Eastern Michigan at Michigan Preview

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, September 16, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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As they seek to regroup after a stinging defeat to Notre Dame last week, expect the University of Michigan Wolverines to be heartless when they host the 1-1 Eastern Michigan Eagles of the Mid-America Conference at noon on Saturday. They could also be "Hart"less.

Stubby sophomore tailback Mike Hart, on the short list of Heisman candidates before the season, left the 17-10 loss to the Irish early with a hamstring injury. But true freshman Kevin Grady rushed for 79 yards in his absence, and UM coach Lloyd Carr may decide to give Carr another week to heal.

History says that shouldn't be a problem. The Michigan Wolverines are 19-0 against MAC opposition, and EMU is 0-16 against the Big Ten. The last time the two teams met, in 1998, the Wolverines won 59-20.

And whoever lines up as the feature back, Michigan will have sophomore QB Chad Henne, who has reached 3,000 aerial yards faster than any Wolverine passer in its long history. Steve Breaston and Jason Avant are the latest in an unbroken line of prolific Wolverines receivers, and the defense — despite giving up two long drives to the Irish — is a veteran unit. DB Grant Mason had 16 tackles against Notre Dame.

Eastern Michigan lost its opener, 28-26, to Cincinnati, then snapped back to run up 424 yards of offense in a 31-10 victory over hurricane-plagued Louisiana-Lafayette. Senior QB Mike Bohnet ran for two touchdowns and threw for another last Saturday, but has never played in front of 107,000 people (the usual Michigan crowd in the “Big House").

Hart and Henne led Michigan over North Illinois, 33-17, in its opener. The Wolverines then tumbled 11 points to No. 14 in both national polls after the Notre Dame game.
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