Michigan at Minnesota
Saturday, Oct. 3 • TBA • Minneapolis, Minn.
Michigan Monday: Game 3 vs. UTEP
Michigan Monday: Michigan vs. UTEP
Date Saturday, Sept. 19
Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ET
Location Michigan Stadium
TV Big Ten Network
What You Need to Know
- This is the first meeting between Michigan and UTEP.
- The defense is allowing just 11 points per game (4 FGs, 1 TD).
- LB Troy Bowles leads the defense with 21 tackles, two TFLs and one fumble recovery.
- DE Dom Nichols (2 sacks) and DE John Henry Daley (1 sack) have each contributed three tackles for loss.
- QB Bryce Underwood has 281 passing yards (1 TD) and 134 rushing yards (2 TDs).
- WR JJ Buchanan leads the team with eight catches for 174 yards.
- P Cam Brown had 6-of-7 punts downed inside Oklahoma's 18-yard line, including two at the 1-yard line.
Game Resources
Gameday Information
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Gameday Promotions
Game Presented by University of Michigan Health
Pregame Parachute Jump
The Chuters, a veteran-owned and operated parachute team, will jump into Michigan Stadium prior to the game.
Flyover
Michigan Medicine Survival Flight
Championship Recognition
Women's Swimming and Diving (2026 Big Ten Champions), Bella Sims (2026 NCAA Champion, 400-yard IM) and Women's Tennis (2026 Big Ten Champions)
Wolverine Walk
Welcome the Michigan Football team approximately two and a half hours before kickoff as the Wolverines make their way from near the northeast entrance of Crisler Center to the Michigan Stadium tunnel.
Gameday DJ
DJ Array
Weekly Notes
Explore this week's Michigan Football notes by category.
Michigan vs. UTEP
- This will be the first meeting between the Wolverines and Miners.
- Michigan has compiled an 11-1 mark against Mountain West Conference schools at the time the game was played.
- The only setback came against current U-M head coach Kyle Whittingham's Utah team in 2008.
- U-M has a 12-0 record against teams currently in the MWC.
- The last meeting with an MWC team came in the 2025 season opener, a 34-17 victory over New Mexico.
Team
- The Wolverines are 2-0, and both games were against teams with 10-plus wins last season (Oklahoma, Western Michigan, 10 each). Three such opponents remain on the 2026 schedule: Indiana (15 wins in 2025), Oregon (13), Ohio State (12).
- U-M's win over No. 11 Oklahoma gave the program its first home win over a ranked team since a 27-24 decision over No. 11 USC in 2024.
- U-M is now 3-2 in matchups with ranked SEC foes across the last four seasons, with wins over No. 4 Alabama (2023 Rose Bowl), No. 11 Alabama (2024 ReliaQuest Bowl) and the Sooners, and losses to No. 3 Texas (2024) and No. 18 Oklahoma (2025).
- Ten (10) Wolverines made their collegiate or U-M debut in the opener against Western Michigan and more could see the field against UTEP this weekend.
- Five Wolverines have made their first collegiate starts this season: tight end Jalen Hoffman, linebackers Troy Bowles and Chase Taylor, and defensive end Dom Nichols against Western Michigan; and tight end Eli Owens against Oklahoma.
- Michigan and UTEP will face each other for the first time.
Offense
- Offensive coordinator Jason Beck is in his fourth year as an O.C. Beck's offenses have been top-five in the FBS in both rushing and total offense in consecutive seasons, averaging 253.6 rushing yards and 484.3 total yards per game at New Mexico (2024) and 266.3 rushing yards and 482.9 total yards per game at Utah (2025).
- Michigan finished 14th nationally in rushing last fall (210.2 yards per game) and three of its four offensive touchdowns this season have come on the ground.
- U-M ran for 152 yards against the Sooners, who allowed just 77.3 yards per game last year.
- Quarterback Bryce Underwood has two of U-M's three rushing touchdowns on the season and eight in his career. Adjusted for sacks, Underwood has averaged 5.5 yards per carry in his career (94 rushes for 525 yards), including 24 carries for 134 yards in 2026.
- Underwood's 38-yard touchdown run was the longest rush of any kind so far in his career, passing the 33-yard run he had against Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl last year.
- The offensive line continues to gel; four players have now made double-digit starts at Michigan: left guard Evan Link (19 starts, 18 at tackle), right tackle Andrew Sprague (15), center Jake Guarnera (13; 11 at guard) and left tackle Blake Frazier (10).
- Wide receiver JJ Buchanan had a memorable first start as a Wolverine against Western Michigan. He set career highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (126), leading U-M in both categories. Buchanan sealed the victory with his 47-yard touchdown catch as time expired.
- Fellow sophomore wideout Andrew Marsh, who caught 45 passes for 651 yards with four touchdowns in his rookie campaign, has five catches in the early going. Marsh set a freshman Michigan record in receiving yards, finishing second in catches (49, Martavious Odoms, 2008) and third in touchdowns (seven, Anthony Carter, 1976; five, Mario Manningham, 2005).
- Five different pass-catchers have recorded a reception for U-M this season, including running backs Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter and tight end Jalen Hoffman.
Defense
- Defensive coordinator Jay Hill is in his fifth year as a D.C. Hill's defenses are known for their physical play and propensity to generate turnovers. The BYU units Hill coordinated over the past three years totaled eight defensive touchdowns, ranking 21st (2025, 19.1 points per game) and 18th (2024, 19.6) in scoring in the two most recent seasons.
- Through two games, the U-M defense has yielded just one touchdown and ranks 18th overall in points per game allowed (11).
- U-M shut Oklahoma out in the first half last weekend; it was the first time the Sooners failed to put points across the board in a half since their 23-6 loss to Texas (Oct. 11) last year.
- U-M kept the Sooners out of the red zone until over 35 minutes of game action had passed and limited them to 3-of-14 on third and fourth downs.
- The unit has totaled 14.0 tackles for loss, ranking 25th at 7.0 per game. John Henry Daley and Dom Nichols each have 3.0.
- Daley's first sack as a Wolverine came against the Sooners; he entered the season as the roster's career leader (12.5). Nichols recorded 1.5 in the opener and leads the team this year.
- The pass defense has also limited opponents, ranking 33rd nationally in pass efficiency defense (104.9) and 22nd in passing yards allowed (139.0 per game).
- The defense forced two turnovers against Oklahoma after generating multiple turnovers in five games last season. The first of the year came from Troy Bowles' first career fumble recovery, forced by Chris Bracy, who had two punchouts last season at Memphis.
- Bowles leads the unit in tackles (21) and ranks ninth in the nation at that figure. Bowles and Bracy are tied with 11 solo tackles apiece.
- Jyaire Hill recorded the first interception of the season in last weekend's game. It was the third of his career, tying him with Zeke Berry for second-most among corners on the roster (Smith Snowden, four). Among all defensive backs, safety Rod Moore (seven) is the leader.
- Twenty (20) different players recorded a pass defense or intercepted a pass in 2025, led by Zeke Berry (11, including one interception). Snowden (two breakups), Hill (interception) and linebacker Chase Taylor (breakup) are on the board so far in 2026.
Special Teams
- New specialists leading the kicking units for the Wolverines include kicker Trey Butkowski (Lou Groza Award Watch List member), punter Cam Brown and kickoff specialist Jacob Baggett.
- Butkowski was 19-of-22 on field goals in his lone season at Pitt after joining the team as a walk-on. He converted a 40-yarder against Oklahoma for his first try of the year.
- Brown averaged 42.9 yards on 22 punts during his freshman season at Utah and has averaged 43.4 yards per punt (42.1 net) so far this season.
- Brown has punted 13 times this season, with eight punts inside the 20-yard line. He has forced seven fair catches and had two punts downed at the one-yard line against Oklahoma, when he pinned the Sooners inside their 20 on six of seven attempts.
Michigan vs. Iowa
Saturday, Sept. 26 • 3:30 p.m. • Michigan Stadium
Upcoming Games
Michigan vs. Penn State
Saturday, Oct. 17 • TBA • Michigan Stadium
