Michigan kicked off its season on Saturday night with a 30-10 victory over Fresno State, showcasing a blend of established strengths and noticeable weaknesses. The defending champs struggled offensively for much of Sherrone Moore’s head coaching debut but were able to make key plays on both sides of the ball when it counted most, transforming a closely contested game into a 20-point victory.
Not necessarily an eyebrow-raising final score against an annoyingly competitive Fresno State team, but there’s still plenty to unpack within what made this such a close game at times. Let’s dive into this week’s PFF grades and snap counts to highlight what stood out and what left more to be desired in the Wolverines’ season-opening win.
Offense
OL Evan Link - 62 / 64.9
OL Giovanni El-Hadi - 62 / 65.0
OL Myles Hinton - 62 / 73.2
OL Josh Priebe - 62 / 63.0
WR Tyler Morris - 54 / 57.9
QB Davis Warren - 53 / 69.7
OL Dominick Giudice - 49 / 64.5
TE Colston Loveland - 46 / 89.4
WR Semaj Morgan - 35 / 65.1
RB Donovan Edwards - 34 / 60.4
RB Kalel Mullings - 30 / 70.2
WR Kendrick Bell - 30 / 61.9
WR Peyton O’Leary - 26 / 46.5
FB Max Bredeson - 25 / 53.1
TE Marlin Klein - 18 / 53.9
OL Greg Crippen - 13 / 55.2
QB Alex Orji - 9 / 65.2
WR C.J. Charleston - 6 / 56.7
WR Fredrick Moore - 3 / 57.5
OL Andrew Gentry - 3 / 60.3
Takeaways: One of the standout performances on Saturday came from none other than Colston Loveland, who posted an impressive 89.4 overall offensive player grade. The tight end hauled in eight catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, demonstrating his potential as one of college football’s best this season.
Kalel Mullings also continued to make his case as the Wolverines’ primary ball carrier. His 70.2 overall grade coupled with a 6+ YPC average that has followed him since last season suggests Michigan may need to rethink its running back rotation and give Mullings more opportunities to shine.
While the offense showed flashes, there are still areas to improve. Players like Davis Warren, who was the offense’s fourth highest-graded contributor, and Dominick Giudice, who’s 82.5 pass blocking grade led the team, showed why they were chosen to start. However, eliminating small mistakes — like Warren’s ugly under-throw that led to an interception — will be crucial for Michigan to compete with the Texas Longhorns of the world coming up on the schedule.
Surprises: Two unexpected names emerged in the Wolverines’ wide receiver rotation. Bell and O’Leary stepped up as the team’s WR3 and WR4, tallying 30 and 26 snaps, respectively. Many anticipated Fred Moore or C.J. Charleston might occupy these roles, yet they combined for just nine snaps, making Bell and O’Leary’s contributions all the more surprising.
Defense
LB Ernest Hausmann - 50 / 64.3
LB Jaishawn Barham - 47 / 59.4
DL Mason Graham - 46 / 61.3
CB Will Johnson - 43 / 75.0
CB Jyaire Hill - 42 / 71.6
DB Zeke Berry - 42 / 69.1
DL Kenneth Grant - 41 / 58.1
S Makari Paige - 41 / 66.8
Edge Derrick Moore - 37 / 90.9
Edge Josaiah Stewart - 37 / 91.3
S Quinten Johnson - 36 / 68.9
CB Aamir Hall - 28 / 65.4
S Wesley Walker - 25 / 69.0
DL Rayshaun Benny - 23 / 80.8
Edge Cameron Brandt - 22 / 67.0
Edge TJ Guy - 22 / 61.6
LB Jimmy Rolder - 21 / 58.5
S Brandyn Hillman - 16 / 64.4
DB Ja’Den McBurrows - 16 / 52.5
CB Myles Pollard - 5 / 62.5
DL Ike Iwunnah - 4 / 67.0
DL Trey Pierce - 3 / 58.9
DL Enow Etta - 2 / 59.5
Takeaways: Saturday’s defensive message was simple: Don’t mess with Will Johnson. He finished with an overall grade of 75.0 after being targeted eight times. The end result was an epic 86-yard pick-six that showed why Fresno State’s strategy to pick on him was bold.
The games two other obvious defensive standouts were Stewart and Moore. Stewart finished with a team-leading overall grade of 91.3, while Moore wasn’t far behind at 90.9. Their ability to consistently disrupt the backfield was crucial in stifling Fresno State’s offense, and is a promising sign for Michigan’s defensive front going forward.
Surprises: Perhaps one of the biggest surprises on defense was the underwhelming player grades of Graham (61.3) and Grant (58.1). Graham was a noticeable force on tape and great against the run, earning a 73.7 run-defense grade, but his overall impact wasn’t as game-breaking as you would have expected.
This setback in Graham and Grant’s production was mainly due to a strategy the Bulldogs used going into the game, which ultimately created opportunities for Benny, who earned an impressive overall grade of 80.8. Benny proved he can step up and make plays when guys like Graham and Grant get double-teamed.
