Live Michigan blog: UM disarms Scarlet Knights, 78-0
Michigan's game against Rutgers Saturday night was over at halftime.
But both teams played on, with the Wolverines blanking the Scarlet Knights, 78-0.
The Wolverines (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) scored nine rushing touchdowns, and ran for a total of 481 yards. Add Michigan's 119 passing yards and you get 600 yards on the nose.
Rutgers, on the other hand, gained 39.
Michigan earned 23 first downs, to two for Rutgers.
Three Wolverines had double-digit carries.
Karan Higdon had 13, for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Ty Isaac had 12, for 99 and two touchdowns. Finally, Chris Evans had 11 for 153 and no scores.
The Wolverines are off next week, and will return to Michigan Stadium on Oct. 22 for their homecoming game -- against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
UM gets 9th rushing TD, leads 78-0
Ty Isaac's 34-yard touchdown run gave Michigan its ninth rushing score of the night. After Ryan Tice's extra point, the Wolverines lead 78-0 late in the fourth quarter.
Rutgers gets first down
Rutgers got a first down.
Yes, it really happened.
A 12-yard run from Trey Sneed moved the chains for the Scarlet Knights for the first time tonight.
But that was it, as Rutgers punted four plays later.
Michigan currently has a 20-to-1 first down ratio, and a 71-0 lead in the fourth quarter.
Michigan leads 71-0 in 4Q
Karan Higdon's second touchdown of the game -- a 44-yard run -- put Michigan over the 70-point mark with a little more than nine minutes still left to play.
Ryan Tice's extra point gave Michigan a 71-0 lead.
Rutgers still blank
Rutgers ran three offensive plays for negative yards on its first drive of the fourth quarter.
Michael Cintron booted his 14th punt (for 545 yards) to Michigan, which leads 64-0 in the fourth quarter.
Michigan goes up 64-0
On the drive that was extended after a Shane Morris pick-six was overturned, Michigan added to its lead.
Fullback Bobby Henderson ran in a 15-yard touchdown to cap a nine-play, 59-yard drive.
It's early in the fourth quarter, but the Wolverines have the game in-hand. They lead 64-0.
End 3Q: Michigan 57, Rutgers 0
Rutgers, for a fleeting moment, looked to have its first points of the night -- despite 16 total offensive yards and zero first downs.
Shane Morris appeared to throw a pick-six, but after review, it was determined that his pass hit the ground before the defender intercepted it -- preserving the shutout for the Wolverines.
At the end of the third quarter, Michigan leads 57-0.
Michigan stops Rutgers again
Michael Cintron booted his 13th punt in the third quarter, for 507 yards, after the 13th three-and-out for the Scarlet Knights.
Shane Morris, who seems to be in a two quarterback rotation with John O'Korn, will start the drive for Michigan -- which leads 57-0 late in the third quarter.
Wolverines punt for 4th time
In a stark contrast to Rutgers, which has 492 yards of punting on 12 kicks from Michael Cintron, Michigan has only four punts -- the last of which came in the third quarter, with a 57-0 lead.
Michigan is well in control, with a quarter and change still to play.
Michigan defense suffocating Rutgers
Michigan's defense is suffocating the Rutgers offense. Through two and a half quarters, the Scarlet Knights have yet to earn a first down and have gained a total of eight yards.
Michigan, on the other hand, is up 57-0 and has 419 total yards.
John O'Korn is back in at quarterback for the Wolverines, who show no signs of letting up.
Higdon adds TD, UM up 57-0
Shane Morris entered at quarterback for Michigan -- the third signal caller of the game for the Wolverines. Michigan, however, ran the ball three times on the way to the end zone.
The first carry, a 2-yard run for Morris, set up a 57-yard run for Chris Evans. Then, Karan Higdon found the end zone on a 15-yard run.
Michigan leads 57-0 in the third quarter.
Evans has 11 carries for 153 yards, while Higdon has four carries for 29 yards.
Rutgers still searching for 1st down
Yet another offensive possession for Rutgers has resulted in a three-and-out.
The Scarlet Knights, to add insult to injury, are back in the negative column for total yards, with minus-1.
Michigan, with 344 yards, is ahead 50-0.
Hill gets 3rd TD, UM leads 50-0
Michigan got yet another touchdown early in the third quarter.
John O'Korn connected with Khalid Hill on the 19-yard pass-and-catch -- Hill's third touchdown of the game. O'Korn was 2-of-2 for 19 yards -- both passes to Hill -- on the drive. Michigan needed only six plays to go 35 yards, and leads 50-0.
Rutgers starts where it left off
Nothing has changed for Rutgers to start the second half. The Scarlet Knights again went three-and-out, aided by a sack from Taco Charlton on third down.
John O'Korn takes over at quarterback for Michigan, which leads Rutgers 43-0 early in the third quarter.
Halftime: Michigan 43, Rutgers 0
Rutgers took its run game above zero on its ninth drive, which resulted in a three-and-out to end the half.
But at halftime, Michigan leads 43-0 and has a 311-1 advantage in total yards.
Wilton Speight is 6-of-13 for 100 yards and a touchdown for the Wolverines.
Jabrill Peppers, a native son of New Jersey, has three carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns, while Khalid Hill has 1-yard touchdowns on each of his two carries.
The offensive statistics for Rutgers are hardly worth mentioning.
Starting quarterback Chris Laviano was 1-of-8 for six yards before being lifted for backup Zach Allen (0-of-3, zero yards) in the first quarter.
Robert Martin has eight carries for 14 yards, while the Scarlet Knights -- as a team -- have 19 carries for one yard.
Peppers scores again
As one might expect from watching this game so far, Jabrill Peppers has another touchdown for Michigan.
His 4-yard run capped a seven-play, 60-yard drive that put the Wolverines up 43-0 over the Scarlet Knights.
Peppers has three carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Michigan has 211 yards of rushing, to go with 100 passing from Wilton Speight -- who is 6-of-13.
Wolverines in driver's seat
Forcing three-and-outs has become the norm in this game for Michigan's defense.
Of its eight drives, Rutgers has gone three-and-out seven times. The eighth was a fumble that led to a Michigan touchdown.
The Scarlet Knights, though, are over zero yards. They have two so far -- up from minus-five after the last series.
The Wolverines lead, 36-0, in the second quarter.
Hill punches in 2nd TD, UM up 36
Khalid Hill's second touchdown of the night -- a 1-yard run -- helped Michigan continue to pad its lead against Rutgers.
Four plays earlier, Wilton Speight connected with Amara Darboh on a 45-yard pass to the Rutgers 8-yard line. Michigan leads 36-0, and has 251 total yards of offense.
Rutgers has minus-five.
Wilton Speight is 5-for-11 for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Khalid Hill has two one-yard carries for two touchdowns.
Rutgers offense still negative
Rutgers is down to minus-five yards of offense.
Its seventh three-and-out, following 6-yard sack by Ben Gedeon on second down, kept the game scoreless.
Michigan leads 29-0 in the second quarter.
Michigan goes up 29-0
It would appear that Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines have no intention of laying off the gas pedal.
Khalid Hill's 1-yard touchdown run -- after a 43-yard run from Chris Evans took the Wolverines to the Rutgers 1 -- and a 2-yard run from Garrett Moores on the two-point attempt further cemented Michigan's lead in the first half.
The Wolverines have 194 total yards of offense.
The Scarlet Knights have minus-1.
Peppers peppers Allen, forces punt
Rutgers has had seven offensive drives. Six have resulted in three-and-outs.
The most recent three-and-out was sealed by Jabrill Peppers -- whose touchdown on the previous drive gave the Wolverines a three-score lead. He hit Rutgers backup quarterback Zach Allen as he threw on third-and-11, bringing up fourth down.
Then on fourth down, Rutgers was flagged for illegal formation on the punt -- for the second time. The second was fielded by Peppers, who called for a fair catch at the Rutgers 49-yard line.
Michigan leads, 21-0.
Peppers adds to UM lead
One play.
That's what Michigan needed to further add to its lead over Rutgers.
Jabrill Peppers, lined up at quarterback in the wildcat formation, took the snap and rolled out to the right -- looking like he might throw. Instead, Peppers tucked the ball in and ran seven yards to the end zone.
A 30-point favorite, the Wolverines lead the Scarlet Knights 21-0 early in the second quarter.
End 1Q: Michigan 14, Rutgers 0
Rutgers backup quarterback Zach Allen nearly gave the Scarlet Knights their first first down of the game.
Instead, his fumble after gaining a yard was recovered by Bryan Mone and returned to the Rutgers 7-yard line. Michigan will start the second quarter with a 14-0 lead and a first-and-goal.
Perfect punt for Allen caps iffy drive
Kenny Allen booted a perfect 49-yard punt that went out of bounds inside the Rutgers 1-yard line. The punt came after a sloppy Michigan drive that saw a 22-yard completion from Wilton Speight to Jehu Chesson on third-and-11 wiped out by a holding call.
The Wolverines still lead 14-0 late in the first quarter.
5 three-and-outs now for Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights made a change at quarterback, turning to Zach Allen in place of Chris Laviano.
The result, however, was the same. Rutgers went three-and-out for the fifth straight drive, and a sack -- this time from Ben Gedeon -- capped the drive and brought a fourth-and-long.
The Wolverines lead 14-0 late in the first quarter.
Wolverines add to lead
Wilton Speight, on only his third completion, found Jehu Chesson for a 30-yard touchdown down the left sideline. The Wolverines picked up their second first down on a 12-yard run from Ty Isaac earlier in the drive.
Late in the first quarter, Michigan has a 14-0 lead over Rutgers.
Speight is 3-of-8 for 31 yards. Isaac has three carries for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Rutgers still seeking first down
Rutgers, through four drives, has yet to pick up a first down.
The Scarlet Knights had some drama on their fourth three-and-out.
On the first punt attempt, Rutgers was flagged for illegal formation bringing up fourth-and-17 at its own 3-yard line. On the second, Jabrill Peppers broke free for a touchdown -- but a block in the back penalty erased the score. Michigan will start the drive at its own 48 with a 7-0 lead.
Wolverines break free
Ty Isaac's 4-yard touchdown run put Michigan on the board in the first quarter, capping a quick four-play, 80-yard drive.
Jabrill Peppers, a New Jersey native, broke free on a 63-yard run to give the Wolverines a first-and-goal -- the only first down for either team so far.
It's still early in the first quarter, but Michigan -- which entered the game as a 30-point favorite -- has a 7-0 lead over Rutgers.
Rutgers fails to capitalize on fumble
In a game that has simulated action in how fast the ball changes hands, neither team has yet to earn a first down -- let alone anything else.
Each team has had three possessions, but none have lasted longer than 90 seconds.
Rutgers responded to Michigan fumble by going three-and-out, including an incomplete pass in the end zone.
While Michigan has gained only five yards on eight plays, Rutgers has picked up eight yards on nine plays.
Smith fumbles, Rutgers recovers
On its second play of the drive, Michigan lost a fumble -- from De'Veon Smith. Rutgers recovered and will start the next drive at the UM 38-yard line.
Smith had a 3-yard carry on first down, giving Michigan a second-and-7.
The Wolverines have five total yards on eight plays.
Still no first downs early
There has been virtually no offense so far.
Rutgers, on its second drive, went three-and-out. The Scarlet Knights got eight yards on a run from Robert Martin on first down, but backed up five on a false start before the next snap.
The game is still scoreless.
Wolverines punt again
The rain is proving to be a problem for both Michigan and Rutgers.
The Wolverines went three-and-out for the second straight drive, after picking up five yards on a Ty Isaac first down carry. Kenny Allen's 46-yard punt was returned for a 4-yard loss by Juwaan Harris, and Rutgers will start at its own 25-yard line.
Still early in the first, the game remains scoreless.
Back-to-back three-and-outs to start
Rutgers, like Michigan, got off to a slow start. The Scarlet Knights responded to a three-and-out from the Wolverines with one of their own.
Rutgers got a 6-yard pass from Chris Laviano to Juwaan Harris, but that was it.
Michael Cintron's 61-yard punt went into the end zone for a touchback. UM will start at its own 25-yard line in a scoreless game.
UM goes three-and-out; down to 3rd LT
The Wolverines went three-and-out on their first drive, and lost left tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty. The New Jersey native, and Paramus Catholic (same school as Rashaan Gary) alum was starting in place of Grant Newsome, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.
Michigan had positive yardage from De'Veon Smith on a two-yard run, but he lost four on a failed screen pass from Wilton Speight.
Early in the first, the game is scoreless.
Live blog: Michigan vs. Rutgers
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Michigan Jack-of-all-trades Jabrill Peppers and freshman defensive end Rashan Gary are both native sons of New Jersey. So are seven of their teammates.
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Detroit News Michigan-Rutgers Predictions
HOW TO WATCH: MICHIGAN VS. RUTGERS
Kickoff: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WWJ 950 AM