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First Quarter Recap: Most thought that Massachusetts wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight against No. 17 Michigan on Saturday.
After one quarter, it appears that indeed will be the case.
The Wolverines outgained the Minutemen 138-75 in the quarter, taking a 14-0 lead in the process. On Michigan’s first drive, senior quarterback Denard Robinson found freshman tight end Devin Funchess wide open in the seam after a run fake and connected for a 26-yard touchdown pass. It punctuated a five-play, 65-yard drive.
And after struggling mightily in his first game of the season last week, redshirt junior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint finally found his footing on the Wolverines’ third drive.
Toussaint took a screen pass for 17 yards and rushed three times for 20 yards on the drive, including a an 11-yard touchdown run.
Michigan’s defense mostly shut down former Wolverine Mike Cox and the Minutemen offense, but Massachusetts was deep in Michigan’s territory as the quarter ended.
Second Quarter Recap
Redshirt junior tackle Taylor Lewan created a career highlight. Michigan blew the game open and took a 42-13 lead at the half thanks to two Robinson touchdowns — one throwing and one running — though Robinson also gave Massachusetts an easy interception return for a touchdown.
Fifth-year senior running back Vincent Smith added a touchdown, but the highlight of the half was Lewan. At the end of the half, Robinson fumbled at the goal line, and Lewan jumped on the fumble for the rare offensive-lineman touchdown, the first of his career.
A long drive at the end of the first quarter set up Massachusetts inside the Michigan red zone, but Michigan held the Minutemen on third and goal thanks to a pass breakup by sophomore defensive end Frank Clark. Massachusetts settled for a field goal to cut into Michigan’s lead, 14-3.
Michigan answered on the next snap, a long 66-yard pass from Robinson to a wide open Drew Dileo to set up first and goal from the five-yard line. Smith punched it in for a touchdown to put Michigan up, 21-3.
With 10 minutes left in the half, Robinson made the biggest mistake of the game so far. His pass intended for junior wide receiver Jeremy Jackson was behind the target. Safety Christian Birt intercepted the errant pass and returned it for a touchdown.
Robinson rebounded quickly. On a third down and seven, Massachusetts brought heavy pressure. Robinson stepped up in the pocket to elude the rushers and found junior receiver Devin Gardner on a crossing route. Gardner took off 42-yards for a touchdown to put Michigan ahead 28-10.
On the next Michigan drive, Robinson did it with his legs. With no one open, Robinson took off out of the pocket, cut across the middle of the field and scampered 36 yards for a touchdown.
The Wolverines followed another Massachusetts field goal with Lewan’s touchdown, set up by another long Robinson run.
At the half, Michigan dominated total yards 428 to 142.
Third Quarter Recap
Fifth-year senior wide receiver Roy Roundtree got his first touchdown catch of the year — a 18-yard pass from Robinson — to put Michigan up 49-13.
After the defense caused a Massachusetts punt, Robinson engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ate up just over five minutes off the clock. The drive was capped by a nine-yard scamper by Smith.
Fourth Quarter Recap
With the outcome of the game decided, both teams put in their backups after Massachusetts opened the final quarter by missing a field goal.
Michigan was the beneficiary of a muffed punt by the Minutemen after the Wolverines’ first drive of the fourth quarter stalled. That set them up in great field position, and after redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Bellomy scrambled to the one-yard line, redshirt freshman running back Justice Hayes punched it in to put Michigan up, 63-13.