ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football moved to 3-0 on the season with a 63-10 drubbing of Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon at The Big House.
Here's a recap of how the game unfolded:
RELATED: First Half Recap, Box Score: Michigan 35, Northern Illinois 3
RELATED: Gameday Central: Michigan Wolverines Football vs. Northern Illinois
First Half
Northern Illinois won the coin toss and chose to receive, but the Huskies went three-and-out to begin the game.
Michigan threw it on its first offensive play, with redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara hitting redshirt junior wide receiver Daylen Baldwin in the short flat before he made a move and gained 14 yards down the sideline. Second-year freshman running back Blake Corum ripped off a 16-yard drive for another chunk play.
The Wolverines finished the seven-play drive with a McNamara quarterback sneak from one yard out to take a 7-0 lead.
Northern Illinois found some success with its rushing attack on its next possession, churning out 51 of its 72 yards on the ground before setting for a 21-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 6:10 remaining in the first.
Michigan began its next drive with a bit of trickery, running a misdirection reverse for second-year freshman wide receiver A.J. Henning, who gained 26 yards. Michigan got down to the goal line once again, and Corum virtually walked in for the one-yard score to make it 14-3 with 1:52 to play in the first quarter.
The Maize and Blue forced their second three-and-out of the game on the ensuing possession, before the offense went on a six-play, 64-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a one-yard scoring run by redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins, who leaped over the pile and into the end zone.
Haskins scored his second touchdown of the game (five-yard rush) with 6:15 left in the half, after the Wolverines marched 71 yards in 10 plays, aided by a 15-yard defensive pass interference penalty, to take a 28-3 lead.
Michigan got the ball back with 2:10 left before halftime, but needed just one play and 13 seconds to strike again, with McNamara hitting sophomore wide receiver Cornelius Johnson on a deep ball down the right sideline for an 87-yard score.
The Wolverines led, 35-3, with just under two minutes remaining in the half, before Northern Illinois ran out the clock and took it into halftime.
Second Half
Michigan didn't waste any time getting the offense going to begin the second half. With freshman J.J. McCarthy in at quarterback, the Wolverines ran it three times, the third of which resulting in a 49-yard score by Corum, his second of the day. That gave the Maize and Blue a 42-3 lead.
The Wolverines' defense forced a three-and-out, giving the ball back to McCarthy and Co., who scored eight plays later, with Corum punching it in from one yard out.
Michigan held a 49-3 lead with 7:36 remaining in the third quarter, before redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green intercepted NIU redshirt junior signal-caller Rocky Lombardi at the Huskies' 30-yard line, returning it all the way down to the three.
That set up a four-yard rushing touchdown by freshman back Donovan Edwards, the first of his career, giving the Maize and Blue a 56-3 edge with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter.
Edwards scored the second touchdown of his career on his next carry, this one a 58-yarder to make it 63-3 with 4:55 left in the third quarter. He became the third Michigan back to rush for multiple touchdowns on the day.
Lombardi connected with redshirt junior wide receiver Cole Tucker for a nine-yard touchdown with 8:28 to go in the game, trimming the Wolverines' lead to 63-10.
With the backups in, Michigan turned it over on downs two drives in a row, before the Huskies ran out the clock. The final score was 63-10.
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