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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
What to Watch For: Peppers,
quarterback, the ‘carry fairy’
By MAX BULTMAN
Daily Sports Editor
Last
season,
the
Michigan
football team was the victim
of Rutgers’ first-ever Big Ten
win, when the Scarlet Knights
topped the Wolverines, 26-24, in
Piscataway. Rutgers fans stormed
the field, celebrating a momentous
victory in school history.
Saturday, the Scarlet Knights
will take the field at Michigan
Stadium, looking to pull off an
even more stunning upset over No.
17 Michigan.
Here’s
what
to
watch
for
when the teams take the field on
Saturday.
1. Who lines up under center?
A week after redshirt freshman
Wilton Speight led the Wolverines
to
a
comeback
win
over
Minnesota, there remains a hint of
uncertainty over fifth-year senior
Jake Rudock’s status.
Offensive
coordinator
Tim
Drevno said Wednesday that he
expects Rudock to play, but his
status will remain at least slightly
uncertain until he walks onto the
field for the Wolverines’ first drive.
Harbaugh likes a little mystery
leading up to games because it
forces his opponents to work a
harder
while
game
planning.
Rudock’s injury leaves just enough
doubt that Rutgers will have to at
least do some cursory preparation
for Speight.
While Speight’s performance
last Saturday was enough to
intrigue fans, it remains clear that
Rudock is the team’s best option
at quarterback. Michigan can
survive his absence but is better
off with No. 15 in the huddle.
2. How many snaps does
Jabrill Peppers get on offense?
Speaking
of
players
lining
up
at
quarterback,
redshirt
freshman Jabrill Peppers has
lined up just about everywhere
for the Wolverines this season.
Against Minnesota last season,
Peppers was on the field for more
than 90 plays, including a few at
quarterback.
Michigan likely won’t need
to use Peppers as much against
Rutgers, but he remains the
Wolverines’ best big-play threat
in any phase of the game. Peppers
has only been on offense the last
two weeks, so we have yet to see
how Harbaugh wants to use him
in games that aren’t close. Unless
Rutgers has some tricks up its
sleeve, we could well find out this
week.
If Peppers continues to get
touches in a blowout, it might be a
good indicator that he has secured
a regular spot in the rotation.
Conversely, if he sticks to defense
and special teams, that could
signal he’s a weapon only to be
used in case of emergency.
3. Can the secondary return
to its pre-Michigan State form?
Not only did Michigan lose
its three-game shutout streak
against
the
Spartans,
the
Wolverines’ secondary seemed
to
lose
its
form,
too.
Two
consecutive
quarterbacks
—
Michigan State’s Connor Cook
and Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner
— have thrown for more than 300
yards against the Wolverines,
calling into question a secondary
that once appeared to be among
the best in the nation.
Rutgers
quarterback
Chris
Laviano isn’t on the level of
Cook or Leidner, but the Scarlet
Knights aren’t afraid to throw
the ball, especially to Leonte
Carroo, arguably the Big Ten’s
best receiver. Carroo is battling an
ankle injury and is questionable
for Saturday’s game.
If Carroo plays, look for junior
cornerback Jourdan Lewis to be
matched up with him. Lewis has
already broken up 15 passes this
season, and three more would tie
him with Marlin Jackson (2002)
for the school’s single-season
record.
Breaking up three passes in one
game is no easy feat, but if Carroo
plays, it’s possible Lewis could
get the chance against the Scarlet
Knights because of the number of
targets he would face.
4. Who will the carry fairy
tap?
Redshirt junior running back
Drake Johnson credited the carry
fairy on Tuesday for his heavier
workload
against
the
Golden
Gophers. Saturday will show if the
fairy likes repeat success at the
running back position.
So far this year, junior De’Veon
Smith has gotten the bulk of
the carries. But with his health
slightly uncertain, and Johnson’s
emergence as a back who can find
holes and burst through them, it’s
entirely conceivable that Johnson
could take hold of the lead job.
Multiple backs will see time
against the Scarlet Knights, but
Johnson can grab hold of the race
with a big game Saturday. Plus,
this is about the same time of year
that Johnson took over the lion’s
share of carries last season before
tearing
his
anterior
cruciate
ligament against Ohio State. If he
is going to replicate his production
from last November, Rutgers’ less-
than-stellar defense is a great
team to start against. If the carry
fairy is agreeable, of course.
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Redshirt freshman safety Jabrill Peppers saw significant action on offense last week at Minnesota, but his role is still up in the air going forward.