Final Score: #7 Michigan 40 Middle Tennessee 21

Brief Recap: If you’ve been aboard this Michigan hype train this offseason, then Saturday’s season-opening game probably wasn’t what you were expecting to see from the Wolverines. This wasn’t the high-powered, high-scoring, you-can’t-stop-us offense that everyone said Josh Gattis was bringing to Ann Arbor. But, it’s only the first week of the season, so you can cut the Wolverines some slack. Michigan was in a dogfight most of the night, maintaining a two-touchdown lead until late in the third quarter. The Wolverines were able to pull away late, making the score look a little more lopsided than it actually was.

Key Moment: Michigan’s offense had a few hiccups early on, but a 36-yard touchdown pass from Shea Patterson to Tarik Black got the Wolverines rolling. They were able to rattle off 21 straight points before the Blue Raiders found the end zone again. It was also great to see Black, who’s battled injuries the last two years, have a big impact early.

Key Stat: Once Don Brown’s defense clamped down, the Wolverines were tough to penetrate. Middle Tennessee had seven possessions in the second half, punting five times and turning it over on downs once. At the end of the game, the Blue Raiders did find the end zone in garbage time. Still, a great effort from the UM defense in the final two quarters.

Key Player: Zach Charbonnet really made his presence felt on the field, rushing for 90 yards on just eight carries for the contest. That includes a 41-yard run. He didn’t reach the end zone on Saturday night, but he proved that he can be a trustworthy back at a thin position group for the Wolverines.

What it Means: The outcome was never really in question, but you would’ve liked to see more from the favorite to win the B1G. There were a lot of miscues early that cost Michigan the chance to really blow this game wide open. But, with a new system in place and the first week of the season, there’s always going to be some room for improvement. Was it a bad performance? No. But it wasn’t exactly the dominant showcase we thought we’d see, either.