FootballSaturday, September 27, 2019
6B
223 North Main Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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What to watch for on Saturday: No. 20 Michigan vs. Rutgers
All week, an introspective air
enveloped Schembechler Hall.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh
began the week by taking the
blame
for
the
Wolverines’
35-14 loss to Wisconsin on
Saturday. His players followed
up by criticizing their lack of
effort and physicality. Both
coaches who spoke Wednesday
— linebackers coach Anthony
Campanile
and
offensive
coordinator
Josh
Gattis
—
agreed the performance was
unacceptable.
None of that will change
Saturday when Rutgers comes
to town. ESPN’s Power Index
ranks the Scarlet Knights last
among power conference teams.
In the Harbaugh era, Michigan
has beaten them by an average
of 41.8 points per game.
So with victory not in much
doubt despite the Wolverines’
lackluster start, here are five
things to watch for Saturday
that will impact the trajectory
of Michigan’s season:
The final score
Yes, the final score does
matter.
Obviously, Michigan needs
to win. A loss would be the
undisputed worst result of the
Harbaugh
era
and
legitimize
concern over his
future. But with
the
Wolverines
favored by 27.5,
that shouldn’t be
too much of an
issue.
What
is
an
issue
is
the
margin
of
victory. A repeat
of week one’s 19-point win
over Middle Tennessee would
amplify concerns that this is the
same uninspiring team that has
slogged through its first three
games.
A look at Michigan’s margins
of victory over the past two
years shows how much blowing
out inferior opposition means.
In
the
Wolverines’
10-win
season a year ago, they won four
games by at least 35. The year
before, their biggest margin of
victory was 25, en route to an
8-5 finish.
No
opponent
has
better
exemplified
this
difference
than Rutgers. In the best year
of the Harbaugh era, Michigan
beat the Scarlet Knights, 78-0.
Ten-win seasons in 2015 and
2018 saw the Wolverines win by
33 and 35, respectively. In that
lackluster 2017 season, they won
by just 21 at home.
How
Michigan
uses
its
receivers
If there was a positive to
take
away
from
Michigan’s
demolition
in
Madison
last
weekend,
it
came
from
its
receivers’ performances in the
dying minutes.
All offseason, the assumption
was
that
new
offensive
coordinator
Josh
Gattis’
offense would emphasize junior
receivers
Donovan
Peoples-
Jones, Nico Collins and Tarik
Black. Instead, those three have
just 33 targets combined so far
(Peoples-Jones missed the first
two weeks with injury).
Saturday, they finally became
a major part of the gameplan,
but only once the game was well
out of reach.
“We’re not where we need to
be in that room,” Gattis said of
his receivers. “That falls on me. I
gotta continue to get those guys
better. We gotta continue to play
with great detail
and execute the
fundamentals
properly
on
each play that is
important. When
their
level
of
play
increases,
it’ll
also
help
everyone else.”
While
Gattis’
hire was never
about
games
like Rutgers, it will take a step
toward what was promised with
an increased emphasis on those
three receivers.
Zach Charbonnet’s usage
In week two against Army,
it seemed Michigan had its
solution
at
running
back.
Freshman Zach Charbonnet saw
33 carries and turned them into
100 yards and a touchdown.
For all the early concern
about the Wolverines’ offense,
running back wasn’t one of
them.
THEO MACKIE
Daily Sports Editor
In first game since the loss in Madison, the Wolverines will look to rebound on both sides of the ball
ALLISON ENGVISKT/Daily
The Michigan football team will get its first shot to move forward from last week’s loss on Saturday against Rutgers.
We’re not
where we need
to be in that
room.