Michigan’s Week 1 game against Fresno State proved to be a much closer game than expected until late in the fourth quarter. And even though Will Johnson took all the drama out of the game with an electric pick-6, the Wolverines will come out of the weekend with plenty of questions for the road ahead.

Ultimately, a win is a win, and the defending national champions know how to grind out victories better than anyone. Still, falling short of 270 yards of offense with some missed opportunities illustrates the offensive woes that must be addressed.

For now, here are the key takeaways from a 30-10 win over Fresno State:

Colston Loveland is Michigan’s best offensive player

Without Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy, where does Michigan turn for offensive firepower and mismatches? Star tight end Colston Loveland who came away from the season opener as the clear choice for Michigan’s best offensive player.

Loveland finished the game with 8 catches for 87 yards and a late touchdown that helped Michigan solidify the win. It’s also good news that the Wolverines were dedicated to finding ways to get him the ball.

Loveland spent time lined up out wide in addition to his traditional TE spot at the end of the line. With a questionable quarterback situation and younger receiving corps, look for that to be commonplace this fall.

Kalel Mullings dominates the backfield picture

What happened to Donovan Edwards in the season opener? We’ll have to find out as the season progresses, but Kalel Mullings looks like Michigan’s best running back for early downs when carrying the ball between the tackles.

Edwards got the start in the backfield, and he did score Michigan’s first touchdown of the season (via a reception). But he finished the game with fewer carries than Mullings and was way worse in terms of efficiency.

At the end of the game, Mullings led the Wolverines with 15 carries for 92 yards and also had the longest carry of the evening. Meanwhile, Edwards had just 27 yards on 11 carries and his 2 catches resulted in 0 total yards.

Michigan needs Edwards’ dynamic open-field abilities to reach the team’s full potential, but Mullings clearly deserves regular touches after that performance.

A QB controversy exists

Somehow, Sherrone Moore felt confident enough in the first-half numbers to say Davis Warren was doing a good job under center heading into the locker room. Moore expressed that sentiment in spite of the fact Michigan had less than 100 yards at the break.

Even if Michigan plans to win games on its defense and ground game, there’s not much of Warren’s performance that inspires confidence for the future. (Especially considering the safety blanket and matchup nightmare that Loveland presents.) Warren ended the evening 15-for-25 with 118 yards, a touchdown and his first deep shot of the game was intercepted.

Alex Orji was only called on to throw the ball twice, and his lone completion was a 3-yard touchdown to Edwards. He was called upon for 5 carries for 32 yards, but that is not going to seriously stretch a defense if they know Orji does not have a serious chance to throw the ball.

If Michigan trusts Warren to keep the team in games against elite competition, it could be a long season against the heavyweight matchups. Oh, and Texas visits in Week 2.