Michigan begins bounce-back season against Vanderbilt

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• Michigan Wins Big In The Big House

Top 25 Overview

ANN ARBOR, MI - 12:00 PM ET The Commodores don't have QB Jay Cutler anymore. QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart are back for the Wolverines. Uh-oh.

Complete Top 25 Overview

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
VAN	0-1	7	27	0-0	0-1	0-0	0-0
MICH	1-0	27	7	1-0	0-0	0-0	0-0
· Complete Standings

Record When Scoring... (Since 2001)
	20 OR MORE	30 OR MORE	40 OR MORE	50 OR MORE
VAN	12-18-0	6-6-0	3-2-0	1-0-0
MICH	42-12-0	31-1-0	13-0-0	3-0-0
	LESS THAN 20	LESS THAN 30	LESS THAN 40	LESS THAN 50
VAN	1-26-0	7-38-0	10-42-0	12-44-0
MICH	2-6-0	13-17-0	31-18-0	41-18-0

TEAM AVERAGES & NCAA RANKS
OFFENSE	TM	PER GAME AVERAGE / NCAA RANK
Total Yards	VAN	351.0 / 52nd
	MICH	374.9 / 33rd
Passing Yards	VAN	210.5 / 59th
	MICH	195.3 / 79th
Rushing Yards	VAN	149.6 / 46th
	MICH	189.2 / 11th
Points Scored	VAN	22.0 / 70th
	MICH	30.2 / 25th
Full Team Stats: Vanderbilt | Michigan

THIS WEEK'S LINE
FAVORITE	SPREAD	UNDERDOG	OVER/UNDER
MICHIGAN	26	VANDERBILT	0
Full Daily Lines

Individual Leaders

Vanderbilt Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Smith 46.7 1126 4 7 Adams 51.2 630 2 3

Michigan Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Forcie... 58.7 2050 13 10 Robins... 45.2 188 2 4

Vanderbilt Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Norman 145 783 5.4 3 Stacy 107 478 4.5 3

Michigan Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Minor 96 502 5.2 8 Brown 81 480 5.9 4

Vanderbilt Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Cole 36 382 10.6 1 Barden 29 357 12.3 1

Michigan Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Roundt... 32 434 13.6 3 Mathew... 29 352 12.1 1

Full Player Stats: Vanderbilt | Michigan

Vanderbilt at No. 14 Michigan, 12:00 pm EDT

ANN ARBOR, Michigan (Ticker) - After Michigan's worst season in more than two decades, Lloyd Carr shook up his staff. He will get his first look at his new team when the 14th-ranked Wolverines begin their 2006 season against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Hampered by injuries to star running back Mike Hart and offensive tackle Jake Long and late defensive collapses, the Wolverines finished 7-5 last season, their first five-loss campaign since 1984.

Carr subsequently changed both his coordinators, getting Mike DeBord to take over the offense for a second time and former secondary coach Ron English to guide the defense. The Wolverines reportedly looked leaner and meaner in the spring after the coaches emphasized better conditioning so the players would not get as tired in the fourth quarters of games.

Although the oft-injured Hart is the key to the offense, the player the Wolverines can least afford to lose is quarterback and fellow junior Chad Henne. With veteran backup Matt Gutierrez having transferred to Division I-AA Idaho State, redshirt freshman Jason Forcier would step under center for the first time were Henne to get hurt.

On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines are strong in the front four with senior defensive end LaMarr Woodley and junior defensive tackle Alan Branch. Senior Leon Hall is one of the best lock-down cornerbacks in the nation.

Michigan also boasts excellent special teams featuring standout return man Steve Breaston and kicker Garrett Rivas.

"General (Dwight) Eisenhower used to say, 'If you have any worries, tell them to your pillow,'" Carr said. "I don't have anything to share with you about anxieties. ... Other than the competitive part of it, I don't have it.

"I think we have had an excellent fall. I think we've worked this team extremely hard, and I think they're in great condition, and I think mentally they're extremely excited to get going. It's a long training camp, three weeks, so I think there's more a sense of anticipation and excitement."

Vanderbilt started off 4-0 in 2005, its final season with star quarterback Jay Cutler behind center. But the Commodores lost to Middle Tennessee State, triggering a six-game losing streak before ending their campaign with their first victory at intrastate Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee since 1975.

Coach Bobby Johnson and the Commodores will have to adjust to life without Cutler, the school's all-time leading passer and the 2005 SEC Offensive Player of the Year whom the Denver Broncos picked 11th overall in the NFL draft.

Sophomore Chris Nickson is expected to start against Michigan. With the team breaking in a new quarterback, running back Cassen Jackson-Garrison should have a larger role after racking up 539 yards and a 5.6 yards-per-carry average last season.

The Wolverines may pick on Vanderbilt's secondary, which ranked 11th in the SEC after allowing 223.8 yards per game through the air.

Michigan is 9-0-1 all-time against Vanderbilt, but the teams have not met since 1969. The Wolverines won that game, 42-14, in Bo Schembechler's first game as coach.