Florida doesn’t play Michigan often. In fact, the two programs have never played each other in a regular-season game.
But on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, No. 17 UF will face No. 11 Michigan in one of the most anticipated games of college football’s opening week.
Need a crash course on Florida’s unfamiliar Week 1 rival? We have you covered:
Coach: Jim Harbaugh (20-6 record in two seasons at Michigan).
Last meeting with Florida: Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1, 2016. Michigan won, 41-7.
The Basics: Michigan lost 17 starters from last season and is nearing the end of a fall camp in which coaches are scrambling to find their replacements.
The result? A fairly young, inexperienced roster.
Even so, Michigan does have a competent starting quarterback, and it has plenty of talent surrounding him on both sides of the ball.
Players to Watch:
Rashan Gary, sophomore defensive end:
Gary played in all 13 of Michigan’s games last season as a true freshman and lived up to the potential of his five-star recruiting label out of high school.
And this year, the expectations are higher.
Gary has already been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, given annually to the nation’s best defensive player, and the Walter Camp player of the year award watch list. He was also named to the preseason All-America second-team by the Associated Press and Sporting News.
Gary is 6-foot-5, 287 pounds and, according to several Michigan media outlets, freakishly athletic. This season, he’ll be expected to help anchor one of the nation’s top defensive lines.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, freshman receiver:
Peoples-Jones was the No. 1-ranked wide receiver recruit in the nation last year. And while he is just a freshman, that doesn’t mean Michigan’s coaches will be looking to limit his playing time.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Peoples-Jones ran a 4.41 40-yard dash during the spring, best on the team.
That speed can translate immediately into a deep-threat option in Michigan’s passing game or possibly deliver a jolt to the Wolverines’ return game, where People-Jones has reportedly received reps during practice.
Wilton Speight, senior quarterback:
Speight, an experienced passer who will likely start, had a solid season in 2016. The 6-foot-6, 243-pounder threw for 2,538 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games last year. He also had a 61.6 percent completion percentage, second-best in the Big 10.
Michigan is expecting more of the same from Speight this season.
Key matchup:
Michigan’s defensive line vs. Florida’s offensive line.
This matchup may determine the game.
Florida coach Jim McElwain has challenged his offensive line to take a leap forward this year and become the team’s strength instead of its liability, and players have embraced that challenge.
They might face one of their most difficult tests in Week 1.
Michigan has a talented defensive line that may be the top unit on its team. Alongside Gary, the Wolverines boast senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, who had 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season, and senior defensive end Chase Winovich, who had 8 tackles for loss and 5 sacks in 2016-17.
Keep in mind: This is the same defensive line that produced 2017 first-round NFL draft pick Taco Charlton last season, and the same defensive line that has had a player drafted each of the past three years. The Wolverines will be looking to keep that tradition alive.
You can follow Ian Cohen on Twitter @icohenb, and contact him at icohen@alligator.org.
Michigan fans celebrate after the Wolverines beat the Gators, 41-7, in the 2016 Citrus Bowl.
