Davis Warren and Alex Orji each threw a touchdown pass, Will Johnson returned an interception for a score and No. 9 Michigan started defense of its national championship with a 30-10 win over Fresno State on Saturday night.
The Wolverines (1-0) were sluggish on offense for much of the night, breaking in new quarterbacks behind a revamped offensive line and Sherrone Moore, who made his coaching debut as Jim Harbaugh’s full-time replacement.
The Bulldogs (0-1) trailed by just four points deep into the second quarter and 16-10 midway through the fourth before Michigan pulled away.
Warren, who beat out Orji to start at quarterback, threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland to give Michigan a 23-10 lead with 5:43 left.
Johnson picked off a pass on the ensuing possession and returned it 86 yards, making the score lopsided in a game that was close for much of the night.
The game opened with Orji throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Warren, but the rest of the night didn’t go very smoothly for Moore’s team until late in the game.
Davis, a former walk-on who overcame leukemia in high school, was 15 of 25 for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Orji was 1 of 2 with a 3-yard touchdown pass and ran five times for 32 yards. Kalel Mullings had 92 yards rushing on 15 carries for the Wolverines.
Mikey Keene completed 22 of 36 passes for 238 yards with a 19-yard touchdown pass Raylen Sharpe in the fourth quarter that pulled the Bulldogs within six points and two interceptions.
Fresno State’s Jalen Moss had six catches for 97 yards, including a leaping, twisting catch on a sideline.
THE TAKEAWAY
Fresno State: Tim Skipper may have improved his case to keep the job with a competitive showing, despite the final score. Skipper was named interim coach in July, shortly before training camp, after Jeff Tedford stepped down for health reasons.
Michigan: Six offensive linemen from last year’s team landed in NFL training camps this summer, turning a strength into a weakness. The Wolverines were unable to create holes for the running game and didn’t give their quarterbacks much time to throw until wearing down the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
AP poll voters may see the final score and keep Michigan in the same spot even after an uneven performance. The last time a national champion was ranked as low as the Wolverines were in the preseason poll was 2011, when Auburn was No. 23. Prior to that, the only time a defending champion was ranked worse than seventh was in 1991 when Colorado was No. 13 in the preseason.
UP NEXT
Fresno State: Plays Sacramento State, coming off a 42-24 loss to San Jose State, on Saturday at home.
Michigan: No. 4 Texas visits the Big House on Saturday after opening with a 52-0 win over Colorado State.