The Michigan Wolverines (5-5, 3-4) will host the Northwestern Wildcats (4-6, 2-5) in their final football home game of the season. This will be the second game George Jewett Trophy Game, the first of which Michigan won. The Wolverines will also be celebrating Senior Day for this weekend’s game. Michigan opens as a 10.5-point favorite.
Michigan Wolverines vs. Northwestern Wildcats football game excerpts
After their bye week, Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore told the media that he needed to ensure this team is genuinely bought in for the season’s last two games. While this season hasn’t gone as most had hoped, these last two games are the most important on the schedule.
When asked about the bye, Moore said, “Yeah, it was buy-in week. Really took it upon us to make sure we’re really bought in the next two games to do everything we can to get better; really work on the fundamentals, the little things and make sure we’re all in. Every piece, no stone unturned. Every ‘T’ crossed, every ‘I’ dotted. Had some of our best spirited practices. Came back, gave them a couple days off, and they came back yesterday with fire, with energy. So it was really good to see the kids in a positive mindset.”
Moore needs to ensure that his guys are bought to make sure that they make a bowl game and beat Ohio State.
David Braun is in his second season as the Northwestern head coach, coming off a season where he won Big Ten Coach of the Year. Braun knows Michigan will be a tough test for his team, and they have a lot of talent.
“(There’s an) incredible opportunity in front of us in Ann Arbor against a very good Michigan team, very talented,” Braun said. “A team that is certainly line of scrimmage based. Gonna look to establish a run game, stay committed to a run game. Very talented up front.”
Michigan is a very talented team and will be a difficult test for a Northwestern team that has struggled in conference play this season.
Key players for Michigan
Michigan was able to use the bye week to get healthy, particularly their offensive line, which has been banged up. The Wolverines should be returning their entire starting offensive line this weekend.
Quarterback Davis Warren has also been playing better upon his return. Sherrone Moore indicated that Kalel Mullings would start getting more carries after seemingly being cut out of the offense in recent weeks. Northwestern has a weak run defense, so involving Mullings and Donovan Edwards more is critical.
Defensively, the defensive line had its best game of the season last week against an excellent Indiana offensive line. The unit was able to shut down Indiana’s offense, allowing only 20 points, despite the loss. The Michigan Wolverines line will be critical once again if they want to win this football matchup against Northwestern.
Key players for Northwestern
Quarterback Jake Lausch has had a tough season so far for the Wildcats. Lausch sports a 54 percent completion percentage, 1,321 passing yards, and just five passing touchdowns. Despite the poor stats, he will need to play well if Northwestern wants a chance to win this game.
Meanwhile, running back Cam Porter has picked up 424 yards on the ground with five touchdowns He will likely see the most action on this offense. Finally, former Michigan wide receiver AJ Henning has had a solid season with 468 yards and three touchdowns. If the passing game does get going, it will be at the hands of Henning.
Defensively, cornerback Theran Johnson and linebacker Mac Uihlein are the stars on this Wildcats’ unit. However, secondary has been the best part of the defense, with guys like Josh Fussell and Devin Turner have formed that unit into a formidable group. They will have their hands full to stop this Michigan offense.
Keys for Michigan to win
Generate pass Rush
Michigan faced one of the best offensive lines in the country last season and generated the most pressure they have had all season. They made it difficult for Indiana to move the ball down the field, putting the offense in a position to win. The Wolverines must replicate that type of performance to solidify their sixth win of the season.
Run the ball efficiently
Northwestern has allowed big, efficient rushing days against most of the teams they’ve faced. While Michigan can struggle to run the ball with their lack of a passing game, this should be one of the games in which Michigan can open up significant holes. Getting this facet of their offense going before they head to Columbus will be critical.
Smart coaching decisions
Against Indiana, Michigan coaches were found making poor decisions when the Wolverines needed them to execute in the football game. The timeout called with time dwindling in the fourth quarter put the nail in the coffin for Michigan. UM will need the coaches to make intelligent decisions with timeouts and put their players in a position to succeed in winning this game, an element of the game they’ve truly struggled with this season.
