Wolverines stay on pace for playoff

NO. 4 MICHIGAN 42, RUTGERS 7

PISCATAWAY, N.J.» Shea Patterson threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, Karan Higdon ran for a pair of 1-yard scores and No. 4 Michigan kept its national championship hopes intact with a 42-7 win over Rutgers on Saturday.

The Wolverines (9-1, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) have won nine straight and remain in first place in the conference’s East Division. They have a final tuneup against Indiana next week at the Big House before closing the regular season at No. 8 Ohio State. Michigan hasn’t lost since the season opener against No. 3 Notre Dame and would have to beat the Buckeyes for just the second time in 15 years to keep any hope at a national title alive.

They showed no signs of a slip up against lowly Rutgers (1-9, 0-7) and kept the Scarlet Knights without a yard passing until the third quarter. The Wolverines took the field on a chilly night in front of thousands of fans in blue and maize winter hats and jackets who turned Rutgers into a Big House East.

Michigan’s win was never in doubt — it was a 38 ½-point favorite and had outscored Rutgers 162-30 over their last three meetings. Michigan’s 78-0 win two years ago in Piscataway was perhaps the most horrifying defeat of Rutgers’ 149 seasons.

The only upset Saturday came in the total time it took Michigan to score. The Wolverines didn’t take the lead until Higdon’s 1-yard run with 45 seconds left in the first quarter that made it 7-0.

Patterson had his fifth threetouchdown game of the season.