It makes sense that Fresno State players would be confident in opening the season with a Big Ten team, especially one that had performed well the previous year.
Michigan football won the national championship last year but had a coaching change and lost a lot of personnel. Likewise, the Bulldogs’ season-opening opponent last year was a Purdue team that won its division but likewise had a new coach and a lot of new personnel. Fresno State upset the Boilermakers, 38-35, upending Purdue’s season right out of the gates. The hope in Fresno is that they can repeat history.
Last year, wide receiver Jalen Moss had five catches for 38 yards and a touchdown against Purdue, but he has a greater challenge likely matching up against Will Johnson (thought to be, at worst, the second-best cornerback in the country) on the other side of the line of scrimmage. He’s entering this contest brimming with confidence and ready to showcase what he can do on the biggest stage he’s played on thus far.
“My confidence is through the roof,” Moss said. “I played a season last year and I feel more comfortable in what I’m able to do with the ball in my hands, running my routes, my trust in Mikey (Keene) that he’ll get the ball to me. I’m confident in what my offense has to do and myself against him. I wouldn’t knock anything he’s done, he’s a good player for sure, but I know I’ll win some, compete, and put up a good fight for him to be like, ‘OK, who is this guy?'”
But Moss getting the ball will be reliant heavily on quarterback Mikey Keene having enough time to find him downfield. And that will be hampered by Michigan’s stellar pass rush, led by defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant — arguably the best duo in the country.
It will be the first start of Campbell McHarg’s career on the offensive line, and he’s looking at Saturday’s contest as a showcase that he and his squad may be better than people give them credit for.
“They are definitely really good players,” McHarg said. “I’ve been looking at film. Definitely really good guys and I’m excited to get to go against them — I try not to make it more than it is. At the end of the day, it’s just football. I worked really hard the same way everyone else is. It just happens to be in The Big House. I’m looking at it as an opportunity to show what I can do.”
Michigan enters the contest ranked No. 8 according to the US LBM Coaches Poll but also has a lot to prove after not being given much of a chance to repeat as national champions, let alone the Big Ten.
Kickoff is slated for 7:34 p.m. EDT at The Big House and the game will be nationally broadcast on NBC.