ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Karan Higdon ran for 136 yards and a touchdown in the first half to help No. 19 Michigan build a huge lead and it coasted to a 56-10 win over Nebraska on Saturday.
The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) led 20-0 after the first quarter and 39-0 at halftime.
The Cornhuskers (0-3, 0-1) are off to their worst start since 1945. They have lost seven in a row dating to last season for the first time since 1957.
Michigan rested Higdon, who missed the previous game with an injury, in the second half. Quarterback Shea Patterson played only the first series of the second half, giving Dylan McCaffrey an extended opportunity to play.
Patterson was 15 of 22 for 120 yards with a 5-yard TD pass to Zach Gentry midway through the second quarter that put the Wolverines ahead 30-0.
Fullback Ben Mason ran for three touchdowns -- for a total of 6 yards -- to match the number of times he had scored previously.
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez was cleared to play after missing last week's loss to Troy because of a knee injury. The freshman was 7 of 15 for 22 yards with an interception and he lost 12 yards rushing.
Martinez batted down the football from the end zone after his first attempt on a play was deflected back to him, giving Michigan a safety and a 39-0 lead.
While trailing 56-3, the Cornhuskers had lost more yards due to penalties (66) than they had gained on offense (61) early in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska finished with 39 yards rushing and 93 yards passing.
THE TAKEAWAY
Nebraska: First-year coach Scott Frost has quite a challenge ahead of him trying to turn around a once-proud program.
Michigan: Momentum is on the Wolverines' side after winning three straight games by lopsided scores after opening with a seven-point loss at Notre Dame.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The rout and three straight wins may help Michigan move up a little in the poll.
UP NEXT:
Nebraska: Hosts Purdue, which was winless until beating No. 23 Boston College 30-13 for its largest margin of victory against a ranked team since 1999.
Michigan: Plays at Northwestern, which will have two weeks to prepare for the game after losing 39-34 to Akron. The Wildcats (1-2) opened the season with a 31-27 win over the Boilermakers.