Hawaii-Michigan Preview Capsule
The Associated Press
Hawaii (0-1) at No. 7 Michigan (10-3 last season) , Noon (ESPN)
Line: Michigan by 40.
Series Record: Michigan leads 2-0.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The Wolverines have high hopes in their second season under Jim Harbaugh with their best preseason ranking since being No. 5 in 2007. The Rainbows have nothing to lose and everything to gain in a second straight game 4,000-plus miles from campus.
KEY MATCHUP
Hawaii's running game vs. Michigan's defensive line. The Rainbows will have to run the ball a lot and well to stay competitive. They ran for 248 yards last week against Cal with four ball carriers averaging 5-plus yards per carry. That won't be easy to do against a deep and talented front, which includes highly touted freshman Rashan Gary. Michigan has six players with starting experience on its defensive line.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hawaii: RB Diocemy Saint Juste. The redshirt junior started for the first time in his career last week. He had a 53-yard TD to help Hawaii pull into a 14-all tie late in the first half against Cal. Saint Juste finished with 14 carries for a career-high 118 yards.
Michigan: QB Wilton Speight. The redshirt sophomore is expected to start, beating out Houston transfer John O'Korn. Speight played in seven games last year and threw a game-winning TD at Minnesota after Jake Rudock was injured.
FACTS & FIGURES
Both coaches played quarterback for the schools they're leading. ... The Rainbows opened the season in Australia, losing 51-31 to Cal, in Nick Rolovich's debut as their coach. ... The Wolverines start the season with five straight home games and eight overall. ... Hawaii was 0-8 in the Mountain West last season and 3-10 overall. ... Michael Jordan will be Michigan's honorary captain because the Wolverines are first college or pro football team to wear Brand Jordan. ... The Rainbows will fly about 20,000 miles round trip, putting them in airplanes for about 40 hours, for their first two games.
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