Northwestern Tops Central Michigan 34-7 in Bowl Game

DETROIT — Northwestern defeated Central Michigan 34-7 in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday at Ford Field, capitalizing on four turnovers to extend its postseason winning streak to six games.

Quarterback Preston Stone threw three touchdown passes for the Wildcats, who improved to 7-6 with the victory. The win marked Northwestern's first bowl appearance since a 45-6 loss to Pittsburgh in the 2015 Outback Bowl, solidifying a run of success in late-season matchups. Central Michigan, finishing at 7-6, fell to 0-3 against Big Ten opponents in bowl games, with all three defeats occurring at Ford Field, including losses to Purdue in the 2007 Motor City Bowl and to Minnesota in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl.

The Chippewas had an early chance to score after stopping Northwestern on fourth-and-1 at the Wildcats' 34-yard line, but kicker Cade Graham missed a 43-yard field goal attempt. The game remained scoreless until midway through the second quarter, when Northwestern defensive back Braden Turner intercepted a pass from Central Michigan quarterback Angel Flores at the Chippewas' 29-yard line. Three plays later, Stone connected with receiver Griffin Wilde for a 23-yard touchdown, giving...