Michigan
9-1 , 7-0
Rutgers
1-9 , 0-7
Game of Throws: Patterson's Three TDs Highlight Rout of Scarlet Knights
11/10/2018 7:09:00 PM | Football
» Shea Patterson threw for 260 yards and three touchdown passes in three quarters.
» Karan Higdon ran for two touchdowns and logged Michigan's first 1,000-yard rushing season since 2012.
» The nation's No. 1 pass defense held Rutgers to 59 yards receiving, the lowest by any team against U-M this year.
Site: Piscataway, N.J. (HighPoint.com Stadium)
Score: #4 Michigan 42, Rutgers 7
Records: U-M (9-1, 7-0 B1G), Rutgers (1-9, 0-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 17 -- vs. Indiana (Michigan Stadium), 4 p.m. (TV: FS1)
• Kornacki: Patterson Getting It Done with Efficiency and Flamboyance
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Shea Patterson threw three touchdown passes and Karan Higdon ran for two more scores as the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan football team soundly defeated Rutgers, 42-7, on Saturday (Nov. 10) at HighPoint.com Stadium.
Patterson was the story on Saturday against a Rutgers defense that stacked the box in an attempt to thwart the Michigan run game amid blustery wind conditions. Thanks to solid pass protection, Patterson was impressive in his three quarters of action, finishing 18-of-27 for 260 yards and three touchdowns.
Michigan chalked up 453 yards of offense while its defense limited Rutgers to 252 yards, including just 59 through the air to mark the lowest total against U-M this season.
Michigan started the scoring with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter when Higdon bullied his way into the end zone on 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line to cap an eight-play, 59-yard drive that covered 4:28.
Rutgers answered immediately as Isaih Pacheco recorded Rutgers' longest offensive play of the season with an 80-yard touchdown run up the middle. It was also the program's longest rush since joining the Big Ten Conference.
Michigan again put forward a bruising drive; this time a 12-play, 65-yard drive with another one-yard TD run from Higdon that put the Wolverines ahead, 14-7, at the 9:33 mark of the second quarter. Higdon finished the night with 15 carries for 42 yards, and in doing so became the first Wolverine to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Denard Robinson in 2012.
The lead was soon extended to 21-7 when Patterson found Nico Collins wide open on a go-route for a 36-yard touchdown with 5:07 to play in the half.
Near the end of the first half, Michigan's defense again came up with another stop when it denied Rutgers on 4th-and-2 from midfield with 2:32 to play. The half ended with Michigan outgaining RU 256-135, with the Scarlet Knights being credited for zero receiving yards on 2-of-6 passing.
In the second half, Michigan picked up where it left off as the Wolverines drove 73 yards on eight plays, capped by a Patterson-to-Oliver Martin 16-yard touchdown pass to give U-M a 28-7 lead at the 11:12 mark. Martin's first collegiate touchdown came following some impressive poise from Patterson, who went through multiple progressions in the pocket before rolling out to the strong side and lofting a perfectly-placed ball to the front corer of the end zone.
Patterson and Collins hooked up again with eight seconds remaining in the third quarter, when on 2nd-and-7, Patterson lofted a back-shoulder pass for a 10-yard scoring strike on his final play of the night to extend Michigan's lead to 35-7.
Chris Evans broke through the line on the first play of the fourth quarter and rumbled for a 61-yard touchdown run and a 42-7 Wolverine lead to account for the final margin.
Michigan returns home next weekend for its home finale against Indiana. Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 17), and FS1 will televise the game.
Team Stats
MICH 7, RU 0
MICH - Higdon, Karan 1 yd run (Nordin, Quinn kick), 8 plays, 59 yards, TOP 4:28
MICH 7, RU 7
RU - Pacheco, Isaih 80 yd run (Davidovicz, J. kick), 1 plays, 80 yards, TOP 0:13
MICH 14, RU 7
MICH - Higdon, Karan 1 yd run (Nordin, Quinn kick), 12 plays, 65 yards, TOP 5:43
MICH 21, RU 7
MICH - Collins, Nico 36 yd pass from Patterson, Shea (Nordin, Quinn kick) 6 plays, 53 yards, TOP 2:08
MICH 28, RU 7
MICH - Martin, Oliver 16 yd pass from Patterson, Shea (Nordin, Quinn kick) 8 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:43
MICH 35, RU 7
MICH - Collins, Nico 10 yd pass from Patterson, Shea (Nordin, Quinn kick) 5 plays, 42 yards, TOP 2:33
MICH 42, RU 7
MICH - Evans, Chris 61 yd run (Nordin, Quinn kick), 1 plays, 61 yards, TOP 0:11
