After a hellish week in Ann Arbor, Michigan must be looking forward to returning to the field. The Wolverines will do that at Rutgers on Saturday, assuredly eager to produce some good news after coach Brady Hoke and athletic director Dave Brandon have come under fire for the handling of quarterback Shane Morris' injury last weekend.
How to watch Michigan vs. Rutgers: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
The Wolverines have a chance to turn around their miserable week, but boy, a loss to the Scarlet Knights would elevate the outcry in Ann Arbor.
Morris, already fighting through ankle injury, took a nasty hit in the fourth quarter and was immediately wobbly after the play. He had to be held up by an offensive lineman, clearly shook up ... except he remained in the game. The blame ultimately fell on Hoke for not realizing his quarterback was in no shape to play, and protests have since ensued on Michigan’s campus calling for Hoke and Brandon’s jobs.
That’s Michigan’s situation -- Rutgers has enjoyed quite a calmer week in comparison. The Scarlet Knights have won two straight, taking down Navy and Tulane, and their only loss came in that odd game vs. Penn State three weeks ago.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Online streaming: BTN2Go
Our sites on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: Michigan is 2-3 (0-1 Big Ten). Rutgers is 4-1 (0-1). Both teams are unranked.
Vegas: Rutgers opened as a 3.5-point favorite and is now a 2-point favorite. The over/under is 47.
Weather forecast: Thunderstorms, high of 69 and low of 43.
Two things at stake
Michigan’s season to date has put the team in a spot where it probably has to win out, or very close to it, to keep Hoke and (probably) Brandon on board. That’s not going to happen, barring some ridiculous turn of fortune. So a win here certainly wouldn’t do the Wolverines any good, but it’s gonna take some insane margin of victory to compensate for the struggles thus far.
Rutgers is going to need a win to keep pace in the Big Ten East. Having dropped the game to Penn State, the Scarlet Knights are one of three division teams at 0-1 (Indiana and Michigan are the other). Losing this one to Michigan pretty much eliminates any hope Rutgers might have of really surprising in the East this season.
One big matchup
Michigan's passing game vs. Rutgers' passing defense: Devin Gardner gets the start at quarterback in place of Morris, and Gardner's stats this season inspire anything but confidence: 63.3 percent completion rate, 733 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions in five games. He's also been sacked 10 times thus far. Rutgers has the 108th-ranked passing defense in the country (278.4 yards allowed per game), so there could be some openings if Gardner is able to put together a solid effort. Doing so would take the pressure off running backs Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith, who've combined for 648 rushing yards to fuel the Wolverines' 50th-ranked rushing attack.
Further reading
For more on Michigan, head to Maize n Brew. For more on Rutgers, On The Banks has you covered.
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