Michigan vs. Hawaii: Prediction and preview
Michigan returns to action for Week 2 against Hawaii with the first primetime game of the season coming to Ann Arbor. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern time on BTN.
Michigan vs. Hawaii Preview
In Week 1, the Wolverines blew past Colorado State with a 51-7 final score. The defense registered 7 sacks and 11 TFL, proving the unit could rebound quickly from the departure of key pieces to the NFL Draft.
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States: MD, MA, OH, NY, AZ, MI, KS, TN, PA, NJ, VA, CO, IL, MI, WV, IA, WY, IN
However, the story for Michigan early in the season continues to be the ongoing quarterback battle for Jim Harbaugh. Cade McNamara received the start in Week 1 and completed just 50% of his passes against the Rams.
In addition to those passing struggles, multiple Wolverine drive stalled in the red zone under McNamara. While Harbaugh was not bothered by the performance, McNamara certainly could have been sharper.
That opens the door for JJ McCarthy to potentially steal the starting job with a huge Week 2 outing during his turn as the starter. It is unclear what exactly Harbaugh wants to see out of McCarthy in the performance, but the table is set for a big game.
Hawaii is 0-2 on the season with blowout losses to Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky. Whether or not McCarthy has to throw the ball to score points is up for discussion, but the Wolverines should have no issues running up the score in Week 2.
In the backfield, Michigan returns a unit of running backs as deep as ever, despite the departure of Hassan Haskins to the NFL. As a team, the Wolverines rushed for 234 total yards on 5.9 yards per carry against Colorado State.
Along with the negative plays, Michigan’s defense produced a pair of takeaways in the opener, including a scoop-and-score fumble recovery by DJ Turner.
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STATES: OH, MD, AZ, CO, IL, IN, KS, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, IA
As far as historical matchups go, the Wolverines are 3-0 all-time against the Rainbow Warriors with the most recent matchup in 2016. That was a 63-3 win for Michigan.
Michigan vs. Hawaii Prediction
How do you approach a line that is one of the largest in history for one of the elite programs in the country? That’s the issue facing the Wolverines with the -46 line for Week 2 reaching epic proportions.
According to DraftKings, that number has climbed even higher and is north of 50 points heading toward the weekend.
However, that big number makes more sense considering the Rainbow Warriors getting blown out twice at home to open the season. Regardless of who lines up for the Wolverines, it is hard to see Hawaii sticking around.
Prediction: Michigan 63, Hawaii 6
