BSportsMonday
Rudock’s toughness on display
in career-high performance
By MAX BULTMAN
Daily Sports Editor
Jake Rudock was expected to play, but he wasn’t
expected to play like that.
The fifth-year senior quarterback sustained
a rib injury a week ago against Minnesota, a hit
that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh likened to a
car accident. The Wolverines’ coaching staff was
optimistic he would be able to play against Rutgers
on Saturday, and did he ever.
Even though he wasn’t at 100-percent health,
Rudock played his best game of the season against
the Scarlet Knights, racking up a career-high 337
passing yards and scoring three total touchdowns
in Michigan’s 49-16 win.
“He was just on fire,” Harbaugh said. “He had a
great game, making all the appropriate throws, all
the right reads.”
Ironically, Rudock started the game on a miscue.
Michigan’s first play from scrimmage was a toss to
redshirt junior running back Drake Johnson, but
Johnson couldn’t collect the toss, and Rutgers fell
on the ball, thinking it had recovered a fumble.
But the officiating crew reviewed the play and
determined the toss had actually been a forward
pass, and thus an incompletion.
So Rudock started the game 0-for-1. It was one
of the few mistakes he made all day.
After leading the Wolverines deep into Rutgers
territory on the first drive, only
to come away with a missed field
goal, Rudock found paydirt on
the next drive.
A play-action fake to redshirt
freshman Jabrill Peppers left
senior fullback Sione Houma
open down the sideline. Rudock
hit his streaking fullback, then
found redshirt junior receiver
Jehu Chesson in the end zone
two plays later.
But his most impressive play
of the night came on the Wolverines’ next drive.
On 3rd-and-goal from the four-yard line, Rudock
didn’t have any of his receivers open. Forced out
of the pocket, Rudock turned up field and put his
body on the line as he dove into the pylon for a
touchdown.
“That’s a courage play, too,” Harbaugh said. “I
mean, I’ve been in that situation. When he makes
that turn up the boundary, you know they’re
coming. Everybody’s coming, and they’re coming
for that spot at the pylon, the one-yard line and the
pylon, to keep you out of there.
“He knew that, I guarantee you he knew it, and
he stuck his nose in there and
gave no quota whatsoever on the
entire play.”
Toughness
and
courage
were the themes of the day for
Rudock, who finally exited the
game with 11 minutes remaining
and his team up by 33.
“Jake’s a very tough guy,”
Harbaugh said. “I mean, he’s
tough as a two-dollar steak, and
he continues to show that.”
Rudock’s
career-best
337
yards came on just 25 attempts, less than half as
many (52) as he needed for his previous career high
of 322 yards when he was at Iowa.
He spread his 18 completions around to 10
different players, continuing a trend he has
displayed all season. And while he didn’t have
to throw any deep passes, he still had plenty of
completions go for big yardage, a facet in which
he’s not known for excelling.
Houma’s catch down the sideline went for 32
yards. Redshirt junior running back De’Veon
Smith caught a delayed screen and took it 31 yards,
and junior tight end Jake Butt gained 56 yards on
a pass over the middle. It was Rudock’s longest
completion of the season, fitting for his most
impressive game.
“I think that you get those games,” Rudock said.
“If you can see the ball get completed, and then
completed, and then if you’re seeing the ball well,
that’s a big thing.”
All things considered, Rudock’s big day did come
against one of the nation’s worst pass defenses,
exploiting a secondary that has given up nearly
300 yards per game this season.
But in a game he wasn’t a lock even to start,
the fact that Rudock stood tall says a lot about the
quarterback.
“Toughness is respected by everyone who plays
this game and watches it,” Harbaugh said. “And
he’s got it.”
JERSEY SORE: MICHIGAN 49, RUTGERS 16
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | November 9, 2015
RITA MORRIS/Daily
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
RITA MORRIS/Daily
“He’s tough as a
two-dollar steak,
and he continues
to show that.”