Michigan football: Three bold predictions for opener vs. ECU

Michigan football takes on East Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor to kick off its 2023 season. We expect most of the roster to be on the field and ready to roll to get the campaign started, and U-M is heavily favored coming into the event.

Michigan is a 36-point favorite heading into Saturday in its first meeting ever with the Pirates. The expectation is that the No. 2 ranked team in America is going to handle its business and that the Wolverine stars will flex their muscles.

Here are three quick bold predictions for the first game of the year.

1. Roman Wilson has a long reception on the first drive

Michigan is making its pass game more of a priority this year and senior wideout Roman Wilson could be at the forefront of that along with junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell is calling plays on Saturday, and while they may not air it out as a segment of the fanbase may like, we do expect them to be aggressive to help build an early lead.

So much has been made about Wilson’s switch to No. 1, and we think he has a chance to be a featured weapon this season. Last year, he scored touchdowns on three of his first four touches of the year. It will be hard to match that type of scoring efficiency. However, ECU has a porous secondary and Wilson could have opportunities to run free often. Look for Michigan to try and push the ball down the field early with Wilson delivering a big play.

2. Blake Corum rips off a 40-plus-yard touchdown run

Blake Corum makes his return to the field for Michigan football when many of us thought he would be in an NFL training camp this year. That is a major win for the Wolverines, and the fact that he has returned completely from knee surgery with no limitations could mean trouble for everyone else.

ECU’s defense did a decent job stopping the run last year, but never saw a back the caliber of Corum and teammate Donovan Edwards. One of them is going to break the game open on Saturday, and the gut says that Corum will be the guy and receive an uproarious ovation as a result.

3. Josaiah Stewart records two sacks

The Michigan pass rush is going to be closely watched all year long, but we want to see how much more athletic and freaky it has gotten. Coastal Carolina transfer Josaiah Stewart should bring just that. He packed on 17 pounds this offseason to hold up against the run, so he expects to be a complete player and one of U-M’s stars on defense.

Coastal and ECU played in a bowl game last season, but Stewart was not out there due to injury. Look for him to put a stamp on his arrival at Michigan and make sure the Pirates did not get off easy by missing him last time out.

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