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Best and worst from U-M's win over Northwestern

michigan-icon-fullby: The Wolverine Staff11/16/25thewolverineon3

By Clayton Sayfie

CHICAGO — Michigan Wolverines football escaped with a 24-22 win over Northwestern Saturday at Wrigley Field. Here are the best and worst from the game.

Walk-off winner

Michigan senior kicker Dominic Zvada has now missed 6 field goals this season, 2 of them Saturday against Northwestern, enduring an odd season after an almost-perfect one in 2024. He missed a 34-yard chip shot early and a 60-yard attempt just before halftime. The Chandler, Ariz., native had enough leg but missed wide right; that would’ve been the longest field goal in Michigan history, passing Jake Moody‘s 59-yarder in the 51-45 loss to Texas Christian Dec. 31, 2022.

When it mattered, Zvada came through, in walk-off fashion, hitting a home run of sorts on his 31-yard kick to put the Wolverines on top as time expired.

Worst stat

Michigan turned the ball over 5 times, including freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood throwing 2 interceptions. There were also fumbles on a handoff gone wrong on a fourth-down exchange between Underwood and junior Bryson Kuzdzal, on an end-around by freshman wideout Andrew Marsh and on a punt return that was going nowhere by junior Semaj Morgan.

The last time Michigan gave the ball away 5 times came in the Jan. 1, 2018, Outback Bowl against South Carolina, but that was a 26-19 loss. It’s hard to win when handing the opponent the ball that often, and it hasn’t happened for U-M since a 27-16 victory by Rich Rodriguez‘s team over Purdue in 2010.

The Wolverines put up 496 total yards, their most in a game against a Power Conference team since the 51-45 loss to TCU Dec. 31, 2022, but they turned that into only 24 points. The theme of not making the most of opportunities continues for the Maize and Blue offense. Still, the team is 8-2 with big goals and ideas ahead of them.

Best catch

There may be no Zvada game-winner without Michigan freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh, who had the catch of the game, a 21-yarder along the sideline on third-and-10 from the Wolverines’ own 37-yard line with 1:53 remaining.

A Michigan player hasn’t made a catch like that in a long time, let alone one that consequential.

Best freshman

Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood was playing one of his better games of the season until the costly mistakes late, but this award goes to the 6-foot-0, 190-pound Marsh on this day.

The first freshman-eligible Michigan wideout to have multiple 100-plus yard games in a season (Roy Roundtree, 2009), Marsh was targeted 15 times and hauled in 12 catches for 189 yards.

That yardage total is the sixth-most for a Michigan player in program history and the most since Braylon Edwards had the same amount in a 2004 contest against MSU. His 12 receptions are the fifth-most in a game in program history.

Toughest spots

Michigan’s offense and special teams put the defense in rough spots. The starting field position for Northwestern on its five scoring drives are as follows:
• Northwestern 46-yard line, FG
• Michigan 47-yard line, FG
• Michigan 36-yard line, FG
• Northwestern 25-yard line, TD
• Michigan 6-yard line, TD

Northwestern had only one long sustained scoring drive, its only drive of more than 40 yards in the game. The Wolverines’ defense played a great game overall, allowing only 245 total yards, 4.6 yards per play. Northwestern punted 6 times, including after 4 three-and-outs.

‘Complementary football’ was not there, but the Michigan defense stepped up throughout, including on the last two drives. The Wolverines forced a pair of three-and-outs after an interception and the turnover on downs, getting the offense the ball back to go on an 11-play, 50-yard field goal drive for the win.

Best news

Michigan junior running back Jordan Marshall‘s health is the season, in some ways. The 5-foot-11, 216-pounder had his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 142 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 attempts, but left the game in the fourth quarter with what looked like a right hand injury.

Head coach Sherrone Moore said after the game that Marshall got X-rays at Wrigley Field and that Moore “feels like he’s in a good place.”

“We’ll take care of him and get him ready for these games that we’ve got coming up,” Moore added.

With junior Justice Haynes out indefinitely, that’s major news for the Wolverines’ offense. He’s the heartbeat of the group, the most effective player, and U-M would have little chance of making the College Football Playoff without him.

Best pinch-hit job

Marshall went down, but junior Bryson Kuzdzal — a former walk-on from Ada, Mich. — stepped in admirably, even if there was the fumbled exchange on fourth down that was probably more on Underwood, and the play call, than the running back.

He rushed 15 times for 53 yards, including 18 yards on the game-winning drive, putting the Maize and Blue in better position for the field goal.

Best team effort

There wasn’t a star on the Michigan defense. The Wolverines allowed only 245 yards and gave up only one score that wasn’t on a short field, yet there wasn’t a total game-changing player on that unit. It was truly a no-star effort, valiant nonetheless.

No Michigan player had more than sophomore safety Mason Curtis‘ 5 tackles, the Wolverines had no sacks for the second time this season (USC), and Northwestern had only 2 negative plays. Michigan had a streak of 15-straight games grabbing a turnover, but didn’t force one.

Finally a move

Michigan had seen enough with Morgan as the punt returner, apparently. He had issues all season, and the final straw (at least for this game) was the fumble. Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh stepped in for him and had a 12-yard return on his only attempt, fair catching the others. He may be the answer going forward.

Worst day

Northwestern running back Caleb Komolafe came into the day with 726 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on 141 attempts. He was averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

But against the stout Michigan front, he averaged only 2.6 yards per carry — a season low — going for 31 yards on 12 tries. Michigan shut down the run game to the tune of 61 yards on 26 attempts (2.3 yards per carry), with no sacks skewing the numbers.

Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone made some nice back-shoulder throws and deep passes, but he was held in check, too. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes (13-of-27) for 184 yards. Northwestern went 2-of-12 on third down and 1-of-1 on fourth.

Most penalties

Northwestern’s first three first downs were on offsides and a fake punt, with Michigan’s defense setting the tone early outside of those mistakes. The Wolverines jumped off on third-and-4 and third-and-3, before cleaning up those issues.

Michigan committed 4 penalties, but one was a questionable holding call on what was a touchdown run by Marshall called back.

Northwestern was the more undisciplined team, though, with 7 total penalties, including an offensive pass interference near the goal line and a holding call that negated a 29-yard run.