Your mega guide to the Michigan vs. Northwestern football game
Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, shown last week against Minnesota, leads the Wolverines into their first road game at Northwestern on Saturday.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
WHO: No. 12 Michigan (5-0) at Northwestern (2-2).
WHERE: Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.
WHEN: 7 p.m. today.
ODDS: Michigan is favored by 7 1/2 points, according to sportsbook.com.
SERIES RECORD: Michigan leads, 52-15-2.
LAST MEETING: Northwestern won 21-14 on Nov. 15, 2008. (Ann Arbor News coverage)
WEATHER: High 60s and clear at kickoff. Latest forecast.
BROADCAST INFORMATION: TV: BTN; Radio: Michigan Sports Network (local affiliates).
LIVE COVERAGE: Join our live chat on the Michigan football home page beginning at 6:30 p.m. and follow beat writer Kyle Meinke on Twitter @kmeinke for live updates during the game.
MICHIGAN: Roster | Stats | Schedule/Results
NORTHWESTERN: Roster | Stats | Schedule/Results
Associated Press capsule
WHAT'S AT STAKE: Momentum. The Wolverines have it, and the Wildcats don't. Northwestern blew an 18-point lead in its Big Ten opener against Illinois for its second straight loss. Michigan is coming off lopsided wins over Eastern Michigan (31-3), San Diego State (28-7) and Minnesota (58-0) since that wild, heart-stopping 35-31 victory over Notre Dame, but it hasn't played on the road yet.
KEY MATCHUP: Michigan's defense vs. Northwestern's offense. New coach Brady Hoke made a point to try to turn around Michigan's defense, and so far, the results are good. A group that finished last year ranked 110th is ranked 32nd, but Northwestern could pose problems, particularly now that QB Dan Persa is back.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Michigan: RB Vincent Smith became the first Wolverine to score TD on a run, pass and catch in the same game as Michigan built a 38-0 halftime lead against Minnesota on the way to its most lopsided win since 2000. Northwestern: Persa looked good against Illinois last week after missing the first three games while recuperating from a ruptured right Achilles tendon. He threw for a career-high four touchdowns as the Wildcats built an 18-point lead before leaving in the fourth quarter with soreness in his foot, only to have Illinois rally for a 38-35 win.
FACTS & FIGURES: Michigan has scored on 21 of 22 trips to the red zone this season, with 17 touchdowns. The only time the Wolverines didn't get a point was when they kneeled at the end of the Minnesota game. ... QB Denard Robinson ranks 10th in Michigan history with 28 TD passes and tied for 14th with 25 TD runs. He is also 10th in yards passing (3,551) and 12th in rushing (2,656).
AnnArbor.com coverage
In case you forgot (and apologies if you never wanted to remember), it was Northwestern that made things officially dreadful back in 2008. The Wildcats' 21-14 win at Michigan Stadium was also Michigan's eighth loss of the season. The most losses in a single season in 129 years of football that preceded it.
Brady Hoke's first year as head coach has run considerably smoother than that Rich Rodriguez rookie season. The Wolverines are ranked No. 12 the Associated Press poll (the highest since preseason 2007) and can start 6-0 for the first time since 2006.
Will it continue? Michigan is on the road for the first time this season and facing All-Big Ten quarterback Dan Persa. We've covered both those topics, and plenty more, this week. Here is a compilation of related stories leading up to kickoff:
TODAY
• Michigan's offense and defense have taken opposite paths to similar, dominating results.
• MGoBlue.com video: Brady Hoke on Michigan's first road game of the season.
FRIDAY
• AnnArbor.com Michigan beat reporter Kyle Meinke shows some of that toughness Michigan coach Brady Hoke admires by battling through the cold and flu season to bring you this video preview:
• Meinke offers five intangibles that show Michigan is a better-coached football team under Brady Hoke.
• Michigan biggest weakness so far this season? Kick and punt coverage.
• Our weekly poll: Las Vegas oddsmakers have made Michigan a 7 1/2-point favorite. What do you think?
Michigan center David Molk, center, celebrates with coach Brady Hoke, teammates and the Little Brown Jug after a win over Minnesota last week.
Associated Press
• Almost a Wildcat, Michigan center David Molk now happily parks his Cadillac in Ann Arbor.
• Brady Hoke focusing on road challenges: Crowd noise, playing surface -- and elevators.
• Nick Baumgardner previews the Big Ten game of the week (Ohio State at Nebraska) and the AnnArbor.com sports staff predicts Big Ten games. Play along.
• Our lunchtime chat, ironically, had a lot of chatter about food. Read the transcript here.
• After the Tigers clinched an American League Championship Series appearance with a win over the Yankees late Thursday night, we asked:
WEDNESDAY
• Northwestern's futility once drove Greg Mattison out of coaching, now the Wildcats worry the Michigan defensive coordinator.
• In our weekly Beat Writer Breakdown, Chicago Tribune sportswriter Teddy Greenstein says -- among other things -- that Northwestern may have be better prepared to stop Denard Robinson because the Wildcats have faced back-to-back running quarterbacks in Army’s Trent Steelman and Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase.
TUESDAY
Ryan Van Bergen on Michigan's defense: "Where could we potentially be if we continue to get better? That's the question the defensive guys are asking themselves.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
• Offensive coordinator Al Borges continues to 'empty drawer' with old San Diego Chargers play (plus more, in this notebook from the Michigan coordinators' press conference).
• Michigan WR Junior Hemingway practiced with large wrap on right arm (and more notes from Tuesday's open practice).
• How serious were Pat Fitzgerald-to-Michigan talks? The Northwestern coach says they never took place.
• Associated Press: Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa likely to play against Michigan.
MONDAY
• Michigan says it hasn't scratched the surface on the Denard Robinson-Devin Gardner two-QB formation.
• Defensive tackle Will Campbell receives more praise for his improving play, growing role (and more notes from Brady Hoke's press conference).
• Brady Hoke voted for his team in the Top 25 coaches poll, but says they're 'overrated' at No. 11. (No. 12 in AP poll.)
• Live updates from Hoke's Monday press conference.
Around the Big Ten
• The AnnArbor.com staff is predicting Big Ten games this year. You can play along by voting for your own winner of each game before noon today.
• Minnesota at Purdue, noon, BTN. (Preview)
• Illinois at Indiana, 3:30 p.m., BTN. (Preview)
• Iowa at Penn State, 3:30 p.m., ABC (Preview)
• Ohio State at Nebraska, 8 p.m., ABC. (Preview)
• Idle: Michigan State, Wisconsin.
Comments
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Oct 8, 2011 : 3:56 p.m.
Much improved and still improving, Michigan has more talent and versatility overall this year. Top-notch coaches and a team unity unseen in recent years means Michigan will live up to the task of winning over Northwestern. NU has two losses and if Michigan's defense proves as effective as it appears to be, then NU may well collapse. Very, very unlikely NU will pull of an upset of the New Wolverines. Seeing is believing though, so I'm going to be watching. Mienke mentions U of Ms fan base in the Chicago area: well, other sports journalists point out that Michigan fans sometimes occupy 40% of the Wildcat's stadium on game days. I'd say that's good fan support and it's another factor in this game if they show up in that strength.
RWBill
Sat, Oct 8, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
Other: I'll watch Michigan live, record the Tigers and catch up, and get up dates and record the RED WINGS for most of their game that starts at 9 pm in Colorado. Remember the Red Wings? This IS Hockeytown for a reason, you know, the only local pro team with 4 championships in 14 years. Yeah, it's only game #2 of the 82 game pre-season, but I will still take that one in AFTER the Wolverines and Tigers. What a great time to be a fan of Michigan sports, eh? (Beat Da Bears MNF!)