Rutgers’ Big 10 Struggles Continue In Loss At Michigan

The Rutgers football team pictured before their game against Michigan at The Big House,will try to regroup down the stretch and become bowl-eligible / Scarletknights.com

The gauntlet of tougher teams is over for the Rutgers football team this season, but it doesn’t erase three straight blowout losses to No. 3 Ohio State, Wisconsin, and now No. 17 Michigan yesterday. After hanging tough with then ranked No. 4 Michigan State, and then upending Indiana the week after, the Knights (3-6, 1-5) have gotten outscored 146-33 the last three games, including a 49-16 drubbing by the Wolverines (7-2, 4-1) at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. in front of 109,979.

“We’ve got a group in our locker room that’s frustrated as a program,” head coach Kyle Flood said in his postgame press conference. “We’ve gone through a three-game stretch now playing three of the top teams in the country, three of the top five defenses in the country and for us as a program, I think it’s a great vision of where we want to go. Everybody in that locker room wants to do better and they’re competing to do better, so I don’t feel that there’s discouragement in that locker room.”

Michigan quarterback Jack Rudock had a career passing day, throwing for 337 yards on 18-25 passing (72 percent) and two touchdowns to receivers Amara Darboh, and Jehu Chesson. Tight end Jake Butt led the team with four catches for 102 yards, including a long of 56 where he broke a tackle from safety Anthony Cioffi and took it up field until he was caught. Rudock’s targets were constantly wide open, as the defense couldn’t get any type of pass rush (no sacks or registered quarterback hurries) and the young secondary was eaten up.

Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano hardships continue has the redshirt sophomore completed 11-of-26 passes for only 97 yards and an interception. During the three-game losing-streak, the Glen Head, N.Y. native has thrown for only 245 yards on 25-of-60 attempts for no touchdowns and three interceptions. He and center Derrick Nelson also had a miss handled/bad snap for the fifth straight game, something that needs to be corrected as it shouldn’t happen. Despite the score getting out of hand early, Flood didn’t put backup Hayden Rettig into the game until the fourth quarter, and quickly said Laviano will start next week against Nebraska.

Michigan’s defense continues to be dominant, as they pressured Laviano and pushed around the offensive line all day as they added four sacks and brought their sack total for the season to 24. In comparison, Rutgers is last in the Big Ten, and tied for 114^th in the country with only 11 through nine games.

Rutgers WR/KR Janarion Grant returning a kickoff 98-yards against Michigan yesterday for a score / Scarletknights.com

Michigan was willing to kick it to special teams return ace Janarion Grant, who scored on a 98-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. It was his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season, and fourth of his career, brought his total up to six in his career as he also has two punt returns for scores. He also extended his school record for kickoff return yardage to 2,235.

The bright spot for an offense that was out-gained 487-225 yards was the running game. Paul James, who was added to the injury report Friday, missed the contest due to a lower-body injury, but Josh Hicks (nine carries for 41 yards) and Robert Martin (10 carries for 81 yards) picked up the slack. Martin had a long of 54 yards in the first quarter.

Kicker Kyle Federico bounced back and nailed three field goals on as many attempts (32-yards, 29-yards, and 27-yards).

Weak-side linebacker Steve Longa led the team with 11-tackles, which brings his season total to 102, becoming the second player in program history with three 100-tckle seasons, joining Tyronne Stowe who did his all four years in 1983-86. The Saddle Brook, N.J. native has led the team in tackles in 25-of-his-35 games played at Rutgers.

Rutgers WR Vance Mathews makes his first career reception – Scarletknights.com

Walk-on wide receiver Vance Mathews got extended playing time with star wide out Leonte Carroo sidelined once again with his ankle injury and recorded his first career catch (18-yards).

If the Scarlet Knights want to go bowling, they have put themselves in sudden-death playoff game sevens for the last three games of the 2015 campaign. The Knights need at least six victories to become bowl-eligible, and need to defeat Nebraska, Army, and Maryland to reach the magic number.

Do-it-all redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers for Michigan saw action all over the field, including holding the ball on kickoffs because of high winds (what can’t he do). The starting safety, spent time on offense, where he caught a swing pass behind the line-of-scrimmage which counted as a run, and he made some moves around linebacker Quentin Gause and took it in for an 18-yard score in the second.

Can they do it? What did you think of the game? Chime in the comment section below.

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