Ground Attack Leads Michigan Past Miami (Ohio)

Saturday, September 6

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

1-1

Miami (Ohio)

0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Miami (Ohio)

Michigan

Steven Threet

9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes Photo Gallery

By: David Ablauf

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Michigan 16, Miami (Ohio) 6
Records: U-M (1-1), Miami (Ohio) (0-2)
Attendance:106,724
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Sept. 13 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 3:30 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan football team held Miami (Ohio) without a touchdown, repelling two drives inside the U-M 10-yard line, while the offense scored a pair of quick-strike touchdowns to begin the first and fourth quarters, helping head coach Rich Rodriguez earn his first win with the Maize and Blue in a 16-6 decision Saturday (Sept. 6) at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan's offense bookended the afternoon with touchdown drives of 77 yards in the first quarter and 87 yards in the fourth which accounted for 164 of its 281 yards and 13 of its 16 points on the afternoon. A 50-yard pass on the first play of the game from sophomore/freshman starting quarterback Steven Threet (Adrian, Mich./Adrian/Georgia Tech) to freshman slot receiver Martavious Odoms (Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee) set up Threet's nine-yard touchdown run. In the fourth, junior/sophomore quarterback Nick Sheridan(Saline, Mich./Saline) led Michigan on a seven-play, 87-yard drive, highlighted by 45 yards of offense for freshman Sam McGuffie (Cypress, Texas/Cy-Fair) and capped by junior Brandon Minor's (Richmond, Va./Varina) 15-yard touchdown run.

McGuffie led the Wolverine ground game with 74 yards on 17 carries, adding three catches for 32 yards, including a pivotal 27-yard catch and run to set up Minor's touchdown in the fourth; Minor's only rush of the game was the 15 yarder for a score. Freshman Michael Shaw (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) rushed for 45 yards on two carries in the first quarter but did not see the field in the second half. Making the first start of his collegiate career, Threet finished the game 6-of-13 passing with 63 yards through the air, 26 on the ground and a rushing touchdown. Sheridan played most of the second half, completing four-of-five passes for 40 yards, while rushing for 10 yards.

The Wolverines racked up 139 of its 281 yards of offense in the first quarter, taking a 10-0 lead before relying on the defense for the next two quarters. Though Miami held a decided advantage in yards and possession in the second and third quarters, Michigan's defense held the RedHawks to just three points while repelling a pair of possessions inside the Wolverine 10-yard line. Senior safety Brandon Harrison (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) finished the game with eight tackles and two pass break-ups, including a pivotal third-down break-up in the end zone to snuff out a promising third-quarter Miami drive. In his first start of the 2008 season, fifth/senior linebacker John Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Crockett Technical) recorded eight tackles and junior defensive end Brandon Graham (Detroit, Mich./Crockett Technical) finished with a sack, giving him two in two contests. Senior defensive lineman Terrance Taylor (Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon) and freshman defensive lineman Mike Martin (Redford, Mich./Catholic Central) also finished with a sack apiece, with Martin recording the first of his collegiate career.

Threet factored heavily in Michigan's first drive as he was in on three of the first five plays of the opening possession. He hooked up on a 50-yard pass play to Odoms to begin the 77-yard drive and rushed twice for 15 yards and a touchdown to give Michigan a 7-0 lead.

Junior/sophomore Obi Ezeh (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central) recovered a RedHawk fumble on Miami's next possession and fifth/senior K.C. Lopata (Farmington, Mich./Farmington) tacked on a 47-yard field goal to make it 10-0 at 8:53 of the first quarter.

The Wolverines paved the turf with the running game in their next series, moving 56 yards on the ground -- 45 on a pair of runs from Shaw -- but Lopata's 41-yard field goal sailed wide left and the score remained 10-0.

In the second quarter, Michigan started its first two offensive possessions inside its own 20-yard line, gaining 21 yards on five plays and settling for a pair of punts. Miami took advantage of Michigan's stalled attempts, moving 72 yards on 10 plays for a 27-yard field goal making it 10-3 Wolverines.

In the second half, Miami added a 23-yard field goal on its first offensive possession, converting three third-down plays in a 13-play, 60-yard drive to make it 10-6. The RedHawk drive petered out at the Michigan six-yard line thanks to Harrison's third-down pass break-up in the corner of the end zone, preventing a touchdown pass to Miami's Chris Givens.

With just over a minute left in the third quarter, Michigan crossed the 50-yard line for the first time since the seven-minute mark of the first quarter, but the Wolverines settled for a punt. Michigan's next drive proved much more productive with the Wolverines moving 87 yards on seven plays to extend their lead. U-M took possession on its own 13-yard line, moving across midfield in three plays and punching into the end zone on the seventh play on Minor's 15-yard run. Minor ran to the left side, broke tackles and leaped into the end zone for this first touchdown of the 2008 campaign, making it 16-6. A miscue on the snap and hold on the extra point led to the missed PAT for Lopata.

Miami moved to the Michigan 48-yard line on its next possession but the Wolverine defense knocked RedHawk starting quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh out of the game and Miami turned the ball over on downs with 4:23 remaining. Miami got the ball back with 2:30 on the clock, but two sacks of replacement quarterback Clay Belton led to a turnover on downs and Michigan took a knee for the final 57 seconds to end the game.

The Wolverines travel to South Bend, Ind., next week to take on Notre Dame on Saturday (Sept. 13) at 3:30 p.m.