Recap: Michigan downs Middle Tennessee, 40-21, in season-opening win
Nolan Bianchi
Summary
Michigan's new-look offense produced some positive results in Saturday night's season-opening win over Middle Tennessee State.
Shea Patterson threw touchdown passes to Tarik Black, Nico Collins and Sean McKeon, and true freshman Zach Charbonnet carried the ball eight times for 90 yards as the Wolverines advanced to a 40-14 win at Michigan Stadium.
Final leaders
Passing
UM - Shea Patterson: 17/29, 203 yds., 3 TDs
MTSU - Asher O'Hara: 22/32, 217 yds., 2 TDs, INT
Rushing
UM - Zach Charbonnet: 8 atts., 90 yds.
MTSU - Asher O'Hara: 13 atts., 32 yds.
Receiving
UM - Tarik Black: 4 recs., 80 yds., TD
MTSU - Ty Lee: 4 recs., 52 yds.
MTSU scores in final minutes
Joe Milton is in at quarterback for Michigan. Tru Wilson rushes for 5 yards on second down. Milton completes a throw to Mike Sainristil for a gain of 9 yards that's called back for holding. Milton rushes for 9 yards on the next play. Will Hart's punt goes for a touchback.
MTSU scores on a 59-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Marshall.
Michigan 40, Middle Tennessee 21 (1:06 4th)
Michigan recovers an onside kick attempt and runs out. the clock.
FINAL: Michigan 40, Middle Tennessee 21
Michigan keeping MTSU offense stifled
MTSU starts at the 25.
Chaton Mobley is stopped for no gain on first down. An offsides penalty on second down makes it second-and-5. Asher O'Hara keeps it himself on second down and picks up the first down with a run of 6 yards.
Jordan Glasgow makes a nice play to trip up Javy McDonald on a 1-yard reception. O'Hara completes a 10-yard pass to Ruben Garnett on the next play.
McDonald rushes for 9 yards on first down and no gain on second down. O'Hara's third-down pass is incomplete. He completes a fourth-down pass to Dalton Franz for no gain.
Michigan 40, Middle Tennessee 14 (3:44 4th)
Michigan extends lead on VanSumeren touchdown run
Ronnie Bell hauls in a 6-yard reception from Shea Patterson on first down. Christian Turner is stopped for no gain on second down. Patterson's third-down try to the end zone falls incomplete but draws a pass interference call.
Turner is stopped for no gain on first down. Ben VanSumeren rushes for 1 yard on second down and reaches the end zone on third down.
Michigan 40, Middle Tennessee 14 (6:37 4th)
Michigan wins big field position battle
MTSU takes over at its own 1.
Asher O'Hara throws incomplete to DJ England-Chisolm on first down. It probably should have been ruled complete, but the Blue Raiders run a play anyway. Chaton Mobley is stopped for no gain on second down. O'Hara's third-down pass is deep.
Ronnie Bell returns Kyle Ulbright's punt to the MTSU 15.
Michigan 33, Middle Tennessee 14 (8:48 4th)
Michigan stopped at doorstep of end zone
Ben VanSumeren rushes for 3 yards on first down. Ronnie Bell hauls in an 8-yard reception to give Michigan a first down at the 30.
A first-down throw by Dylan McCaffrey to Nick Eubanks is initially ruled incomplete, but the play is under review. Eubanks is ruled to have caught the pass for a 5-yard gain.
Zach Charbonnet breaks free up the middle for a. 41-yard rush to the MTSU 22-yard-line.
McCaffrey rushes for 3 yards on first down. MTSU is called for holding on the next play, making it first-and-goal from the 9. That's immediately followed up by a false start by Michigan.
McCaffrey rushes for 5 yards on first down. McCaffrey gets to the 2-yard-line, fumbles back to the 5. He goes for the goal line again on the next play and gets stuffed at the 1. Charbonnet is denied at the goal line on fourth down.
Michigan 33, Middle Tennessee (9:53 4th)
New QB yields same results for MTSU
Touchback. MTSU has it at the 25.
Chase Cunningham is in at quarterback for MTSU. His first pass is deflected and falls incomplete. His second pass to Terelle West is complete for a gain of 9. MTSU picks up the first down with a 4-yard reception by Ty Lee.
A personal foul on Khaleke Hudson gives MTSU 15 free yards.
Cunningham throws incomplete passes on his next two attempts to close the quarter.
END 3RD: Michigan 33, Middle Tennessee 14
Cunningham can't find a receiver on third down, and MTSU will be forced to kick it away. Kyle Ulbright's punt goes out-of-bounds at the 15.
Michigan 33, Middle Tennessee 14 (14:40 4th)
McCaffrey gives Michigan 33-14 lead
Dylan McCaffrey has entered the game at quarterback for Michigan. He scrambles for a gain of 10 yards on first down.
Shea Patterson goes out wide on the next play, but the Wolverines are flagged for delay of game. Now Patterson is at quarterback with McCaffrey out wide. Patterson fakes the jet sweep to McCaffrey and takes it himself for a gain of 8. McCaffrey gets the first down with a gain of 9 to the MTSU 22.
Timeout #1 Middle Tennessee (1:38 3rd)
McCaffrey takes the snap in shotgun and pushes forward for a gain of 1 with his feet. McCaffrey's second-down throw to Tarik Black draws a pass interference flag. It'll be first-and-goal from the 6.
McCaffrey keeps it himself and scores a 6-yard rushing touchdown. A two-point conversion attempt fails.
Michigan 33, Middle Tennessee 14 (0:53 3rd)
O'Hara's mistake nearly costs MTSU
Asher O'Hara completes a 4-yard pass to Brad Anderson on first down. He's sacked after fumbling the ball on second down for a loss of 13. Lavert Hill inexplicably drops a surefire pick 6 on third down after a seriously questionable throw by O'Hara.
That breaks a streak of 13 straight completions for O'Hara.
Kyle Ulbrich's punt is fielded by Ronnie Bell and returned 9 yards to the MTSU 43.
Michigan 27, Middle Tennessee 14 (3:40 3rd)
Michigan yet to score in third quarter
Zach Charbonnet explodes for 13 yards, reaching the 38, on first down.
Timeout #1 Michigan (6:06 3rd)
Shea Patterson fumbles on a handoff to Tru Wilson and recovers for a loss of 2. Wilson is back after suffering an apparent hand injury in the first half. Patterson is flushed from the pocket and throws incomplete on third down.
Will Hart's punt is fair caught by Ty Lee at the MTSU 23.
Michigan 27, Middle Tennessee 14 (5:11 3rd)
Michigan defense keeping Blue Raiders at bay
Zack Dobson picks up 4 yards on first down and 3 on. second down. Aidan Hutchinson gets into the backfield with ease to wrap up Asher O'Hara for a loss of 2 on third down.
Ronnie Bell returns Kyle Ulbrich's punt 6 yards to the 25.
Michigan 27, Middle Tennessee 14 (6:30 3rd)
Third-down sack ends promising Michigan drive
Christian Turner bounces it to the right side for a gain of 8 yards on first down. Shea Patterson tucks it on a read-option, hitting a hole for 12 yards up the right sideline. It's first-and-10 at the 40.
Turner gets another first-down handoff, going for 4 yards up the middle. Zach Charbonnet explodes through the middle on second down for a gain of 9 yards to the MTSU 47.
Patterson, under pressure, throws a dangerous pass that falls incomplete. Michigan is called for having an ineligible receiver downfield. It'll be first-and-15.
Charbonnet gets it, cuts to the middle, picks up 5 yards. Patterson fires a perfectly placed ball in traffic to Sean McKeon over the middle, but the Michigan tight end can't hang on as he goes to the ground. Patterson is sacked for a loss of 9 on third down.
Will Hart's punt is returned by Ty Lee to the MTSU 25.
Michigan 27, Middle Tennessee 14 (8:07 3rd)
Michigan defense comes up with stop in own territory to start half
MTSU gets it to start the third quarter.
Zack Dobson rushes for 5 yards on first down. He hauls in a reception that's good for 10 yards on second down to give MTSU a new set of downs at the 40.
Ty Lee then catches a 13-yard pass, moving the Blue Raiders to the Michigan 47-yard-line.
Ruben Garnett hauls in a 6-yard reception on the next play. Asher O'Hara gains 1 yard on a second-down scramble and is sacked by Jordan Glasgow, his second of the game, for a loss of 4 to end the drive.
Kyle Ulbrich's punt goes for a touchback.
Michigan 27, Middle Tennessee 14 (12:04 3rd)
First-half leaders
Passing
UM - Shea Patterson: 16/25, 197 yds., 3 TDs
MTSU - Asher O'Hara: 13/19, 94 yds., TD, INT
Rushing
UM - Christian Turner: 7 atts., 37 yds.
MTSU - Asher O'Hara: 8 atts., 44 yds., TD
Receiving
UM - Tarik Black: 4 recs., 80 yds., TD
MTSU - Ty Lee: 2 recs., 35 yds.
Michigan takes 13-point lead into half
Giles Jackson's return gives Michigan starting field position at the 39.
Zach Charbonnet picks up 5 yards on. first down. Sean McKeon hauls in a 9-yard reception on the next play to move the chains.
Cornelius Johnson moves the chains again with a 1-yard reception on first down.
Two incomplete passes by Shea Patterson set up third-and-10. He's sacked, but a defensive holding penalty gives the Wolverines new life.
Charbonnet gets to the 23-yard-line with a 4-yard run on first down. Patterson is hit as he lets go of a second-down pass, which falls incomplete. Johnson hauls in a terrific pass on third down to pick up 9 yards and a first down at the 14.
Patterson throw incomplete on first down and on second down scrambles for a gain of 5, stepping out of bounds at the 9. His shot to the end zone on third down falls incomplete.
Jake Moody's 27-yard field goal try is good.
Michigan 27, Middle Tennessee 14 (0:05 2nd)
MTSU cuts into Michigan lead before halftime
Ambry Thomas is having the game of his life. He wraps up DJ England-Chisolm on a bubble screen to force a loss of 4 yards on first down. Ben Mason is flagged for offsides before the next play, resulting in a 5-yard penalty. It's second-and-9 from the 26. Asher O'Hara tucks it and runs for 4 yards on second down. A swing pass to Chaton Mobley goes for just 1 yard, ending the drive.
Lavert Hill fumbles on the punt return, and it's recovered by MTSU at the Michigan 33.
Mobley catches a pass out of the backfield for a gain of 6 on first down. Asher O'Hara kicks it to Brad Anderson on second down for a gain of 11.
Mobley gets 2 yards up the middle on first down and 7 yards out wide on second down. Jocquez Bruce catches a pass on third down that's good for 7 yards. It'll be first-and-goal from the 1.
O'Hara rushes for no gain on first down. Tyrese Johnson is jacked up for a loss of 1 on second down. Vincent Gray made a terrific play to keep the MTSU receiver out of the end zone.
Timeout #1 Michigan (2:20 1st)
O'Hara scrambles and floats a pass to Jarrin Pierece that's caught for an MTSU touchdown.
Michigan 24, Middle Tennessee 14 (2:12 2nd)
Patterson's third touchdown gives Michigan 24-7 lead
Shea Patterson finds an open Ronnie Bell in the end zone, but the throw is just beyond Bell's reach, bouncing off his fingertips and falling incomplete. He hits tight end Sean McKeon on the next play; McKeon fights through two tackles and sprints into the end zone for a 28-yard Michigan touchdown.
Michigan 24, Middle Tennessee 7 (7:08 2nd)
Michigan recovers fumble deep in MTSU territory
Asher O'hara's first-down pass is incomplete. His second, a blind chuck with the pocket closing around him, falls into the hands of Ty Lee for a gain of 18.
Chaton Mobley is stopped for no gain on second down and O'Hara's second-down pass is incomplete. Terrelle West hauls in a 7-yard reception on third down. It appears he may have fumbled, and since Michigan clearly recovered, they will review whether the ball should belong to the Wolverines.
It'll be Michigan football at the 28. Ambry Thomas should get credit for the recovery, his second turnover of the game.
Michigan 17, Middle Tennessee 7 (7:19 2nd)
Michigan can't take advantage of interception, Hart pins MTSU deep
Christian Turner gets the first-down handoff and picks up 8. He's stopped for a gain of only 1 yard on second down. He extends the drive with a delayed handoff up the middle that goes for 3 yards. First-and-10 at the MTSU 47.
Shea Patterson's play-action pass intended for Sean McKeon is tipped and falls to the turf. Turner catches a screen pass, loses his footing, and is wrapped up after a gain of 3 on second down. Nico Collins can't catch a third-down slant, and Michigan will punt.
Will Hart pins MTSU at the 3.
Michigan 17, Middle Tennessee 7 (8:29 2nd)
Thomas picks off O'Hara in Michigan territory
Touchback on the kickoff. MTSU gets it at the 25.
Asher O'Hara flashes a nice set of wheels on first down, dancing through a handful of Michigan defenders and reaching the 39-yard-line with a gain of 14.
He takes it himself again on the next play, this time getting 5 yards. O'Hara's second-down pass is caught by CJ Windham for a gain of 12 yards that'll move the chains. First-and-10 from the Michigan 44 coming up.
O'Hara rumbles and stumbles his way to another 5-yard gain on first down. Michigan's Ambry Thomas jumps a route in the flat and makes an incredible catch on his way out of bounds. Michigan ball at the 39.
Michigan 17, Middle Tennessee 7 (10:57 2nd)
Michigan's offense rolling as Patterson throws second touchdown pass
Shea Patterson scrambles for a pickup of 5 yards on first down. The Wolverines go play-action on second down, and Patterson finds Tarik Black over the middle. Black's reception goes for 22 yards, giving Michigan a first down at the MTSU 40.
Patterson goes back to Black on the next play for a gain of 12. After an injury timeout, more play-action. This time Patterson finds Nico Collins on a deep ball to the end zone, a terrific 28-yard grab that'll give the Wolverines a two-score lead.
Michigan 17, Middle Tennessee 7 (12:54 2nd)
Michigan leads MTSU after first quarter
Middle Tennessee is dealt a delay-of-game penalty before first down. It's first-and-15 from the 20.
Asher O'Hara throws down the sideline to DJ England-Chisolm for an incomplete pass. O'Hara hits Dalton Frantz, but for no gain, on second down.
End 1st: Michigan 10, Middle Tennessee 7
Brad Hawkins wraps up Jarrin Pierce after a 4-yard completion on third down.
Kyle Ulbrich's punt is returned to the Michigan 34 by Lavert Hill.
Michigan 10, Middle Tennessee 7 (14:08 2nd)
Michigan takes lead on deep ball to Black
Tru Wilson gets his first carry of the season, going for a gain of 3 on first down. He's blown up while picking up the blitz on second down, but it allows Shea Patterson to stand in and deliver a 36-yard touchdown strike to Tarik Black.
Michigan 10, Middle Tennessee 7 (0:21 1st)
Michigan defense forces three-and-out deep in MTSU territory
Will Hart's punt has Middle Tennessee backed up to their own 5. A false start makes it first-and-12 from the 3.
Terrelle West is wrapped up in the middle for no gain on first down. Asher O'Hara rolls right and misfires to Ruben Garnett to bring up third down. He's chased from the pocket and throws into no-man's-land to avoid getting sacked in the end zone.
Lavert Hill is wrapped up immediately upon receiving the punt.
Middle Tennessee 7, Michigan 3 (1:02 1st)
Michigan offense sputtering in early stages
Christian Turner continues to be a force. He gets the ball on first down and powers his way to an 11-yard gain.
Tarik Black catches a pass near the sideline that's good for 10 yards on the next play, giving Michigan a first down at the 31.
Turner gets the ball on first down and picks up 3. Michigan is called for a substitution penalty, making it second-and-12. Shea Patterson completes a pass to... Dylan McCaffrey? for a gain of 1 yard on second down. Patterson is sacked for a loss of 10 to end the drive.
Will Hart's punt is downed at the 5.
Middle Tennessee 7, Michigan 3 (2:01 1st)
Michigan defense finds groove
Jake Moody's kick goes for a touchback. MTSU starts at the 25.
Asher O'Hara jukes out a couple Wolverines on his way to a 7-yard gain on first down. He fires complete to Ruben Garnett on second down for 10 yards, giving MTSU a first down at the 42.
Chaton Mobley picks up 2 yards on first down. Mobley is the intended receiver of an incomplete pass on second down. The entire Michigan D-line collapses on O'Hara on third down, with Jordan Glasgow wrapping up the MTSU quarterback for a loss of 8.
Khaleke Hudson appeared to have gotten a hand on Kyle Ulbrich's punt. It only goes 16 yards; Michigan will start from its 48.
Middle Tennessee 7, Michigan 3 (5:20 1st)
Michigan cuts into MTSU lead with field goal
Giles Jackson returns the kickoff to the 27.
Zach Charbonnet hits the middle for a gain of 14 yards on first down. He gets it again on the next play, reaching the Michigan 44 with a gain of 3. Shea Patterson throws in the flat to Nick Eubanks, who catches the pass but is immediately wrapped up for no gain. Patterson fires complete to Nico Collins on third down for a gain of 15 that'll give Michigan a new set of downs at the MTSU 41.
Christian Turner gets the handoff, hits a hole on the left side and picks up 5 on first down. Collins is found again on second down, this time on the right side of the field, for a gain of 6. First down Michigan at the 30.
Patterson keeps the read option and cuts to his left, getting tripped up for a gain of 4. Turner finds the corner on second down and picks up 6 to give the Wolverines a first down at the 20.
Patterson goes to Ronnie Bell in the end zone on first down, but Bell can't come down with it. Charbonnet catches a pass that goes for 4 yards on second down. Patterson again throws incomplete to Bell on third down.
Jake Moody's field-goal try from 34 yards is good.
Middle Tennessee 7, Michigan 3 (7:37 1st)
Patterson fumbles on first play from scrimmage, MTSU takes lead
We will see Michigan's offense to start the game. Giles Jackson returns the kickoff to the 27-yard-line.
Shea Patterson escapes the pocket, shoots up the middle, and gains about 13 before getting hit and losing the ball. MTSU recovers and will have it in Michigan territory.
Michigan 0, Middle Tennessee 0 (14:45 1st)
Ty Lee catches a pass and swings it out wide, gaining 17 yards on the reception before stepping out at the Michigan 25.
Terelle West catches a pass for 4 yards on the next play. DJ England-Chisolm makes a couple guys miss and gains 3 yards to make it third-and-3. Asher O'Hara breaks free on a Michigan blitz and dives into the end zone. Michigan is also called for offsides.
Middle Tennessee 7, Michigan 0 (12:52 1st)
Pregame
Michigan opens its 2019 season under the lights on Saturday against Middle Tennessee. You can follow the action throughout the game with live updates by Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News.
MICHIGAN VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor
TV/radio: BTN/WWJ 950
Records: Season opener for both teams.
Line: Michigan by 34.5
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