Michigan Football: 5 things we learned in uneasy win over Rutgers

Michigan football got to 4-0 on Saturday but it wasn’t pretty and here are five things we learned from the Wolverines performance. 

After Michigan football won just two games a year ago, it’s hard to complain about a win, especially one over a conference opponent.

But there were a lot of troublesome signs in the 20-13 win over Rutgers. The fact that Michigan football went three-and-out three straight times in the second half was disturbing, as was the first down margin which favored the Scarlet Knights 13-0 at one point in the second half.

Michigan needs to be better than that. Rutgers is improved under Greg Schiano. This program isn’t going to be an automatic win on the schedule but it wasn’t a sharp performance and here are the five things we learned about the Wolverines.

Still too early to say Michigan is back

This game reminded us that we need to pump the breaks a little when it comes to this Michigan team. It has improved from last season and is going to get back to a bowl game and all that, but is it ready to contend in the Big Ten? That’s another matter.

Rutgers controlled the of scrimmage in the second half and stymied Michigan’s vaunted run game, which looked unstoppable in the first three games.

Not only did Rutgers out-gain Michigan, but the Scarlet Knights also had more yards on the ground and if it wasn’t for multiple stops in the red zone, this game could have gone the other way.

Michigan football isn’t the disaster it was last season. That’s plain to see. But the same questions about beating good teams, still linger, at least until next week.