Game balls from Michigan football's 31-7 win over Rutgers
The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines are 4-0 after a 31-7 win over the visiting Rutgers Scarlet Knights to kick off Big Ten play. In head coach Jim Harbaugh’s return to the field, there was no shortage of standout performances from a day that started slow but ended with a bang.
Michigan went down 7-0 in the first minute of the game, then rattled off 31 straight points to end the game
The Wolverine’s team of Chris Balas, Anthony Broome and Clayton Sayfie chime in with their game ball picks after the fourth victory of the 2023 campaign.
RELATED: Game recap: Michigan kicks off Big Ten play with a stifling 31-7 win over Rutgers
Chris Balas: Graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil
Two-time team captain and nickel Mike Sainristil continues to shine for the Michigan defense and looks like a natural back there. He had 2 tackles and 2 quarterback hits on the afternoon, but his shining play came in a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown to break the game open in the third quarter.
Sainristil sniffed out and played a screen pass as well as one could, so much so that it looked like he was the only one who knew what was going on out there. Then, he showed off some of the ball skills and explosion that he demonstrated when he was playing offense two years ago. He was injured late in the game, but made the biggest play while Rutgers was attempting to mount a comeback.
Anthony Broome: Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy had a rough showing last week with 3 interceptions, but we all knew that it was an outlier. He was not perfect on Saturday, but finished the game 15-for-21 for 214 yards and a touchdown while adding 51 yards on 7 carries. This was as decisive and impressive as we have seen from him as a runner, and it feels like a wrinkle Michigan can continue to explore while opposing defenses gear up to stop U-M’s rushing attack.
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His pass protection and a tackle rotation did not help him a ton on Saturday, and there are still some mechanical things to clean up, but it was a pretty good day at the office. And with his eighth touchdown pass of the season, he remains on pace to break Michigan’s single-season touchdown record.
Clayton Sayfie: Senior running back Blake Corum
It seemed we were heading for an expanded workload from Michigan senior back Blake Corum going into Big Ten play, and the Rutgers game solidified that. He scored two more rushing touchdowns on Saturday, his seventh and eighth of the year, respectively, and had 97 yards on 21 carries.
The Michigan offensive line is still trying to figure out its identity, and there needs to be more of a push up the middle, but Corum is U-M’s unquestioned No. 1 running back. The way he glides and grinds for extra yards remains impressive.
What’s next for Michigan football?
Michigan is in action next weekend in its first road trip of the year, heading to Lincoln, Neb., for a date with the Cornhuskers. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
