ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The margin for error for Rutgers against superior Big Ten competition is very small.
How small?
Definitely too small to fit a holding penalty, a shanked punt, a dropped interception and a mismatch in pass coverage.
All four of those mistakes happened to Rutgers in the final three minutes of the first half Saturday, as Michigan turned a tie score into a two-touchdown halftime lead en route to a 35-14 victory.
Rutgers played Michigan tighter than expected but its one-dimensional loss wasn't enough to make up for defense, special teams
"We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole," coach Chris Ash said, "but there was no quit, no letdown.