– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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CHICAGO — The Michigan Wolverines football team were literally giving the football away on Saturday, and in turn, frittering away any realistic chance at a shot to make the College Football Playoff in the process. At least they played today’s game in a baseball stadium, and despite its errors and it being the road team, Michigan ended up having the last at-bat and knocked the final ball over the wall … and through the makeshift goalposts.
Dominic Zvada booted through a 31-yard field goal as time expired as No. 18 Michigan overcame five turnovers to defeat Northwestern 24-22 inside Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Bryce Underwood, who led the game-winning drive after two earlier interceptions in the fourth quarter, went 21-of-32 for 280 yards as the Wolverines won for the 14th time in their last 15 matchups against the Wildcats.
Freshman Andrew Marsh racked up 189 yards of those yards on the aur in 12 catches, the most catches and yards by a Michigan freshman since at least 1979. He became the Wolverines’ first freshman wide receiver with multiple 100-yard games since Roy Roundtree in 2009, and his third-down conversion on the final drive, a catch he made while falling out of bounds yet dragging his toes in the field of play along the sideline, put Michigan in Wildcats territory with 1:56 remaining in the fourth.
“It means the world to me just to be able to have a chance, an opportunity to come out here with the team, with the guys I work hard with every week,” Marsh said.
A few plays later, Zvada, who had missed from 34 and 60 yards earlier in the day, booted the game winner through the uprights and towards Sheffield Avenue, the street that lies behind the right-field wall Wrigley Field, the hallowed baseball ground that’s home to the Chicago Cubs.
Michigan was up 21-9 when Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone ran the ball in from the 1 two minutes into the fourth quarter to cut the Wildcats’ deficit to five. Defensive back Braden Turner then picked off a pass intended for Deakon Tonielli on the Wolverines’ next possession and returned it to the 6. Caleb Komolafe ran it in on the next play, giving Northwestern a 22-21 lead with 12:05 remaining after a failed two-point conversion.
Michigan then drove to the Wildcats’ 30 before Underwood was intercepted once more, this time by Robert Fitzgerald. The Wolverines had another opportunity after Northwestern punted, only to turn it over on downs after opting not to go for the field goal. They had a fourth-and-1 at the Wildcats’ 24 when running back Bryson Kuzdzal fumbled the handoff and Northwestern recovered.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Saturday afternoon’s game, with photos taken by ALOST staff photographer Aaron J. Thornton. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 19 pictures in total.
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