Grading Michigan football in all facets of a win over Northern Illinois.

The Wolverines dominated on the ground for the third straight game, grinding out 373 total yards and averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Freshman Blake Corum notched 125 yards, going over 100 for the third straight game, and averaged 9.6 yards per carry ... and that clip was second to frosh Donovan Edwards (10.8 per rush, 86 yards, two TDs). Both backs ripped off a long touchdown run, 51 for Corum and 58 for Edwards.

The receivers continue to get involved on reverses. Freshmen A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson had runs of 26 and 10 yards, respectively. Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy even added a 16-yard gain.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh admitted he wanted to get the pass game going, and the Wolverines threw much more on first down. Redshirt frosh Cade McNamara completed 4 of 7 passes for 118 yards and a score — an 87-yard bomb to sophomore receiver Cornelius Johnson — on first-half, first-down plays.

Johnson finished with 117 yards on three catches, part of a 12-reception, 233-yard showing by the pass catchers, nearly all of it done by the receivers. Michigan averaged 13.7 yards per attempt and 19.4 per completion behind McNamara's 191 yards passing.

Minus one drive — Northern Illinois' second of the game on which they ran for 51 yards — and one 45-yard Rocky Lombardi run when the score was 63-3, the Wolverines were stout. The Huskies ran 36 times for 162 yards overall, but back Harrison Waylee managed only 34 yards on 12 carries (2.8 per rush) after carving up the previous two opponents.

Lombardi had no shot against the Wolverines' variety of looks, dazed and confused. He completed only 9 of 17 passes for 46 yards with a touchdown and an interception, the former coming when his team was down 60. The long was only 15 yards ... which also happened to be the yardage gained by the Huskies' top receiver, Tristen Tewes.

NIU managed a meager 2.7 yards per attempt.

Kicker Jake Moody got a lot of work with nine extra points, and the Wolverines never had to use punter Brad Robbins. The special teams story was freshman A.J. Henning, who returned five punts for 70 yards, including a 32-yarder. He provides an explosive element in the return game to complement Blake Corum's kick returns (the Huskies kicked away from the frosh, always short).

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