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Rapid Reaction: Offense finally clicks as Michigan pounds Rutgers
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Final score: #20 Michigan 52 Rutgers 0
Brief recap: Michigan set the tone early in this one, scoring a touchdown on its first two drives and building an early 14-0 lead. Rutgers was looking to respond, putting together an 11-play drive for 70 yards and getting inside the Wolverines’ 10-yard line at the end of the first quarter. But a fourth down stop by Michigan pretty much ended any hope for the Scarlet Knights to keep things close. Michigan rolled into the half with a 24-0 lead and continued to put points on the board in the second half. Shea Patterson had his best outing of the season, completing 17-of-23 passes for 276 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns, three of which game on the ground.
Key moment: The fourth down stop to start the second quarter with Rutgers threatening to get into the end zone was really the last time the Scarlet Knights’ offense had a chance to score. With a 14-0 advantage, that play felt like Michigan closing the door on Rutgers’ chance to keep it close in Ann Arbor.
Key stat: Rutgers had 45 rushing yards on 28 attempts. That’s simply not good enough in the B1G. The Scarlet Knights finished the day with more penalty yards than yards on the ground.
Key player: Yes, it’s Rutgers, but this was the best Patterson has looked all season. Aside from the one interception — which was an outstanding play by Damon Hayes — the senior quarterback was nearly flawless. He accounted for four total touchdowns in the game and was able to take a seat early with a big lead.
What it means for Michigan: Nobody wants to admit it, but maybe the whooping Michigan took from Wisconsin last weekend knocked some urgency into the team. Obviously, it’s hard to make that assumption after a win over Rutgers, which hasn’t won a B1G game since 2017. Still, Michigan bounced back in a big way and finally got things rolling offensively. This is exactly the kind of result the Wolverines needed with Iowa coming to town next week.
What it means for Rutgers: What more can we really say about Rutgers? The Scarlet Knights have scored zero points in two B1G games this season and are now 1-3 on the year. Next week against Maryland is absolutely a must-win for this program. If they have trouble beating the Terrapins at home, it’s hard to imagine Rutgers gets another win this season.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB