Northwestern
4-7 , 2-6
Michigan
6-5 , 4-4
'Cats Fall to Michigan in Ann Arbor
11/23/2024 5:56:00 PM | Football
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Xander Mueller forced a fumble and recorded an interception as Northwestern (4-7, 2-6 Big Ten) fell 50-6 at Michigan (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) on Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan struck first, capitalizing on an interception with an 11-play, 53-yard touchdown drive. Kalel Mullings scored the game's first touchdown with a two-yard plunge to put U-M up 7-0.
The Wolverines added on with a 56-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada to take a 10-0 lead into the end of the first quarter.
Xander Mueller's second quarter interception gave Northwestern the ball at the Michigan 20-yard line. It marked the sixth interception of Mueller's career, and his first of the season. Luke Akers converted on a 28-yard field goal to put Northwestern on the board and trim the Wolverine lead to 10-3.
The Wildcat defense forced a punt on the ensuing possession, which A.J. Henning returned to the Northwestern 46-yard line. Jack Lausch found Bryce Kirtz for a 39-yard gain to put the Wildcats at the Michigan 15-yard line. Akers converted on his second field goal of the day to cut into the Michigan deficit again, trimming the U-M lead to 10-6.
Michigan closed out the first half with an 11 play, 65-yard drive, capped off with a three-yard touchdown reception by Colston Loveland to extend its lead to 17-6 headed into the intermission.
The Wolverines outscored NU 14-0 in the third quarter and 19-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a 50-6 victory.
Game Notes
» Xander Mueller recorded an interception and a forced fumble.
» Mueller is the first Wildcat to force a fumble and record an interception in the same game since Bryce Gallagher on October 1, 2022 at Penn State.
» Mueller recorded nine total tackles, including six solo tackles.
» Luke Akers converted a pair of field goal attempts, his third game this season with multiple field goals made.
» Damon Walters led all Wildcats with 10 total tackles, including a career-high seven solo and one tackle for loss.
» Aidan Hubbard his fifth sack of the 2024 campaign and 12th of his career.
» Kalel Mullings rushed for 92 yards and three touchdowns on 12 attempts for Michigan.
» Tyler Morris caught seven passes for 64 yards for the Wolverines.
Up Next
Northwestern will close out its 2024 regular season on Saturday, November 30 with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff at Wrigley Field that will be broadcast on BTN and WGN 720 AM.
Team Stats
NWU 0, UOM 7
UOM - Mullings,Kalel 2 yd run (Zvada,Dominic kick), 11 plays, 53 yards, TOP 05:51
NWU 0, UOM 10
UOM - Zvada,Dominic 56 yd field goal 6 plays, 10 yards, TOP 03:52
NWU 3, UOM 10
NWU - Akers,Luke 28 yd field goal 5 plays, 10 yards, TOP 02:11
NWU 6, UOM 10
NWU - Akers,Luke 26 yd field goal 5 plays, 46 yards, TOP 02:17
NWU 6, UOM 17
UOM - Loveland,Colston 3 yd pass from Warren,Davis (Zvada,Dominic kick) 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 01:49
NWU 6, UOM 24
UOM - Mullings,Kalel 10 yd run (Zvada,Dominic kick), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:50
NWU 6, UOM 31
UOM - Mullings,Kalel 1 yd run (Zvada,Dominic kick), 10 plays, 45 yards, TOP 05:30
NWU 6, UOM 38
UOM - Edwards,Donovan 20 yd run (Zvada,Dominic kick), 5 plays, 58 yards, TOP 02:41
NWU 6, UOM 41
UOM - Zvada,Dominic 28 yd field goal 14 plays, 53 yards, TOP 07:07
NWU 6, UOM 43
UOM - 0 yd safety
NWU 6, UOM 50
UOM - Dunlap,Tavierre 20 yd run (Mentzer,Charlie kick), 1 plays, 20 yards, TOP 00:07
