UNLV Football: First Look at the Michigan Wolverines

The Rebels will visit the Big House in non-conference play to face Michigan. Here’s a first look at the Wolverines.

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One of the Mountain West’s biggest tests this year.

UNLV Football: First Look At 2023 Non-conference Opponents

Bryant | Michigan | Vanderbilt | UTEP

[INTRO]

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Conference: Big Ten

Series History: Michigan leads the all-time series against UNLV, 1-0.

2022 Record: 13-1 (9-0 Big Ten)

Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh (ninth year; 74-25 at Michigan, 132-52 overall). As it turned out, Michigan’s College Football Playoff berth in 2021 was no fluke since the Wolverines went out and did it again last fall. Though they had to survive some close calls against Maryland and Illinois, the real story of the season revolved around convincing wins against rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. Though they came up just short in the CFP against TCU, Harbaugh’s Wolverines are on the short list of teams who have a decent shot of getting back there in 2023.

Key Players

Blake Corum, RB

One of the best running backs in college football will make a triumphant return in 2023. In the second-to-last regular season game of the 2022 season, Corum suffered a season-ending knee injury against Illinois on Nov. 19. He attempted a short return the following week vs. Ohio State, but he exited the game after a brief appearance. Prior to his injury, Corum rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. If Corum can remain healthy this season, he will be Michigan’s leading rusher and could be the best running back in the country.

Kris Jenkins, DT

Last season, Kris Jenkins was a fixture on the defensive line. He played in all 14 games and registered 54 tackles. He has the ability to stop the run and make plays near the line of scrimmage. Jenkins will be a handful for UNLV’s offensive line on Sept. 9.

JJ McCarthy, QB

Michigan’s 2022 offense took a step forward with JJ McCarthy leading the way. Following a quarterback battle with Cade McNamara, McCarthy won the starting job and led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season. He finished last season with 2,719, 22 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. On the ground, McCarthy added 306 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns.

Junior Colson, LB

Entering his junior season at Michigan, Junior Colson will be one of the primary leaders on the defensive end. Colson is an athletic linebacker and playmaker. Colson led the team in tackles with 101 tackles in 2022. In the Big Ten Championship, Colson recorded 15 tackles against Purdue. He knows where the ball is at all times and will be a problem for UNLV’s offense.

Cornelius Johnson, WR

Johnson has played in every game each of the last three regular seasons. For this season, he will likely be McCarthy’s top target. In 2022, Johnson had 499 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns, and 32 receptions.

Overview:

Offense

Michigan’s offense is a reloaded version heading into 2023. With McCarthy locked in as the team’s starting quarterback, he will look to transfer over his success from 2022 to 2023. Michigan has a complete offense with a great running game and a solid receiving corps.

Defense

Michigan’s defense made important plays last season and will need to do the same to repeat as Big Ten Champions. For Week 2, Michigan’s defense will try to pressure Doug Brumfield and force him into passing situation’s. UNLV’s new offense has designed run plays and Michigan will try to stop Brumfield from running in open space.

Early Prediction

Michigan 56, UNLV 14

Want to learn more about Michigan football? Be sure to visit our friends over at Wolverines Wire.

Story originally appeared on Mountain West Wire