Here's what must continue for Rutgers football to give itself a chance against Michigan

PISCATAWAY — The non-conference slate is over.

Rutgers football is 3-0. 

Now comes the Big Ten schedule, a weekly test against some of the most talented teams in college football.

Up first? A trip to The Big House to go up against a Michigan team that's throttling its opponents. 

Quite a challenge for the Scarlet Knights. 

Greg Schiano's team is in good position heading this gauntlet, securing the program's best start since 2012 with a 45-13 rout of Delaware on Saturday at SHI Stadium. 

The Scarlet Knights got it done with the type of explosive offense fans had been waiting to see, but also by playing disciplined football: No turnovers once again, and just two penalties. 

Rutgers needs to continue to that to give itself a chance against Michigan. 

The Blue Hens are a solid program, one of the best at the FCS level. 

Their helmets are similar to Michigan's. That's where the similarities come to an abrupt end. 

The Wolverines blew out Northern Illinois on Saturday, 63-10. They ran for 373 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns. They averaged 7.8 yards per carry. 

"They’re a really good football team," coach Greg Schiano said. "I guess it was pretty one-sided today, I didn’t see any of it, I just heard the score. We know what we’re up against. It sounds like Michigan’s back to being Michigan. We had our crack last year and didn’t do it. So now we’re going on the road and we have to find a way against a very good football team."

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Finding a way won't be easy. 

Rutgers last season pushed Michigan to triple overtime in Piscataway, but the Wolverines escaped with a 48-42 win. 

That was a very different Michigan team in the middle of a very tumultuous season. 

As Schiano said, Michigan's back to being Michigan. 

Stopping the Wolverines will be difficult. What Rutgers cannot do is hurt itself, either by committing costly penalties and giving away yardage, or by turning the ball over. 

The Scarlet Knights haven't done that this season. 

They haven't turned the ball over at all, while their defense has forced eight takeaways — though none against a Delaware team that also protects the football well.

And through three games, Rutgers has only drawn a total of seven penalties. 

"Being able to protect and not have penalties is definitely big time," center Nick Krimin said. "Giving up easy yards, that shouldn’t happen."

That happened too often last season. 

Rutgers drew an average of 7.4 penalties per game, and averaged 60.9 penalty yards per game, second-most the Big Ten. Only Maryland had more. 

So far this season, they've been the least-penalized team in the conference. 

For when their program is now, the Scarlet Knights need to minimize self-inflicting wounds as much as possible, especially against elite teams like Michigan.

"I think it’s very important," Schiano said. "We can’t overcome when we make those kind of mistakes. Not yet. Sometimes you can you’re really, really talented and you’re really, really primed and it’s the same guys and you’ve had them forever. That’s when sometimes it’s almost, ‘What’s the big deal? We’ll make it up.’ But that’s not us right now. We have to play that way. The biggest thing is taking care of the football, the guys have done a very good job of that. Second is obviously, if you play efficiently and you don’t give up yards, you have a chance."

Ball security has become part of the team's identity. "The ball is the program" is a common refrain at practice, and ball security drills are frequent. 

"They’re doing a good job, but we have to continue it," Schiano said. "The minute you take it for granted, it spills."

Rutgers can't afford any of those "spills" against Michigan. Slowing the Wolverines down will be difficult enough. 

"Taking care of the football is something we pride ourselves on," Krimin said. "Even me as a center, I touch the ball, I’ve got to snap it back to the quarterback, give him a clean snap so he can get the ball off. Definitely not turning the ball over is something that we have to do each and every week."

Email: iseman@northjersey.com Twitter: @chrisiseman