The No. 19 Michigan Wolverines wrapped up their non-conference slate with a 45-20 win over SMU last Saturday. In Week 4, they'll host the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their first conference game of the season.
Opponent Overview Many Cornhusker fans in and around Lincoln had high expectations for this season after Scott Frost, who led UCF to a 13-0 season in 2017, returned to his alma mater to become the head coach. However, the team, now 0-2, hasn't improved the way people thought they would, or at all for that matter. Not only are the Big Red struggling, but they're also without star quarterback Adrian Martinez, who suffered a knee injury in their first game against Colorado. It's not currently known whether or not he'll start. If he doesn't, expect Andrew Bunch to lead the Cornhuskers offense. The workload in the backfield is split between Greg Bell, Maurice Washington and Devine Ozigbo, each of whom have at least 22 carries in the team's first two games. Bell leads the pack with 168 yards to start the season while Ozigbo has the trio's only touchdown. Stanley Morgan and JD Spielman are the big playmakers on the perimeter. Morgan has made 10 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown while Spielman had nine catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Players to Watch Shea Patterson-Patterson has done a good job as the stable quarterback Michigan has needed. However, fans are still waiting for him to really go off and have a monster game to lead the offense. He did throw for a season high 237 yards and three touchdowns against SMU, but fans know he's capable of more. Is this the week the offense lets him fly? Karan Higdon-The feature running back for the maize and blue couldn't play last Saturday because of an undisclosed injury. Fortunately, he's healthy enough to play against Nebraska, according to running backs coach Jay Harbaugh. Higdon will be an integral part of the offense moving forward and the Nebraska game will be a great opportunity for him to continue his production. Josh Metellus-The junior defensive back had five tackles and an interception taken back 73 yards for a touchdown, a great sign for a player known for costly blunders in big games. If he can keep that going against Nebraska, it'll be a sign that he's really making strides as a safety. The maize and blue host Nebraska Saturday, Sep. 22 at Noon eastern on Fox Sports 1.
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AuthorBeat writer for Michigan Wolverines football and basketball, Ithaca College '20 Archives
November 2018
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