Offense Notes: Strong finish, Kalel Mullings breakout something to build on

ANN ARBOR – Michigan football‘s 30-10 win over Fresno State was a roller coaster of emotions on the offensive side of the ball. Taking advantage of a sudden-change situation on the opening drive, the Wolverines found paydirt immediately.

Most of the rest of the game was a slog. The Wolverines could only muster 269 yards of total offense with inconsistent play from starting quarterback Davis Warren and an offensive line still finding its way.

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• Defense / ST notes – Interceptions by a ‘fast’ and ‘physical’ unit, long field goals highlight Michigan’s win over Fresno State

But sometimes, it’s not about how you start. It’s how you finish.

Fresno State cut the lead to 16-10 with a little over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It was that moment when Michigan pulled itself up by the bootstraps and put together a big boy drive reminiscent of its last three years.

A 7-play, 75-yard drive ended with an 18-yard pass from Warren to tight end Colston Loveland. Two minutes later, the defense came up with a pick-six that essentially started the busses for the Bulldogs.

“I think our players did a really good job of — it’s not going the way you want it to and it looks this way. They just buckled down and played Michigan football,” head coach Sherrone Moore said after the game. “Really grinded it out on the ground. Was really proud of how the O-line started to come off the ball and we went to 18 in the red zone and did a really good job of making a play, was a great throw by Davis. I think these guys did a really good job all night with their connections. Colston had 8 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown and I thought Davis did a really good job of putting the football where it was supposed to be. The one pick.

“We told our guys on the sideline, at some point you’ve gotta play defense, too, and you gotta go get the ball in the post. I thought he did a great job of controlling the offense and I thought 18 did a great job as well.”

Kalel Mullings shows what he can do

Donovan Edwards came into the season as the presumed lead back in the Michigan run game, and that might still be true. But when you have a running mate as good as graduate Kalel Mullings, sometimes you lean on the hot hand.

It was Mullings on Saturday night. He finished the game with 15 carries for 92 yards – career highs in both categories – and was the team’s most well-rounded run game performer in the victory. Edwards struggled a bit, rushing for 27 yards on 11 carries.

“I feel like going into the season, me and Dono always just viewed it as kind of a team thing, us just getting the job done together. That’s how I viewed it,” Mullings said after the game. “As far as my performance tonight. I think I played a solid game. Later on, as we were able to soften them up, I was able to crack some big runs. But there are definitely some things I need to clean up, as well, some things that weren’t great.”

When Michigan needed a drive to separate itself late in the game, it leaned on Mullings. He had three carries for 42 yards before Loveland’s 18-yard reception. The clutch performance could be a sign of things to come for the Michigan back.

“It was definitely great and came at a time of need,” Mullings said. “The other guys in the running back room, talking to them and asking them what they were seeing, they were just telling me to keep throwing gut punches, keep throwing gut punches. The guys are going to soften up eventually. In the fourth quarter on that drive, it didn’t seem like guys really wanted to tackle as much as they did earlier. So we were able to take advantage of that and score.

“So really what was going through my mind was just continuing to throw those gut punches, continuing to soften up the defense. I used to play defense, so I know you don’t really want to keep tackling over and over and over again. That’s really what my mindset was, to keep trying to get some yards.”

Loveland sets tone for passing game

It was a statically pedestrian day for the passing offense, recording 121 yards total between Warren and junior Alex Orji. Loveland accounted for 89 of those yards on 8 receptions and was a godsend for a team striving for offensive balance.

As long as defenses leave him open, Warren and Michigan are going to find ways to get him the ball.

If they’re going to leave 18 open, we’re going to throw him the ball,” Warren said. “Pretty simple. And we’re going to keep doing that. And the other guys — ’Maj, T-Mo, Peyton, Fred, Kendrick, Marlin — those guys are going to step up and make plays, too. Just whatever the defense presents us. There were definitely some plays today where I could’ve thrown to receivers, too, that were open and those guys could’ve made plays, too. I’m just going to stick to what I’m being coached to do, stick to what Coach Campbell is preaching every day. That’s the smartest guy in America, so I’m listening to him, and we’re just going to keep things rolling.”

Most have tabbed Loveland as the best tight end in the country heading into the 2024 season, and Saturday night was further proof as to how valuable he is to the Michigan offense.

“He’s easy to throw to,” Warren said. “The guy always gets open. I can trust him out there. He’s always doing the right thing in the right place. And I think that started early in spring ball and in camp, knowing that he was a guy I could rely on. And it’s been that way the whole time, whether it was throwing in the winter, throwing in spring ball, throwing in the summer and then in fall camp, it was the same thing. We’re always making sure we’re on the same page, communicating about things. It makes it easy for me, so I’m very grateful we have him.”

The wide receivers combined for 6 catches for 34 yards on the night, but Loveland is confident that the young group will hit their stride and make an impact eventually.

“We got a lot of talent in the receiver room,” Loveland said. “Maybe they didn’t show that today or get the opportunity to show that, but they will eventually, and they’ll step up when their numbers are called.”

Miscellaneous Michigan football offensive notes

• Four Michigan players started their first career games on Saturday night: Senior QB Davis Warren, senior WR Peyton O’Leary, senior center Dom Giudice and sophomore right tackle Evan Link.
• Graduate OL Josh Priebe made his first career start at Michigan after transferring in from Northwestern prior to the 2024 season.
• Senior running back Donovan Edwards’ 3-yard receiving touchdown on the first drive was his fourth of his career, putting him one behind Stanley Edwards for fifth-best in program history among running backs.
• Edwards’ two catches brought him to 70 on his career, which is fourth all-time in program history.
• Sophomore wideout Kendrick Bell recorded his first career catch on an 11-yard grab in the second quarter.