Northwestern stuns unbeaten Michigan 19-17 for second straight Big Ten victory
ANN ARBOR, MI — Northwestern continued its winning ways Saturday, holding off previously unbeaten Michigan 19-17 for its second consecutive two-point victory.
Quarterback Luke Kromenhoek led the Wildcats with 362 yards of total offense, completing 26 of 38 passes for 278 yards while adding 84 rushing yards on just 10 carries.
Despite Kromenhoek's production, Northwestern struggled to finish drives in the end zone and relied heavily on kicker Jake Walters, who accounted for 13 of the Wildcats' 19 points.
Walters converted four field goals and an extra point, providing the difference in a tightly contested Big Ten matchup.
The victory improved Northwestern to 4-1, marking its second consecutive narrow win following a 30-28 victory over Indiana. The Wildcats have now handed previously unbeaten opponents their first losses in back-to-back games.
Michigan suffered its first defeat of the season, falling to 5-1 after entering the matchup with a perfect record.
While Northwestern's offense generated plenty of yardage, the Wildcats' inability to consistently reach the end zone kept Michigan within striking distance. Still, Northwestern did enough to preserve the victory and continue building momentum in conference play.
The Wildcats return home to face USC on Thursday at 9 p.m., looking to extend their winning streak to three games.
Michigan looks to rebound when it hosts Nebraska on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
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