A new era will begin in Michigan football Saturday night as head coach Kyle Whittingham makes his debut in the No. 16 Wolverines’ season opener against Western Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, kicking off the Big Ten Saturday Night season. Coverage will start with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET.
This will be the ninth meeting between the teams. Michigan is 8-0 in the series, which has been played exclusively in Ann Arbor.
Western Michigan vs Michigan preview:
Whittingham was hired Dec. 26 to replace Sherrone Moore (who was fired after two seasons because of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member). At Utah, Whittingham, 66, was the winningest coach in Utes history at 177-88 (11-6 in bowl games).
After an erratic freshman season (2,428 passing yards, 11 TDs, nine interceptions), Bryce Underwood returns as the starting quarterback with a revamped offense that should take advantage of his running ability. New offensive coordinator Jason Beck came with Whittingham from Utah, which averaged 41.3 points per game last season (ranking fourth in the nation).
Wide receiver Andrew Marsh, who led Michigan in receptions (45), receiving yards (651) and TD catches (four) as a freshman, will be teamed with JJ Buchanan (Utah) and Jaime Ffrench Jr. (Texas). Running back Jordan Marshall returns for his third season in Michigan after leading the Wolverines with 932 rushing yards and 10 TDs last year.
Western Michigan is in its fourth season with head coach Lance Taylor, who was named the 2025 MAC Coach of the Year after leading the Broncos to a 10-win season and a fourth MAC championship. After starting 0-3, the Broncos (10-4) won eight of their last nine games and beat Kennesaw State 41-6 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
“We started out 0-and-3, and everybody counted us out,” Taylor said. “They buried us. They said we were dead. But we got a group of fighters. They have the heart of a champion. It’s never been pretty, but it was sure as hell gritty.”
How to watch Western Michigan vs Michigan:
- Where: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Announcers: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines). Terry McAulay will be the rules analyst.
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream: Peacock
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