The Texas Longhorns (1-0, 0-0 SEC) head north this week to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines (1-0, 0-0 Big 10) on Saturday in what will likely be the Longhorns’ toughest game prior to facing Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in October. The Wolverines are the defending National Champions and currently have a 23-game home winning streak, making Saturday’s contest even more intriguing. While this may not be the same Michigan team that won the national championship, it’s still a team with plenty of talent and a really great defense. Let’s take a look at which players on the Texas roster will help determine the outcome of this Top-10 matchup.
Hayden Conner
The interior of the Longhorns’ offensive line will have the biggest assignment of any position group this week. Michigan has two defensive tackles in Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant that have a chance to go in the first round of next year’s NFL draft. The duo will challenge the interior of Kyle Flood’s offensive line like it won’t be challenged again this year.
Last week against Colorado State the line play was good but not great, and that started with Hayden Conner. There were times especially on run plays where Conner struggled. That can’t happen against an extremely talented defense like Michigan. If Connor and the interior offensive line don’t improve this week, it could be a long day for the Texas offense.
Anthony Hill
Sophomore LB Anthony Hill had a great freshman season but he looks to have taken his play to another level this year. There was a lot of talk in the offseason about Hill improving as a linebacker. That was shown last week against Colorado State. Hill was everywhere and looked like the clear leader of the defense.
Hill’s play will be pivotal against the Wolverines on Saturday. In Michigan’s first game against Fresno State, the offense looked shaky, especially the quarterback play. Without question Sherrone Moore will be looking to run the ball heavily to make things simpler for quarterbacks Davis Warren and Alex Orji, whichever plays. Warren is more of a passer than Orji but regardless, Hill is the nucleus of the Texas defense. Michigan will challenge the Pete Kwiatkowski’s run defense as it’s viewed by outsiders to have taken a step back without T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy.
Michael Kern
Not often do we talk about a punter when discussing X-factors in games, but this week the play of true freshman Michael Kern could very well decide the outcome of the game. Kern has one career punt at the collegiate level (last week against Colorado State) and that punt traveled 39 yards and landed inside the 20 yard line. The Big House will yield a crowd of more than 111,000 screaming opposing fans, a dynamic Kern has never encountered.
A bad punt, or worse a dropped snap, can change the game in a hurry. Kern will almost certainly be needed more than once against Michigan, and the young punter needs to keep his composure and remember his fundamentals. In what is poised to be a low scoring game, special teams will play a major role.
