Michigan football team will play night game at Northwestern on Oct. 8
The Michigan football team already planned the first night game in Michigan Stadium history this season on Sept. 10 against long-time rival Notre Dame.
On Thursday, it found out it would play a night game on the road, too.
The Big Ten announced Thursday night that the Wolverines' Oct. 8 game at Northwestern will kick off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast by the Big Ten Network.
The Wolverines haven't played Northwestern the past two seasons.
On Wednesday at the Big Ten spring meetings, first-year Michigan coach Brady Hoke said he isn't necessarily a fan of night games, but he has experience dealing with them.
At Ball State and San Diego State, he'd coach often in night contests.
“I think our last year at Ball State we played eight night games because of the connection with ESPN," Hoke said during the Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago earlier this week. "And at San Diego State we played a lot of night games.”
The Michigan-Northwestern game was one of seven prime time games announced by the Big Ten Network on Thursday. It's one of three consecutive night games for the Wildcats.
The schedule includes:
Sept. 2: Youngstown State at Michigan State, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 10: Virginia at Indiana, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17: Arizona State at Illinois, 7 p.m.
Sept. 24: North Dakota State at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Oct. 8: Michigan at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Oct. 15: Northwestern at Iowa, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22: Penn State at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Michael Rothstein covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by email at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Comments
Blu n Tpa
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:32 p.m.
I see 7 wins that are solid but by no means locks. The other 5 can be won but will depend on how quickly the offense gels and how improved the "D" is. I know I'm not really going out on a limb here but there's just too many unknowns to make an informed opinion. I think Michigan will win one game that people think Michigan should lose and lose one that it should have won. So eight wins in Coach Hoke's first year. Anything higher will be "dancing in the streets", without burning any couches, exciting. TiM Go Blue!
Blu n Tpa
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:13 p.m.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on you, again! Fool me three times, "Hello WCiMFH!"
umgoblue47
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 3:16 p.m.
you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. . .
1st Down
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 10:49 p.m.
Chicago can be quite a fun town if you have the right guide.
Blu n Tpa
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:21 p.m.
"Silence of the Wolverines"?
umgoblue47
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
how about that offense lc ran in the 2008 capital bowl? that was the most exciting offense michigan ran in the 40+ years that i have been a michigan fan. . . i love lc but if he had spread the field more and been more aggressive with the offense we would have won more games! mallett was gone no matter who the new coach was and lc's advice to him diden't help. . . GO BLUE. . .
azwolverine
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.
Michigan actually was having a very good season that year (despite the App St game) and was on an 8 game winning streak until both Mike Hart and Chad Henne got hurt. They went on the road to Wisconsin with Henne out of the game, then had to play OSU with Henne unable to throw the ball at all and they lost both games (even though they held the Bucks to only 14 points). So, to my point, UM played the offense they needed to play to win games and would have been as explosive as they had to be to beat both OSU and Wisconsin had they not been hamstrung by injuries to their two top players. The Florida game simply showed how they could score when they had to when they were at full strength. Check the OSU game from the previous season when they scored 39 points in a game they had to match the Bucks score for score. Scoring had never been UM's problem under LC or any other coach...it was simply the lack of flash in doing so that, for some reason, bothered some fans.
Mick
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 3:22 a.m.
Additionally, I feel compelled to share this thought with everyone. So I'm watching the Jan 1st, 2008 Capitol Bowl replayed tonite on the Big Ten Network, I loved that game and would've beaten FLA by 3 TD's if Hart hadn't uncharacteristically fumbled twice at the goal line in that game. So whatshisname is being interviewed by Todd Blackledge in the 1st half in the booth, and TB asked him with Mallett coming into a potential sophomore year, how would he run the offense with his background in the spread and all. Want to know what whatshisname said? Wait for it..............Ahem, he says of course we would adjust to the type of talent that is on the squad and go from there. What? I didn't know whether to laugh or scream at my TV at a game that happened over 3 years ago. See, that was just one example of what that guy was all about. Thank you Brandon for kicking him to the curb. Go Blue!!!
Mick
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 3:09 a.m.
That will be an interesting game, hopefully we'll be 5-0 going into that game. It will be the 1st road game and it will begin a 4 road games out of the next 5 in the middle of the season taking us into the Nebraska Game Date Opponent Sep. 3 Western Michigan Sep. 10 Notre Dame Sep. 17 Eastern Michigan Sep. 24 San Diego St. Oct. 1 Minnesota Oct. 8 at Northwestern Oct. 15 at Michigan State Oct. 29 Purdue Nov. 5 at Iowa Nov. 12 at Illinois Nov. 19 Nebraska Nov. 26 Ohio State If we can snag the Northwestern and MSU games, man that could lead to a special season going on, cause I feel like the 3 games after that are winnable. To me, games 6 & 7 will determine a great deal this year. We get a bye week after that, a great time to have it this year to finish out the season.
azwolverine
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 3:09 p.m.
ND will be tough because Kelley will be in his second year as head coach and the players have had time to adjust to how he does things. They also almost beat us last season while using a third string QB. It's certainly a winnable game, but it won't come easy. SDSU will also be difficult...a 9 win team last year that has continuity in what they are doing since their new coach was a top assistant last year. Northwestern was already going to be a dogfight on the road and the fact that the game was moved to night will only make the homefield that much tougher for the 'Cats. Also, you can't wave off Iowa OR Illinois on the road (Scheelhaase is returning and we only beat them by 2 in 3 OT last year). Throw in Nebraska and OSU to close and it's going to be a very difficult schedule. I personally see another 7 win season this year, but I see UM closing the gap big time against the top B10 teams that have been blowing them out the past three seasons, especially OSU, and even stealing one or two from an MSU and/or Iowa. If they do better than that, that's even better. But I'm not going to get ahead of myself and predict 9 or 10 wins in Hoke's first year considering where this team has been in recent seasons.
Mick
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
@aawolve, did you see the part where I said "hopefully"? And why would we be underdog's to a team we beat last year on their field with all the returning starters and a MUCH better coaching staff. Maybe you're drinking the ND kool-aid.
aawolve
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 1:14 p.m.
You have kool-aid on your chin. Anyone who follows college football knows that ND will be favored going into that game.
DonAZ
Fri, May 20, 2011 : 6:10 a.m.
We've got to get by Notre Dame ... they'll be a lot better this year. In the Big House under the lights is going to produce an electric atmosphere ... it's going to be a hell of a game. The SDSU game is intriguing if only because it's Hoke's old team coming into his new house. I agree ... the at NW and at MSU will be telling. At Iowa could be a tough one ... better not get caught looking ahead. Then boy-oh-boy ... Big Red at home, then OSU ... it just doesn't get much better than that.