Kalel Mullings ran for a career-high 92 yards and three touchdowns to lead Michigan to a 50-6 win over Northwestern on Saturday, making the defending national champions bowl eligible.
The Wolverines (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) needed the win to secure a spot in the postseason as they will be heavy underdogs next week against rival and second-ranked Ohio State at the road.
The Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) likely knock themselves out of bowl contention by losing for the fourth time in five games.
Michigan’s Aamir Hall made a diving interception on the opening drive and Mullings had a 2-yard run on the ensuing possession for his first of three scores. He had two touchdown runs in the third quarter.
Luke Akers made field goals on consecutive drives in the second quarter to cut Northwestern’s deficit to 10-6 and the Wolverines scored the next 40 points.
Davis Warren started the scoring barrage with a three-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland with eight seconds left in the first half.
Donovan Edwards and Tavierre Dunlap each had a 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, when the Wolverines also had a field goal and safety in their highest-scoring game since they had 52 points twice last season.
Warren had career highs with 26 completions and 35 pass attempts for 195 yards, his second-highest total, with a touchdown and an interception.
Northwestern’s Jack Lausch was 10 of 21 for 106 yards and matched a career-high with two interceptions.
Bryce Underwood, who reversed his commitment to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU, posed for a photo with sign-stealer Connor Stalions before taking the field during pregame warmups.
The top-rated quarterback played at Belleville High School, where Stalions was a volunteer coach for the team during the playoffs. Earlier this fall, Stalion was a volunteer defensive coordinator at Detroit Mumford High School.
It was a good week for college football’s winningest program. Sherrone Moore landed Underwood, a much-needed quarterback, and led the team to a victory to earn a bowl bid after postseason play was put in doubt by losing four of the previous five games.
Michigan visits the Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1, CFP No. 2) on Saturday and is expected to easily snap a three-game losing streak against the three-time defending Big Ten champions.
