Washington Huskies: Game 2 at Michigan – injuries, weather, odds, and more
Ed Stein
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The 2021 season continues as the Washington Huskies head to Michigan. Pacific Northwest Sports has all you need to know.
PNWS presents what you need to know to enjoy Game 2 of Washington Huskies 2021 football as they head east for a matchup with the Michigan Wolverines. Whether you are making the trek to Ann Arbor or watching on TV, PNWS has you covered.
Details
Who: Washington Huskies (0-1) at Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
Where: Michigan Stadium – Ann Arbor, Michigan.
When: Saturday, September 11, 2021 – 5:00 p.m. PST.
TV: ABC/ ESPN 3. Announcers: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, and Molly McGrath
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, light winds, and temps in the mid-to-upper ’70s make this a beautiful night for football. (weather.com).
Line: Washington +6.5. Over/Under: 48 (Odds Shark).
Washington Injuries: Out – LB Zion Tupuola-Fetui (Achillies), WR Terrell Bynum (undisclosed), WR Rome Odunze (undisclosed), WR Ja’Lynn Polk (chest), WR Jalen McMillan (hand). Questionable – ILB Daniel Heimuli (knee), DB Dominique Hampton (undisclosed).
Michigan Injuries: Out – Ronnie Bell (knee).
Interesting Trends: The Washington Huskies have won 5 of their last 7 games. However, they covered only once in the last five opportunities. For bettors, the under might be a good play. UW has gone under in the last 7 of 9 overall, 4 of 6 against Big Ten opponents, and 11 of 15 on the road.
Michigan is coming off a very unWolverine-like 2-4 season in 2020. It was part of a downward trend in which they are 3-6. The Wolverines have struggled with the spread recently. They are 1-5 overall, 1-4 at home, and 1-11 against the Pac-12 against the number.
Last Game
Montana 13 – Washington 7
This was a tough game for Huskies fans to watch. They expected their team to win big, not come out on the short end of a defensive struggle. UW had just 291 yards of total offense and quarterback Dylan Morris threw three picks. It’s not all his fault, the Huskies offensive line struggled against an aggressive D.
On the plus side, Washington’s defense looked pretty good. They held the Grizzlies to only 232 yards and one offensive touchdown. The D had a combined five tackles for loss and five passes defended.
Western Michigan 14 – Michigan 47
Michigan won its “cannon-fodder” season opener handily, 47-14 over Western Michigan. The game was close in the first quarter, with Michigan holding a narrow 10-7 lead. They broke open the contest in the second quarter with 17 points. The Wolverines tacked on 23 more points in the second half to put the game away.
Michigan ran the ball 43 times for 335 yards and three touchdowns. The total includes sophomore wide receiver AJ Henning who ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. Another sophomore, Roman Wilson, ran for 43 yards on one carry. Take both of those away, and Michigan still ran for over 200 yards.
Michigan’s two quarterbacks, starter Cade McNamara and backup J.J. McCarthy, threw only 17 passes combined, completing 12 for 216 yards for three touchdowns.
Outlook
Michigan wasn’t expected to be a Big Ten power this season. An unusual situation indeed. To make matters worse their big offensive weapon Ronnie Bell suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. For those reasons, the Huskies’ defense should expect a heavy dose of ground and pound from their hosts.
On the other side, Washington’s offense needs to perform this week. Although they may be down, it’s still Michigan. There is talent on the Wolverines roster. It all starts with the men in front.
The O-line has to do better than they did against Montana or it will be another long day for Morris. The team is already down four receivers so having enough time in the pocket is paramount. Help from the run is a necessity. Maybe Sean McGrew and Kamari Pleasant can get some carries this week.
Catch up with PNWS on Sunday when we present our biggest takeaways from the game.