For the first time ever, Michigan football and East Carolina will match up across the line of scrimmage from each other on a football field.
On Saturday, the 2023 season will begin in earnest for both the Wolverines and Pirates, and while much of the attention in Ann Arbor is captivated by the news of Jim Harbaugh’s three-game suspension and feud with the NCAA, there are fewer distractions for ECU.
But there’s still one really big issue: the maize and blue are expected to be really, really good.
Meanwhile, the Pirates lost a lot of their talent from their 8-5 team a year ago. Still, head coach Mike Houston is enthusiastic about the challenge his program faces.
“Obviously, we’re really excited about the opener with the opportunity to go and play in an iconic venue like The Big House in Ann Arbor,” Houston said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for our program, players and coaches. I think everyone knows what kind of team we’re encountering. Most experts will tell you on paper that Michigan is the most talented team in the country this year. They return a lot of experience from a College Football Playoff team over the last two years. They’ve done a great job building a tremendous program.”
The odd thing for Houston is that he has likely spent much of his time this offseason expecting to face off against Harbaugh, not defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. However, when it comes to preparing for the Wolverines, he doesn’t really care about who’s on the sideline, knowing the talent of the team that will actually be on the football field.
So the preparation hasn’t changed, because, much like Michigan players have said, there likely won’t be a very big difference in the game plan, nor the execution.
“I’d rather them sit some of their players out,” Houston said. “You know what they have coming back? I don’t think it will impact their scheme at all. They have an experienced play caller that will call the game on Saturday. We know him a little bit and I’m sure that they’re coaching the team throughout the week. They’re going to put the game plan together. They just have to get a couple of guys implemented on game day, so I think it’ll have a minimal impact.”
Saturday’s season opener is set for a noon EDT kick. The game will be nationally streamed on Peacock.