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It was a game that wasn’t at all fun, then it was kind of fun, then not fun again, then a thrilling finish for Michigan football on Saturday night in Piscataway.
And now, the Wolverines are 2-3 on the season, with an opportunity to get back to .500 next week with a winless Penn State team coming to town.
But, before we move ahead, courtesy of MGoBlue.com, there are multiple things you may not have known about Michigan football’s more-exciting-than-anticipated win over Rutgers at SHI Stadium.
- The Wolverines got back in the win column on Saturday night, prevailing for the sixth straight time in the series against Rutgers and improving to 6-1 all-time against the Scarlet Knights.
- U-M also improved to 2-1 in night games this season. The Wolverines have won five of their last seven night games.
- Today marked Michigan’s first overtime game since defeating Army, 24-21, on Sept. 7, 2019, in Ann Arbor. U-M improved to 13-3 all-time in overtime contests since 2000.
- Michigan’s 17-point comeback tied the third largest come-from-behind victory in program history and tied the second-biggest comeback on the road. The program record in both categories is the 21-point margin that U-M overcame in a 28-7 win at Minnesota in 2003.
- The Wolverines’ first lead, 28-27, came at 13:38 in the fourth quarter on Mike Sainristil’s touchdown catch from Cade McNamara and the ensuing PAT from Quinn Nordin.
- Sophomore Zach Carpenter made his first career start at center, subbing for fifth-year senior Andrew Vastardis, who missed the Rutgers game due to injury. Tonight was the third different starting offensive line that U-M has used in five games this season.
- Freshman defensive back Andre Seldon became the 22nd player to make his U-M debut this season, appearing on special teams against Rutgers.
- Michigan played without offensive tackles Ryan Hayes and Jalen Mayfield for the third straight game, and defensive end Kwity Paye missed his second consecutive contest.
- The fumble by sophomore wide Cornelius Johnson on the opening series of the game was the first fumble lost by the Wolverines all season. It was the 245th offensive play of the season before the Wolverines lost their first fumble.
- Sophomore quarterback Cade McNamara recorded career highs in all passing categories after entering the game in the second quarter, completing 27-of-36 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns. McNamara entered the game with just 10 career attempts and 87 yards through two previous appearances this season. McNamara’s four touchdown passes were the most for a U-M quarterback since Shea Patterson threw for five against Indiana last season (Nov. 23, 2019).
- Johnson posted his first collegiate multi-touchdown game with a 46-yard catch in the second quarter and a nine-yard grab in the fourth. He owns three touchdowns on the season and four in his career. Johnson also boasted a career-best 105 receiving yards on five catches. He is the second Wolverine to register a 100-yard receiving game this season, joining Ronnie Bell, who posted 149 yards at Indiana (Nov. 7).
- McNamara’s 46-yard touchdown pass to Johnson in the second quarter was a career long for both Wolverines and the second longest pass play of the year for U-M — behind Joe Milton’s 53-yard completion to Ronnie Bell at Indiana — and the longest passing touchdown of the season.
- Junior running back Hassan Haskins used a one-yard rush to score the game-winning touchdown in the third overtime — his fourth touchdown of the season and eighth of his career. Haskins carried the ball 22 times against Rutgers for 110 yards, the most by a Wolverine this season. It was the third 100-yard rushing game of his career. His career best is 149 yards against Notre Dame last season.
- It was the first time that Michigan posted a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver since the 2018 Maryland game (Oct. 16, 2018), when Karan Higdon ran for 106 yards on 25 carries and Zach Gentry earned 112 receiving yards on seven catches.
- Sophomore wide receiver Giles Jackson posted a 95-yard return for a touchdown off the second half’s opening kick to post his fourth career touchdown — and second off a kick return. His previous kick return for a touchdown was also U-M’s last kick return for a touchdown — a 97-yard effort off the opening kickoff at Maryland in 2019.
- Graduate student tight end Nick Eubanks posted his first touchdown of the season, and sixth of career, on an eight-yard reception in the third quarter. He is the sixth different Wolverine to score a receiving touchdown this season.
- Sophomore wide receiver Mike Sainristil scored his second touchdown of the season, and third of his career, on a six-yard reception in the fourth quarter. He posted a career-high four catches — three was his previous best — for 44 yards.
- Sophomore defensive back Daxton Hill’s game-ending interception in the end zone in the third overtime was his first interception of the season and second of his career.
- Sophomore defensive lineman Christopher Hinton earned his first collegiate sack, for a loss of seven yards, in the first quarter.
- Senior linebacker Josh Ross, who led the Wolverine defense with 11 tackles, recorded his second career sack, for a 11-yard loss, in the fourth quarter.
- Graduate student kicker Quinn Nordin, despite missing three field goals to snap his streak of 12 consecutive made, went 6-for-6 on PATs to move to 10th among Michigan’s all-time career points leaders with 246, passing Anthony Carter (244, 1979-82). Nordin needs six more to reach the ninth spot, currently held by Denard Robinson (252, 2009-12).