Michigan Football: 3 things we learned in win over Northwestern
Michigan’s defense is damn good
There are some great defenses in college football, but there can’t be much better than Michigan. And Saturday against Northwestern, the Wolverines proved why.
On one hand, Michigan football did allow 17 quick points to the Wildcats, but poor field position was a big contributing factor. For the game, Northwestern didn’t have a drive that went beyond 60 yards and in the second half, Michigan held its West Division rival to just 65 yards. No drive in the second half for the Wildcats last longer than six plays.
Northwestern had one last attempt.@_Uche35 and No. 14 @UMichFootball wasn't having it. pic.twitter.com/SrV9QLyv6h
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 30, 2018
Up front, Michigan owned the day, registering six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Chase Winovich was unstoppable, getting a sack, three tackles for loss and nine stops total. Kwity Paye also had two sacks and two TFL for loss, as did Josh Unce, who sealed the win with a sack of Clayton Thorsen on the game’s final play.
The start was concerning for the defense but after that, it was dominant. Northwestern averaged 0.8 yards per rush and after spotting the Cats 17, the defense played all-time great, helping Michigan football complete the third-largest comeback in school history.