4 Kesimpulan Dari Kemenangan Michigan Atas Northwestern di 'Big Noon Saturday'

Nothing about the way Saturday’s game unfolded suggested that Michigan, ranked No. 18 in the country and needing a win to remain in the College Football Playoff hunt, should, would or could emerge from Wrigley Field with a victory. 

Not after turning the ball over five times. Not after missing two field goals. Not after an apparent shoulder injury to tailback Jordan Marshall left the Wolverines without their top two runners in a run-heavy system. Not after squandering a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead. 

And yet, despite every statistic and circumstance, there stood Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada, a former All-American, needing only to connect on a 31-yard try as time expired to give the Wolverines an improbable victory and erase an afternoon of errors. He aligned, he stepped, he swung his right leg and buried the field goal. Michigan 24, Northwestern 22 — somehow, someway.

Here are my takeaways: 

1. Self-inflicted wounds reflect subpar discipline for Michigan

Turnovers, special teams and penalties are three areas worth examining when trying to discern how well-coached — or not — any given team really is, especially in the latter stages of a season, by which time younger players should have matured and coaches should have adjusted to their personnel. The Wolverines left plenty to be desired in all categories on Saturday afternoon.

What finished as a last-second escape was marred by mental errors and miscues that certainly would have cost Michigan against a better opponent and probably should have cost Michigan against the Wildcats. Consider the following: 

— Five total turnovers by the Wolverines, their most in a game since the 2018 Outback Bowl: two interceptions by freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, a botched exchange between Underwood and reserve running back Bryson Kuzdzal; a fumble by wide receiver Andrew Marsh on an ill-fated end around; a botched punt return by enigmatic wide receiver Semaj Morgan. 

— A holding penalty on Michigan right tackle Andrew Sprague in which he had a fistful of his opponent’s jersey and tackled said player to the ground, wiping away a 17-yard touchdown run by Marshall. 

— An offside penalty against Michigan edge rusher Jaishawn Barham on third-and-4 that moved the chains for Northwestern’s offense when he jumped into the neutral zone after reacting to a dummy clap from Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone. 

— An identical offside penalty against Michigan edge rusher Enow Etta on third-and-3 that moved the chains for Northwestern again when he jumped into the neutral zone after being fooled by Stone’s clap.  

— Two missed field goals by Zvada, including what should have been a chip shot from 34 yards in the opening half. 

Dominic Zvada #96 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with fans and teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Northwestern Wildcats. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

The special teams miscues are noteworthy for a team that entered the game ranked 39th nationally and 10th in the Big Ten in FEI Special Teams Rankings. It’s a marked decline from the previous four-year run in which the Wolverines finished among the top four in the country three times, including a first-place finish in 2021 under well-regarded special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh. 

This season, Michigan ranks 106th in field goal efficiency and 102nd in punt return efficiency — longstanding problems that have gone largely uncorrected all year. 

2. It’s fair to be concerned about the Wolverines’ kicker

A year ago, Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada proved to be among the shrewdest transfer portal additions in the country when the Wolverines snagged him from Arkansas State. Zvada went on to earn first-team All-America honors and was named Big Ten Kicker of the Year after making 21 of 22 field goals, including a program-record seven from beyond 50 yards.

Zvada’s supreme reliability, especially from long distances, became a significant differentiator for a Michigan team that won six games by 10 points or fewer. It was widely assumed, and understandably so, that he’d be among the Wolverines’ best players once again in 2025. 

But for whatever reason, that simply hasn’t been the case through Michigan’s first 10 games. And after two more misses on Saturday — one from short range in the opening quarter, one from 60 yards before halftime to increase his total to six for the season, it’s fair to wonder if Zvada’s struggles will hurt the Wolverines more fatally down the stretch. 

He entered Saturday’s contest having missed four field goals on just 14 attempts, with misfires from 32 yards against then-No. 18 Oklahoma; 47 yards against Central Michigan; 27 yards against Wisconsin and 48 yards against Washington. This is now the only season in Zavada’s career, which included two years of starting experience before transferring to Michigan, that he has missed this many field goals in a single year. And the Wolverines still have at least three games remaining, a number that could increase pending their potential involvement in the College Football Playoff. 

At this point, it’s clear that Zvada can’t — and probably shouldn’t — be trusted to the same degree he was in 2024. And that’s a legitimate problem for Michigan. 

3. There were fleeting signs of progress in Michigan’s passing game

Both statistically and to the naked eye, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood hasn’t flashed as much in-season growth as many people expected from the No. 1 recruit in the country, even as a true freshman. 

Underwood made some dazzling throws in the opener against New Mexico — completing 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, delighting the Michigan Stadium crowd with a variety of arm angles and daring attempts — but he only exceeded that yardage total once in eight subsequent outings ahead of this weekend. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Michigan State and Purdue all held him to fewer than 150 yards through the air as the Wolverines slipped to 107th nationally in passing at 185.7 yards per game.

With Michigan coming off its final bye of the regular season entering Saturday’s game against Northwestern, there was some pressure on first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and head coach Sherrone Moore — the team’s playcaller under former coach Jim Harbaugh — to enliven the offense for the home stretch. What followed was arguably Underwood’s finest half of the season as he completed 15 of his first 20 passes for 185 yards in the first two quarters, outgaining the Wildcats’ entire offense. 

Bryce Underwood rushes for a 9-yard TD to extend Michigan’s lead to 14-6 over Northwestern

Underwood connected time after time with freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh, who caught nine passes for 135 yards in the opening half alone, and added a nifty 9-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter after scrambling for a critical first down earlier in the drive. Underwood operated the offense with poise and control. 

But all of that momentum came to a screeching halt in the second half when Underwood was involved in three Michigan turnovers: two ugly interceptions that looked like pre-determined reads, even with defenders in perfect position, and a failed fourth-down handoff when head coach Sherrone Moore made a questionable decision to trust his offense despite being in field goal range. 

Underwood responded by throwing a brilliant 21-yard sideline pass to Marsh on what proved to be the game-winning drive, supplementing that completion with several timely scrambles to move the chains. But what he’ll remember most about Saturday was the first multi-interception outing of his collegiate career. He must be better in the coming weeks. 

4. Running back depth is now a major concern for Michigan  

Even before starting tailback Justice Haynes underwent ankle surgery earlier this month, the Wolverines were fairly thin at that position for a team so reliant on running the ball. The one-two punch of Haynes (857 yards, 10 TDs) and fellow tailback Jordan Marshall (729 yards, eight TDs) was unquestionably among the most effective in the Big Ten this season, if not the country overall, but the absence of a legitimate third runner left Michigan somewhat exposed entering Saturday’s game. There wasn’t a clear replacement if something happened to Marshall. 

And sure enough, Marshall, who carried 19 times for 142 yards and two scores against Northwestern, suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out in the fourth quarter. That forced running backs coach Tony Alford to lean on former walk-on Bryson Kuzdzal, a zero-star recruit in the 2023 class. Kuzdzal, to his credit, played well given the circumstances with 15 carries for 53 yards, plunging into a physical Wildcats’ defense over and over again in the fourth quarter. He helped maneuver Michigan’s offense into field goal range for Zvada’s walk-off kick. 

Jordan Marshall rushes for his SECOND TD, extending Michigan’s lead over Northwestern

If the injury to Marshall proves significant — and he appeared to be in serious pain on the sideline with his right arm hanging awkwardly — the Wolverines will need to get creative between now and Haynes’ potential return in the postseason. Kuzdzal and true freshman Jasper Parker are the only healthy running backs on the roster with at least 10 carries this season. The nature of Marshall’s injury could significantly alter the trajectory of Michigan’s playoff push.   

4 ½: What’s next?

This year’s version of ‘The Game’ should have major CFP implications.

The primary message preached by head coach Sherrone Moore in recent weeks, as the Wolverines notched less-than-convincing victories over conference bottom feeders Michigan State (31-20) and Purdue (21-16), has been the idea that all of Michigan’s goals are still in play. As long as the Wolverines avoided another conference loss between now and the finale against No. 1 Ohio State, which will be played at Michigan Stadium on Nov. 29, Moore knew they would enter this year’s version of the rivalry with everything on the table: a potential fifth straight victory over the Buckeyes; a potential trip to the Big Ten Championship game; a potential berth in the College Football Playoff for the first time since winning the national title in 2023. 

Saturday’s victory over Northwestern, which will unquestionably be added to the unconvincing bucket, means that the only thing separating Moore’s team from a win-and-you’re-in showdown with the Buckeyes is lowly Maryland.

The Terrapins entered this weekend riding a five-game losing streak as embattled head coach Mike Locksley navigated widespread speculation about his job security. It seems unlikely they can restore momentum quickly enough to upend the Wolverines next weekend — although anything is possible after the way Michigan played this weekend. But regardless, the stars seem to be aligning for an incredibly pressure-packed iteration of ‘The Game’ in two weeks’ time. 

Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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