Michigan football returns in Week 2 to face the Cincinnati Bearcats in their home opener, here’s all you need to know about the Wolverine’s Saturday matchup.
The eight-ranked Michigan Wolverines made easy work of the 22nd-ranked Florida Gators, 33-17, in their season opener. Now, they play their first true home game against American Conference foe, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Wolverines offense wasn’t stellar but the defense was, led by linebacker Devin Bush. Bush finished the contest with seven tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. The Michigan defense allowed just three points to the Gators offense, showing why they are one of the top teams in the country.
The Michigan Wolverines offense had a good day running the ball, but passing not so much. Running back Ty Isaac finished with 11 carries for 114 rushing yards and Chris Evans finished with 78 rushing yards on 22 carries. Karan Higdon scored the lone rushing touchdown of the day. Quarterback Wilton Speight threw two pick-sixes on back-to-back series but he bounced back after briefly getting benched.
The Cincinnati Bearcats won their season opener as well over Austin Peay, 26-14. Quarterback Hayden Moore had 151 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Running back Mike Boone paced the rushing attack with 100 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Cincinnati will have their hands full this week with the Michigan Wolverines.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Michigan vs. Cincinnati game:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Venue: Michigan Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
The Michigan Wolverines are fine on defense but they’ll need to have a better showing on offense with Wilton Speight at quarterback. Speight did have a touchdown pass to wide receiver Tarik Black in the first half but he was a game manager after that.
His development as a passer is the key to the Wolverines’ success this week. Black should be the primary target but expect to see more throws in wide receiver Nick Eubanks‘ direction. He had two receptions for 61 receiving yards against Florida, with a long reception of 48 yards.
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Prediction
The game serves as a bit of a warmup for the Michigan Wolverines, or at least it should. The Cincinnati Bearcats have a solid quarterback in Hayden Moore, but the Wolverines’ have the better defense. Don’t expect a close game.
Final Score: Michigan 35, Cincinnati 7