Five Takeaways: Michigan football wins Big Ten opener vs. Rutgers
Michigan opened conference play with a 31-7 win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers opened the game with a long touchdown pass, but that was about all its offense could muster. The UM defense locked them down for the remainder of the game and even managed to get a score of their own on a massive pick-six courtesy of Mike Sainristil.
Jim Harbaugh made his return to the sideline, and while there were some hiccups, it was clear Michigan’s head coach was missed. Expect things to trend up from here as the Wolverines get into the heavy part of their schedule.
As the Wolverines advance to 4-0 on the season, here are some takeaways from the game:
Sherrone Moore is good at his job
LaDarius Henderson might be your new starter
Freshman WRs are here to stay
Slow starts need to stop
A 31-7 win is always good, but Michigan still feels like they have yet to play a complete game. Slow starts are fine against teams like Rutgers of Bowling Green, but Penn State and those stooges in Ohio will not be as forgiving. The coaching staff needs to iron out these early game slip-ups if Michigan wants to realize their national title dreams.
In some ways, being able to dominate Power Five opponents at less than full strength is a good thing, but mostly Michigan fans should be hungry to see a smooth performance from start to finish.
Mike Sainristil is more than a fan favorite
