The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1510053
OCTOBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 7 ❱ MIKE SAINRISTIL'S PICK SIX HEADLINES BIG TEN-OPENING WIN Up 17-7 in one of those good old-fashioned Big Ten brawls, Michigan needed someone to step up and make a play in a key moment. And like so many times before, that guy wound up being graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil, a two-time captain. Late in the third quarter, Sainristil picked off Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt on a fourth-down screen pass. The objective was to blow up the play, but Sainristil's 71-yard interception return for a touchdown wound up blowing the game wide open in favor of Michigan. "We knew it was fourth down," Sainristil said. "They played it aggressively. Coach [Jesse Minter] called it in. He wanted to play it aggressively. So, just blow it up. That's all that means. Just blow it up. Be ready to do whatever it takes to get that ball back for the offense. A regular stop, whether it's a takeaway. We were in man coverage. I read the play and made a great play on the ball. And the rest of the defense helped lead me into that end zone." "That's a difference-maker, Mike Sainristil," Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "A guy that makes the magic happen when you need the magic to happen. And he made it happen. Beautiful thing." The pick was a turning point in the contest, even though Michigan was mostly in control after allowing a quick-strike touchdown on the opening drive. In an instant, the Scarlet Knights' upset bid seemingly slipped through their fingers. "Getting ready for [Michigan], you could tell he is a glue guy for them," Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said about Sainristil. "He is a good player. You can see he makes a lot of checks. He's always talking and communicating. "He did a heck of a job. That's a tough one right there. … It's still a 17-7 game; we've got to get him on the ground." — Anthony Broome PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN THE BIG PICTURE