4 winners, 2 losers following Michigan Football’s blowout win over UTEP

There’s no question the UTEP Miners came in trying to prove something to the country, but it just wasn’t enough. The Michigan Wolverines didn’t come out playing sharp, but they tightened it up and ran away with this one. Final score: 52-17.

We’ve got some great news: penalties won’t show up on this list. After two weeks of watching this team shoot itself in the foot, it finally got the penalties under control. Sure, the refs threw a flag for a personal foul late in the game, but I don’t see how. So, we’re not holding it against them.

At the end of the day, the team wins and loses together, but after Saturday’s game, here are four winners and two losers.

Sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh reminded everyone he’s still a threat on this roster. As quarterback Bryce Underwood continues to progress, the Wolverines are fortunate to have a weapon like Marsh in the receiver room, and this was his game to shine.

Marsh finished with a game-high 10 catches for 105 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 10.5 yards per catch and only missed two of his 12 targets.

Let’s not forget this wild catch — watching the game live, Marsh looked out, but as soon as the broadcast showed the replay, it was just a clear “Wow! How did he get that foot inbounds?!?”

This one can’t be a surprise! HOLD ON TO THE FOOTBALL! We’re all screaming it at the TV, yeah? Each of the Miners’ touchdowns came off those offensive turnovers. The Wolverines outplayed UTEP the rest of the game, but they need to get a grip on the ball. I don’t want to harp on it too much, but geez.

Honestly, I thought this was one of Underwood’s best games, and certainly a good look for Jason Beck. Underwood went 19-of-25 for 223 yards and two touchdowns. His receivers were clutch, too. We’ve already touched on Marsh’s performance, but JJ Buchanan was great, grabbing seven passes on nine targets for 92 yards and one touchdown. Freshman backup Tommy Carr also looked crisp in his debut — two throws, two completions, one touchdown. That effort will help this team move the ball in Big Ten play.

We already addressed the fumbles, so now let’s talk about focus. Michigan held a 17-14 lead as the clock ticked down to end the first half. I’ve had nothing but positives to say about the defense this season, but their tackling was a little sloppy in the first 30 minutes. It’s tough to find too much to complain about when your team scores 50+ points, but they need to play with intensity for the full 60 minutes. The offense also had a three-and-out in the first half that I thought happened because they came out on third-and-short without a lot of push.

Without those few issues, Michigan’s entire defense looked elite again. The pass rush was something else on Saturday, as the Wolverines finished with 11 tackles for loss, which cost the Miners 43 yards, four sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown. UTEP had 150 total yards, and the Wolverines held them to just 1.8 yards per rush.

Since the turnovers made the loser list, Savion Hiter goes on the winner list. Outside of his lost fumble, he looked great. He led the team in rush yards with 62 yards on 11 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, and two touchdowns. It’s easy to see why the coaches and fans are so excited about having him on the roster. This is especially important after Jordan Marshall’s injury. The coaches might ask Hiter to do a little more each week, and after this win, you’ve got to have some faith he’ll live up to the task.

Let us know who you think stood out this week, and what needs to improve. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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