It wasn?t pretty, but UM tops Northwestern
Defense dominates in bad conditions
Michigan?s Willis Barringer, a Scott graduate, intercepts a pass intended for Northwestern?s Ross Lane in the end zone.
( ASSOCIATED PRESS )
By JOE VARDON
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
ANN ARBOR ? By listening to the University of Michigan players talk after the game, one could have assumed the negative-13 on the Big House scoreboard stood for the temperature outside.
Instead, it represented the Northwestern Wildcats? rushing total.
Homecoming at Michigan Stadium yesterday was a frosty one, with the wind blowing 35 miles per hour and periods of driving rain adding some extra chill to a game played in 42-degree temperatures.
The Wolverines? hearts were warmed by their 17-3 triumph over the Wildcats, but they were pointing their shivering fingers at the weather for causing such a sloppy performance.
UM (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) lost two of its three fumbles, dropped several passes, and finished with just 116 yards through the air.
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UM stories, scheduleWhat saved the No. 2 Wolverines was another stone-cold effort from the nation?s fifth-best defense overall and the top unit against the run. Northwestern (2-7, 0-5 Big Ten) was forced into five turnovers and sent backwards nearly ever time it tried to run.
?That?s why it?s great to have a great defense,? UM running back Mike Hart said. ?I wasn?t worried at all. The score was close, but we were in control.?
Wolverines quarterback Chad Henne said a few of his passes felt like he was ?throwing a balloon,? and coach Lloyd Carr said he could only remember two games with worse weather conditions in 12 seasons at UM.
Hence, it was up to the Wolverines? defense to make things happen, which it did from the start.
Northwestern had driven to the UM 35 on its first series, but defensive end LaMarr Woodley stripped the ball from quarterback C.J. Bacher and recovered it on third down.
Woodley, who had two sacks yesterday and is one short of UM?s single-season record of 12, hit Bacher?s arm just before it went forward and recovered the ball on the Wolverines? 48.
?The turnover Lamar caused may have been the play of the game,? Carr said.
The Wolverines capitalized on the momentum change when Henne found receiver Adrian Arrington in the right corner of the end zone for a 14-yard scoring pass.
Arrington, who pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence last week, was benched for the start of the game. He found his way onto the field during UM?s first series and made his only catch of the day count.
There wasn?t much counting left for the Wolverines? offense to do.
Garrett Rivas added a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Hart picked up a three-yard touchdown run in the third to cap UM?s scoring.
Hart missed portions of the second half with a sore back, but he led UM with 95 yards on 20 carries. The Wolverines rushed for 202 yards as a group, but couldn?t put away a Wildcats defense that blew a 38-3 lead in a loss to Michigan State last week.
?We always want to score more than 17 points, but it was a lot of things out there, weather included,? Hart said. ?With the wind ? it was hard to get the offense moving. That?s why we needed the defense to play a great game today.?
The defense obliged by making life miserable on Bacher and Wildcats running back Tyrell Sutton.
Bacher finished 20-of-41 for 204 yards but was sacked three times and threw two interceptions.
He also had several screen passes foiled by a defense looking for that exact play.
Sutton had six catches for 55 yards but netted only six yards on seven carries.
?We go into every game thinking we can dominate,? UM linebacker David Harris said.
?We did a good job today against the run, and it made them one dimensional. It forced them to throw the ball, so it worked in our favor.?
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