The Michigan Wolverines blew a double-figure lead before surviving, 24-22, against the Northwestern Wildcats behind a game-winning field goal in the final seconds at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Here are
grades for each position group.
Quarterback: D
Following an impressive first half, Bryce Underwood couldn’t have played worse in the second half. The Wolverines’ quarterback completely unraveled, throwing two interceptions in a truly ugly performance. He finished with a career-high 280 passing yards, but an absolutely dreadful second half can’t be glossed over just because it somehow resulted in a win.
Running backs: A-
Jordan Marshall continued to play at a high level — recording his fourth straight game with more than 100 rushing yards — before going down with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. He finished with 142 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Bryson Kuzdzal came in and helped set up the game-winning field goal, but he contributed to the turnover-filled second-half as well.
Wide receivers: B+
Andrew Marsh was by far the biggest bright spot for the Wolverines, breaking a school-record for a freshman wide receiver with 12 receptions and 189 receiving yards. Marsh became the first Michigan wide receiver to record multiple 100-yard performances as a freshman since 2009, and his toe-tapping catch on the game-winning drive helped save the Wolverines’ season.
Tight ends: C+
The tight ends were solid but didn’t make much of a difference in the pass game. Marlin Klein, Zack Marshall and Deakon Tonielli combined for four catches and 24 yards. Max Bredeson made several key blocks, including helping spring a first-down run by Kuzdzal on the final drive, but Marshall also missed a block and allowed a sack in the first half.
Offensive line: C+
The offensive line was all over the place, continuing to struggle in pass protection but finding success in the ground game. Greg Crippen and Andrew Sprague allowed sacks on the opening drive, and a holding penalty on Sprague took a touchdown off the board in the first half. However, Blake Frazier’s block created a big hole for Marshall’s 65-yard run in the third quarter.
Defensive line: A
The defensive line certainly wasn’t the problem, as Northwestern posted season-lows of 2.3 yards per carry and 61 rushing yards. Northwestern running back Caleb Komolafe came into the matchup averaging 103.3 yards in his last three games, and Michigan held him to 31. Rayshaun Benny was the biggest standout, totaling four tackles and one press breakup.
Linebackers: B+
With Jaishawn Barham and Jimmy Rolder back from injury, the linebackers played well for the most part. Ernest Hausmann was great in the first half, coming up with a tackle for loss in the red zone and forcing an errant throw with a quarterback pressure. Barham also made a positive impact, saving a potential touchdown with a pass breakup and recording one tackle for loss.
Secondary: B-
The secondary gave up four passing plays of 15+ yards, but only allowed 13-of-27 pass attempts. Mason Curtis led the team with five tackles, including a stop near the goal line to keep Northwestern out of the end zone. Jordan Young also had a clutch pass deflection to force a punt, setting up the game-winning drive.
Special teams: D-
The special teams unit seemingly gets worse every week, but Dominic Zvada’s field goal served as the game-winning kick so that bumps the grade up a bit. With that said, Zvada missed two field goals, Northwestern used a fake punt to pick up a first down, and to put the cherry on top — Semaj Morgan fumbled on a punt return to start the onslaught of turnovers.
