Michigan 10, Northwestern 9
De'Veon Smith broke the scoreless tie with 6:49 left in the third on a three-yard plunge, ruining the aesthetic, but this will forever be known as The M00N Game:
#M00N pic.twitter.com/GQcd88rr9a
— MGoShoe (@MGoShoe) November 8, 2014
If it involved futility, this game had it. Northwestern lost on a failed two-point conversion with three seconds left when quarterback Trevor Siemian rolled out, saw Frank Clark, and fell over. That was just the final pratfall in this slapstick, however.
It started right away, with Northwestern taking an illegal formation penalty to negate a third-and-one conversion on the game's first drive. Devin Funchess returned the favor by dropping a third-down pass on Michigan's opening salvo.
The two teams proceeded in such fashion for the duration of the game. Michigan's final three possessions of the first half started inside Northwestern territory. They netted 29 yards and zero points, failing in three different ways: a punt, a pick, and a blocked field goal as the half mercifully expired.
The Wildcats pulled the same trick in the second half, missing a field goal, turning it over on downs, and punting on a negative-28-yard drive on their three possessions beginning on the Wolverines end of the field. The teams finished with a combined 504 yards; 256 for Northwestern, 248 for Michigan.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, Devin Gardner threw a second interception when he stared down Jake Butt, Michigan lost a fumble when Jack Miller's snap bounced off a motioning Devin Funchess, and defensive tackle Matt Godin picked off Siemian after Clark tipped a pass.
Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog
We should all be thanking Pat Fitzgerald for his fourth-quarter decision-making. After punter Will Hagerup pinned Northwestern just outside their goal line, Siemian engineered a 19-play drive that covered 95 yards, only for Fitzgerald to call for the field goal unit on fourth-and-goal from the four. The field goal cut Michigan's lead to 7-3. The Wildcats had literally just doubled their yardage total in one drive. Under seven minutes remained on the clock. He kicked anyway.
Michigan nearly managed to ice the game on the next drive, chewing up 4:16 and all three Northwestern timeouts on a 54-yard drive that ended with a Matt Wile field goal.
The Wildcats marched right back down the field, cutting the M lead to 10-9 on a three-yard throw from Siemian to Tony Jones. Fitzgerald, slightly more bold than before—or perhaps just wanting the game to end—sent the offense back on the field. Michigan's pass rush had landed home all night, sacking Siemian six times, and they anticipated the Northwestern call to roll the pocket right; Clark shot past two blockers and Siemian slipped in an effective but fruitless attempt to avoid him.
One kneel later, the game ended. Nobody was sad to see it go.
November 8th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
Reputable writers from Columbus.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^
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November 8th, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^
"we had a lot of injuries this year" excuse.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
So did OSU and they seem to be none the worse for it.....us? We fall off a cliff.
November 8th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 7:50 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 9:45 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
Agreed. We hated Borges because he'd follow up a huge offensive game with laying an egg. We thought that meant that when we laid an egg, he wasn't getting the most out of the offense. Nussmeier has laid only eggs.
November 9th, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^
So those brown squishy things on the ground that smell awful are eggs? What the hell have I been eating for breakfast then?
November 8th, 2014 at 10:44 PM ^
Borges had a much worse OL to work with. This year's is considerably improved, even with Lewan gone. Al liked the downfield passing game a lot more than Nuss apparently does, but the lack of OL killed him. Give him this year's offense and it might be a different story.
November 9th, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^
But DG can't throw the ball downfield, even when he has time. I'm glad we aren't doing that much.
November 8th, 2014 at 9:33 PM ^
1. Did Brady Hoke hand Nussmeier a playbook and say you have to run this
Or
2. Does this coaching staff just cause competent coaches to forget what they're good at?
November 8th, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 8:29 AM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 7:51 PM ^
I felt dirty watching this game. Happy for the win, but goodness.
Thanks for the recap, Ace.
November 8th, 2014 at 7:56 PM ^
I'm shocked that tag is new.
November 8th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
I am listening to Monty Python and drinking heavily. Perfectly appropriate for this game.
November 8th, 2014 at 8:15 PM ^
Cue Yakety Sax!
November 8th, 2014 at 11:19 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
I've reiterated "the record does not matter" in losses where I've said Michigan's progress is what matters.
Well, that goes for wins as well. This was the sort of game where the "winner" merely came in second-to-last place.
November 8th, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^
To the game of football, I mean. Like, decades? Or only years?
This was like trying to watch two straight guys compete in figure skating. Hey-yooooo....
November 9th, 2014 at 7:49 AM ^
It survived DeSean Jackson and went on to give us Kaelin Clay.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, I'm thankful we have a team lacking an idiot with his head so far up his own ass he causes a 178-yard, 14-point swing by showboating.
Of all the laughably horrible things Michigan's done this year, I'm confident we won't top that.
November 9th, 2014 at 8:21 AM ^
Because it would involve a receiver entering an endzone.
November 9th, 2014 at 8:35 AM ^
Except Clay didn't, but I see your point.
November 8th, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
This was the most B1G game EVER!
November 8th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
The 2pt attempt felt like the right move, like last years OSU game.
Defense looked great minus the last two drives.
Oline and Smith seemed to have a good day. Gardner Gardnered.
As bad as this season has been, I really want them to get that 6th win. Bowl season just isn't the same when UM's out of it.
November 8th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
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November 8th, 2014 at 8:20 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:07 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:11 PM ^
We have a lot of problems, but money ain't one of 'em.
Little brother is little brother for a lot of reasons. I've been telling Sparty acquaintances that it's not just about wins and losses. They have trouble comprehending that, especially in this "modern era" that just happens to coincide with Michigan's self-induced wandering through the desert of college football, and also with the golden age of Sparty football. No, it's about more than that. For one, little brother can't carry the wallet that says "Bad Motherfucker."
That said, find a coach named Harbaugh (or someone else that's capable), dispatch the convoy of money trucks and ask him, "How would you like it?"
It's time to end this. Enough is enough. This isn't a good football team, any way you look at it. We deserve better. Enough.
November 8th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 10:32 PM ^
He has solidified the D. They are way better than under RR. but nowhere near the top. Wait until we play a passing offense with speed. Buy bye.
November 10th, 2014 at 8:06 AM ^
The defense is so much better under Butterball? Gosh how much has that cost UM. What are they paying GM? Maybe about $800,000 ? Gosh RR couldn't talk UM into paying Jeff Casteel $160,000. Wow what a difference. You morons on here do not know your ass from a hole in the ground.
November 8th, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^
Let's not forget what Rutgers (!) did to our D.
November 8th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
Pat Fitzgerald off the List, Now ?
November 9th, 2014 at 4:07 AM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:16 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^
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November 8th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
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November 8th, 2014 at 9:10 PM ^
November 8th, 2014 at 9:28 PM ^
Laws, yes
November 9th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
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