Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Michigan Football: Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2018

By Connor Muldowney

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 28: Running back Karan Higdon
ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 28: Running back Karan Higdon /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 12
Next
FRISCO, TX – DECEMBER 20: The Southern Methodist Mustangs walk to the field before the 2017 DXL Frisco Bowl against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on December 20, 2017 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
FRISCO, TX – DECEMBER 20: The Southern Methodist Mustangs walk to the field before the 2017 DXL Frisco Bowl against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on December 20, 2017 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

There’s good news and bad news for SMU. The good news is sophomore quarterback Ben Hicks will be back in 2018, looking to surpass his breakout numbers from 2017. The bad news is he will be without top receivers Trey Quinn and Courtland Sutton who each broke 1,000 yards in 2017 but are headed to the NFL draft. Oh yeah, and head coach Chad Morris left for Arkansas.

That bodes well for Michigan. Although the Wolverines’ secondary is talented enough to stop guys like Sutton and Quinn, they won’t have to worry about basing too much attention on two receivers and forgetting about the rest of the corps and the run game.

Hicks will struggle against Michigan’s defense, especially since Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich will be getting after him all day long. The defense will finish with six sacks and just as many hurries — or more. He will be running for his life all day.

Michigan will also shut down the run game led by Xavier Jones. Michigan’s offense will have itself a game against one of the worst defenses in college football from 2016. Shea Patterson will have his first 300-yard game and the duo of Chris Evans and Karan Higdon will once again reign supreme.

Final Score: SMU 16, Michigan 41 (2-1)

Home/Michigan Wolverines