Northwestern vs Michigan -- Football Postgame Notes

Sept. 29, 2007

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2007 Northwestern Football
Northwestern vs. Michigan
Sept. 29, 2007 • Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.
Post-Game Notes

Northwestern Notes

Northwestern fell to 2-3 overall (0-2 Big Ten) with the 28-16 loss to Michigan. Northwestern is on the road next Saturday, playing at 23rd-ranked Michigan State (11 a.m. CT, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.)

Northwestern outgained Michigan, 417 to 380 yards in total offense, marking the third time in five games this season that NU has tallied more total yards than its opposition.

RB Omar Conteh scored his first career rushing touchdown with a 49-yard scamper, the longest run from scrimmage of his career, and NU's longest run of the season.

Conteh totaled a career-best 115 rushing yards (on 15 carries) to lead all ball carriers. His 115 yards and 7.7 ypc average are both career bests. His 15 carries equal a career-best mark set last week at Ohio State.

Conteh's four receptions are a single-game career high, as was his 139 all-purpose yards.

PK Amado Villareal's 49-yard field goal is his career longest field goal and NU's longest since David Wasielewski booted a 51-yarder in 2002. Two of Villarreal's field goals this year have exceeded 40 yards (46-yarder vs. Nevada).

Villareal's three field goals are a single-game high. He has been successful on all seven field goal attempts this season. He has yet to miss on 11 PAT attempts and leads NU this season with 32 points.

QB C.J. Bachér's 289 passing yards marks his second-highest single-game career total. He completed passes to six different receivers today. He moved from 16th to 13th place on NU's all-time passing yardage list.

Bachér, who ranked fourth in Big Ten total offense at the start of the day (250.3 ypg), had 289 yards of total offense.

Bachér's 64-yard pass to WR Rasheed Ward stand as career longs for both players. That play was the first of the game and led to a 27-yard field goal by Villarreal.

Ward's 86 receiving yards is a single game career best, while his 111 all-purpose yards ranks second most for NU today.

WR Ross Lane became the 26th player in NU history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for career receiving yardage. He finished with six receptions for 87 yards. Lane now has 1,045 career reception yards.

WR Ross Lane caught a team-high six passes for 87 yards today. The six receptions are tied for the third-most of his career.

RB Stephen Simmons, who scored on a 99-yard kickoff return last week at Ohio State, followed up with a 52-yard return today, the second-longest return of his career. He finished today's game with 99 yards on three returns. In two games, Simmons is averaging a team-best 38.3 yards per return (six returns).

DT John Gill led all Wildcats with a personal-best 10 tackles, eclipsing his single-game best of seven, set against Michigan last year.

LB Adam Kadela added to his team-leading tackle total today with nine hits. He now leads all NU players with 48 tackles.

LB Quentin Davie made his first career start today (in place of the injured Prince Kwateng) and registered a career-high six tackles (four solos) as well as a pass breakup.

Northwestern, which had been outscored 89-34 in the first half this season, outscored Michigan 16-7 in the first half. The Wildcats, who had outscored their opposition 23-7 in the fourth quarter, were outscored 14-0 by the Wolverines in the fourth quarter. Northwestern committed four of its season-high five turnovers in the final frame.

Michigan Notes

Michigan claimed its 52nd victory in 68 all-time games against Northwestern (52-14-2).

The Wolverines improved to 18-7 overall at Ryan Field.

Lloyd Carr won his 40th career road game (40-20).

Michigan's defense forced five turnovers at Northwestern, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Senior quarterback Chad Henne returned to the lineup at Northwestern. Henne made his 40th career start after missing the past two-and-half contests due to injury.

With his 11-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham at 8:57 of the first quarter, Henne broke a tie with John Navarre (72 TDs, 2000-03) for the Michigan career passing touchdown record.

Henne played the first series of the game and the entire second half. He completed 18-of-27 passes for 193 yards and threw three touchdowns.

Senior tailback Mike Hart rushed 30 times for 106 yards and scored one rushing touchdown.

Hart has rushed for over 100 yards in all five games.

Hart scored the game-clinching touchdown, a one-yard run over the left side, with xx left in the fourth quarter. It was Hart's 34th career rushing TD, tying him with Rick Leach (1975-78) for fourth place on Michigan's career rushing touchdown list.

Hart made his 40th consecutive start at tailback.

Junior wide receiver Mario Manningham set a career high with 10 receptions for 123 yards in the Northwestern game. His previous best was eight catches against Oregon (Sept. 8, 2007).

Manningham's 11-yard TD reception moved him into a tie for eighth place on Michigan's career receiving touchdown list. He has 17 career touchdowns.

Manningham surpassed the 100-yard mark receiving for the second time this season and for the sixth time in his career with 123 yards against Northwestern.

Senior wide receiver Adrian Arrington was key in the clutch, catching seven passes for 90 yards against Northwestern. He caught the game-winning touchdown, a 16-yard touchdown pass from Henne, on a third-down slant pass midway through the fourth quarter.

Junior tight end Carson Butler caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Henne in the third quarter (5:45). It was Butler's first reception of the game and first receiving TD of the season. His only previous touchdown catch came on a seven-yard pass from Henne against Ball State last season (Nov. 4, 2006).

Fifth-year senior outside linebacker Shawn Crable led the defense with five tackles for loss at Northwestern, tying for the fifth-best single-game total in school history.

Crable reached double digits in tackle for loss with his stop of quarterback C.J. Bacher three yards behind the line of scrimmage at the 3:32 mark of the first quarter.

Crable led the defense with 10 tackles against Northwestern, including five TFLs, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He has six tackles and three TFLs in the first half.

Senior safety Brandent Englemon contributed nine tackles and one pass breakup at Northwestern. It was his 40th career game played in the winged helmet.

Senior linebacker Chris Graham made his 100 career tackle in the Northwestern game, collecting the stop on the Wildcats' second drive of the first quarter. Graham made seven stops, one TFL and one pass breakup in the game.

Senior defensive end Tim Jamison and sophomore inside linebacker Obi Ezeh collected their first career interceptions in the Northwestern game. Jamison returned his pick 37 yards and Ezeh had a six-yard interception return.

In addition to his interception, Jamison contributed four tackles, two TFLs and one sack against the Wildcats.

Ezeh made his second career start, collecting four tackles and the interception. His pick set up Hart's one-yard TD run.

Junior punter Zoltan Mesko boomed a 60-yard punt at the 13:19 mark of the third quarter that pinned the Wildcats at the one-yard line. Mesko's career best punt was 64 yards against Michigan State in 2006.

Junior tight end Chris McLaurin was the special teams captain at Northwestern.

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern vs Michigan -- Football Postgame Notes

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Players Mentioned

C.J. Bachér

Omar Conteh

Quentin Davie

John Gill

Prince Kwateng

Ross Lane

Stephen Simmons

Rasheed Ward

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