After Saturday’s 31-7 loss to No. 2 Ohio State, coach David Braun repeatedly emphasized his hopes for his squad to reach a bowl game. He did the same at his Monday press conference.
“We have two more guaranteed opportunities, and (I’m) excited to go on the road and put ourselves in a position to win a football game and work toward bowl eligibility,” Braun said.
Opportunity No. 1 for the Wildcats (4-6, 2-5 Big Ten) is Michigan. NU’s loss to the Buckeyes this past weekend was its second-most lopsided loss of the season, only behind its 40-14 loss against Iowa on Oct. 26.
Just as the ’Cats bounced back for a road win after the Iowa defeat, Braun is hunting for a win at the Big House.
NU isn’t the only team vying for a bowl game as the Wolverines (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) sit just one game short of securing eligibility with a sixth win. Coach Sherrone Moore’s team is fresh off a bye week following consecutive losses to No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Indiana.
The ’Cats have lost six straight games to Michigan, dating back to 2012.
Here’s what to watch for as NU looks to snap its losing streak against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
Can Lausch carry momentum from his outing against the Buckeyes?
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch led the ’Cats to a 7-0 lead and two red zone trips on the offense’s first two drives against Ohio State.
From then on, the Buckeyes scored 31 unanswered points. Still, Lausch — with 201 passing yards — became just the second quarterback this season to throw for more than 200 yards in a game versus Ohio State this season. Eighty-five of these yards came in the game’s opening quarter.
Braun said his young signal caller’s confidence continually increases with more in-game repetitions.
“As you looked at the way Jack performed versus pressure this past weekend, I think Jack did a really good job,” Braun said.
The reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year credited Lausch for his connection with graduate student wide receivers A.J. Henning and Bryce Kirtz.
In his return from a two-game absence, Kirtz recorded seven receptions for 92 yards. Saturday marked Kirtz’s fourth game with more than 90 receiving yards this season.
Braun said he expects Michigan to be “very much pressure oriented,” similar to what NU faced at Wrigley Field this past weekend.
“What Jack was at his best on Saturday was with his decisive decision making and trusting what he was seeing and trusting his wide receivers,” Braun said. “That’ll have to continue.”
How will NU approach the Wolverines’ low volume passing offense?
Michigan’s 134.6 passing yards per game ranks 18th in the Big Ten and is the sixth-lowest figure in the FBS.
Last season, the Wolverines threw for more than 200 yards per game. This season, Michigan quarterback Davis Warren has completed 61.6% of his passes, throwing more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (5).
Braun said this will shift the team’s defensive focus more toward running backs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, who have rushed for 740 and 513 yards this season, respectively.
“If we don’t effectively stop the run against Michigan, it’s not going to be the outcome we’re looking for,” Braun said.
A centerpiece of stopping the run for NU is graduate student linebacker Xander Mueller, whose status is “up in the air,” according to Braun. Mueller has not appeared in a contest since Oct. 19.
With 560 receiving yards, Michigan tight end Colston Loveland is the only Wolverine to have eclipsed 200 receiving yards. Braun specifically noted the importance of slowing down Loveland.
“You always have to evaluate what you’re potentially giving up or exposing yourself to in that commitment to stopping the run game,” Braun said. “Some of the plays that Michigan was able to hit in the passing game was against some loaded boxes.”
Will the ’Cats capitalize on their red zone opportunities?
After Lausch and his offense marched up the field on the first drive of the game against the Buckeyes, they landed on the opposing 18-yard line.
As Lausch scrambled, an Ohio State defensive player poked the ball loose, and NU squandered possession.
“The expectation is that when we get down there, we’re scoring touchdowns, and worst case scenario, we’re kicking field goals and taking threes away,” Braun said. “And obviously, turnovers — crushing in those scenarios.”
The ’Cats’ red zone efficiency is the Big Ten’s worst and the fifth worst in the entire nation. NU is walking away with points on just 69% of its red zone trips.
On the second drive of the game against the Buckeyes, the ’Cats marched down the field and bounced back from its error on the previous drive. With a 92-yard drive, tied for its longest of the season, the offense scored a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
“The following drive, you see a really well-executed red zone offensive series,” Braun said. “Great run by (graduate student running back) Cam Porter, great run by Jack.”
That’s why Braun said NU’s red zone offense is “improving,” pointing out newfound developments in his offense inside the opposing 20-yard line.
“A critical piece that’s starting to show up that I’m excited about is a level of balance,” Braun said.
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