Game predictions for Michigan football's game vs. Washington this weekend

The Wolverines will have to play much better to beat the Huskies.

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Michigan is back in Ann Arbor this weekend in hopes of avenging last weekend's loss to USC. The Wolverines are small favorites in the game, and Michigan has to play more disciplined football if it hopes to beat the 5-1 Huskies.

Here are three predictions for the game.

1. Andrew Marsh continues his ascent as Bryce Underwood's top target

The Michigan coaching staff gave true freshman Andrew Marsh his first start at home against Wisconsin and he's been superb. In his first two games as a Wolverine starter, Marsh has caught for 80 and 138 yards, respectively. Bryce Underwood has favored Marsh and it's clear those two have a good connection and I expect that to continue this weekend.

Washington has the 13th-ranked passing defense in the Big Ten and the Huskies give up more than 235 yards per game through the air, and there will be plenty of chances for Underwood to hit Marsh this weekend. Michigan only has two true targets it can trust with Marsh and Donaven McCulley proving they can catch anything around them. Expect those two to get the lion's share of the workload.

2. Tackling is still an issue, but it's better

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Through six games, Michigan had missed 56 tackles this season as a team, per Pro Football Focus. At the mid-season point, the missed tackles aren't just an abnormal part of Michigan's defense -- it's what the Wolverines are right now. Can it improve? Yes. But the Wolverines haven't shown yet that the missed assignments and missed tackles are going away anytime soon.

Last weekend against USC, Michigan missed 14 tackles, and while I don't think the Wolverines will be that bad against Washington, Michigan will have issues. Demond Williams is as good of a dual-threat QB as there is in the Big Ten, and RB Jonah Coleman is an upper-echelon RB. Those two can cause issues for Michigan if the Wolverines aren't sound defensively.

3. Michigan's run game gets back on track

Michigan had its season-low on the ground last weekend against USC. The Wolverines ran for just 109 yards on the ground, but that's not Michigan's mantra. The Wolverines pride themselves of running the football effectively, and even though Washington has a good defense, expect Michigan to get it going this weekend.

Even if Justice Haynes can't go this weekend, Jordan Marshall has shown enough glimpses that he can get the job done. However, if Haynes can't play, Michigan will need to utilize Bryce Underwood more on the ground. Underwood used his legs against both Central Michigan and Nebraska, but hasn't done so much since.

Michigan might not rush for 300 yards this weekend, but I think the Wolverines are well over 200 against the Huskies.

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• Keys for Michigan football to get back on track vs. 5-1 Washington
• Where Michigan football ranks in various national college football polls after Week 7