First Half
The first quarter got off to a slow start, with neither team scoring on their opening possession.
Michigan got on the board first at the 5:13 mark of the frame, when senior running back Karan Higdon ran it in from a yard out to give the Maize and Blue a 7-0 lead.
U-M's momentum was short-lived, however.
Rutgers answered right back with a score of its own from freshman running back Isaih Pacheco, when he ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run to knot the game at 7-7 with just 26 seconds left in the game's opening stanza.
Michigan re-took the lead early in the second quarter when Higdon found the end zone for a second time (also from a yard out) to give U-M a 14-7 advantage at the 9:33 juncture.
The Wolverines added to their lead following a Rutgers punt, when junior quarterback Shea Patterson found sophomore receiver Nico Collins wide open in the end zone for a 36-yard score, capping off a six-play, 53-yard drive.
The Maize and Blue got the ball back once more in the half after another Scarlet Knight punt but weren't able to tack on, taking their 21-7 lead into the locker room.
Second Half
Michigan got the second half started with a bang. They drove 73 yards in eight plays, capping off the possession with Patterson finding redshirt freshman wideout Oliver Martin in the corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown at the 11:12 mark, putting U-M up 28-7.
Each team punted on their ensuing series, before fifth-year senior defensive tackle Lawrence Marshall recovered a Rutgers fumble at the Scarlet Knight 42-yard line with just 2:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Michigan cashed in off the turnover, with Patterson finding Collins once again in the end zone on a beautiful 10-yard fade, putting the Maize and Blue up 35-7 with eight seconds left in the quarter.
The game's final frame got started with a Rutgers punt, and U-M took over at its own 39-yard line.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brandon Peters entered the contest in place of Patterson, and saw junior running back Chris Evans rip off a 61-yard touchdown run on the first play of the drive, increasing U-M's lead to 42-7.
Freshman quarterback Joe Milton actually entered on U-M's next series, but the offense went three-and-out.
Sophomore cornerback Ambry Thomas intercepted Rutgers on its final drive of the game, and U-M then ran out the clock to seal the victory.
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