Wolverines Beat Wildcats 17-3 In Rain-Soaked Game

Tuesday, 31 October 2006

The second-ranked University of Michigan football team moved to 9-0 (6-0 Big Ten) on the season, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats 17-3 on a windy, rain-soaked Saturday afternoon (Oct. 28) in front of 109,114 fans at Michigan Stadium. A swarming Michigan defense forced a pair of Northwestern fumbles, and picked off three passes, that led to 14 Wolverine points.

Battling the elements, the Wolverines kept the ball on the ground, rushing for 202 yards on 46 carries and controlling the clock for 32:57. Junior tailback Mike Hart, who entered the game as the Big Ten's second-leading rusher, ran for 95 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. Senior running back Jerome Jackson complemented Hart's performance, carrying the ball nine times for 59 yards. Sophomore running back Kevin Grady added 23 yards on seven carries.

Junior quarterback Chad Henne picked away at the Northwestern defense, throwing for 116 yards by completing 10-of-20 passes and a score. Henne's touchdown pass went to junior wide receiver Adrian Arrington who hauled in the 14-yard score in the corner of the end zone for his only catch of the afternoon. Senior wide receiver Steve Breaston led the Wolverines with three catches for 34 yards.

Bet on College Football at BetRoyal

Get the latest college football point spreads here.

The Wolverines took their opening possession and punched the ball into the endzone, as Henne completed his first pass of the game with a 14-yard fade to Arrington at 10:07 in the first quarter. The touchdown was Arrington's fifth of his career, and marked the fifth time Michigan has scored on its first drive of the game this season. The play came on third-and-eight, with the six-play scoring drive covering 52 yards in 2:39. Hart carried four times for 22 yards on the series. The drive began at Michigan's own 48-yard line, thanks to a sack and strip by Woodley on Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher. The sack stopped a Wildcat offense that had completed two passes for 17 and 18 yards on the drive.

Michigan captured a 10-0 lead as senior kicker Garrett Rivas connected on a 30-yard field goal at 7:02 in the second quarter. The Wolverines continued to pound the ball between the tackles, rushing for 29 yards on seven attempts during the drive. Hart rushed three times for 22 yards, while catching a pair of screen passes for 23 total yards. The drive covered 36 yards in 11 plays, taking 4:05 off the clock. Following a Wildcat three-and-out, Michigan then gained possession of the ball at Northwestern's 49-yard line after forcing the Wildcats to punt from their own one-yard line.

The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to a touchdown, 10-3, on a 38-yard field goal by Joel Howells at 9:38 in the third quarter.

Michigan scored the games final touchdown with 4:05 in the third quarter to go up 17-3 on a three-yard touchdown run by Hart, his ninth touchdown of the year.

Bet on College Football at BetRoyal