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

Web site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Rating: #9 Michigan 30, Fresno State 10
Data: U-M (1-0), Fresno State (0-1)
Attendance: 110,665
Subsequent U-M Occasion: Saturday, Sept. 7 — vs. #4 Texas (Michigan Stadium), Midday (TV: Fox)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 9-ranked College of Michigan soccer workforce opened its 2024 season with a powerful second half displaying in a 30-10 victory over Fresno State on Saturday night time (Aug. 31) at Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines scored 20 factors and recorded 180 yards over the ultimate two quarters to drag away and safe the win.

Colston Loveland put collectively a profession sport, posting 87 yards on a career-high eight receptions and a game-sealing 19-yard landing catch with 5:43 remaining within the sport. Following a trio of Kalel Mullings rushes for 42 yards in a 16-10 battle, Davis Warren dropped again in play motion and fired a line drive to Loveland on an in route, who took the ball the remaining 9 yards for the rating.

In complete, the Wolverines (1-0) posted 269 complete yards (121 passing, 148 speeding). Mullings, the sport’s main rusher, posted a profession mark of 92 yards on the bottom on 15 makes an attempt, whereas Warren completed the sport 15-25 passing for 118 yards with one landing and one interception.

The Michigan run protection was stout, holding Fresno State to only 9 yards on the bottom, as Josaiah Stewart (two sacks, three TFL) and Rayshaun Benny (one sack, two TFL) contributed with 5 tackles every. Within the cross sport, the Wolverines allowed 238 yards and got here away with two interceptions.

The primary occurred on the sport’s third offensive play when Zeke Berry recorded his first profession interception off of a tipped cross. The second got here with 3:57 remaining within the sport when Will Johnson recorded his first turnover of the season, leaping a flat route, securing the catch and returning the ball 86 yards for a defensive landing to increase Michigan’s result in 20 factors late within the contest.

In his first sport with the Wolverines, kicker Dominic Zvada proved essential to the victory, changing on all three of his discipline purpose tries, two of which got here from over 50 yards (53, 55).

On the third offensive play of the sport, Berry recorded an interception on the Fresno State 36-yard line and returned it 5 yards to arrange the primary Michigan offensive drive of the season. It took 5 performs for the Wolverines to search out the top zone on a three-yard rollout landing connection between Alex Orji and Donovan Edwards. The landing cross was the primary of Orji’s profession on simply his second cross try.

Greater than 18 minutes of gameplay handed earlier than one other rating occurred on a 41-yard Fresno State discipline purpose with 7:35 remaining within the first half to make the rating 7-3. The sport’s scoring drought noticed seven punts and a Warren interception.

Michigan responded with a discipline purpose of its personal with 31 seconds remaining within the first half. Zvada discovered the uprights for his first time with the Wolverines on a 45-yard kick to shut the half with a 10-3 benefit.

On the primary drive of the third quarter, the Maize and Blue used a gentle passing assault downfield, together with a pair of receptions by Loveland totaling 26 yards, leading to a 53-yard discipline purpose make by Zvada to prolonged the result in 10 factors.

The Wolverines completed sturdy, totaling 17 factors within the sport’s ultimate quarter. First, Zvada added to his three-field-goal day with a 55-yard reference to 12:42 remaining within the contest. Loveland secured a 19-yard receiving landing to increase the Michigan result in 23-10 with lower than six minutes on the clock, and the sport’s ultimate factors have been recorded on Johnson’s 86-yard decide six and Zvada further level.

Michigan continues its non-conference schedule subsequent Saturday (Sept. 7) in opposition to No. 4-ranked Texas. The sport is scheduled for a midday kickoff on Fox.