Coming off a much needed bye week, the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines are in Chicago today to take on Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Wolverines are favored by two scores in what is technically a road game, even though we know there will be a lot of Maize and Blue in the Windy City.
Here are three things Michigan needs to do to secure victory and improve to 8-2.
Establish confidence with Bryce Underwood in the first half with quick passes and get a lead
This is a surprisingly staunch Northwestern secondary, with the Wildcats ranking 21st in the country by only allowing 181.8 passing yards per game. But this pass defense isn’t perfect, as they just surrendered 309 yards to USC in a loss last week.
I’m not saying Michigan needs to air out the ball at all. Rather, I’m saying Michigan should take Andy’s advice and install a confidence package that includes quick slants, outs towards the sidelines and easy reads to establish confidence in the young quarterback after a rough last few weeks. It also helps that this is a Northwestern defense that ranks 114th in team sacks, so pressure in the pocket shouldn’t be much of an issue.
As talented as Underwood is, he’s not immune to the ups and downs of being a freshman quarterback. Running easy routes to pick up some quick first downs and get a rhythm going is essential to establish confidence, especially before The Game in a couple weeks.
Run the ball and dominate time of possession in the second half
Once Michigan establishes a lead, the Wolverines need to run the crap out of the ball. Northwestern’s run defense isn’t terrible, ranking 64th in the country. Howeer, Jordan Marshall has been on a tear in recent weeks, rushing for 110 yards or more in each of Michigan’s last three games.
Giving Marshall the ball as the clock ticks down kills any chance Northwestern has at making a comeback, and with a pass offense that ranks 117th in the nation, playing from behind wouldn’t be good for the Wildcats.
Log more sacks than the Wildcats
Statistically, the one thing these two teams are even at is sacks allowed. Both squads allow just 1.33 sacks per game, a mark that is tied for 29th in the country with four other teams.
Getting after Underwood would be an easy way for Northwestern to make Michigan fans nervous. Conversely, Michigan sacking Preston Stone could kill any offensive momentum the Wildcats try to establish. Michigan can still win this game while giving up more sacks, but it certainly would increase the likelihood of winning if Underwood had ample time to throw.
How do you think this one is going to play out, and what else does Michigan need to do to win? Let us know in the comments.
