East Carolina coach Mike Houston on Michigan: 'Everyone knows what kind of team we're encountering'

Michigan Wolverines football will take on East Carolina to open the 2023 season Saturday at noon ET in Ann Arbor. The Maize and Blue are No. 2 in both major national polls and 36-point favorites for Saturday’s game, but ECU head coach Mike Houston is excited about the challenge.

“We’re really excited about the opener with the opportunity to go and play in an iconic venue like The Big House in Ann Arbor,” Houston said Tuesday. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for our program, players and coaches.

“I think everyone knows what kind of team we’re encountering. Most experts will tell you on paper that Michigan is the most talented team in the country this year. They return a lot of experience from a College Football Playoff team over the last two years. They’ve done a great job building a tremendous program.

“We’re very excited about our group. It’s been a solid preseason camp. The guys have been preparing for Michigan for about a week now.”

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Michigan Stadium is the largest college football venue in the country, with a capacity of 107,601. Houston noted that his team is prepared for the crowd noise it will face, from past experiences in games and simulations in practice.

“Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of experience playing in loud environments,” Houston said. “I don’t think anything will ever compare to the Fargo Dome up in North Dakota, and I’ve been to The Swamp. I’ve been a lot of different places. BYU was very loud last year.

“When you’re preparing for venues like that, we try to simulate that in practice during our team periods, by adding so much noise that it makes it hard for the kids to communicate, because that’s what’s it’s going to be. When it gets loud in that stadium and it’s hard for us to hear on offense, we’ve got to focus in on being able to communicate without verbal words. Our offensive staff has a lot of experience handling stuff like that, and we’ve been working on that for a few weeks.”

Houston was asked about how important ball control and keeping Michigan’s offense — which produced 40.4 points per game last season, the program’s most since 1904 — off the field will be. He steered the conversation from time of possession to not turning the ball over.

“It’s more about staying away from the big mistakes that give your opponent something that they didn’t have to earn,” Houston explained. “The biggest thing from an offensive standpoint is just staying away from the big errors. It’s okay to throw a ball away every once in a while, and it’s okay to punt. It’s not okay to lay the ball on the ground at the 10-yard line or throw a post route into post coverage and give up a cheap interception.

“That’s the bigger thing, especially early in the ball game because you do have all those juices flowing. It’s going to be about not making the big mistake that gives them momentum and staying in the game early because after that everybody will settle down and it comes down to playing the game.”

In addition to losing quarterback Holton Ahlers (3,708 yards, 28 TDs), running back Keaton Mitchell (1,452 yards, 14 TDs) and two 1,000-yard receivers in Isaiah Winstead (6 TDs) and C.J. Johnson (10 TDs), ECU has to replace three starting offensive linemen from last season — both tackles and the center. Houston didn’t reveal who will start but said they have a pecking order down for the Michigan game.

“They’re going to be challenged as much in this game as in any game they’ll have this year,” Houston said. “They’re facing arguably the number one defense in the country with eight of its 11 starters back from that team last year. You’re facing a great challenge, which is fantastic, but you find out exactly what you are.

“I think that the coaches have done a great job in terms of putting together a game plan that’s going to allow our guys to have success and allow them to go out there and compete. The big thing I want them to do is to play fast and not be hesitant.”

Michigan will be without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who will miss the first contest of a three-game suspension, and offensive coordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore (one-game suspension). Quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell will call the plays on offense, and analyst Nick Gilbert will likely be elevated to an on-field role for one game to help the offensive line. Houston doesn’t seem to believe the coaching situation will hinder Michigan much.

“I’d rather them sit some of their players out,” Houston said. “You know what they have coming back? I don’t think it will impact their scheme at all. They have an experienced play caller that will call the game on Saturday. We know him a little bit and I’m sure that they’re coaching the team throughout the week. They’re going to put the game plan together. They just have to get a couple of guys implemented on game day, so I think it’ll have a minimal impact.”

Fortunately for Houston and Co., Michigan does have several key players who are questionable with injury, but the Wolverines still have plenty of talented and experienced players ready to suit up to make their season debut.