The Michigan Wolverines opened the 2020 season with a 49-24 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the road Saturday night.
Michigan started with the ball but went 3-and-out, and Will Hart's punt was blocked by Preston Jelen. That led to Minnesota going on a 2-play, 17-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead.
Ben Mason went flying. Here’s video of his first Michigan receiving TD
🎥: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/LJo357hkps
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 25, 2020
Joe Milton has poise. First start? Impressive command.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 25, 2020
The Wolverines got the ball back and it only took one play to tie the game after Zach Charbonnet ran 70 yards for a touchdown.
Here is the video of Michigan RB Zach Charbonnet’s 70-yard TD run pic.twitter.com/hRArN2nIXx
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 25, 2020
Michigan went up 14-7 after Donovan Jeter recovered a Minnesota fumble and took it 15 yards for a touchdown. The Wolverines went on a run after that, scoring touchdowns on the next three drives.
The first came from a Joe Milton pass to Ben Mason, putting them up 21-10. Then a 10-play, 77-yard drive ended with a Hassan Haskins touchdown run to go up 28-17, and Haskins scored again on the next drive to go up 35-17. That remained the score as the teams went into the locker room for halftime.
Michigan just absolutely rolling.
35-17 at half and the offense is clicking.
Milton has shown strong pocket awareness, gun for an arm, and solid decision making.
— Justin Rose (@JRoseWXYZ) October 25, 2020
Both teams came out firing in the third quarter. Minnesota scored on its opening drive with a 5-yard run from Mohamed Ibrahim. Milton answered on the next drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 42-24.
Joe Milton in this scheme looks really strong in Michigan’s opener
🎥: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/qaIs0xj53k
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 25, 2020
With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Minnesota went for it on fourth down near the goal line but was unable to convert, giving Michigan the ball with a large lead. The Wolverines capitalized on the turnover on downs with a long run from Haskins that was eventually capped off by a Chris Evans touchdown run.
Milton, in his starting debut for Michigan, had a great game throwing for more than 200 yards and a touchdown. Michigan's running game was strong as well rushing for more than 250 yards and five touchdowns.
Next weekend, the Wolverines will battle the Michigan State Spartans for the Paul Bunyan Trophy in Ann Arbor. The Spartans were upset by Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Head Coach Mel Tucker's debut.
