Rutgers has one of those rare chances this week to brush up against a memory that still matters in Piscataway: the first Big Ten win in program history, which came against Michigan back in 2014. On Saturday, the Scarlet Knights get the Wolverines again, this time with both teams trying to steady themselves after rough stretches.
Greg Schiano’s group comes in at 2-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play after getting hammered 42-14 by No. 24 Northwestern in Evanston last Saturday. Rutgers will try to answer that loss without starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan and possibly without star wide receiver KJ Duff, two absences that could make an already difficult assignment even tougher.
Michigan arrives at 4-3 and 1-3, and the matchup sets up a stark contrast: a Michigan defense that looks elite against a Rutgers offense that may be forced to play short-handed, while the Scarlet Knights’ defense tries to hold up against a Michigan attack that has been hard to trust.
The game kicks off Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
The Rutgers Rant crew laid out their picks, with the current standings showing Brian Fonseca at 4-3 straight up and 2-5 against the spread, and Steve Politi at 3-4 straight up and 1-6 against the spread.
Politi doesn’t see enough offense from Rutgers to make this competitive, even if the Scarlet Knights can find some success against Michigan’s defense. The bigger issue, in his view, is Rutgers’ own inability to get stops.
“Even if Rutgers managed to score points against an elite Michigan defense, it is hard to see how the Scarlet Knights would score enough of them given how poorly their own defense has played this season. It doesn’t matter than the Wolverines have averaged just over two touchdowns a game against their six non-UTEP opponents this season. Rutgers can’t stop anybody.”
Fonseca’s read is different in one key way: he thinks Rutgers’ defense has found a matchup that may not solve all its problems, but could at least expose how bad Michigan’s offense has been. Still, he doesn’t think that changes the outcome.
“The Rutgers defense will meet its match with Michigan’s offense, which has looked unfathomably dreadful considering it has a five-star quarterback on its roster. But the Wolverines will put up some points, and the Scarlet Knights offense will have no hope of keeping up. Without their starting quarterback or best receiver, there is a high likelihood of more interceptions than touchdowns from whoever is behind center.”
In Other News...
Rutgers Faces Early Michigan Trouble With One Big Question Still Looming
Rutgers walked into Saturdays meeting with Michigan knowing the margin for error was slim, and the first half only sharpened that reality. The game at noon on the Big Ten Network came with the usual pregame injury watch on both sides, but the early action quickly shifted the focus to execution, field position and whether Rutgers could settle in before the Wolverines seized control.
Michigan had already built a 14-3 lead by halftime behind touchdown plays from JJ Buchanan and Jordan Marshall, leaving Rutgers with plenty to clean up after two quarters. The bigger question for the Scarlet Knights now is whether they can find enough offense to make the second half competitive, especially with every update from the sideline carrying added weight in a game that was supposed to be defined by the details. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Let Michigan Hang Around And Paid For It Late
Rutgers had plenty of chances to tilt Saturdays game its way and never quite cashed in, which made the final stretch against Michigan feel especially costly. Missed field goals and a few key defensive stops left the Scarlet Knights in position to seize control, and there were bright spots on both sides of the ball, including a more active defense and a ground game that got real production from Antwan Raymond and Clay Thevenin.
AJ Suraces stat line was uneven, but he did connect on a touchdown strike, and the defense got encouraging work from JJ Conyers and Rondo Porter even as Michigan kept finding ways to stay alive. The frustration for Rutgers is that the effort was there, the game was there, and the result slipped away late, leaving the Scarlet Knights to regroup with Wisconsin coming next and the health of Dylan Lonergan and KJ Duff something worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Has A Third-Down Problem That Just Wont Go Away
Rutgers defense spent too much of Saturday chasing the sticks, and the result was another frustrating loss in a game that was there to be won. Michigan kept extending drives in a 28-21 victory, repeatedly finding answers on third down and putting the Scarlet Knights in long stretches of survival mode instead of control.
Greg Schiano acknowledged afterward that the issue has become a recurring one, even if he did not have an immediate explanation for why it keeps happening. Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr helped turn those extended possessions into points, guiding the decisive drive with his arm and legs as Rutgers was left to wonder how many more chances it can afford to give away in games like this. [Read more 🡒]