Ahead of one of the most anticipated games in college football this season, The Daily Texan sat down with Noah Kingsley, one of the managing sports editors for The Michigan Daily, to discuss Saturday’s game between the two highly-rated programs.
DT: Obviously there’s an immense amount of hype surrounding this game. Can you describe how the environment has been on campus?
Noah Kingsley: There’s definitely a ton of excitement for it. I don’t think especially current students are used to having this good of a game this early in the season. And so I think you’re going to see a really lively experience. Like the streets are going to be packed. Every bar is going to be full. People are coming to town just to watch the game in bars, not even to go to the game. Just the entire city is going to be buzzing because of this one game. And I think it’s a very unique situation that, doesn’t really happen that much outside of the Ohio State weekend.
DT: There’s been a big shift for Michigan this year, losing a lot of key players and your former head coach to the NFL. How has the team recovered and prepared for the season ahead under Sherrone Moore?
Noah Kingsley: I think it’s not that much of a culture shift because Moore had been here for pretty long, had spent a lot of time under Harbaugh, and coached a couple games last year when Harbaugh was suspended. But it’s still definitely new. He is a first time head coach. There’s no J.J. McCarthy anymore. Davis Warren is a first time starting quarterback. There’s definitely bumps in the road for them. They didn’t look all that great against Fresno State, they got better throughout the game. They lost a lot of talent, but they also still have a lot of talent.
DT: What’s the atmosphere at the Big House like? What makes it so iconic?
Noah Kingsley: I think the thing about the Big House is just that it’s so big, it can fit so many people. It’s not always super loud. I think you’ll see some southern stadiums that maybe are consistently loud, but for those big games, it becomes one of the loudest stadiums in the country. Just seeing 110,000 people all decked out in maize and blue, I think can be a really intimidating thing. It’s the sheer size that I think really makes it intimidating.
DT: Who should the Longhorns look out for on the field on Saturday? Did anyone on the Wolverines stand out against Fresno State that we can expect to make explosive plays this weekend?
Noah Kingsley: Yeah, Colston Loveland’s probably the big one, Michigan’s tight end. He had, I think, eight catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in week one. He’s clearly Davis Warren’s favorite target. He’s a really good route runner, but he also is a tight end, so he’s big bodied, a big target, and he’s a matchup nightmare, really. Donovan Edwards struggled in week one, but he’s a big game player, and he can be an explosive player. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Michigan tries to get him more involved in the passing game, and then I think, you know, Michigan’s gonna want to run the ball between the tackle and Edwards.
DT: How do you think the game will fare?
Noah Kingsley: I think it’ll be a close game. I think the Michigan defense will give Texas some trouble, their defensive line will create some pressure, and so Quinn Ewers won’t exactly always be comfortable in the pocket. But I just think Texas has a lot more experience at the quarterback position, and, you know, a more experienced coach, but I think it’ll come down to one, maybe two scores. But I do think Texas is going to win. Michigan I think still very easily could be a playoff team, but I don’t know if they’re ready to play a top five team yet.
