower his shoulder and run through people when cornered.  I agreed with the way Al Borges used him on Saturday, which was to outrun the Wildcats' defense to the edge.  I won't be clamoring for Shaw to start anytime soon, but he can serve a role on this team.  Oh, and I wouldn't mind seeing him return kickoffs along with Jeremy Gallon.  Give Shaw an alley and you never know what could happen.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . opposing defenders running the other way with the football.  Denard's interceptions are maddening.  It's not like he's trying to fit passes into tight windows and defenders are making nice plays on the ball.  Nor is it that his passes are bouncing off the hands of his receivers into the grips of defensive backs.  Denard is just flat-out throwing bad passes, whether because of bad mechanics, bad reads, or both.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . William Campbell.  I think it's near time that Campbell gets a start.  Starting defensive end Will Heininger is just a guy.  It would be nice to see Ryan Van Bergen bump from 3-tech tackle to 5-tech end.  To me that puts the best four defensive linemen on the field at once, with Craig Roh and Mike Martin the other two linemen.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Desmond Morgan.  I'm not really sure why Morgan is playing so much.  I've always maintained that I think he will be a solid player in the future, but he got more playing time on Saturday than I would expect in a fairly tough game.  Brandin Hawthorne is a better player overall and a bigger playmaker.  If and when Brandon Herron returns to action, I think he deserves another shot, too.

Play of the game . . . Thomas Gordon's strip and recovery.  When Gordon stripped the ball away from Northwestern wide receiver Jeremy Ebert, I thought that sealed the game for Michigan.  As the second man in, I thought Gordon did a tremendous job of raking at the ball immediately before Ebert could get to the ground.

MVP of the Northwestern game . . . Denard Robinson.  Even though Robinson threw some maddening interceptions and incompletions in the first half, he once again turned on the jets when the Wolverines needed it in the second half.  He finished the game completing 17/26 passes for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions; he also had 25 carries for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns.  It's been said elsewhere, but it's pretty ridiculous that a 454-yard, 4-touchdown performance can seem pretty ho-hum after all of his heroics.  We're going to see 100-yard rushers and 300-yard passers and 100-yard receivers in the future, but it will be a long, long time before Michigan fans ever get to root for a player like him again.

Highlights: Michigan 42, Northwestern 24

Michigan 42, Northwestern 24

Is it just me or does Michael Shaw look like a prototypical football player?  Here he scores
on a 2-yard touchdown run.  (Image via MGoBlue.com)

This first bullet almost called for the backup QB.  Not permanently, of course.  But if Denard Robinson continued in the second half the way he played in the first half, I would have been asking for Devin Gardner to get a shot.  Gardner has played well in his increasing role, and Robinson threw three horrible interceptions in the first half.  Robinson's first half looked like this: 10/18 passing, 178 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and several of those completions were bad throws where his receivers saved him (the bomb to Junior Hemingway, the TD to Steve Watson, etc.).  In the second half, Robinson redeemed himself on 7/8 passing for 159 yards with zero touchdowns and, most importantly, zero picks.

Mike Shaw provided a little bit of a spark.  Neither of Michigan's first two running backs had much of a day.   Fitzgerald Toussaint had 14 carries for 25 yards and couldn't punch the ball in on two goal line opportunities.  Vincent Smith had 3 carries for 8 yards.  It looked to me like Shaw's speed was too much for the Northwestern defense.  He beat the Wildcats to the edge a couple times, rushing 6 times for 25 yards and 1 touchdown, plus making 1 reception for 12 yards.  I was impressed with the Wildcats' rush defense and tackling.

That's not the Dan Persa I remember.  I think Michigan got a little lucky that Persa still has his Achilles on his mind.  It seemed like there were a few opportunities for Persa to run where he decided to throw the ball instead.  He completed 32/44 passes, but a lot of those were bubble screens that were essentially sweep plays and easy completions.  Other than one 39-yard bomb over Blake Countess, the Wolverines kept everything in front of them.

Kenny Demens had his best game of the year.  Demens hasn't been as productive this year as I expected, but he's still been a solid player.  This game was his best, though.  He had 10 tackles, including a sack, and did a good job of chasing down wide receivers and crossing routes in space.  A lot of middle linebackers (Obi Ezeh, for example) would have been left in the dust or would have missed the tackle on those smaller players, but Demens is so strong that if he gets his hands on someone, that person is going to the ground.

Michigan needs to review the option.  I was somewhat surprised that Northwestern didn't run more option.  They had quite a bit of success with it in the first half, and I thought Michigan did a poor job of defending it.  They didn't have guys in position to make plays, they were tentative when they got there (Jake Ryan), or they just failed to square their shoulders and make the tackle (Carvin Johnson).  The bubble screen was effective and it's a safer play, so maybe that's why the Wildcats didn't run the option as much.

Congrats to Steve Watson.  Watson stuck around for five years, played tight end, outside linebacker, defensive end, and now tight end again . . . and finally caught his first collegiate pass on a 9-yard scoring play where he adjusted well and got his hands underneath the ball on a poor throw from Robinson.  That had to be exciting for him.

The defensive line is improving.  I wish William Campbell weren't already a junior, because that kid is close to turning into a player.  He's going to have only one year as a starter at Michigan, despite the fact that he was totally unneeded in 2009 and Rich Rodriguez wasted him in 2010, too, by burning his eligibility at defensive tackle and then flipping him to guard halfway through the year.  Overall, the defensive line had 14 tackles and 2 sacks.

It's horn-tootin' time.  Okay, not really.  My predictions from Friday weren't close to being 100% accurate, but I did say that Persa would have 325 total yards (he had 326) and that the final score would be 38-24 (it was 42-24).  I keep forgetting to review my predictions in these wrap-up posts, so here's where I do that.  On the other hand, Denard didn't carry the ball 12 times (more like 25), Jeremy Gallon didn't score on special teams (but he did on offense!), and Northwestern's running backs didn't average 2.5 yards a carry (more like 5.5).  Also, there's a picture of Denise Milani wearing a tight dress, so I think that was a good move on my part, too.

I typically like Pat Fitzgerald, but . . . he seemed like a bit of a weirdo during his halftime interview with Jeannine Edwards.  He was all rubbing his head and using strange vocal inflections.  I guess that's what adrenaline does to some people, but he seemed a little high strung.

Taylor Lewan false started but nobody called it.  Lewan has been penalty-free so far this year, I believe, but he should have been flagged for jumping the snap.  He probably won't be so lucky next time, and I'm guessing Michigan State's coaches will alert the refs to look for that next week; Lewan did it a bunch last year, too.

Speaking of the referees . . . Michigan got lucky a few times on Saturday night.  Brandin Hawthorne's interception looked like an incomplete pass to me (his hands were under it, but I thought the ball clearly moved when the nose hit the ground), Jeremy Ebert's fumble was about as close as it gets (I think it was a fumble but probably wouldn't have been overturned if he had been called down in the first place), and Jordan Kovacs probably should have been called for a facemask (his right hand was okay, but it looked like his left hand pulled on the bottom bar).  Of course, Northwestern was holding the s*** out of Michigan's cornerbacks and safeties on those bubble screens, so maybe the penalties evened out.

Video: Friday Practice - Northwestern Week