Rutgers @ Michigan preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2014 ) Michigan 24, Rutgers 26

No. 17 Michigan looks to continue its winning ways under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh when it hosts Rutgers on Saturday. The Wolverines have won six of their last seven games and survived a scare on Halloween night against Minnesota as they needed a goal line stand on the final play to escape with a 29-26 victory.

Michigan is bowl eligible after missing the postseason last year but there are some concerns about the offense, which has been held under 300 yards in the last two games and hasn't had a pass play of over 50 yards all season. Wolverines quarterback Jake Rudock was knocked out of the Minnesota game with a torso injury but has practiced during the week and is likely to start on Saturday. Rutgers is left to search for answers after another blowout loss, this time a 48-10 drubbing to Wisconsin, as the Scarlet Knights have been outscored 97-17 in their last two contests to slip further away from reaching bowl eligibility. "Those scores don't really mean anything to me," Rutgers star receiver Leonte Carroo told reporters. "Anybody can be beaten at any time."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Michigan -24.5

ABOUT RUTGERS (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten): Carroo leads the Big Ten with nine touchdown catches but sat out the loss to Wisconsin with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable for Saturday. Starting quarterback Chris Laviano has been pulled in favor of backup Hayden Rettig during the last two games in the hopes of kickstarting a sputtering offense that has produced just 10 points during that span, but Laviano is the confirmed starter for Saturday. "You forget about the game quickly, you learn from it the next day and you move on," Laviano told reporters. "You just have to be able to handle it."

ABOUT MICHIGAN (6-2, 3-1): Jabrill Peppers was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after he gained 100 all-purpose yards, ran for a touchdown and had two pass breakups in the win over the Gophers. Wilton Speight replaced an injured Rudock in the third quarter and went 3-for-6 for 29 yards and a score, including the go-ahead 12-yard touchdown pass to Jehu Chesson with 4:47 left in the game. "I'd like to commend Wilton for doing that because that's no easy position to be put in," Chesson told reporters. "We knew we had to take care of him and make plays when we could make plays."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Michigan ranks second nationally in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense.

2. Wolverines WR Amara Darboh needs 122 receiving yards to reach 1,000 in his career.

3. Rutgers hasn't beaten a ranked opponent on the road since 2008.

PREDICTION: Michigan 31, Rutgers 6