Michigan Monday: Game 1 vs. East Carolina
#2 Michigan (0-0) vs. East Carolina (0-0)
Michigan Stadium / Ann Arbor, Mich.
Saturday, Sept. 2 | Noon
Television: Peacock | Radio: Learfield Michigan Sports Network
What You Need to Know
• U-M opens the season ranked No. 2 in the national polls after finishing 2022 ranked No. 3 in both polls.
• Mike Barrett, Blake Corum, Kris Jenkins, Trevor Keegan, Mike Sainristil and Zak Zinter were voted captains for the 2023 season. [ Watch: Captains Named for 2023 Season ]
• The 2023 team features 88 players who have seen game action in the winged helmet.
• Michigan has won 25 of its last 28 games and has a 15-game winning streak at Michigan Stadium.
• Blake Corum is a returning consensus All-American from 2022.
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Season Openers
• The Wolverines have compiled a 117-23-3 record in season openers.
• U-M has won 12 of its last 16 season openers and 47 of its last 60 games dating back to the 1963 season (47-12-1).
• Head coach Jim Harbaugh has posted a 6-2 mark in season openers at Michigan.
• Michigan lost on the road to Utah (2015) in Harbaugh's first game as head coach and at Notre Dame (2018) while claiming home victories against Hawaii (2016), Middle Tennessee State (2019), Minnesota (2020), Western Michigan (2021) and Colorado State (2022).
• U-M won a neutral site game over Florida (2017) in the Cowboys Classic played in Dallas.
• Last season, Harbaugh and the Wolverines claimed a 51-7 win over Colorado State at Michigan Stadium.
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Game Promotions
• Maize Out - All fans are encouraged to unify Michigan Stadium by wearing Maize clothing.
• Giveaway - Maize Poms (while supplies last)
• Football Ticket Redemption - Show your ticket from Michigan vs. ECU to receive a free ticket to the following (tickets subject to availability):
Women's Soccer vs. Cincinnati (Sunday, Sept. 3, 1 PM - U-M Soccer Stadium)
• Band Halftime Show - Let's Groove
• On-Field DJ - DJ Truth
Full 2023 Promotions Schedule
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Wolverines and Pirates
• Michigan and East Carolina will meet on the gridiron for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 2, at Michigan Stadium.
• The Wolverines have played five schools that currently make up the American Athletic Conference (AAC), posting a 20-5-1 mark against those opponents: Memphis (1-0), Navy (12-5-1 ), Rice (2-0), SMU (2-0) and Tulane (3-0).
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In the Polls
• U-M opens the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press media poll and the AFCA Coaches' poll, behind two-time defending national champion Georgia.
• This is the program's highest preseason ranking since 1991 when the Wolverines listed No. 2 in the polls.
• U-M has been ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP rankings on four previous occasions: 1991, 1986, 1977 and 1976.
• The Wolverines topped the preseason AP rankings 1989 and 1981.
• U-M finished 2022 ranked No. 3 in the final polls behind national champion Georgia and No. 2 TCU; the Wolverines finished No. 3 in the polls the past two seasons marking just the third time in school history the program accomplished the feat; the only other times that Michigan ranked in the top 5 of the polls in consecutive seasons was 1947 and 1948, capturing back-to-back national championships, and 1940 (No. 3) and 1941 (No. 5).
• U-M has listed in the top five of the national polls for 16 straight rankings.
• The Wolverines have been ranked in the top 10 of the polls for 28 straight rankings, including all 16 in 2022 and the final 11 of 2021.
• The Wolverines have been listed in the national rankings for 31 straight polls dating back to the second poll of 2021, including a current string of 28 consecutive polls in the top 1O.
• Michigan has been ranked for all but 13 contests during Harbaugh's tenure (86 of 99 games).
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Game Notes Nuggets
• The Wolverines ranked No. 2 nationally in average scoring margin (+24.4 points) in 2022 after ranking fifth in that category (+18.4 points) in 2021. Only Georgia (+26.4 points) was better last fall.
• U-M's offense scored on its first possession 11 times last season (eight touchdowns, three field goals).
• Dating to late in the 2021 season, U-M has averaged three rushing touchdowns per game (54 in 18 games). The team scored 13 in the final four games of 2021; 41 in 14 games in 2022.
• This production has centered on college football's best offensive line, the first unit to win consecutive Joe Moore Awards. Guards Zak Zinter (31 career starts) and Trevor Keegan (23 career starts) return the most experience.
• Zinter was graded as the second-most valuable Power Five guard in 2022 by Pro Football Focus; according to the service, he allowed only one sack and six hurries across 325 pass-blocking snaps. For their careers, Zinter and Keegan have been charged with two sacks allowed each.
• Quarterback J.J. McCarthy began his career as a starter with 12 wins before suffering his first loss in the CFP semifinal last year. The previous record-holder, Dennis Franklin, won his first 10 starts before losing a game.
• McCarthy's average of 7.67 yards per play ranks No. 1 all-time (minimum 400 plays) in U-M history.
• Rob Lytle and Gordon Bell (1975) are the lone duo to share a backfield and each go for 1,000 yards rushing in a single season. Running backs Blake Corum (1,463 rushing yards in 2022) and Donovan Edwards (991 yards) hope to become the second U-M duo to achieve that feat.
• Corum's 2022 season earned him a Pro Football Focus grade of 96.2, the single-season record for any Power Five player at any position.
• Corum enters the season ranked No. 17 on the all-time rushing list at Michigan (2,492 yards). With another 1,000-yard season, Corum would pass Rob Lytle (3,317 yards) and approach Chris Perry (3,696 yards), U-M's No. 7 all-time rusher.
• Corum is tied for seventh all-time in rushing touchdowns (31) with Steve Smith (1980-83). With 10 more scores, Corum would tie his position coach Mike Hart (41, 2004-07) for fourth-most all-time.
• Edwards' 7.08 yards per carry in 2022 was the No. 3 all-time mark in a single season at Michigan, behind only Denard Robinson in 2012 (7.15) and Tyrone Wheatley in 1992 (7.34).
• Edwards enters the 2022 season with 465 career receiving yards, No. 8 all-time among running backs at Michigan. With 102 yards more, Edwards would pass his position coach Mike Hart (566 career receiving yards) and enter the top five all-time.
• Kris Jenkins' 31 run stops in 2022 were the most among all defensive interior players in 2022; he was graded third-best in the run game among all Power Five interior players.
• Mason Graham's 80.3 grade by PFF led all true freshmen defensive linemen, while defensive back Will Johnson tied for the highest-graded Power Five true freshman at any position (88.2) and led all Power Five cornerbacks with a 91.1 man coverage grade.
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