11/21/2020 football Edit

More on Rutgers Football's primetime matchup versus Michigan

Craig Epstein

Rutgers.Rivals.com

While tonight’s matchup against Michigan might not mean much on paper considering it is a battle of 1-3 teams, it represents a chance for Rutgers to exact a measure of revenge on a team that has humiliated them the last five years.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, I know some look at their record, but it’s still a Michigan football team. They’re very, very talented, they run extremely well,” Head Coach Greg Schiano said when previewing the game. “They’ve had some injuries, which are to very key players. I don’t know what their status will be for this Saturday, but they’re a very talented football team, so we certainly have a huge challenge ahead of us, one that we’re excited about.”

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Despite throwing three interceptions in last week’s disappointing 23-20 loss to Illinois, Schiano is sticking with Noah Vedral as his starting quarterback.

“Noah is our starting quarterback,” Schiano continued. “We’re clearly in a developmental stage of offense, defense, and special teams. With everything that’s gone on this year without a training camp without spring ball, we can’t get the cart before the horse, but if you look at even in this developmental stage, offensively we’re performing better than any time in the history of Big Ten football for Rutgers.”

While the Scarlet Knights were able to secure their first Big Ten victory 26-24 in 2014 against former Michigan Head Coach Brady Hoke and the Wolverines thanks to a Kemoko Turay blocked field goal, not much has gone right for Rutgers in this series since.

Since being hired in 2015, current Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has not been too kind to the Scarlet Knights as his squad has outscored Rutgers 256-37, including a 78-0 prime time beat down in 2016 where the Scarlet Knights recorded 39 total yards.

“What we did wasn’t effective [last week], whether it’s scheme or personnel, those are decisions we have to come up with,” Schiano said. “We have a mobile quarterback, you have to make sure that in passing situations, if you shut down the pass game in the back end, he can’t tuck the ball, run and scramble for the first down.”