After sifting through all the negatives from Michigan's performance in Piscataway, there were some bright spots that deserve more recognition.
Tommy Carr excelled, but he had some help from the resources around him. Rutgers had nothing to play for and didn't quit, but instead of a one-score outcome, Michigan could have won this game by about three touchdowns, minus two Rutgers chunk plays.
3 underreactions from Michigan's win
The crowd was very pro Michigan
For being a 4-3 team on the road and against a below average, two touchdown underdog, Michigan fans showed up to take over SHI Stadium. The largest alumni base in America were heard chanting "Let's Go Blue" and dressed in their best Halloween costumes to celebrate the holiday and the victory. This was a pleasant underreaction for a team in turmoil.
Jake Guarnera's toughness didn't go unnoticed
During the game, Guarnera was seen visibly limping, and the broadcasters even pointed it out. He was questionable entering the week, but played through the pain.
Afterward, Jake Butt tweeted about it, and Jake's Dad was very proud that Butt mentioned his son's grit on social media. Some even went as far as to say that Michigan might not have won the game if Guarnera wasn't out there. That's debatable, but he'll probably be a question mark leading all the way up until Saturday night for the Michigan State affair. It made this an underreaction that deserves more credit from everyone.
Thinking back on the @UMichFootball game today.. Jake Guarnera has a case for MVP. Clearly not 100%, clearly battling with some injuries, but was and is total warrior. Quite literally putting his body on the line for his team. Extremely intelligent as well making all of the calls…
— Jake Butt (@Jbooty88) November 1, 2026
Zero pass completions in the last two second halves of games is incredible
The most eye-popping stat from Saturday was that Michigan hasn't allowed a single completion from a quarterback over the last two weeks in the second half. That's truly a remarkable effort and something that doesn't happen very often at any level of football. That is a huge underreaction that more people should be making a big deal about.
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