First Quarter
Michigan got off to nightmarish start this afternoon in Evanston, going three-and-out on its first offensive possession.
Northwestern then started its initial drive at its own 44-yard line, and advanced 56 yards in six plays, capping things off with a one-yard quarterback sneak by fifth-year senior Clayton Thorson to make it 7-0.
The Wolverines looked to answer on their second drive, but proceeded to go three-and-out once again.
The Wildcats then began at their own 36-yard line, and capped it off with a 45-yard field goal to make the score 10-0 at the 3:58 mark of the first quarter.
The Wolverines finally gained some momentum on their third offensive drive of the game, starting at their own 30-yard line and advancing to midfield.
Senior running back Karan Higdon was stopped on fourth-and-one, however, and the Wildcats took over at their own 48 with 1:21 left in the quarter.
Second quarter
Things only got worse to start the second quarter when Northwestern redshirt junior running back John Moten ran it in from three yards out at the 12:56 mark to give the Wildcats a 17-0 advantage.
The Maize and Blue finally got on the board when Higdon found the end zone on a four-yard run with 9:14 left in the half, trimming Northwestern's edge to 17-7.
That is where the scoring stopped though.
Four straight punts then ensued (two by each team), before the break hit with the Wildcats leading 17-7.
Takeaways
Michigan is actually outgaining Northwestern, 154-146, but both offenses have been incredibly underwhelming.
Higdon has been one of the few bright spots in the first half, racking up 65 yards on the ground and nine through the air.
The Maize and Blue are just 1-6 on third downs, though, and haven't been able to sustain drives all afternoon long.
U-M's defense held Northwestern scoreless on its final three possessions of the half, and will need to continue to lock down their offensive attack if they hope to come out on top.
Michigan's offense, on the flip side, will also need to step up and execute more frequently after the break if it expects to win.
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