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Michigan bowl eligible after blowout win vs. Northwestern

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•11/23/24•

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NCAA Football: Northwestern at Michigan
Nov 23, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings (20) is tackled by Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Devin Turner (8) in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

ANN ARBOR – It has not been a season anyone expected for the Michigan Wolverines, but a 50-6 blowout win over the Northwestern Wildcats on Senior Day moved the team to 6-5 and officially to bowl eligibility.

The Senior Day festivities were headlined by dominant performances on the ground from graduate Kalel Mullings (12 carries, 92 yards, 3 TD) and Donovan Edwards (10 carries, 65 yards, TD), who combined for 22 carries for 157 yards and 4 touchdowns in the lopsided win.

Here is the recap from Saturday’s beatdown in Ann Arbor.

First quarter

Michigan won the coin toss to open the game and deferred to the second half, opening the game on defense with Northwestern starting at the 25-yard line. The Wildcats went 16 yards in five plays before Aamir Hall grabbed his first interception of the year on third-and-10, giving the U-M offense the ball at the Michigan 47-yard line with 12:35 to go in the first quarter. The Wolverines capitalized on the field position, going 53 yards in 11 plays on their opening drive and capping things off with a 2-yard touchdown run from Kalel Mullings. U-M led 7-0 after the Dominic Zvada extra point with 6:44 on the clock.

The next defensive possession saw junior defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant make great back-to-back plays – a run stuff for Graham and a sack for Grant – that led to a three-and-out and a holding penalty for the Northwestern offense. The Wildcats’ punt back to the Wolverines took a fortuitous U-M bounce, and Michigan started the next drive at the NW 48-yard line with 5:01 to go in the quarter.

Michigan mustered only 10 yards of offense on six plays but got a 56-yard field goal from Zvada to put the team up 10-0 with 1:09 left in the first quarter.

The quarter would end with Northwestern facing a third-and-1 from its 34-yard line.

Michigan 10, Northwestern 0

Second quarter

Michigan’s defense got off the field after a six-play, 16-yard drive, but Northwestern punted all the way down to the U-M 3-yard line with 12:08 to go in the half. The Wolverines moved the ball 23 yards in five plays before Davis Warren threw an interception on third-and-10, which was returned to the U-M 20-yard line. The defense would hang in there, though, forcing a 28-yard field goal to avoid a complete disaster. Michigan led 10-3 with 6:25 to go in the first half.

U-M’s offense went three-and-out on its next drive, and the ensuing punt was returned to the Northwestern 46-yard line with 4:14 remaining. The Wildcats drove down the field 46 yards in five plays before settling for a 26-yard field goal, bringing the score to 10-6 Michigan with 1:57 remaining.

Michigan then put together its best drive of the day right before the end of the half, going 65 yards in 11 plays and closing things out with a 3-yard pass from Warren to tight end Colston Loveland, extending the lead to 17-6 with 8 seconds remaining.

Northwestern sat on the ball to end the half, sending both teams into the locker room.

Michigan 17, Northwestern 6

Third quarter

Michigan started the second half on offense after deferring its choice from the opening coin toss. Mullings took over on the opening drive, rushing four times for 73 yards – headlined by a 47-yard gain – and closing things out with a 10-yard scamper on third-and-5 to extend the lead to 24-6 after the Zvada extra point with 12:10 left in the third.

Northwestern went three-and-out on its next drive, punting away to Michigan which took over on its opponent’s 45-yard line with 10:42 left. The Wolverines put together another long drive, going 45 yards in 10 plays, and Mullings’ third touchdown run of the day from a yard out extended the lead to 31-6 with 5:12 to go. The 31 points scored to that point were the highest in a game thus far this season for U-M.

The Northwestern offense went 21 yards in 10 plays on its following drive, but threw another interception, this time to freshman safety Mason Curtis, giving the Wolverines the ball back at the NW 42-yard line with 1:21 left in the quarter.

Michigan 31, Northwestern 6

Fourth quarter

Five plays and 58 yards later, Michigan found paydirt again thanks to a 20-yard run from Edwards, extending the lead to 38-6 with 13:40 remaining. The defense then forced another three-and-out and punt back to U-M down to its 37-yard line with 12:29 left on the clock.

A 14-play, 53-yard drive followed, capped off by a 28-yard field goal from Zvada. Michigan led Northwestern 41-6 with 5:22 remaining. A few plays later, Northwestern QB Ryan Hilinski was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, leading to a safety for the Wolverines. Michigan led 43-6 with 4:28 to go.

Freshman running back Jordan Marshall returned the kick 63 yards down to the 20-yard line. One play later – with freshman quarterback Jadyn Davis on the field – senior running back Tavierre Dunlap scored on a 20-yard run to push the lead to 50-6 after a Charlie Mentzer extra point with 4:10 to go.

The clock would run out, and Michigan would gain its sixth win of the year.

Michigan 50, Northwestern 6

Michigan vs. Northwestern final box score

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