Everyone in maize and blue celebrated Homecoming, but one made himself more at home than anyone.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters proved a relief pitcher in the Mariano Rivera mode in Michigan’s 35-14 win over Rutgers at The Big House. Peters connected on 10 of 14 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in the Wolverines’ runaway win.
Subbing for struggling fifth-year senior QB John O’Korn (3-of-6 passing for 13 yards, one interception) Peters led the Wolverines to two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half and four altogether. He went on to stake his claim for a quarterback spot that has been unsettled — and at times unsettling — throughout the Big Ten season.
“He really acquitted himself well,” head coach Jim Harbaugh assessed. “He moved the football team and played very, very well. He did a lot.
“From the first time he went in there, just feeling the deep zone, feeling the linebackers drop, just taking that extra half-second to take a breath and hit the check-down … it was good ball. He was good.”
Michigan’s rushing attack certainly made life easier for anyone behind center, junior tailback Karan Higdon carrying 18 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns, while fifth-year senior tailback Ty Isaac rushed 14 times for 109 yards.
U-M’s defense did the rest, limiting the Scarlet Knights to 195 total yards and non-threat status after intermission.
All in all, Peters’ debut as a prime-time player couldn’t have come at a better time.
“A big part of it is preparation,” Peters said. “When [redshirt junior quarterback] Wilton [Speight] went down, I stepped into the backup role. Ever since then, I’ve been preparing like I was the starting QB. You’ve always got to be ready, [you're] one play away. Preparation made me feel confident.”
Some thought Peters might get snaps in a runaway Michigan win, but Harbaugh insisted the plan all along involved the second-year Wolverine seeing time in the first half.
Few could have predicted it would involve lifting Michigan out of a fistfight with the Scarlet Knights.
After penalties, a sack and the interception from O’Korn torpedoed Michigan’s first-quarter chances to score, the Wolverines came up with an 80-yard touchdown drive on a possession that appeared dead in the water.
O’Korn dropped a shotgun snap and fell on it for a 13-yard loss, setting up second-and-23 near the start of the march. Isaac got 16 yards back, setting up a fourth-and-1 that Higdon made … by an inch, at the Michigan 42.
From there, the ground game made the Scarlet Knights look like they were jousting with rubber lances. Redshirt freshman tailback Kareem Walker broke off a 13-yard run, Isaac rumbled away for 21, and fifth-year senior fullback Khalid Hill finished the job on a one-yard TD plunge at 12:06 of the second quarter.
It took Rutgers all of three plays to return the favor.
Wideout Janarion Grant, lining up as a wildcat quarterback, took a snap, attacked the left end of the line, then cut back right into wide-open spaces. He out-sprinted the entire Michigan defense 65 yards to knot the game at 7-7.
A Homecoming deadlock with Rutgers, 10:52 away from halftime, caused a rumble or two among the home crowd of 111,213. It perked up plenty when Peters began warming up and exploded when he entered the game midway through the quarter.
Peters immediately led a new-wave, eight-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. Higdon got things going with a pair of runs for 20 yards, but Peters also went 3 of 3 through the air, including a 15-yard sideline toss to redshirt sophomore tight end Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and 12-yarder to true freshman wideout Nico Collins.
Higdon finished up the march by rumbling 10 yards for the TD behind a steamrolling left side of Michigan’s offensive line. With 2:49 left in the half and Michigan up 14-7, a little Homecoming hopefulness took some of the chill off.
The crowd grew positively toasty two minutes later, when Peters again burned the Scarlet Knights.
It almost didn’t play out that way, on Michigan’s seven-play, 49-yard touchdown drive in the closing moments of the half. Peters threw a near pick that might have gone some 80 yards the other way.
But Rutgers defensive back Kiy Hester dropped the ball, and sophomore tailback Chris Evans didn’t during a wheel route on the very next play. Peters floated a perfect touch pass into his hands, covering the final 20 yards of the drive for the TD with 23 seconds remaining.
“I saw man coverage, one-on-one with Chris,” Peters noted. “I just read it out, gave him a chance on the play. He made a great catch, a great play on the ball.
“All my teammates were excited. I was excited, and it was a great feeling.”
It marked Michigan’s first touchdown pass in a month, a development welcome as heated jeans on metal bleachers.
The Wolverines picked right up where they left off in the second half, driving 54 yards for a touchdown on just four plays the first time they touched the ball. Peters scrambled away from pressure to hit Isaac for 12 yards, before Higdon’s 32-yard run set up Walker’s powerful five-yard TD burst up the middle.
A game unnervingly close through much of the first half stood 28-7 3:30 into the second. That set the Earth back on its proper Michigan-Rutgers rotation in the mind of the home crowd.
Rutgers answered with a 75-yard TD drive, quarterback Giovanni Rescigno (8 of 16 for 101 yards) setting up running back Gus Edwards’ two-yard touchdown plunge with completions of 30 and 21 yards.
But a comeback this day loomed as likely as sunburn among the home crowd, and the Wolverines made certain. They struck back with a 49-yard touchdown bolt by Higdon 50 seconds into the final quarter, making it 35-14.
Higdon noted U-M’s blockers were highly motivated coming off the loss to Penn State.
“My boys had something to prove,” Higdon said. “They had an ‘S’ on their chest. We got a little dominated last week against Penn State, had some troubles, and we knew we were better than that. We knew what we were capable of.
“I think it was good to hit adversity and bounce back. Those guys are tremendous at bouncing back from adversity, and that’s what they did today. I’m proud of those guys.”
He also expressed pride in Peters, like everyone else. Harbaugh confirmed the redshirt freshman earned a start next week, after potentially preventing a Homecoming disaster.
“I felt confidence in my teammates,” Peters assured. “They showed a lot of confidence in me. That ultimately came back into me. I felt a lot of confidence and rolled.”
Five Best Players Of The Game
1. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters: Part of this is actually performance, part big-picture boost. Peters looked cool and savvy in changing a tight game with the Scarlet Knights into the rout it was always meant to be. The confidence gain will pay dividends down the road, as well.
2. Junior tailback Karan Higdon: Higdon ran hard and well, with a 49-yard TD bolt among his 18 tries for 152 yards and pair of touchdowns. A tip of the cap as well — which Higdon gladly supplied — to Michigan’s much-scrutinized offensive line, after it opened holes for a pair of 100-yard rushers.
3. Fifth-year senior tailback Ty Isaac: Isaac rumbled 14 times for 109 yards, averaging 7.8 yards per carry to Higdon’s 8.8. The Wolverines took plenty of pressure off Peters with their ability to run the football.
4. Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr.: Hurst supplied a burst up the middle on Rutgers’ very first offensive play, setting a tone for the day. He wound up with a sack and two tackles for loss among his eight stops, and consistently hounded the Scarlet Knights.
5. Sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary: Gary also brought the heat, matching Hurst’s sack and two TFLs. The sophomore was credited with five stops and one quarterback hurry, and caused Rutgers untold grief in the backfield.
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