College Sports

College football preview: Michigan at Northwestern

Posted October 07, 2011 12:00 am

Mike McGraw

No. 12 Michigan (5-0, 1-0) at Northwestern (2-2, 0-1)

When: 6 p.m. Saturday at Ryan Field

TV: BTN

Radio: WGN 720-AM, WNUR 89.3-FM.

Series: Michigan leads 52-15-2; NU won the last meeting 21-14 in 2008.

Coaches: Pat Fitzgerald (36-31, sixth year at NU); Brady Hoke (5-0, first year at Michigan).

Players to watch: Michigan QB Denard Robinson ranks eighth in the country with 120.6 rushing yards per game. ... Now that RB Mike Trumpy is out for the season with a torn ACL, true freshman Treyvon Green figures to take on a leading role for Northwestern.

The skinny: Michigan is off to a fast start under new coach Brady Hoke, but has yet to play a road game. The defense, miserable for the past three years with Rich Rodriguez at the helm, has allowed just 10 points in the last three games. Northwestern squandered a 28-10 lead at Illinois last weekend, but the good news is QB Dan Persa is healthy, despite missing the last two series.

Fast fact: Northwestern hosted the first Big Ten night game at Dyche Stadium on Oct. 5, 1935 against Purdue.

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