[jwplayer cvU9zIUO-XNcErKyb]
1-3 was a fair prediction for the record for Rutgers Scarlet Knights this season heading into this matchup. Well, while Rutgers is 1-3, so are the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan hasn’t been able to win since it beat Minnesota on opening weekend. This week, both teams look to grab its second win of the season and try and put some life back into its final five games.
Michigan would start the game on defense and quickly forced a three and out against Rutgers. In Michigan’s first offensive possession, the quarterback was still Joe Milton. The Wolverines were moving the ball until a pass was completed to wide receiver Cornelius Johnson for a first down until he fumbled it, and Rutgers would easily recover the football.
After both teams fail to put up points on its next drives, Rutgers would stop the Wolverines on a fourth down and one, giving them good field position to start its third drive of the game. Quarterback Noah Vedral found wide receiver Aaron Cruickshank for a 43-yard pass to put Rutgers inside the red zone. Backup quarterback Johnny Langan came in to run it in back-to-back plays and ran it for a three-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rutgers.
After both teams couldn’t move the chains, Michigan would get another chance as Milton found wide receiver Giles Jackson for a 31-yard pass. Michigan would have to settle for a field goal attempt, and kicker Quinn Nordin would miss the 49-yard attempt, keeping it 7-0 Rutgers.
Rutgers would take advantage of the field goal miss and the short field position once again as wide receiver Shameen Jones ran it 33 yards on a double reverse sweep to put the Scalet Knights inside the red zone. Two plays later, Langan would run it into the endzone for the second time tonight, this time only one yard out, and Rutgers would extend the lead against the Wolverines, making it 14-0.
Michigan continued to struggle on offense and would punt it away once again, and with where Rutgers was starting with the football, another short-field position for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers had some struggles on offense with a holding penalty and a fumble, but Michigan would get its first penalty of the game, and it would help move Rutgers into field goal range. The Wolverine secondary would get tested but would not fail as instead of a touchdown, the defense held Rutgers to a 38-yard field goal to make it 17-0.
With the Wolverines down by 17, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh made a change at quarterback once again, as Cade McNamara would come in for Milton. Last week against Wisconsin, McNamara came in on his first drive and would put up the first (and only) touchdown of the game. This week, he does it again as McNamara found Johnson wide open for a 46-yard touchdown to cut the lead down to 10, 17-7 Rutgers.
McNamara was able to drive the Wolverines down the field once again before halftime, but a bad snap by the long snapper on the field goal attempt, forced holder Will Hart to grab it up high, which slowed down the hold and forced Nordin to stutter when trying to kick and the field goal was no good as Rutgers keeps it as a 10 point lead at halftime, 17-7.
Positives:
- Michigan’s defensive line has been able to create some pressure on Vedral so far in this game. Defensive tackle Chris Hinton has a sack, and a few pressures from the line have forced Vedral to overthrow and miss his receiver. This defensive line hasn’t been the same since the season opener, and without its starting defensive ends, others need to step up and create that pressure.
Negatives
- Same issue, different weeks as once again turnovers are an issue for Michigan once again. On the opening drive, Michigan moved the ball well until Johnson fumbled the football and returned to the Scarlet Knights. Michigan hadn’t fumbled since November last year, but no matter how the ball is turned over, Michigan can’t keep giving its opponents extra chances to win this game. While the turnover didn’t turn into Rutgers’ points, it stopped Michigan from at least getting three as it was in field goal range.
- The offensive line is still having trouble, and with its starting center, Andrew Vastardis would join left tackle Ryan Hayes and right tackle Jalen Mayfield in missing this game due to an injury. Zach Carpenter would start at center, and on the fourth-down stop, Carpenter got beat easily, leading to the stop by the Scarlet Knights. Michigan is trying to run the football, but it isn’t having much success as running back Hassan Haskins leads the team with six carries for 15 yards. Milton was sacked once, and pressure has been coming at him and McNamara a few times as both haven’t had a clean pocket for most of the game so far.