Michigan Football Cruises To 47-14 Season-Opening Win Over Western Michigan
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Michigan Wolverines football blew out Western Michigan, 47-14, Saturday afternoon at The Big House to improve to 1-0 on the season and 5-2 in season openers under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Here is a recap of how the game unfolded:
First Half
Michigan, which received the opening kickoff, was able to strike first.
Facing a 4th down and one on the WMU 18-yard line, Michigan redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins ran it up the gut for four yards. On the next play, second-year freshman back Blake Corum got the Wolverines on the board, catching a pass in the left flat and beating defenders to the corner for a 14-yard score. Redshirt sophomore Jake Moody's point after attempt was good to give the Maize and Blue a 7-0 edge after an 11-play, 75-yard opening drive.
On WMU's first offensive series, redshirt sophomore quarterback Kaleb Eleby converted a 3rd down and two, completing a ball for 18 yards to senior wideout Jaylon Hall to get it deep into Michigan territory (25-yard line). Junior running back La'Darius Jefferson pounded in a two-yard touchdown run with 5:58 to play in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-7.
Corum returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards to the WMU 21-yard line. The Wolverines got behind the sticks after a false start penalty, then set up Moody for a 37-yard made field goal three plays later to put Michigan up, 10-7.
One play after Michigan fifth-year senior safety Brad Hawkins had a potential incompletion go through his hands, Eleby — who went 8-for-12 passing for 89 yards in the opening stanza — found sophomore wideout Skyy Moore for a 22-yard pickup on 3rd and 10 to move the chains as the first quarter wound down.
Michigan led, 10-7, at the end of the first.
Michigan redshirt freshman defensive end Mike Morris and redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross laid the wood on WMU sophomore running back Sean Tyler for a loss of three yards on 3rd and 2. The Broncos punted for a second-straight possession. Michigan set up shop at the 17-yard line with 10:54 left in the half.
Michigan redshirt sophomore signal-caller Cade McNamara went deep to junior wide receiver Ronnie Bell — who came down with the ball and darted to the end zone for a 76-yards score — on 3rd and 3. That gave the Maize and Blue a 17-7 advantage with 9:18 to go in the half.
WMU went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, punting for a third straight series. Bell brought the punt back 31 yards to the WMU 31-yard line, then was tended to by the training staff after the play and struggled to leave the field, before being carted into the locker room.
Three plays later, Haskins dashed up the middle, broke a tackle and found his way into the end zone for a 22-yard rushing score to make it a 24-7 game with 6:18 remaining before the break.
After forcing WMU's fourth-straight punt, Michigan took it 64 yards on 12 plays, before Moody knocked in a 20-yard field goal to give the Wolverines a 27-7 edge with six seconds left in the half, before WMU kneeled out the clock following the kickoff.
Second Half
WMU punted after a nine-yard, 20-yard drive to begin the half, with Michigan taking over at its own 20.
Michigan second-year freshman wide receiver AJ Henning took an end around 74 yards for a touchdown down the left sideline with 10:01 remaining in the third quarter. Second-year freshman quarterback Dan Villari was stuffed on the QB keeper for the two-point conversion, keeping the score at 33-7.
WMU senior kicker Parker Sampson's 40-yard attempt was blocked by Michigan junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with 6:01 to go in the third quarter.
The Wolverines took over on their own 23-yard line, at which point they inserted highly-touted freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy for his first collegiate game action. Freshman running back Donovan Edwards also made his debut at that point.
McNamara's day was done. The starter completed 9 of his 11 pass attempts for 136 yards and two touchdowns, an efficient first outing of the season.
Michigan led, 33-7, at the end of three quarters.
Highlighted by second-year freshman Roman Wilson's 43-yard rush on an end around and capped off by Corum's 30-yard scoring scamper, Michigan drove it 87 yards in four plays and 1:46 of game time to begin the fourth stanza. That marked the fifth scoring drive in six possessions (four touchdowns and one field goal). The Wolverines held a 40-7 advantage with 12:57 left.
Facing 3rd and 25 from his own 31-yard line, McCarthy faced pressure, scrambled out of the pocket and threw across his body to find redshirt junior wide receiver Daylen Baldwin, a Jackson State transfer, on the other side of the field for a 69-yard score. That marked Baldwin's first reception as a Wolverine and made it a 47-7 game.
On the next drive, WMU drove 75 yards in 10 plays, capped off by an Eleby touchdown strike to sophomore wide receiver Corey Crooms, who made it a 47-14 game with 3:30 remaining.
Michigan placed Villari into the game at quarterback, along with a host of other reserves. He and the Wolverines ran out the clock to cap off a blowout win.
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