Freshman duo have career days, help Michigan avoid Northwestern upset

CHICAGO – Andrew Marsh gripped the game ball tightly following Michigan football’s last-second 24-22 win over Northwestern.

The grip symbolized how often the ball found the redshirt freshman Saturday at Wrigley Field, as the No. 17 Wolverines avoided an upset at the hands of the Wildcats. Michigan needed every last one of Marsh’s 12 catches on 15 targets from quarterback Bryce Underwood.

“It means the world to me,” Marsh said with a smile as he was asked about his record-breaking performance. “Just to be able to have a chance, opportunity to come out with the team. … I work hard every week, just having an opportunity to do something like that, to make history.”

Marsh’s biggest catch happened to be his 12th and final one, which went for 21 yards on 3rd-and-10 from the Michigan 37-yard line with 1:58 left in the game. He dove toward the centerfield sideline at the “Friendly Confines” for a ball from Underwood. Not only did he make the catch, but he also did a toe-tap to complete the process.

That final catch set up the game-winning 31-yard field goal from kicker Dominic Zvada.

“It felt great,” Marsh said of the catch. ‘Bryce gave me a chance to go catch it. Really, just had to make something happen. I feel like it’s something we’ve been working on, especially since I got here in December.”

Marsh finished the game with 12 catches for 189 yards, both of which represented Michigan freshman records since at least 1979.

“He just did what we thought,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “I didn’t know he’d have 12 for 189, but he had a good day just because of how he practices and how he prepares. He’s just taking that next step as a playmaker.’

Marsh’s previous best game was an eight-reception, 138-yard performance against USC on Oct. 11.

“We just made every opportunity count,” Underwood said. “When I threw him the ball, he made the opportunity count.”

Bryce Underwood stats: Michigan QB sets pace

Underwood opened the game completing his first nine passes. That is the best start for a Michigan QB since J.J. McCarthy started a 2023 game against UNLV 13-of-13 passing on Sept. 9, 2023.

Underwood finished with a career-best 280 passing yards.

“There were some incredible plays he’s making,” Moore said of Underwood. “The throw he made to Andrew on the sideline was a dime. It was a dot.”

That’s not to say it was a perfect day for Underwood, who finished 21-of-32 passing but tossed two interceptions. The first one set up Northwestern, taking its first lead of the game at 22-21 with 12:10 remaining. The second came with just over nine minutes left, with the Wolverines driving with a chance to take the lead.

Underwood also had a fumble on a botched handoff to backup running back Bryson Kudzal on 4th-and-1 from the Northwestern 25-yard line with 4:20 left.

Altogether, Michigan turned the ball over five times but still pulled out the win.

“I haven’t been part of a five-turnover game and won the game,” Moore said. “The last time Michigan had (that many turnovers) was against South Carolina in 2019, and we lost.

“The fumble happened, we’re going to take that on as coaches, not the players. But at the end of the day, we found a way to win. And that’s the most important piece.”