Heading into his team's Saturday showdown with an undefeated Notre Dame squad, Michigan football coach Brady Hoke confirmed to MLive.com's Kyle Meinke on Wednesday that linebacker Desmond Morgan will play this weekend against the Irish.
Hoke also indicated that Morgan, who missed last week with a head injury, will probably start in place of freshman James Ross for the pivotal game. A 6'1, 227-pound sophomore from Holland, Michigan, Morgan amassed 15 tackles over the first two games of the season before sitting out against Massachusetts.
Morgan's return bodes well for a Michigan defense that also plans to put its experience to good use on Saturday by starting senior linebacker Kenny Demens in the middle. Demens was beaten out for playing time by freshman Joe Bolden earlier in the season, but has played quite well against the Irish over the course of his career. Even so, Morgan and Demens will each need to be in top form on Saturday in order to help slow down a potent Notre Dame rushing attack.
Be sure to stay with this StoryStream for full Michigan/Notre Dame coverage, and head over to Maize N Brew for more Michigan football news. Also visit One Foot Down for more on the Irish, and SB Nation's college football hub for more news from around the nation.