Two banged-up teams, one Halloween kickoff, and a spread that says one of them is slightly less banged up. Michigan vs. Rutgers kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday on Big Ten Network, with the Wolverines (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) a 14-point favorite at Rutgers (2-5, 1-3) even though both teams are limping into the game.
The Scarlet Knights are missing their starting quarterback. Meanwhile, Michigan has three defensive starters listed as game-time decisions.
Here’s the thing: this is not a playoff-chase game, whatever the headline machine says. We couldn’t find a single source tying Saturday to playoff hopes. In fact, Michigan already has a loss at Minnesota and a 13-6 overtime loss to Indiana on the ledger. The real stakes for this Michigan Rutgers game are simpler: a first Big Ten road win, and a chance to stop the bleeding before the schedule gets ugly. For a look at how the Wolverines got here, see our breakdown of the Sherrone Moore firing.
Who’s actually playing in Michigan vs. Rutgers?
The latest final availability report from On3 lists three Michigan game-time decisions: defensive tackle Enow Etta and edge rushers John Henry Daley and Dom Nichols. Daley matters most because he leads the team with four sacks.
Some good news came earlier in the week. Safety Rod Moore, a three-time captain, was questionable but isn’t on the final list. Right tackle Blake Frazier, who missed last week, also appears cleared, according to the Detroit Free Press. The offensive line has been banged up for weeks, so getting him back is a quiet but real win.
Not so lucky: receivers Kendrick Bell and Braydon Alford, running back Micah Ka’apana, edge Julius Holly and linemen Ace Hamilton and Andrew Sprague were all ruled out midweek. Cornerback Jo’Ziah Edmond was added as out on Friday.
Rutgers has a bigger hole at quarterback
Rutgers is down Dylan Lonergan, who left the 42-14 loss at Northwestern with a head injury and is out. On3 reports AJ Surace gets the start, though Fox Sports said it would be Surace or Sean Ashenfelder, so treat the name as likely rather than official.
Receiver KJ Duff is the other swing. He has 774 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches. He moved from doubtful to questionable Friday and is a game-time call.
Without him and Lonergan, Rutgers’ offense gets thin fast, and the Scarlet Knights’ defense isn’t built to bail it out. Rutgers allows 217.6 passing yards and 199.1 rushing yards per game, which is a tough place to start against the Wolverines.
Michigan vs. Rutgers history is lopsided
Michigan leads the series 9-1 and has won nine straight, per Michigan Athletics. Rutgers’ only win came in 2014, 26-24, and the Scarlet Knights have never beaten Michigan twice in a row. The last meeting was a 31-7 Michigan win in 2023.
One note on the headline you may have seen: the “winning streak to 10 games” is the series streak against Rutgers, not Michigan’s overall record. Michigan is 4-3, and it isn’t on a run of anything except frustration.
Rutgers does like Halloween at home, though. The Scarlet Knights have won four of their previous five home games on Oct. 31, so the “Halloween On the Banks” branding isn’t just marketing. Even so, Wolverines vs. Scarlet Knights has rarely been close.
Michigan vs. Rutgers: how to watch
- When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 12:30 p.m. ET
- Where: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.
- TV: Big Ten Network (Jason Horowitz, Jake Butt, Brooke Fletcher)
- Stream: FOX One
- Radio: 94.7 FM WCSX in Detroit and the Learfield Michigan Sports Network
What Michigan at Rutgers means for the Wolverines
The Wolverines’ defense is the reason they’re a double-digit favorite. It allows 15.7 points per game and has seven interceptions, two returned for touchdowns.
The offense, however, is the problem at 20.3 points per game. Tommy Carr started at quarterback against Indiana in place of Bryce Underwood. We couldn’t confirm why, so we won’t guess.
The road ahead is brutal: Michigan State at home Nov. 7, then Oregon on the road Nov. 14, UCLA at home and Ohio State on the road Nov. 28. Losing to a depleted Rutgers team would turn a rough season into a lost one. A win, on the other hand, just buys a little breathing room.
If you want a reminder of what Michigan football looked like at its peak, revisit the Wolverines’ championship run. Then ask the only question that matters on Halloween: which Michigan team shows up, the trick or the treat?
