Michigan
6-3 , 4-2
Northwestern
7-2 , 5-1
Michigan Drops Big Ten Shootout at Northwestern
11/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The No. 12-ranked Michigan football team saw its Big Ten Conference title hopes disappear with a tough 54-51 loss to No. 21-ranked Northwestern before a sellout crowd of 47,130 fans at Ryan Field today (Saturday, Nov. 4). The Wolverines dropped to 6-3 on the year (4-2 Big Ten), while the Wildcats improved to 7-2 and a first-place tie with Purdue (5-1).
Michigan had an impressive offensive effort, with junior Drew Henson (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) setting career highs with 23-of-35 passing attempts for 312 yards and four touchdowns. Junior wide receivers Marquise Walker (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger HS) and David Terrell (Richmond, Va./Huguenot HS) each caught nine passes, with Walker gaining 134 yards and Terrell 117 yards and three touchdowns. Senior tailback Anthony Thomas (Winnfield, La./Winnfield HS) gained 199 rushing yards on 37 carries and scored three touchdowns (all one-yard runs).
The Wildcats gained a record 654 offensive yards against the Wolverines and scored the game-winner with 20 seconds as quarterback Zak Kustok completed an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Sam Simmons. Tailback Damien Anderson gained a record 268 rushing yards against Michigan on 31 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Northwestern took the opening kickoff of the game and proceeded to score on a one-yard touchdown run by Kustok. The Wildcats' scoring drive took nine plays and covered 85 yards in just 2:17, with Anderson gaining 63 yards on four carries. The TD was the first allowed by Michigan during the first quarter this season and the first yielded during an opening series since the Oct. 24, 1998, game against Indiana.
The Wolverines took their first series and scored on a one-yard run by Thomas. The Wolverines moved 67 yards in 12 plays and converted a fourth-and-two from the Northwestern 31-yard line as Henson gained five yards on a bootleg play. The 4:02-minute scoring drive saw Thomas gain 18 yards on four carries and score his 50th career rushing TD.
After holding the Wildcats on their second possession, the Wolverines moved quickly down field and scored on an 11-yard pass from Henson to Terrell. The duo hooked up on a 10-yard, third-down pass play that kept the drive alive in Michigan territory, and Thomas put the Wolverines in scoring position with a 54-yard scamper to the NU 12-yard line.
The Wildcats trimmed the U-M lead to 14-10 with 13:31 remaining in the second quarter as placekicker Tim Long connected on a 24-yard field goal. Northwestern moved 73 yards in 13 plays and consumed 4:30. Anderson keyed the scoring drive with 46 rushing yards on six carries.
Michigan continued to keep the offense churning, with Henson tossing a 10-yard scoring strike to Terrell in the left corner of the end zone. The Wolverines moved 67 yards in seven plays after redshirt freshman Ryan Beard (Houston, Texas/Cypress-Fairbanks HS) returned the kickoff 27 yards to the 33-yard line. Sophomore wide receiver Ronald Bellamy (New Orleans, La./Archbishop Shaw HS) took the ball on a reverse to start the series and gained 28 yards into Northwestern territory at 39-yard line. Henson hit Walker on a 21-yard, third-down pass play that moved the ball to NU's 16-yard line.
The Wolverines scored for the fourth straight possession, with Henson and Terrell connecting on a 22-yard pass play across the middle for the score. The tandem hooked up on the scoring play for the third straight series, with Henson completing a critical 16-yard pass play to Walker on third down.
Northwestern proceeded to use the no-huddle offense to score on a seven-yard run by Anderson. The quick-strike drive moved 77 yards in seven plays and took just 1:50 off the clock. Anderson gained 54 rushing yards on four carries during the scoring drive, including a 38-yard run that ended at U-M's seven-yard line.
The Wildcats tricked the Wolverines on the ensuing kickoff, popping it up and recovering the ball at Michigan's 43-yard line. Northwestern moved to the U-M four-yard before the defense held firm and forced a 22-yard field goal by Long with 1:18 remaining in the second quarter. The key play came on a 25-yard pass from Kustok to wide receiver Jon Schweighardt and an 11-yard reverse by Simmons.
Long kicked his third field goal of the first half, connecting on a 44-yarder on the final play. The Wildcats' scoring drive took 44 seconds, moving 20 yards in six plays, and trimmed the U-M halftime advantage to 28-23.
Michigan took the second-half kickoff at its 29-yard line and scored its fifth touchdown of the game as Henson tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bill Seymour (Granger, Ind./Penn HS) in the right corner of the end zone. Henson completed all four passing attempts for 61 yards, while Thomas added 10 yards on the ground.
Northwestern took its first series of the third quarter and punched it into the end zone as Kustok hit tight end David Farman on a one-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was botched and Michigan kept a tenuous 35-29 advantage. The 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive was aided by a pair of third-down penalty calls that went against Michigan, giving the Wildcats first downs on both occasions. The big plays for Northwestern came on a 26-yard run by Anderson and a 30-yard pass play from Kustok to wide receiver Kunle Parker.
The Wolverines responded the Wildcats' score with a four-minute scoring drive. Thomas gave Michigan a 42-29 lead as he scored from one yard out. Thomas carried the ball eight times for 34 yards on the 11-play drive, with Henson completing a key 18-yard third-down pass to Bellamy.
Northwestern scored in just 41 seconds as Anderson raced 45 yards up the middle for his school-record-setting 18th rushing touchdown. The Wildcats received excellent field position as Louis Ayeni returned the kickoff 54 yards to the U-M 46-yard line.
Michigan continued to put points on the board as junior placekicker/punter Hayden Epstein (Cardiff, Calif./Torrey Pines HS) hit a 52-yard field goal. The four-play scoring drive started at Northwestern's 39-yard line after a short kickoff/onside kick attempt was fair caught by redshirt freshman linebacker Philip Brackins (Pigeon Forge, Tenn./Gatlinburg-Pittman HS) at the 44-yard line (the Wildcats were called for catch interference).
The Wildcats trimmed the lead to 45-43 as Kustok scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown. Northwestern's eight-play scoring drive covered 65 yards in 2:32, with Kustok completing 4-of-4 passes for 42 yards in addition to his TD run.
Michigan took possession at its 30-yard line but Northwestern forced the first turnover of the game as defeensive end Dwayne Missouri stripped the ball from Drew Henson and defensive tackle Javiar Collins recovered at U-M's 19-yard line. The Michigan defense pushed Northwestern backwards to its 24-yard line but Long connected on a 41-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a 46-45 lead with 12:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Wolverines grabbed the lead again as Thomas scored his third one-yard rushing touchdown of the game. Henson completed 5-of-6 passing attempts for 51 yards, including three passes to Terrell for 31 yards, and Thomas added 18 rushing yards.
Both teams were unable to put together scoring drives until Northwestern got the ball on its own 10-yard line with 3:35 remaining and moved to the Michigan seven-yard line. On a fourth-and-goal play, the Wildcats scored on pass play from Kustok to Teddy Johnson but NU was flagged for an illegal man downfield, setting up another fourth down play. Northwestern took its second opportunity but Kustok's pass attempt in the left side of the end zone was dropped by a wide-open Anderson.
Michigan took possession but Thomas' second-down run was stripped by Sean Wieber and recovered by Raheem Covington at the Wolverines 30-yard line. On the third play, Kustok hit Simmons for the winning touchdown with 20 seconds remaining. The Wildcats scored the two-point conversion to gain a 54-51 lead.
The Wolverines' last chance to tie the score fell short as they were unable to handle the snap on a 57-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Michigan returns to Ann Arbor for its final home game of the 2000 season against Penn State next Saturday (Nov. 11). The game will be played at either noon (ESPN) or 1 p.m. (ABC), with an announcement coming between Saturday night and Monday by the networks.
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
MI 0, NU 7
NU - Kustok, Zak 1 yd run (Long, Tim kick), 9 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:17
MI 7, NU 7
MI - Thomas, Anthony 1 yd run (Del Verne, Jeff kick), 12 plays, 67 yards, TOP 4:07
MI 14, NU 7
MI - Terrell, David 11 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Del Verne, Jeff kick) 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:15
MI 14, NU 10
NU - Long, Tim 24 yd field goal 13 plays, 73 yards, TOP 4:35
MI 21, NU 10
MI - Terrell, David 10 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Del Verne, Jeff kick) 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:01
MI 28, NU 10
MI - Terrell, David 22 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Del Verne, Jeff kick) 8 plays, 60 yards, TOP 4:03
MI 28, NU 17
NU - Anderson, Damie 7 yd run (Long, Tim kick), 7 plays, 77 yards, TOP 2:00
MI 28, NU 20
NU - Long, Tim 22 yd field goal 8 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:43
MI 28, NU 23
NU - Long, Tim 43 yd field goal 6 plays, 20 yards, TOP 0:44
MI 35, NU 23
MI - Seymour, Bill 11 yd pass from Henson, Drew (Del Verne, Jeff kick) 7 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:24
MI 35, NU 29
NU - Farman, David 1 yd pass from Kustok, Zak (Standring, J.J. passfailed) 12 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:52
MI 42, NU 29
MI - Thomas, Anthony 1 yd run (Del Verne, Jeff kick), 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:08
MI 42, NU 36
NU - Anderson, Damie 45 yd run (Long, Tim kick), 2 plays, 46 yards, TOP 0:56
MI 45, NU 36
MI - Epstein, Hayden 52 yd field goal 4 plays, 5 yards, TOP 1:12
MI 45, NU 43
NU - Kustok, Zak 12 yd run (Long, Tim kick), 8 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:37
MI 45, NU 46
NU - Long, Tim 41 yd field goal 4 plays, -5 yards, TOP 2:05
MI 51, NU 46
MI - Thomas, Anthony 1 yd run (Henson, Drew passfailed), 11 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:56
MI 51, NU 54
NU - Simmons, Sam 11 yd pass from Kustok, Zak (Johnson, Teddy pass) 3 plays, 30 yards, TOP 0:26
