PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB John Moten IV will assume the bulk of the workload in Northwestern’s rushing attack, but has not seen significant playing time since 2016, when he rushed 57 times for 340 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman.
–WR Bennett Skowronek caught seven passes for 88 yards, as well as a critical late touchdown that brought the Wildcats within one score in a 39-34 loss to Akron on Sept. 15. As the Northwestern offense reinvents itself with the loss of its leading rusher, Skowronek’s role in the pass game should become even more significant.
–LB Paddy Fisher leads Northwestern in tackles through three games with 28 and ranks third in the conference in total tackles. Fisher will need to continue his tenacious play if Northwestern hopes to stop Michigan’s ground attack, which averages 212 rushing yards per game.
–K Charlie Kuhbander has made 14-of-19 career field goal attempts and 52-of-53 extra points, but his career-long field goal is just 40 yards. As the Wildcats prepare to face the best defense in the conference and the third-ranked defense nationally, Kuhbander could play a key role in Saturday’s game if field position becomes an issue for Northwestern’s offense.
SERIES HISTORY: Michigan leads Northwestern 57-15-2, including a 38-0 shutout in their most recent meeting in 2015.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “You fess it, you fix it, and it starts and ends with me. We’ve got to do a lot better job coaching, and I’ve got to do a lot better job with this squad, and we’ll do that. Our backs are against the wall from a standpoint of overall record, but we’ve got a lot of football ahead of us, a lot of season ahead of us, and this bye week comes at a time when we can really work our tails off to improve, and I fully expect that our guys will.” — Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald after back-to-back home losses.