Michigan defeated Rutgers on Saturday, 35-14, in a game where one position — quarterback — dominated the headlines.
After fifth-year senior John O'Korn struggled through the first quarter (3-of-6 passing, one interception), he was replaced by redshirt freshman Brandon Peters.
Peters immediately led Michigan on consecutive scoring drives and helped the team grab a 21-7 halftime lead.
As a whole, the offense looked better than it had in weeks (471 yards), and the defense dominated throughout (195 yards).
Find out what others are saying about Peters, Michigan's rushing attack, the defense and much more here:
Chris Balas, The Wolverine: Michigan 35, Rutgers 14: Notes, Quotes & Observations
"OBSERVATIONS
"Junior safety Tyree Kinnel has become a target for opposing game planners, and he’s continued to get picked on. Expect that to continue until he learns to turn back and look for the ball. He’s been in position, but he simply hasn’t found the ball in the air.
"At the same time, the high expectations have made it hard for the defense as a whole to impress anymore. They gave up a grand total of 195 yards, though [Rutgers fifth-year senior receiver] Janarion Grant’s 65-yard touchdown was discouraging in that it was the same play Penn State repeatedly beat U-M on last week.
"Still, the defensive line was stout, and 40 of 50 plays went for next to nothing."
Ryan Zuke, MLive: 5 things being talked about after Michigan's 35-14 win over Rutgers
"No. 2: John O'Korn struggles
"Many thought today against Rutgers would be a good time to give Peters has first career start after fifth-year senior John O'Korn has struggled to find consistency since taking over as the starter Sept. 23 at Purdue.
"O'Korn looked out of sync again on Saturday. His first pass went for a 3-yard loss to [sophomore receiver] Eddie McDoom, and he finished 3 for 6 passing for 13 yards and an interception. He also fumbled two snaps.
"The 6-foot-4, 211-pounder was replaced after the Wolverines went three-and-out on his final drive. He fumbled the snap on first down but still was able to pick up a yard. He went to the air on second and third down, but both attempts fell incomplete."
Josh Newman, Asbury Park Press: Rutgers football: Five takeaways from Rutgers' loss to Michigan
"4. Michigan's defensive line vs. Rutgers' offensive line was a mismatch: Let's start with this. Former Paramus Catholic star [sophomore defensive end] Rashan Gary was often a one-man wrecking crew along Michigan's defensive line. He was in the Rutgers backfield constantly, as were his linemates, specifically fellow defensive end [redshirt junior] Chase Winovich and [fifth-year senior] defensive tackle Maurice Hurst.
"Gary and Hurst each had a sack. Winovich had 1.5, giving him seven on the season, and Michigan as a whole sacked [Rutgers redshirt junior quarterback] Gio Rescigno five times. This, after giving up just six sacks in the first seven games combined. The Wolverines had a whopping 11 tackles for a loss."
"OFFENSIVE LINE IMPROVES
"The offensive line had a good day, controlling the Rutgers front seven, which is the best part of that defense. They gave both O’Korn and Peters plenty of time to pass the ball and did not give up a single sack. They also really excelled in the run game, gashing Rutgers for 334 yards on the ground. Karan Higdon went for 158 yards and a pair of scores on 18 carries. Ty Isaac added another 109 yards on 14 carries before leaving the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. It is likely that was just a precaution in a blowout game."
Shawn Ekwall, Saturday Blitz: Michigan Football: Wolverines find offense in win over Rutgers
"2. Michigan may have found its next quarterback
"Brandon Peters took over a struggling Michigan offense in the first half. Peters replaced John O'Korn and had an efficient day. He finished 10 of 14 for 124 yards and a touchdown.
"There’s no question that Peters is the future quarterback for Michigan. Giving him an extended look now seems like a good idea. Peters took advantage of his opportunity on Saturday and played well. With a solid ground game to support him, fans may be seeing more and more of the sophomore quarterback down the stretch.
"Michigan fans were extremely frustrated with O’Korn last week. And even though Harbaugh defended O’Korn in the media this week, one could sense that a change may come if he continued to struggle. After throwing a pick in the first half, Harbaugh inserted Peters. Fans liked what they saw and most likely will be clamoring for the sophomore to get another start next week.
"It also helped that 10 different Wolverines’ receivers caught balls on Saturday. Spreading it around and having options will help Peters going forward. There’s no doubt he’s the future at quarterback, but Saturday’s performance proved he may be the present as well."
"BY THE NUMBERS
"2,646 -- College football games played by Rutgers and Michigan. Rutgers (1,333) has played the most in the history of the sport. Michigan (1,313) is No. 3.
"287 -- Consecutive points scored by Big Ten East Division powers Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State against Rutgers over the last two seasons ... until Grant's second-quarter touchdown.
"277 -- Consecutive games at Michigan with more than 100,000 fans as the attendance
"5 -- Games with less than 100 yards passing over the last two seasons for Rutgers. It looked like No. 6 was in the works until Rescigno threw for 61 yards on a touchdown drive in the third quarter, going from 29 to 90."
John Taylor, NBCSports: QB change sparks Michigan’s offense vs. Rutgers
"After much fan clamoring, they’ve gotten exactly what they wanted — and the results they expected.
"Replacing [redshirt junior] Wilton Speight under center because of injury, John O’Korn has played miserably in four starts, throwing four interceptions against just one touchdown in directing a Michigan offense that barely averaged 20 points per game in that span. Entering the Week 9 matchup with a Rutgers team that has won back-to-back Big Ten games and needing to turn things around personally, O’Korn has struggled once again.
"Through the first quarter and a half, the Wolverines had scored just seven points and O’Korn had thrown another interception. Following a second-quarter three-and-out, Jim Harbaugh yanked O’Korn in favor of fan favorite Brandon Peters, with the redshirt freshman responding by completing 5 of 7 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown; he came into the game with one career pass attempt.
"That touchdown pass, incidentally, was Michigan’s first since Sept. 23 — Sept. 23!!!
"In fact, Peters, a four-star 2016 signee, led the Wolverines to touchdowns on both of his second-quarter drives, pushing UM to a 21-7 halftime lead on RU in the Big House. Barring injury — or Harbaugh doing the inexplicable — the Peters Era in Ann Arbor has commenced in earnest."
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