Michigan Enters Rutgers With Two Availability Questions Fans Will Watch

Key players on both sides face uncertainty in Michigan's pivotal Big Ten clash against Rutgers this Saturday.

Michigan will head into Saturday’s trip to Rutgers with a pair of key starters still in limbo, while the Scarlet Knights will be without their starting quarterback.

On the latest Big Ten availability report released Wednesday, Michigan right tackle Blake Frazier and safety Rod Moore were listed as questionable for the Oct. 31 game at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. Frazier missed the Indiana game, and Moore was limited last weekend after leaving the Penn State game the week before on a cart with an apparent right ankle injury.

Rutgers, meanwhile, will be missing Dylan Lonergan. The starting quarterback exited last week’s game at Northwestern in the first quarter after taking a hit to the head, and he will not be available against Michigan. The Scarlet Knights also have 6-foot-6 receiver KJ Duff listed as doubtful.

Michigan also put safety Jordan Young and defensive tackle Enow Etta on the questionable list. Linebacker Troy Bowles and center Jake Guarnera were listed as probable, while tackle Andrew Sprague remains out after missing time since starting the first two games of the season with an undisclosed injury.

Moore’s status is especially notable for a player whose role and history have made every appearance a little more fragile. The three-time captain played limited snaps against Indiana, and safeties coach Tyler Stockton said Wednesday that Moore has been able to practice “a little bit” this week. Moore also missed the 2024 season and most of the 2025 season after several knee surgeries.

“Obviously with Rod, with his history, it’s a day-to-day deal,” Stockton said. “But he’s a he’s a warrior, and that’s what you love about him.

There’s no sitting out. He’s like, ‘I’m gonna find a way to play to help my teammates.’”

Frazier’s situation is still unsettled as well. Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday on his radio show that he didn’t know whether the right tackle could return for Rutgers after freshman Marky Walbridge filled in against Indiana.

"Boy, we sure hope so,” Whittingham said. “Time will tell."

Michigan enters the game 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play. Rutgers is 2-5 overall and also 1-3 in the conference.

Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

In Other News...

Michigans Next AD Could Decide More Than Wolverines Fans Realize

Warde Manuels decision to step down at the end of December has put Michigan into the kind of search that tends to ripple well beyond the athletic department. The Wolverines are looking for a new athletic director at a time when the football program is already under pressure, and that means the hire will not just be about administration or fundraising. It could shape how the school approaches one of its biggest public-facing decisions in the months ahead.

Among the names circulating are Candice Story Lee of Vanderbilt, Katie Fraumann, who has ties to Michigan, and David Benedict of UConn. Each brings a different background, but the common thread is the same: this is a hire that may define the direction of the department as much as any move on the field. For Michigan fans, the real intrigue is not only who gets the job, but how quickly that person decides the Wolverines need a different path in football. [Read more 🡒]

Michigan Still Has One Problem It Must Solve Before Rutgers

Michigan still has one major decision hanging over it before Rutgers, and it is the sort that can shape everything else on the field. Kyle Whittingham has not settled on a starting quarterback, with freshman Tommy Carr and sophomore Bryce Underwood both in the mix after uneven recent showings. Carr flashed some promise even while dealing with turnovers and sacks, while Underwood has struggled in his last two starts but still carries a leadership presence inside the program.

The next few days of practice will go a long way toward sorting it out, with the staff planning to use those reps to narrow the competition and make the call closer to game time. For Michigan, it is more than just a roster question. The Wolverines are trying to find the steadier option before a conference game that can help set the tone for the stretch ahead, and the answer at quarterback remains the biggest unresolved piece. [Read more 🡒]

Michigans Run Game Faces Its Biggest Test Yet At Rutgers

Michigan is heading into a game at Rutgers needing its ground attack to do a lot of the heavy lifting. The Wolverines have leaned on the run game as the most reliable part of an offense that has struggled in several areas this season, and the matchup looks favorable on paper, with Rutgers sitting near the bottom of the Big Ten in run defense. Even with Michigan favored by 14.5 points, this has the feel of a game where the Wolverines need their identity to show up early rather than rely on another tight finish.

The broader concern is that Michigan has already spent much of the season playing closer games than expected and surviving on the margins more often than it would like. Against Rutgers, the path is fairly clear: establish the run, control the pace and avoid giving an underdog enough chances to hang around. If the Wolverines cannot do that against the conferences weakest run defense, it would say plenty about where this offense really stands heading into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]