Gut reactions: Michigan football finds right QB combo in win over 'little brother'

There have been some rough moments for first-year Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore. But he did something that a Wolverines head coach hasn't done in a long time -- win the first game against Michigan State.

It hasn't happened since 1948. Jim Harbaugh didn't do it. But Sherrone Moore did. He had two top-10 wins last season filling in for Harbaugh.

This was all about Moore. This 2024 season has been hard to stomach for Michigan football fans, but it just got much easier with a 24-17 win over Michigan State. Get another win and a bowl game, then the rest is gravy.

Moore is working to make things happen on the recruiting trail and this win will buy him some goodwill, especially if the Wolverines can finish with a winning record. Here are the gut reactions.

The right QB combination

Davis Warren completed 13-of-19 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Alex Orji ran the ball six times for 64 yards and a touchdown.

For the first time this season, it felt like the perfect combination. Kirk Campbell sent Alex Orji out on the field when the Wolverines needed to get a first down on the ground and they got two to run out the clock.

Warren found a rhythm and some confidence in the two-minute offense. From that point on, he did exactly what he needed to do. Most importantly, he didn't have a turnover. The two quarterbacks combined for seven third-down conversions and starting Davis Warren was the right call.

Donovan Edwards pass was genius

Big Game Don lives. It might not have been a top-10 matchup but the season was essentially on the line. The Wolverines aren't going to defend their national title or their Big Ten title. But losing to Michigan State would have been a disaster.

That didn't happen though. Edwards delivered a perfect pass and Kirk Campbell dialed up the call at the perfect time.

The run didn't determine the winner

It was a weird game. Michigan football finished wth just 267 yards of total offense. The Wolverines were out-rushed by MSU (163-119) but U-M was able to run the ball when it had to.

What determined the winner wasn't rushing yards -- it was turnovers. The turnover before the half changed the game. That allowed Michigan to build a double-digit lead. That was too much for a flawed Spartans team to overcome.

It was scary. No doubt and Jonathan Smith is a quality coach, but for at least one more year, Michigan football fans own bragging rights over "little brother."

Another fight

Speaking of little brother, the Spartans and Wolverines got in another tiff on the final snap. It looked like sour grapes to me. Colston Loveland said, "Little brother will do little brother things" on the TV broadcast after, which should only add more fuel to the fire.

At the end of the day though, Loveland is likely heading to the NFL draft which would mean he'll end his career 3-0 against the Spartans. So why not jaw a little bit? He's earned it.