Rutgers Football Opponent Preview: Michigan Wolverines

Next up in the opponent preview series is the Michigan Wolverines. After an up-and-down season, which ended in the firing of Sherrone Moore and the first loss to Ohio State since 2019, Michigan decided to hire longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines will look to put years of on- and off-the-field scandals behind them and return to their identity of being tough and physical in the trenches.

Rutgers has had an interesting history with the Wolverines, sealing their first-ever Big Ten victory over UM in 2014 with Kemoko Turay blocking a late field goal attempt to preserve a 26-24 win and prompting a field storm at SHI Stadium. Since then, it has all been downhill, including the infamous 78-0 loss that still leaves a pit in Rutgers’ fans’ stomachs.

More recently, Knights fans have struggled with much closer losses to the program, which offer a different type of heartache. There was a string of three surprisingly competitive games against a stronger Michigan team, including a 48-42 3OT escape by UM in 2020, a frustrating 20-13 Rutgers loss in Ann Arbor in 2021, and a shocking 17-14 halftime lead for the Knights at home turning into a 52-17 Michigan rout in 2022.

The last meeting between the sides was arguably the most anticlimactic, with Rutgers falling to Michigan 31-7 after an early Christian Dremel touchdown put RU up 7-0. The Knights have not seen the Wolverines since that 2023 meeting, which was the year Michigan won the national championship.

With the history being unpacked, let us turn our attention to this year’s Michigan Wolverines and what to expect when Whittingham’s team arrives in New Jersey on what should be an interesting Halloween gameday.

Michigan Offense

The biggest storyline is incoming sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood. Michigan is expected to open up the offense more with coordinator Jason Beck, using more spread concepts and letting Underwood use his athleticism as both a passer and runner. If he takes the expected sophomore leap, the Wolverines’ ceiling rises dramatically.

The always-feared Michigan running game should remain a strength behind Jordan Marshall. At the same time, the receiving corps looks significantly more talented thanks to the additions of Jaime Ffrench and JJ Buchanan, along with returning playmaker Andrew Marsh, who led the Wolverines with 651 yards and 4 touchdowns last year.

The offensive line has tons of experience, with all five starters being solid this year as well as a few backup options in case someone goes down. At tight end, another usual strength for UM, the Wolverines will likely start Zach Marshall, who was Marlin Klein’s primary understudy last season. Hogan Hansen will likely back him up after struggling with injuries in 2025 but flashing his talent in 2024.

Michigan Defense

The Wolverines’ defense is always formidable, and this year will be no exception. On the edge, Utah All-American transfer John Henry Daley will start for Michigan alongside either Dominic Nichols or incumbent starter Cameron Brandt. In the middle of the line, UM will return both starters in Trey Pierce and Enow Etta, with Utah transfer Jonah Lea’aa rotating in.

Behind them, the linebacking corps includes a big-time 2025 recruit in Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng. In addition to NOB, Chase Taylor and Troy Bowles are the expected starters, and Michigan will likely keep their rotation fresh by playing all three linebackers.

The secondary returns Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry at cornerback, with Utah starter Smith Snowden rounding out the starting three. At safety, Rod Moore could be an all-conference talent this year, while Memphis transfer Chris Bracy will look to prove himself up a level. Backups Jordan Young and Mason Curtis will also rotate in while Jacob Oden gives the Wolverines solid depth on the back line of the defense.

Schedule and Game Breakdown

Michigan’s schedule is challenging, with Oklahoma visiting the Big House in between games against reigning MAC champion Western Michigan and UTEP. The Sooners defeated Michigan 24-13 in Norman a season ago.

In Big Ten play, the Wolverines open up against an always-tough Iowa team before visiting Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug game. They have two tough games ahead of Rutgers, battling Matt Campbell’s Penn State at home before hosting Curt Cignetti and the defending champion Hoosiers a week later.

After their first visit to New Jersey since 2022, Michigan takes on Michigan State back at home, then travels out to Oregon, hosts UCLA, and finishes the regular season on the road against hated Ohio State as they look to bring back a win in The Game after falling last year.

The Rutgers game comes off what should be two tough contests and likely at least one loss for the program. It also lies directly ahead of the Paul Bunyan trophy game against the Spartans, making it a great place for a trap game.

For whatever reason, the Scarlet Knights have given Michigan quite a scare in several of their last few meetings, so if Rutgers can build off of a pair of road wins against Maryland and Northwestern, they may try to put all their cards on the table for what would be a huge win over a Michigan team trying to find their identity going forward.

Even if not, Rutgers could use the Michigan game to springboard their way to a strong November, with huge games against Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan State making up the final four of the season. The Knights have a good chance to pull a couple of upsets ahead of the final game against the Spartans at home.

To support me and my work, please follow @arnavsarkar1000 on X!

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →