Michigan began Big Ten conference play on Saturday by grinding out a win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights by a score of 20-13. Not surprisingly, the Wolverines spent the majority of the afternoon pounding the football with running backs Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins. However, the nations No. 1 rushing attack wasn't nearly as dominant - finishing the afternoon with just 114 yards rushing after averaging 350.3 per game on the season.
Blake Corum, who had eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the first three weeks of the season and leads college football in scoring, was held to just 68 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 21 carries.
Defensively, Michigan was once again led by Josh Ross with 6 total tackles and 4 solo tackles. Ross would ultimately sit for the second half of the game with a minor injury, though it shouldn't cause him to miss any time moving forward. Senior captain Aidan Hutchinson added 5 total tackles and 1 sack, while junior Daxton Hill finished with 5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass breakup.
The Wolverines now turn their attention to No. 18 Wisconsin, a team that lost its second game of the season on Saturday to No. 12 Notre Dame by a score of 41-13. Though the Badgers don't appear to be as good as they've been in recent years, they'll likely pose a significant challenge to the Wolverines as they continue their quest for their first Big Ten championship since 2004. To make matters even more interesting, Michigan hasn't won a football game in Madison since 2001.
The Wolverines and the Badgers are scheduled to kick off at noon on FOX from Camp Randall Stadium.
Notable Michigan Player Stats
Passing:
- Cade McNamara: 9-16, 163 yards, 0 TDs
Rushing:
- Blake Corum: 21 attempts, 68 yards, 0 TD
- Hassan Haskins: 12 attempts, 41 yards, 2 TDs
Defense:
- Josh Ross: 6 tackles, 4 solo tackles
- Nikhai Hill-Green: 8 tackles, 6 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss
- Aidan Hutchinson: 5 tackles, 3 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack
- Christopher Hinton: 5 tackles, 4 solo
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