This week’s college football schedule includes a game between the no. 4 Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten and the Connecticut Huskies, an independent program. The game is set to kick off at noon EST on Saturday and be televised on ABC. At home, the Wolverines are listed as 47.5-point favorites while the over/under for the game is set at 60 points.
After reaching the College Football Playoff last season, Michigan has picked up where it left off. The Wolverines have a pair of lopsided wins under their belt, beating Colorado State 51-7 and Hawaii 56-10. Of course, Big Ten play begins next week, so the Wolverines have one more tune-up game before they need to be at their best.
As for the Huskies, they are starting a new rebuilding project under coach Jim Mora. UConn opened the season with a competitive road loss against Utah State before scoring a win over Central Connecticut. But the Huskies suffered a setback last week, getting blown out at home by Syracuse 48-14.
The Backup Plan
The Huskies suffered a huge setback in their season opener when quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson was lost to a season-ending injury. Zion Turner has stepped into his place and been decent despite throwing three interceptions and just four touchdown passes. But the Huskies have struggled to find answers at wide receiver, putting a lot of pressure on running back Nathan Carter to carry the offense.
Naturally, questions persist about the UConn defense at the start of the rebuilding process. The Huskies allowed more than 500 yards of offense in the loss to Utah State and 470 yards in last week’s loss to Syracuse. In last week’s game, the UConn defense gave up four touchdown drives of 60 yards or longer, so it wasn’t just the struggles of the offense that put the Huskies in a bad position defensively.
The Chosen One
After Michigan’s quarterback competition spilled into the start of the season, the Wolverines decided to go with J.J. McCarthy as the full-time starter. While McCarthy’s snaps have been somewhat limited and come against weak competition, he’s completed 15 of his 16 passes and is averaging more than 16 yards per pass through two games. Michigan has also showcased a three-headed monster in the backfield, with Blake Corum, C.J. Stokes, and Donovan Edwards all averaging at least six yards per carry early in the season.
Defensively, the jury is still out on the Michigan defense with key players like Aidan Hutchinson, Daxton Hill, and David Ojabo to replace. But the early returns have been good, with the Wolverines allowing just 17 points over their first two games. However, the Michigan defense is yet to be properly challenged by Colorado State or Hawaii.
More of the Same
Michigan’s first two games have been blowouts, and there is no reason to think that will change this week. UConn isn’t anywhere close to being ready to face a team with Michigan’s talent, much less do it on the road. The spread is big, but since the Huskies will be lucky to score many points in this game, it’s a safe bet that Michigan will be able to cover 47.5 points.
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