Northwestern vs. Michigan: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

The Michigan Wolverines' ascent under head coach Jim Harbaugh continued in a huge way Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the No. 18 Wolverines handed the No. 13 Northwestern Wildcats their first loss of the season in a 38-0 blowout.

The Wildcats entered the game with a 5-0 record and the best scoring defense in the nation among FBS teams, allowing seven points per contest, but Michigan's defense took center stage as it registered its third consecutive shutout, per Michigan Football on Twitter:

According to Michael Spath of TheWolverine.com, this marks the first time since 1980 that the Wolverines have accomplished the feat. Also, per SportsCenter, no FBS team has held their opponents scoreless in 12 straight quarters since the dominant Alabama defense of 2012:

Michigan improved to 5-1 on the year and 2-0 in Big Ten play, which allowed it to keep pace with No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Michigan State in the East Division.

Michigan outgained Northwestern 380-168 in terms of total yardage and forced the Wildcats to punt eight times. Also, while he didn't need to do much, Michigan senior quarterback Jake Rudock was efficient to the tune of 17-of-23 passing for 179 yards.

The Wolverines had reeled off four dominant wins in a row ahead of Saturday's game, and it became apparent from the start that they were in line to score another one against the Wildcats.

Northwestern's opening kickoff was four yards short of the end zone, and senior wide receiver Jehu Chesson made the Wildcats pay by taking it 96 yards to the house, helping put Michigan on top 7-0 just 13 seconds into the game. Michigan on BTN shared the footage:

After forcing the Wildcats into a quick three-and-out, Michigan struck again on its first offensive possession as senior running back Drake Johnson finished off a seven-play drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge.

As ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, Northwestern was likely shell-shocked after those events, considering its defensive success in the previous five games:

Northwestern junior kicker Jack Mitchell missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt on the next drive, which put the ball back in the hands of Rudock and Michigan.

The Wolverines made the Wildcats pay once again with a six-play, 75-yard drive in just over three minutes that resulted in Rudock keeping the ball for a two-yard touchdown run with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter.

Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports put Michigan's 21-0 advantage into perspective:

Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press pointed out another accolade the Wolverines picked up against the previously impenetrable Northwestern defense:

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports couldn't help but marvel at how much of a difference Harbaugh has made at his alma mater in such a short period of time:

Northwestern desperately tried to get things going late in the first half with the 21-point deficit still in place, but that led to a miscue deep in its own territory.

Freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson attempted to find junior wide receiver Mike McHugh down the sidelines and initially appeared to have a completion, but junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis wrestled it away and returned it 37 yards for a score, helping Michigan take a 28-0 lead.

As seen in this video from Michigan on BTN, Lewis made a remarkable play to come away with the football:

Perhaps it shouldn't come as much of a surprise, though, since Lewis ranks as the top cornerback in college football, per PFF College.

The Wildcats were already facing an uphill climb, but that pick-six sealed their fate ahead of halftime.

Here is a look at the first-half statistical breakdown, courtesy of the Big Ten Network on Twitter:

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald's locker-room pep talk didn't seem to work as the Wildcats again punted on their first drive, while Michigan answered with a 47-yard field goal from senior kicker Kenny Allen to make it 31-0 less than five minutes into the third quarter.

Ever the perfectionist, Harbaugh was into the game even with his team ahead by an insurmountable margin, as seen in this Vine, courtesy of Barstool Sports:

While Michigan's performance was nearly perfect Saturday, there was one negative in the third quarter, as linebacker James Ross was flagged for targeting and ejected from the game after a hit on Northwestern fullback Dan Vitale.

Per Larry Lage of the Associated Press, that means Ross will have to sit out for the first half of next week's game against rival Michigan State.

The Wolverines pressed on without Ross, though, and put an exclamation point on their victory with just 2:18 remaining in the fourth quarter when junior running back Derrick Green rushed for the team's fifth and final touchdown of the day to help make it 38-0.

That allowed Michigan's defense to finish off the shutout and preserve an emphatic victory over a Big Ten rival.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg doesn't believe Harbaugh can possibly be given enough credit for what the Michigan football program has become in 2015:

Michigan entered the season with the expectation of improvement under Harbaugh, but few figured the Wolverines would become major players in the Big Ten immediately.

After catching wind of what happened in Ann Arbor, however, New York Times sports author John U. Bacon speculated that Ohio State and Michigan State may have started to take notice:

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network believes those three teams could be in for a long run of success, largely because of the men who are in charge on the sidelines:

There were plenty of question marks surrounding Michigan following its season-opening 24-17 loss to Utah, but now that the Utes look to be a great team and the Wolverines are rolling, that defeat isn't anything to be embarrassed about.

Michigan conquered its first major challenge in the Big Ten on Saturday, but things will get tougher moving forward as it will play the Spartans next week and face off against Penn State and Ohio State in its final two games of the regular season.

The Wolverines have been dominant defensively and efficient offensively, which gives them a chance to potentially vie for a spot in the College Football Playoff, although the road ahead will be a difficult one.

They handled what was supposed to be a strong Northwestern team with relative ease, and while the Wildcats' viability is now in question, there is little doubt that Michigan is a force to be reckoned with in major college football.

Postgame Reaction

It hasn’t been overly surprising to see Michigan make strides offensively due to Harbaugh’s status as a former quarterback, but there is no doubt that defense has been the primary driving force behind the Wolverines' excellent start.

Harbaugh acknowledges his defense’s excellence and praised it for not allowing Northwestern to get anything going, according to Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News:

Fitzgerald was hugely impressed with Michigan’s defense as well after watching his team get shut down Saturday, according to Kyle Bogie of 97.1 The Ticket:

Star sophomore safety Jabrill Peppers has been a big part of Michigan’s defensive success, and believes that three consecutive shutouts are a reflection of the team’s desire to dominate, per Chengelis:

Michigan has a storied history, but it has been an afterthought in the Big Ten over the past several years.

That certainly isn’t the case in 2015, and Lewis made it clear that the way the Wolverines are playing right now is the level at which they should perform on a weekly basis, according to Snyder:

As has been the case throughout the season, Harbaugh once again complimented his team for its effort, which was on full display throughout Saturday’s game, per Snyder:

With a win over Northwestern now under their belts, the Wolverines’ focus will now shift toward Michigan State and the huge clash looming against the Spartans next week.

Harbaugh knows how big of a challenge it will be and is already prepared to start game-planning for a contest that promises to have a huge impact on the Big Ten standings:

While Michigan State is a huge increase in competition compared to the teams the Wolverines have faced in recent weeks, Harbaugh is confident in his team’s ability to go toe-to-toe with one of the top squads in college football:

Michigan is not only winning on a consistent basis, but it is doing so emphatically and not even giving its opponents a chance to be competitive.

That was the case once again Saturday, and while it seems unlikely that will happen against Michigan State, Harbaugh has given the Wolverines a type of confidence and swagger they haven’t possessed in a very long time.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.