Michigan’s defense needed a bounce back performance after allowing 506 yards to Penn State on Oct. 21, and got exactly that Saturday against Rutgers.
Although the Scarlet Knight offense had struggled mightily coming into the game, fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray knew they would still pose a challenge.
“Rutgers is a good team with a lot of play makers,” he said. “We knew we had to come out and do what we do, and we did.”
The Wolverine defense has seen several younger players receive a bit more action lately, and they have certainly delivered.
“Those guys have come out and gotten better every day,” McCray said. “[Sophomore defensive tackle] Mike [Dwumfour] came in and had a sack, and [freshman defensive end] Kwity [Paye] played and had a sack last week. Kwity is just learning the game right now from people like [redshirt junior defensive end] Chase [Winovich], [sophomore defensive end] Rashan [Gary] and [fifth-year senior defensive tackle] Mo [Hurst].”
Another young player who is asserting himself lately on the offensive side of the ball is sophomore right guard Mike Onwenu.
“To be able to move that well with his size is a huge asset for him,” McCray exclaimed. “It helps our offensive line create space since he’s such a strong and powerful guy. It’s not easy going up against someone who is 350 pounds like he is.”
Onwenu was a large reason the Wolverines racked up 334 yards on the ground against the Scarlet Knights, including 158 from junior running back Karan Higdon.
“He’s extremely fast, is aggressive and runs hard even though he’s not the biggest guy,” McCray said of Higdon. “He can catch the ball out of the backfield too. We know we have to tackle low when facing players of his size.”
Michigan’s ground game had success all afternoon against Rutgers, but the passing game also received a boost when redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters entered the game midway through the second quarter.
“He needs to just keep being himself,” McCray said of Peters. “He’s always a calm, cool and collected guy in practice, and acts the same way on the field — he never gets too high or too low.”
Michigan faces Minnesota at the Big House on Saturday for the first time since the 2014 debacle that featured the infamous Shane Morris concussion.
The Gophers grabbed a 30-14 victory in that one, and McCray is one of the few players still on the team that was present.
“They came in here my sophomore year and blew us out,” he recalled. “Most of the guys from that team aren’t here anymore, but that game has always been on the back of my mind. That was just one of those awkward games, and stayed in our minds for a while.
“That wasn’t a good year for us, and the atmosphere is a lot better now — that whole year was just kind of awkward. Rivalry games are always close and are good contests though — you just have to stay level headed during them.”
Saturday will be the 103rd meeting between the Wolverines and Gophers.
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