Michigan 28, Arkansas State 18

TLDR: The Michigan Wolverines clinched a 28-18 victory against Arkansas State, thanks to a dominating performance on the ground by Kalel Mullings, who ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Despite starting quarterback Davis Warren’s struggles—who threw three interceptions—Michigan managed to pull ahead when Alex Orji came in as a replacement and delivered a crucial touchdown pass. The Wolverines leaned heavily on their rushing game, scoring three touchdowns on the ground and controlling the game’s pace despite Arkansas State’s attempts to rally in the final quarter. Coach Sherrone Moore remains uncertain about the starting quarterback for the next game, hinting at a potential shift following Warren’s underwhelming showing. Meanwhile, Arkansas State missed several opportunities to narrow the gap, suffering from errant kicks and untimely turnovers. The win allowed Michigan to end their non-conference play on a positive note, although the team may face challenges in future rankings due to their inconsistent performance.

Well, it was a nail-biter in Ann Arbor, wasn’t it? The No. 17 Michigan Wolverines managed to eke out a 28-18 victory over Arkansas State, mostly on the legs of their running game. Despite some truly troubling play from starting quarterback Davis Warren, who couldn’t seem to keep the ball out of the hands of the defense, running back Kalel Mullings came through with a career-high performance, dashing for 153 yards and scoring two touchdowns. It’s sure good to have a reliable ground game when the passing just isn’t clicking.

Now, I’m all for giving folks a chance, but Warren seemed determined to test the resolve of Michigan fans everywhere by tossing interceptions in each of the first three quarters. As you might expect, Coach Sherrone Moore decided enough was enough and sent Alex Orji in to replace him. Orji made quick work of it, throwing a crucial 9-yard touchdown pass to Hogan Hansen, giving the Wolverines a comfortable 28-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. Talk about seizing an opportunity!

Arkansas State may have been eyeing an upset, especially with those turnovers. But even with the interceptions, they couldn’t quite capitalize offensively. Despite scoring a couple of late touchdowns, they just couldn’t close the gap significantly. The Red Wolves seemed to have a tough time making full use of the turnovers they got, and their kicking misfortunes didn’t help matters. Would it have been closer with some better execution? Maybe.

Surprisingly, Michigan’s defense stood up strong, even as Arkansas State tried to rally. The Wolverines managed to stop their momentum cold and it was especially impressive to see Makari Paige intercept Jaylen Raynor’s pass in the end zone. That kind of defensive savvy is exactly what Michigan needed to hold on as Arkansas State tried to make a last-minute push.

Michigan’s win does come with a bit of a cloud though. Preseason All-American tight end Colston Loveland ended up leaving the game injured. Coach Moore didn’t yet have an update regarding his condition, so I guess we’ll all just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Looking ahead, it’s going to be interesting to see who Michigan puts in at quarterback next. Will Warren get another shot, or has Orji shown enough to take over the role? Coach Moore was keeping that under wraps, saying they’d make that decision in practice. Here’s hoping they figure it out before their Big Ten opener against No. 11 Southern California.

Oh, and before I forget, Michigan had some touching tributes as well. They honored Michigan alum and actor James Earl Jones and celebrated the life of Greg Harden. It’s always so heartening to see the Wolverines community rallying together, isn’t it? Let’s watch and see how they channel this spirit into their next game against USC.