Michigan dominates Northwestern in home finale to clinch bowl berth

On By Littum

Ann Arbor – Goals changed abruptly for Michigan earlier in the season.

It was no longer about winning a Big Ten championship, making the College Football Playoff and successfully defending the national championship. Heading into the Wolverines’ final home game on Saturday, the focus was on achieving bowl eligibility and finding improvement in what has been a sluggish offense.

Michigan qualified for a bowl game after beating Northwestern by a season-high 50-6 at Michigan Stadium on Saturday.

The Wolverines entered the game ranked 118th in scoring, averaging 20.4 points, and its previous high was 30 points in the season opener. They scored points on eight of 10 drives, including six touchdowns, and scored on all five possessions in the second half.

Running back Kalel Mullings scored three touchdowns, while Donovan Edwards and Tavierre Dunlap each had a rushing touchdown. Tight end Colston Loveland caught a touchdown pass. Kicker Dominic Zvada had a 56-yard field goal — he had made all six attempts of 50 yards or more this season — and added a 28-yarder late in the game.

The Wolverines (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) travel to the no. 2 Ohio State for The Game next Saturday. “Beat Ohio” chants could be heard late in the game. Michigan has won three straight against the Buckeyes.

“It goes without saying,” quarterback Davis Warren said when asked how quickly the Wolverines’ attention turned to Ohio State. “It has to some extent understood what lies before us. We have to celebrate the win (over Northwestern). Trophy games, we must celebrate that. We did, and coach (Sherrone) Moore ended it by saying, we know what’s next. We all understand that.”

Going into the game, this was hardly expected to be a barn burner offensively given how poorly both teams have performed this season. Michigan ranked 129th nationally in total offense, averaging 290.1 ​​yards a game, while Northwestern was 130th (284.4 yards) and 128th in scoring (18 points).

Michigan finished with 396 total yards, including 201 rushing. Mullings had 12 carries for 92 yards and Edwards had 10 rushes for 65 yards. The Wolverines had a season-best 25 first downs and were 11 of 16 on third down.

Northwestern (4-7, 2-6) mustered just 127 yards, with 10 yards rushing. Michigan’s defense played well again and had a season-best six sacks, including two by team leader Josaiah Stewart. The Wolverines also had two interceptions — one from Mason Curtis and one from Aamir Hall on the first possession of the game — and a safety.

BOX SCORE: Michigan 50, Northwestern 6

Mullings, in his final game at Michigan Stadium, scored two of his three touchdowns in the second half. His third touchdown, a 1-yard run late in the third quarter, and Edwards’ 20-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter both came on the final plays of their careers at Michigan Stadium.

“There’s nothing more you could have asked for,” Mullings said, adding that he and Edwards discussed how meaningful it was to have touchdowns on their final carries at home. “It felt great to be able to help the team win, help get the run going and make some plays. It feels like bliss, honestly.”

Loveland, who scored on a 3-yard pass from Warren with eight seconds left in the first half, did not come out of the locker room after halftime. The UM radio broadcast said it was due to an unspecified injury, and Moore said after the game that Loveland is “processing something.” Loveland is Michigan’s leading receiver and had three catches for 22 yards against the Wildcats. He entered the game with 53 catches and needed one to set the single-season program record for receptions by a tight end.

Michigan had struggled with slow starts this season, but scored the first 10 points to go ahead 17-6 after the Loveland touchdown capped an 11-play drive that covered 65 yards. Warren, who had his best game of the season and was 26 of 35 passing for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception, said the drive was a tone-setter.

“Huge,” Warren said. “Set the tempo into the break. We’re just proud of the way we executed on that drive and it really gave us some momentum going into the half to really take it to them.”

The Wolverines were without All-American cornerback Will Johnson for a fourth straight game due to a groin injury. He missed one game earlier in the season and was injured early in Illinois, so Johnson has largely missed the last five games. Even without Johnson, Michigan’s defense had few problems with Northwestern.

The Wolverines’ defense, which had strong results in the second half against No. 1 Oregon and more recently at then-undefeated Indiana, held the Wildcats to 43 second-half yards, including 18 in the third quarter.

“Two picks, a whole lot of passes, they couldn’t get the run game going,” Moore said of Northwestern’s offense. “There was very little they could do in the passing game. The coverage was extremely tight. Especially if you get six sacks, it’s hard to throw the ball. Eight tackles for loss. The run game isn’t going, so it looks like they were just looking . They couldn’t really do much because our defense played so well. Just credit to them, credit to the staff, and how they prepared and how they played.”

The Wolverines had lost four of their last five games and were coming off a bye heading into the game against Northwestern. They had what they called a buy-in week, a slogan coined by Captain Max Bredeson, and the purpose was to focus on the little things.

Moore said the changes started last Monday in what he described as the most “energetic” practice of the season.

“Coming in after a loss, for those guys to be like that and buy in like that meant a lot,” Moore said. “It speaks to the culture and where these guys are and where we are. They just worked on the little things and then this week they’ve practiced really well with a lot of energy. So it was fun to be a part of .”

After scoring 50 points and witnessing the most complementary game of the season, Moore said the Wolverines are taking a lot of momentum into the Ohio State week.

“We all know what that game means,” Moore said. “It’s a reset. It doesn’t matter what your record is. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before. That game is different.”

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