ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No. 24 Northwestern is knotted up with Michigan 14-14 after the first half of Saturday’s game in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines took advantage of the Wildcats’ secondary, with redshirt freshman Nick VanHoose sitting out the game. NU senior cornerback Demetrius Dugar started in VanHoose’s place and was picked on early and often by Michigan’s Devin Gardner.
The Cats opened the scoring, with junior running back Venric Mark capping a 10-play, 78-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run. The touchdown was the first score in the opening drive allowed by the Wolverines this season.
But Michigan fired back with the next 14 points. Gardner attacked the Cats through the air, completing a 32-yard pass to Michigan wide receiver Roy Roundtree during the Wolverines’ first scoring drive, beating Dugar on the play. A pass interference by Dugar later on the drive put Michigan inside the 10, where Gardner would run it in from eight yards out.
The Wolverines’ second score was set up on a fumble by NU junior quarterback Kain Colter. Michigan would go ahead 14-7 on a one-yard run by running back Thomas Rawls after a 10-play drive that started at the NU 37.
The Cats lacked balance on offense, heavily favoring the run until their last drive of the half. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Siemian entered the game with just under two minutes left in the second quarter and led NU on a six-play, 56-yard touchdown drive. Colter finished with a 19-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Cameron Dickerson, the first touchdown catch of his career.
Follow along with the Daily Sports desk in real time as the Wildcats enter their second half against the Wolverines.
— Rohan Nadkarni
