Michigan Football: Just what the doctor ordered

Michigan football got back on track this past Saturday, winning their home opener at The Big House and gaining much-needed confidence moving forward.

Michigan football defeated Western Michigan, 49-3, on Saturday in what was a route from the beginning. The Wolverines scored 21 points in the first quarter, followed by 14 in the second which led to a commanding 35-0 lead at halftime. They were on cruise control from that point on.

A couple big questions coming into the game was how the offensive line would look and how quarterback Shea Patterson would perform in his second start for Michigan.

The offensive line allowed two sacks, but for the most part, looked to be improved in pass protection and creating run lanes.

Patterson picked apart the Broncos’ defense despite only attempting 15 passes. He completed 12 of them, compiling 125 yards to go along with three touchdowns. We saw him air it out, particularly on a 44-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nico Collins in the second quarter.

Patterson looked right at home in his Big House debut, coming off as calm, collected and ready to ensure this team rebounded in a big way.

"Defensive end Chase Winovich, when asked about Patterson’s demeanor all day Saturday, said, “The thing about Shea is he just has a sense of confidence that doesn’t come off as cocky, but you just know he knows — in my personal opinion — that he’s the man.”"

If the offensive line can continue protecting Patterson, and he continues to progress and air it out, this Michigan offense will become dangerous right in time for the most challenging part of their schedule.

Sophomore Dylan McCaffery, who has been the team’s backup quarterback, entered the game in relief for Patterson in the fourth quarter. He completed his only pass attempt for a touchdown to sophomore receiver Jake McCurry. McCaffery has been coming along well and improving daily as the No. 2 quarterback.

Michigan Wolverines

The running game, as expected, was extremely effective. Karan Higdon rushed for 156 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown. Chris Evans added two touchdowns of his own on 10 carries for 86 yards. As a team, the Wolverines ran for 308 yards and averaged 8.8 yards per carry, picking up yards in chunks and setting the offense up for success.

Western Michigan has now allowed a total of 642 rushing yards through their first two games.

Defensively, the writing was on the wall. Everyone expected the Wolverines to dominate the Broncos and stymie what had been an effective attack week one, and they didn’t disappoint. Michigan let up just 208 total yards,while forcing one turnover and two sacks. They also had eight tackles for loss, creating pressure on quarterback Jon Wassink the entire game. Wassink finished with 85 yards and an interception.

Rashan Gary recorded six tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss. Josh Metellus lead the team with seven tackles, along with 1.5 tackles for loss. Josh Ross, who looks to have taken control of the third linebacker spot, had five tackles, two of them going for a loss.

It was a pleasant sight for fans, as week one left the program with a sour taste in their mouth. Though the competition wasn’t high, elite teams are expected to dominate in games like this and that’s exactly what the Wolverines did. It was a reminder that this team can contend for a championship and will get better as the season goes.

This weekend, the Wolverines will stay at home and take on the SMU Mustangs. The Mustangs are 0-2 on the season and have given up 88 total points to opposing offenses. The Wolverines open the week as five touchdown favorites in a game that should propel the team to 2-1 with ease.