Michigan kicked off Big Ten East conference play in the last two weeks with games against two of league’s best teams, and while there were promising flashes, the Wolverines couldn’t put it together.
On September 23 versus Notre Dame, Michigan played all 40 minutes of the first half in their own end. The defense held its own and only gave up 12 points despite the harrowing circumstances, but the offense couldn’t clear the ball when given the opportunity.
In the second half, Michigan started out hot. When senior Langston Sholl punched in a try in the 44th minute, the alumni weekend crowd went wild, and it was a one score game. But Michigan failed to convert on a number of other attacking opportunities, and Notre Dame scored two more times late to put the game away.
Against Ohio State on September 30, the Wolverines looked helpless in the first half and trailed 38-0 at halftime. Thanks to tries from Ty West, Armen Vartanian, and Braden Loughnane, Michigan was only outscored 21-22 in what amounted to a close second half, but the game was already out of reach. The Wolverines need to put together a complete 80-minute effort to have a chance in this league.
The second side also lost its games to Notre Dame and Ohio State, with scores of 12-38 and 12-59, respectively.
Next Up
Michigan’s schedule looks much more promising moving forward. The Wolverines travel to Maryland on October 8 and face Northwestern on October 22. While both Maryland and Northwestern are Big Ten schools, they don’t compete in Big Ten Rugby. They are respectable programs, but few teams are at the level of Ohio State.
