Michigan

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan football puts unbeaten record on the line against No. 4 Alabama

Published

10 months ago

December 31, 2023

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan football puts unbeaten record on the line against No. 4 Alabama

The No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Alabama football teams have been in Los Angeles for over half a week now, occupying the same spaces but never truly coming face to face. Monday afternoon will bring them together on the same field in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game.

Michigan holds an unbeaten record heading into the game, which is slated for 2 p.m. on New Year’s Day. It’s the Wolverines’ third straight appearance in the College Football Playoff and 21st overall appearance in the Rose Bowl Game.

“The hay is never in the barn for us,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters on Sunday. “We never think of it that way. Things to clean up, polishing the diamond as we like to say, make the most of this day.”

It will be the sixth time overall that Michigan and Alabama meet in a game. Alabama last beat Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, 35-16 in 2019.

The Crimson Tide is in its eighth Rose Bowl Game and is 5-1-1 in “The Granddaddy of Them All” heading into the contest. Coach Nick Saban is 16-6 in postseason games and is seeking to win his eighth national championship with Alabama.

“I think (we’ve been) trying to create the right mindset in the last 48 hours leading up to the game, to really focus on execution, because we have a plan,” Saban said. “Everybody has got an accountability and a responsibility to do a job.”

The winner of the Rose Bowl Game will move on to face the winner of Monday’s Sugar Bowl contest between No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Texas.

WHEN MICHIGAN HAS THE BALL

Big Ten Quarterback of the Year J.J. McCarthy holds the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in program history (46:11) heading into the game and has reliable receivers in Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, who average 50.92 and 43.62 yards per game, respectively.

“He’s like the kid in the candy store, whether we’re in a meeting, at practice,” Harbaugh said of McCarthy. “It’s just infectious in every way. His play has been outstanding. He is really locked in for this game.”

Tight end Colston Loveland has hauled in 40 catches for 572 yards and four touchdowns and ranks ninth in receiving yards and eighth in receptions out of all tight ends in the nation.

Running back Blake Corum has rushed for 1,028 net yards and 24 touchdowns this season and has collected over 3,000 career rushing yards. He’s the only player in the country to score in every game this season.

Alabama’s defense allows an average of 18.4 points per game, which ranks 17th nationally, and has grabbed at least one interception in the last nine games.

Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell lead the linebacker group. Turner is 14th in total pressures according to Pro Football Focus and is 11th nationally in pass rush. PFF ranks Braswell 11th in terms of total pressures.

WHEN ALABAMA HAS THE BALL

Jalen Milroe not only secured the role of starting quarterback this season, but has flourished. The redshirt sophomore relies on his trusty arm and averages 226.4 passing yards per game but can run when necessary.

“I think passing is the biggest thing,” Milroe told reporters on Thursday. “Number one of playing quarterback is throwing the football because the ball can get there quicker than my legs can.”

He set a new Alabama record for single-game rushing touchdowns with four against LSU and then became the only quarterback in program history to throw for three touchdowns and rush for another three in a single game against Kentucky.

Jermaine Burton leads a deep receiving corps with 35 catches for 777 yards and eight touchdowns. Twenty-one of his receptions have resulted in a first down.

The Tide’s offense is 47-for-50 on red zone opportunities and will face a Michigan defense that is second-best in the nation in total defense. The Wolverines allow 239.2 total yards per game.

For Michigan, linebacker Junior Colson was this season’s Lott IMPACT Trophy winner and voted was voted the team’s toughest player by his teammates. His 79 total tackles lead the team. Edge rusher Jaylen Harrell has collected nine tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks this season.

No. 1 Michigan (13-0) vs. No. 4 Alabama (12-1)

When: 2 p.m. Monday

Where: Rose Bowl

TV: ESPN

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Michigan

Michigan reveals classic uniform combination for matchup with Oregon

Published

8 hours ago

November 1, 2024

Press Room

Michigan reveals classic uniform combination for matchup with Oregon

Fans will be in for a visual treat on Saturday when Michigan clashes with No. 1 Oregon in the Big House. Not only will it feature two of the most recognizable brands in college athletics, but the matchup will also feature two elite uniform combinations.

For the Wolverines, it will be the traditional blue top with maize pants and blue accessories – a classic look.

Always looking good#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/3Tm9kNy4Ns
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) November 1, 2024

For Oregon, it will be the all-white “Warp Speed” alternate for the road matchup in Ann Arbor.

Warp Speed.
Game 9 uniform combo for @OregonFootball. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/nAxc1Gx5uY
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) October 27, 2024

This will be the sixth meeting all-time between the two programs, and the first meeting with both programs being part of the Big Ten conference. The Wolverines currently hold a 3-2 advantage all-time, but the Ducks have won the last two consecutive meetings. Here’s a quick look:

Michigan and No. 1 Oregon will kick off LIVE from the Big House at 3:40 pm ET on CBS.

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –

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Michigan

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to visit MSU campus Sunday

Published

16 hours ago

November 1, 2024

Press Room

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to visit MSU campus Sunday

EAST LANSING — Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Michigan State University’s campus Sunday to rally young voters two days before Election Day.

The Democrat is expected to deliver remarks around 6:30 p.m., according to the Harris-Walz campaign.

“The rally builds upon Harris-Walz campaign’s youth organizing program in Michigan, which is the largest youth organizing program anywhere in the country,” the campaign said in a release.

No other details were available from the campaign early Friday morning but officials said the vice president’s stop is her second visit to the Lansing area and marks her 11^th trip to Michigan.

Harris gave remarks Oct. 18 at UAW Local 652 hall in Lansing.

Former President Donald Trump, her opponent, also has been a frequent visitor in Michigan. He visited mid-Michigan in late August, speaking at Alro Steel in Potterville.

A new poll of likely Michigan voters by Suffolk University/USA Today showed a tie race going into Tuesday’s presidential election

Students living in East Lansing could play a determining role in one of the most high-profile congressional races nationwide – Michigan’s 7th district.

Both of the men running for the seat, Charlotte Republican Tom Barrett and Lansing Democrat Curtis Hertel, have spent time and resources on campus educating students about their campaign platforms and hiring on-campus volunteers to get their messages out.

Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.

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Michigan

Vice President Kamala Harris will make stops across Michigan this weekend

Published

24 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

Vice President Kamala Harris will make stops across Michigan this weekend

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a church service in Detroit and rally young voters at Michigan State University as part of a campaign swing through Michigan on Sunday.

Two days before Tuesday’s presidential election, Harris is planning to make four stops in Michigan, according to a senior campaign official who declined to be identified in order to provide information on the yet-to-be-announced details of the trip.

The Democratic nominee will speak at a church and visit a restaurant in Detroit, a Democratic stronghold and the state’s largest city. Harris also will stop in Pontiac before the evening event in East Lansing, where MSU is located, the official said.

Harris held a large rally at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on Monday night.

Turning out college students in East Lansing and Ann Arbor could be key to Harris’ hopes of winning Michigan. Also, East Lansing is located in the hotly contested 7th Congressional District, where former state Sens. Curtis Hertel, an East Lansing Democrat, and Tom Barrett, a Charlotte Republican, are vying for an open seat in the U.S. House.

Harris is locked in a competitive race for Michigan’s 15 electoral votes with Republican former President Donald Trump. Michigan is one of seven battleground states that are expected to decide whether Harris or Trump leads the country for the next four years.

Trump is visiting Michigan on Friday and will hold a rally at Macomb Community College in Warren.

A late October poll of 600 likely Michigan voters, commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4), found Harris was beating Trump by 3 percentage points, 46.7%-43.7%, with 7.3% of the participants saying they planned to vote for a third-party candidate. Another 2.1% said they were undecided.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Four years ago, Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump in Michigan by 154,188 votes or 3 percentage points, 51%-48%.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

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