The Michigan Wolverines secured a thrilling 24-22 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday afternoon, improving their season record to 8-2. Here are the key takeaways from Michigan’s hard-fought win.

### Turnovers Galore

Michigan committed five turnovers in the game and still managed to come out on top. The last time Michigan turned the ball over five times was on January 1, 2018, in an Outback Bowl loss to South Carolina. Typically, that many turnovers is a recipe for disaster, but Michigan somehow survived despite the mistakes.

### Zvada Misses Twice, But Nails the Game-Winner

Kicker Dominic Zvada had a rollercoaster day, missing field goals from 34 and 60 yards earlier in the game. However, with the game on the line, he delivered a clutch 31-yard field goal as time expired to give Michigan the 24-22 win. The kick sailed into the right field bleachers of Wrigley Field, providing a fitting walk-off moment in this iconic baseball stadium.

### Underwood’s Up and Down Day

Quarterback Bryce Underwood finished 21-of-32 for 280 yards with two interceptions, in addition to rushing for 30 yards and a rushing touchdown. Both interceptions came on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter and were thrown directly to Northwestern defenders. Despite those mistakes, Underwood earned credit for several key completions on Michigan’s game-winning drive. His accurate throws across short, intermediate, and deep routes showed promise. While there were some discouraging plays, overall it was an encouraging performance.

### Andrew Marsh Is Phenomenal

Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh had a breakout performance with 12 receptions for 189 yards. He made a crucial sideline catch featuring some impressive toe-dragging skills on Michigan’s game-winning drive. Marsh is a versatile weapon—an excellent route runner, dangerous in open space, and possesses great speed with reliable hands. He has clearly established himself as Michigan’s WR1.

### Semaj Morgan Shouldn’t Be Returning Punts

Semaj Morgan’s snaps at wide receiver have decreased in recent weeks, partly due to his struggles—he now has eight drops on the season with a 29.6% drop rate. His performance as a punt returner has also been problematic. Morgan rarely generates significant yardage on returns, recently called for an unnecessary fair catch at the five-yard line, and fumbled a punt against Northwestern. That turnover led to a Northwestern field goal, cutting Michigan’s lead to 14-9.

While it’s important not to be overly critical when a player is struggling, Morgan’s level of play is not meeting Michigan’s standards, and he should not be returning punts. It’s worth noting that Andrew Marsh took over punt returns for the remainder of the game.

### It Felt Like a Michigan Home Game

Although the game was played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, it felt very much like a Michigan home game. An estimated 80% of the crowd were Michigan fans, and the stadium was loud when Northwestern had the ball. “Let’s go Blue!” chants echoed throughout the afternoon. Michigan has truly become Chicago’s Big Ten team, even with Northwestern located just down the road in beautiful Evanston.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/takeaways-michigan-football-win-over-221031790.html