"Thomas did some research"...this catchphrase really makes me shudder anymore.
I'd like to run the ball every play, and, in retrospect, we would hardly have done worse. I don't know that it would have made any difference in the result. I guess they were thinking that, right up until the drive following missed FT/Mich score, that we were "hanging with them" in classic NU fashion. Say a fictional NU kicker makes the FG and we make a stop, things look different. But I agree with Jared. Our pass offense was bad. After that first long play to Malik W, we had like 78 yards passing on 28 attempts. Take away a sack and INT return yards, and you are about the same productivity per play as the run game. that is - not much.
Heck, if anything we'd have burned a bit more clock by running it more.
I'd chalk it up to playing a really good, not elite, football team, and that we are mediocre this year. Move on, figure out how to stop MN's 3-6th string RBs, and how to move the ball ourselves. Preferably, by running it.