Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (Michigan Stadium)

Point: #9 Michigan 30, Fresno State 10

Archive: UM (1-0), Fresno State (0-1)

Presence: 110,665

Next UM event: Saturday, September 7 — vs. #4 Texas (Michigan Stadium), 12:00 p.m. (TV: Fox)

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

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

In total, the Wolverines (1-0) totaled 269 yards (121 passing, 148 rushing). Mullings, the game’s leading rusher, had a career-high 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.

Michigan’s defense was strong, holding Fresno State to just nine yards on the ground. Josaiah Stewart (two bags, three TFL) and Rayshaun Benny (one sack, two TFL) contributed five tackles each. In the passing game, the Wolverines allowed 238 yards and came away with two interceptions.

The first came during the third attack of the match, when Zeke Berry recorded his first career interception on a tipped pass. The second came with 3:57 left in the game when Will Johnson recorded his first turnover of the season by running a flat route, making the catch and returning the ball 86 yards for a defensive touchdown, extending Michigan’s lead to 20 points at the end of the game.

In his first game with the Wolverines, kicker Dominicus Zvada proved crucial to the victory, as he converted all three of his field goal attempts, two of which came from 50-plus yards (53, 55).

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

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

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

On the first drive of the third quarter, the Maize and Blue employed a steady passing attack, including two receptions by Loveland for a total of 26 yards, resulting in a 53-yard field goal by Zvada that extended the lead to 10 points.

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

Michigan continues its non-conference schedule next Saturday (Sept. 7) against No. 4 Texas. The game is scheduled to kick off at 12:00 p.m. on Fox.