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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The second-ranked University of Michigan football team will be making its second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff, facing third-ranked TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. This will be the first-ever matchup between Michigan and TCU, and it will be the 50th bowl game in the 143-year history of Michigan Football program.
The CFP semifinal game pitting the Wolverines (13-0, 10-0 Big Ten) and Horned Frogs (12-1, 8-0 Big 12) will kick off at 2 p.m.MST and will be televised nationally by ESPN.
"We are excited to continue our quest for a national championship in Arizona at the Fiesta Bowl," said J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh. "TCU is a great football team and we look forward to the opportunity to compete against them in the College Football Playoff semifinal. We are honored to represent the University of Michigan and the Big Ten Conference in the Fiesta Bowl."
The Wolverines will be making their second appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. The previous appearance came during Harbaugh's playing days in Ann Arbor, when the junior quarterback helped lead Michigan to a 27-23 victory over Nebraska on Jan. 1, 1986. He had touchdowns on 1- and 2-yard runs against the Cornhuskers, and tailback Jamie Morris carried the ball 22 times for 156 yards.
This will be the Wolverines first matchup with a Big 12 Conference program since 2013, a 31-14 loss to Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Led by first-year head coach Sonny Dykes, the Horned Frogs have posted a 12-1 record with its only blemish coming Saturday (Dec. 3) falling 31-28 in overtime to 10th-ranked Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game. TCU has a potent offensive attack led by quarterback Max Duggan, the 2022 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, who ranks ninth in the NCAA in pass efficiency and is tied for second among Power 5 quarterbacks with 16 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards. The Horned Frogs list sixth nationally in scoring offense (40.3 avg.) and 16th in total offense with an average of 473.0 yards per contest. The defense is led by cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson who is a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. TCU ranks tied for 15th in interceptions (14) and 25th in pass efficiency defense.
Michigan enters the Fiesta Bowl and the national semifinal fresh off a 43-22 victory over Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday. The Wolverines advanced to the conference title game following a 45-23 win at No. 2 Ohio State in the final game of the regular season to win the Big Ten East Division title. U-M won the conference championship in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003-04.
The Wolverines posted a 9-0 mark during the Big Ten regular season, winning all five conference games at home and going 4-0 on the road. U-M has claimed a school record 13 wins, eclipsing the 12-win total achieved by the 1905, 1997 and 2021 teams, and the program's 25 wins over the last two years are the most in consecutive seasons in school history.
Michigan has been playing complimentary football all season, with all three phases ranking among the best nationally. The Wolverines lead the nation in scoring differential (+27.2 points per game) and are joined only by Alabama among teams in the top 10 of both scoring offense and scoring defense. U-M is seventh in scoring offense (40.1 avg.) and rank fifth in scoring defense (13.4 avg.). The Wolverines have outgained their opponents by almost 200 yards per contest (453.5 yards to 277.1 yards) and are tied for the national lead in fourth-quarter points (12.7 avg.). Michigan lists in the top 25 in 25 NCAA statistical categories, including top-10 rankings in 18 areas.
The Wolverines had 22 players recognized with all-conference accolades this season, which includes eight offensive, five defensive and two specialists being recognized with first, second or third team honors. Seven players earned first-team All-Big Ten honors: Blake Corum, Trevor Keegan, Jake Moody, Olusegun Oluwatimi, Mike Morris, Mazi Smith and Zak Zinter. Moody was named the Big Ten's Kicker of the Year for the second straight season as Corum was voted the Big Ten's Running Back of the Year, and Morris was selected as the Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year.
For the second straight season, U-M enters the College Football Playoff as the second-ranked team in the country after finishing the season listed as the No. 2 team in the CFP rankings as well as the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls.
Following is some background on Michigan's bowl game history:
• Michigan will be making its 50th all-time bowl appearance, which is the 11th highest total among FBS schools.
• The Wolverines are playing in the Fiesta Bowl for second time in school history; 1-0 record.
• Michigan's last appearance in the Fiesta Bowl came during the 1985 season, a 27-23 victory over Nebraska during Harbaugh's junior season.
• Michigan and TCU are meeting on the gridiron for the first time in school history.
• U-M has claimed 21 bowl victories which is tied for the 17th highest total among FBS programs.
• This will be the 11th time that Michigan plays a bowl game in the month of December.
Ticket Information
The Michigan ticket allotment for the Fiesta Bowl is sold out. Football season ticket holders and athletic donors had the opportunity to pre-request tickets and will be notified of their status on Sunday (Dec. 4). For information on purchasing tickets directly from the bowl, please visit fiestabowl.org/tickets/
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Facts
Date: Dec. 31, 2022
Time: 4 p.m.EST (2 p.m. MST)
Television: ESPN
Facility: State Farm Stadium
Site: Glendale, Ariz.
Capacity: 68,000
Surface: Natural Grass
Website: fiestabowl.org
Facebook: facebook.com/fiestabowl
Twitter: @Fiesta_Bowl
Instagram: fiesta_bowl
