Michigan football opened the defense of its national title with a 30-10 win over Fresno State on Saturday night. The Wolverines didn't cover the spread and didn't overly impress.
But a win is a win and for those that forgot, Fresno State won nine games last season. This is one of the best Group of Five programs out there and U-M missed covering the spread by a point.
The offense left a lot to be desired. There are question marks at quarterback, running back, and offensive line. One game doesn't make a season though.
There were some positives and some not-so positive things. However, a win is always better than a loss and Michigan football extended its winning streak to 16 games on Saturday.
Here are five things we learned.
The QB job is settled
The talk of the QB competition bleeding into the season were just plain wrong. It was clear last night that Davis Warren won the job, as Sherrone Moore said after the game.
Moore said that Davis completed 85-90 percent of his passes during fall camp. The head coach also talked about how he made plays against the Michigan defense.
Warren wasn't perfect. He had one interception on an under-thrown pass. Warren completed 15-of-25 passes for 118 yards. The touchdown drive in the fourth quarter was important and he threw a good ball to Colston Loveland for the touchdown.
A three-and-out or a turnover on that drive, and Michigan would be facing defeat. Instead, the offense responded. Warren made a play, and the game was salted away.
Warren looked like Cade McNamara in 2021 and if he plays like that, Michigan football might just be able to win another Big Ten title. Alex Orji will have a role as a running quarterback and Michigan will throw with him too, but it is Davis Warren's show...for now.
Will Johnson shows his knack for big plays again
Michigan football star Will Johnson didn't have a perfect night. He got beat down the field for a big pass play and Fresno State wasn't afraid to get after the lockdown corner.
It's just surprising whenever Johnson gives up an explosive play and he did in the fourth quarter. Yet, Johnson also has a knack for making a big play at just the right time.
Johnson was huge in the win over Ohio State in 2022. He intercepted a pass against the Buckeyes in 2023 and also had a key interception in the national championship game.
Last night, with Michigan football up 13 and Fresno State near the end zone, Johnson jumped a screen pass and returned it 86 yards for a touchdown to effectively end the game.
It was yet another play to add to what's becoming a legendary highlight reel.
The offensive line is a work in progress
Michigan football fans were disappointed in the 20-point win. That's fair to say, but looking back at the 2021 season, fans were up in arms after the win over Washington.
The offense struggled throwing the ball and fans wondered if Michigan football could be teams like Ohio State playing that way.
Turns out, they can and they did. They will again. The offense only rushed for 148 yards last night. That's not up to the Michigan standard and things were just off.
There were numerous plays that were close to breaking for big yards. On one play, Max Bredeson tripped over an offensive lineman, causing him to miss a block that likely springs the running back for at least 15-20 yards.
Stuff like that can be cleaned up though. It takes an offensive line time to gel. These five guys are starting together for the first time and Myles Hinton is the closest thing to a returning starter.
The offensive line found its rhythm with Kalel Mullings running the ball in the fourth quarter. The pass protection was solid, however, we probably overestimated this group a little.
They will be among the best O-lines in the Big Ten, maybe the best. But it's going to take some time to get there.
Kalel Mullings is Michigan's best running back
I had high hopes for Donovan Edwards going into Saturday's game, yet he just didn't look right. Edwards carried the ball 11 times for 27 yards.
That's just not good enough. The offensive line could have helped him out more, however, Edwards didn't go a great job of getting more than what was blocked.
Great running backs get what's blocked for them, plus more. Edwards didn't do that on Saturday. Kalel Mullings did and that's one reason Michigan football mounted that toucdown drive.
Mullings ripped off two double-digit runs, which opened up the play-action pass to Loveland. Donovan Edwards needs to have a role in the offense and I'd love to see more passes go his way, but Mullings is the better running back right now and he needed more touches on Saturday.
The defense is as elite as we thought
Michigan gave up one touchdown in the fourth quarter. Yet, other than that, the Wolverines were dominant on defense.
The Wolverines used a heavy rotation of players, even subbing out Johnson and other stars for full possessions. Fresno State managed just 244 yards of total offense, with only nine coming on the ground.
Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant were unblockable. Rayshaun Benny had a sack, while Josaiah Stewart had two sacks for Michigan football.
If the offense had been competent, this could have been a one-sided affair but the Michigan defense was on the the field for more plays than the Bulldogs. Michigan didn't go a great job of playing complementary, which didn't help.
Yet, as poor as the offense looked last night at times, it will get better. There are 10 new starters and the good news is that the defense can buy time for the Wolverines to figure it out.