Wolverines’ 17-point Fourth Quarter Secures Season-Opening Win Over Fresno State

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)

Score: #9 Michigan 30, Fresno State 10

Records: U-M (1-0), Fresno State (0-1)

Attendance: 110,665

Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 7 — vs. #4 Texas (Michigan Stadium), Noon (TV: Fox)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan football team opened its 2024 season with a strong second half showing in a 30-10 victory over Fresno State on Saturday night (Aug. 31) at Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines scored 20 points and recorded 180 yards over the final two quarters to pull away and secure the win.

Colston Loveland put together a career game, posting 87 yards on a career-high eight receptions and a game-sealing 19-yard touchdown catch with 5:43 remaining in the game. Following a trio of Kalel Mullings rushes for 42 yards in a 16-10 battle, Davis Warren dropped back in play action and fired a line drive to Loveland on an in route, who took the ball the remaining nine yards for the score.

In total, the Wolverines (1-0) posted 269 total yards (121 passing, 148 rushing). Mullings, the game’s leading rusher, posted a career mark of 92 yards on the ground on 15 attempts, while Warren finished the game 15-25 passing for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The Michigan run defense was stout, holding Fresno State to just nine yards on the ground, as Josaiah Stewart (two sacks, three TFL) and Rayshaun Benny (one sack, two TFL) contributed with five tackles each. In the pass game, the Wolverines allowed 238 yards and came away with two interceptions.

The first occurred on the game’s third offensive play when Zeke Berry recorded his first career interception off of a tipped pass. The second came with 3:57 remaining in the game when Will Johnson recorded his first turnover of the season, jumping a flat route, securing the catch and returning the ball 86 yards for a defensive touchdown to extend Michigan’s lead to 20 points late in the contest.

In his first game with the Wolverines, kicker Dominic Zvada proved crucial to the victory, converting on all three of his field goal tries, two of which came from over 50 yards (53, 55).

On the third offensive play of the game, Berry recorded an interception at the Fresno State 36-yard line and returned it five yards to set up the first Michigan offensive drive of the season. It took five plays for the Wolverines to find the end zone on a three-yard rollout touchdown connection between Alex Orji and Donovan Edwards. The touchdown pass was the first of Orji’s career on just his second pass attempt.

More than 18 minutes of gameplay passed before another score occurred on a 41-yard Fresno State field goal with 7:35 remaining in the first half to make the score 7-3. The game’s scoring drought saw seven punts and a Warren interception.

Michigan responded with a field goal of its own with 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Zvada found the uprights for his first time with the Wolverines on a 45-yard kick to close the half with a 10-3 advantage.

On the first drive of the third quarter, the Maize and Blue used a steady passing attack downfield, including a pair of receptions by Loveland totaling 26 yards, resulting in a 53-yard field goal make by Zvada to extended the lead to 10 points.

The Wolverines finished strong, totaling 17 points in the game’s final quarter. First, Zvada added to his three-field-goal day with a 55-yard connection with 12:42 remaining in the contest. Loveland secured a 19-yard receiving touchdown to extend the Michigan lead to 23-10 with less than six minutes on the clock, and the game’s final points were recorded on Johnson’s 86-yard pick six and Zvada extra point.

Michigan continues its non-conference schedule next Saturday (Sept. 7) against No. 4-ranked Texas. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff on Fox.