No. 2 Michigan hosts Bowling Green, playing without suspended Jim Harbaugh one more time

2023-09-15 01:57

No. 2 Michigan is hosting Bowling Green on Saturday as coach Jim Harbaugh serves the last game of his three-game suspension

Bowling Green (1-1) at No. 2 Michigan (2-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

Line: Michigan by 40 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Michigan leads 2-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The Wolverines want to win and stay healthy, staying on pace to contend for Big Ten and national championships. The Falcons have a chance to show their largest audience who they are under coach Scot Loeffler, who is in his fifth season and coming off the school's first bowl game since 2015.

KEY MATCHUP

Michigan's passing game against Bowling Green's overmatched defense. J.J. McCarthy leads college football, connecting on 87.3% of his passes. Bowling Green is giving up nearly 200 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bowling Green: QB Connor Bazelak. The fifth-year player, who spent his first three years at Missouri, started for Indiana against Michigan last year. He completed 25 of 49 passes for 203 yards with one touchdown and one interception a 31-10 loss that included seven sacks by the Wolverines.

Michigan: WR Roman Wilson. All he does is catch touchdowns. Almost. Wilson has 10 receptions, and half of them have been for scores to trail only Vanderbilt's Will Sheppard in receiving touchdowns in the country. Wilson has 167 yards receiving.

FACTS & FIGURES

Bowling Green is facing the highest-ranked team after previously playing No. 4 Boise State in 2009 and No. 4 Ohio State in 2003. ... Michigan has 17 straight home victories, its longest run since winning 21 in a row from 1998-2001. The two-time defending Big Ten champions have won 27 of their last 30 games. ... Loeffler was a backup quarterback at Michigan in the mid-1990s and coached quarterbacks for the Wolverines under Lloyd Carr. ... Michigan had 10 tackles for losses, including five sacks, in last week's win over UNLV. ... Bowling Green RB Ta'Ron Keith and TE Harold Fannin each had 100 yards receiving in last week's win 38-15 win over Eastern Illinois. ... Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, suspended by the school for breaking NCAA rules, will have his role filled by offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, who was suspended by the school for the first game for his role in the infractions that led to Harbaugh's punishment.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll