Getty Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Michigan Wolverines kick their 2023 season off against East Carolina.
The No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines will kick their 2023 campaign off at home against the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday, September 2, at Noon ET.
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If you’re in the United States, the only way to watch the game is on Peacock:
Peacock Premium includes two Big Ten football games (one exclusive, one on both Peacock and NBC) every week in 2023, plus other live sports and tons of movies and TV shows for $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Once signed up for Peacock, you can watch East Carolina vs Michigan live on the Peacock TV app or Peacock TV website.
Compatible devices for the Peacock TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
ECU vs Michigan Football Preview
The Wolverines are seeking their third straight, Big Ten title after finishing 13-1 overall and 9-0 in the conference last season. Michigan boasted one of the most well-balanced teams in the country, averaging over 40 points a game on offense, while allowing just under 16 points per contest.
Michigan opens the season as the No. 2 team in the nation, but it will be tested early, as head coach Jim Harbaugh will miss the first three games of the year while serving a suspension for lying to and misleading investigators who were looking into recruiting violations within the football program. Michigan’s coordinators will fill in for the head coach, with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter leading the team against ECU.
“Just being a guardian of victory,” Minter said about what he wanted to provide for the team. “That’s really the responsibility that I feel. Within my own personality, my own leadership style, to hopefully have the team function to the level that we’re capable of functioning, that’s going to the biggest goal come Saturday.”
The Pirates finished with an 8-5 overall record last season, averaging 32.5 points and 262 yards a game on offense, while allowing 27.2 points a game on defense. It was the best season of ECU head coach Mike Houston’s time there, but the Pirates didn’t get an easy draw out of the gate.
East Carolina lost its starter Holton Ahlers, and his backup, Mason Garcia, will now take the reins. He’ll be facing a staunch Michigan defense that will be in his face early and often.
“I’ve watched all their films from last year and you see games break open because someone gets outside of their wheelhouse of what they should be doing, or they forced something, and it turns into a big mistake,” Houston said. “That’s kind of how they made their living last year was taking advantage of their opponents’ mistakes. We have to focus on playing as clean of a game as we can and executing at a high level in all three phases. We’ve laid out the things that we really need to do in order to maximize our opportunity to go up there and come away with a win.”
One key battle to watch will be the Michigan running game versus the Pirates run defense. ECU gave up 112 yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry last season, and Michigan’s run-heavy scheme averaged just under 240 yards on the ground per game last year.
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Where to Watch Michigan vs East Carolina Game Today