It was an odd feeling, coming into a season opener against a Mid-American Conference team with absolutely no idea what to expect.

An offense dependent on two true freshman quarterbacks, a defense that Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has readily admitted has very little depth and a team that faced a tumultuous week of allegations can be thanked for that.

But somewhere in the first 15 minutes of the Wolverines’ opener against Western Michigan on Saturday, they managed to make everything look easy again.

“It feels — it feels good,” redshirt sophomore wide receiver Junior Hemingway said after the game, pausing as he tried to find the right words. “I don’t want to say it feels weird, but it kind of feels like I’m starting over again, and I think I just want to start it off right this time.”

Hemingway was referring to how frequent injuries have prevented him from making a real impact until his surprising two-touchdown performance Saturday. But he may as well have been talking about the entire team’s fresh start.

The offense was flashy, scoring 31 points before halftime with quarterbacks Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier putting on a show in their debuts — Robinson with his quick feet and Forcier with his confident decision-making.

The defense was fierce, making Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller look more like a freshman than a fifth-year senior, as he threw erratically and couldn't hold onto the ball.

Michigan (1-0) convincingly started its season Saturday with a 31-7 win over the Broncos, its first home opener victory in three years.

This fresh start showed little indication of last year’s season-opening issues – excessive turnovers, shaky quarterbacks, offensive line woes and fumbled punt returns.

Instead, it highlighted what wasn’t possible during all of last year’s 3-9 disaster. Rodriguez gave four quarterbacks playing time, not because anyone was underperforming, but simply because with a 24-point lead, he could afford to.

Fans held pro-Rodriguez signs and loudly chanted his name twice, once after Hemingway’s second touchdown and the other in the waning seconds of the game. The two skyboxes may have kept in extra crowd noise, but the 109,019 fans didn't need the help.

And the old Michigan swagger returned, from Forcier’s bold postgame comment that he doesn’t get nervous – “never have and I don’t think I ever will” – to veteran players like senior defensive end Brandon Graham pumping his arms in the air between plays to make the crowd roar just a little louder.

After Western Michigan started the game with a three-and-out, Forcier wasted no time leading Michigan to a score on its first drive. From the 28-yard line, the freshman started to run the ball before spotting Hemingway near the left sideline, a play that Hemingway later called an “improvisation”. Forcier threw the ball on the run to Hemingway, who easily ran into the end zone.

And just three and a half minutes later, Robinson scored on his first play at quarterback in a way that only the freshman known for his speed could. On an intended reverse to sophomore slot receiver Martavious Odoms, Robinson dropped the snap but had time to pick up the ball, stand still to plot his course, and zig-zag past the Broncos for a 43-yard touchdown run.

“I was asking Denard on the sideline if that little fake fumble and running for a touchdown was a habit, because he's done it to us a couple times (in practice),” senior linebacker Stevie Brown laughed.

Forcier felt the same way.

"God," Forcier said, laughing. "I was happy, but it's nothing, I wasn't impressed by it. I've seen it happen, I've seen him do it so many times in practice, it's typical for him to do that."

At the half, after two more Forcier touchdown passes, Michigan had already racked up 289 total yards (144 rushing and 145 passing yards). The Wolverines finished with 439 total yards, more than they could manage in any of their 12 games last year.

But in the second half, where Rodriguez said he “really wasn’t happy with anything," Michigan failed to convert twice in the red zone and only combined for 150 total yards. The Wolverines' shutout hopes were dashed in the fourth quarter when Hiller lofted a perfect 73-yard touchdown pass to wide-open wide receiver Juan Nunez.

After it was all over, the atmosphere in the Big House felt more like the Wolverines had just beaten a top-tier Big Ten team.