No. 19 Michigan didn’t need long to turn a close game into a runaway. After UTEP hung around long enough to grab a 14-7 second-quarter lead, the Wolverines flipped the script in a big way and rolled to a 52-17 win Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
The finish was all Michigan. The Wolverines held the Miners to just 28 total yards after that second-quarter push, then buried them with a 45-3 edge the rest of the way. UTEP never found a rhythm on third down, converting only two of 12 chances, and spent much of the afternoon punting - six times in all.
Michigan’s defense kept coming from every angle. Twelve different players helped produce 11 tackles for loss, with freshman Tariq Boney recording his first career sack and John Henry Daley adding his second sack in as many games.
The exclamation point came at the end of the third quarter, when Jonah Lea’ea jumped a screen pass and took it six yards for a touchdown, the first pick-six of his career. It was Michigan’s first interception return for a score since Will Johnson did it against USC on Sept.
21, 2024.
The score from Lea’ea helped cap a third quarter that completely broke the game open, and Michigan’s offense kept the pressure on as well. The Wolverines finished with a season-high 431 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground and three through the air, with five different players finding the end zone.
Savion Hiter had the kind of day that shows up in a box score and in the film room. The freshman scored his first two college touchdowns, finishing from six and eight yards out, and led Michigan’s rushing effort with 62 yards on 11 carries. Both numbers were career highs.
Michigan’s start was shakier than the final margin suggests. For the first time this season, the Wolverines didn’t score first, and they found themselves trailing twice in the opening half. But they answered both times and went to the locker room with a 17-14 lead after Trey Butkowski drilled a career-long 49-yard field goal.
UTEP’s two first-half touchdowns both came after Michigan turnovers, but the Wolverines responded each time. Hiter got Michigan on the board with his first touchdown of the day, and JJ Buchanan later scored for the second time as a Wolverine with 4:27 left in the second quarter. That proved to be the last time Michigan trailed.
From there, the passing game took over. Andrew Marsh and Buchanan led the way through the air, combining for 197 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Marsh caught 10 passes for 105 yards, while Buchanan finished with seven receptions for 92 yards.
Jordan Marshall opened the second half with his second rushing touchdown of the season, the first of five Michigan touchdowns after halftime. The final points came from two freshmen, Tommy Carr and Salesi Moa, who both picked up their first career scores. Moa’s came on a 19-yard catch, with the freshman staying in bounds in the back of the end zone to finish the drive.
Michigan improved to 3-0, while UTEP fell to 1-2. The Wolverines’ next game is Saturday, Sept. 26, against Iowa at Michigan Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
In Other News...
Michigan Fans May Need To Rethink Pregame Plans For UTEP
Michigan fans heading into the UTEP game may need a little more flexibility in their usual Saturday routine. Michigan Athletics and public safety officials are keeping an eye on weather conditions that could affect the schedule, including possible delays to gate openings and parking access, with the university directing fans to rely on official athletics channels for the latest updates.
For a No. 19 Michigan team that is 2-0, the on-field focus remains the same, but the pregame experience may look different depending on how the weather develops. If gates do not open on time, fans are being told to stay in safe locations and wait for further guidance, a reminder that the logistics around kickoff can shift quickly even when the game itself is still on track. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Still Has One Big Concern After Another Blowout Win
Michigan kept rolling in a 52-17 win over UTEP to move to 3-0, and the final score reflected how thoroughly the Wolverines took control after shaking off a sluggish start. Early turnovers could have made things interesting, but the offense settled in and the second half turned into another convincing display, with quarterback Bryce Underwood throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns in just three quarters.
Andrew Marsh was a bright spot again, finishing with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, giving Michigan another reliable target as the passing game found a rhythm. The defense also settled in after a few early mistakes, but even in a blowout like this, the game did not fully erase the concern that has lingered around the Wolverines through the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Finally Found Some Offense But A Bigger Worry Is Growing
Michigan finally got the kind of offensive afternoon it had been waiting for, rolling past UTEP 52-17 as Bryce Underwood looked more comfortable as a passer and the unit found more rhythm than it had shown earlier in the season. There was even a milestone for the freshman group, with Tommy Carr tossing his first career touchdown pass, a small but useful sign that Michigan was getting production from more than one spot on the field.
Still, the more immediate concern out of the win may be on the other side of the ledger, where the injury list keeps getting harder to ignore. Right tackle Andrew Sprague, running back Jordan Marshall and cornerback Zeke Berry all missed time or were limited, and for a team trying to build momentum, those absences could matter as much as any box score improvement. Michigan got the offense it needed Saturday, but the health of a few key players is becoming a bigger storyline by the week. [Read more 🡒]