Wolverines Strike Gold Against Miners in Second Half to Win Big Over UTEP

Saturday, September 19

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:30 PM

Michigan

3-0 , 0-0

UTEP

1-2 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
UTEP	7	7	0	3	17
Michigan	0	17	28	7	52

Notes PDF Boxscore

Jonah Lea'ea (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Strike Gold Against Miners in Second Half to Win Big Over UTEP

9/19/2026 8:01:00 PM | Football

Box Score Players Postgame Whittingham Postgame Notes PDF Boxscore Participation Photo Gallery

By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #19 Michigan 52, UTEP 17
Records: U-M (3-0), UTEP (1-2)
Attendance: 110,668
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 26 -- vs. Iowa (Michigan Stadium), 3:30 p.m. (TV: CBS)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan football team used a dominating second-half performance to defeat UTEP 52-17 and move to 3-0 on the season.

After the Miners took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, U-M held them to just 28 total yards the rest of the way, outscoring them 45-3 in that time period. Emphasizing their offensive struggles, UTEP converted on just two of their 12 third-down attempts, forcing it to punt six times.

Defensively, the Maize and Blue swarmed the Miners all game, with 12 different players combining for 11 tackles for loss, including freshman Tariq Boney's first career sack and John Henry Daley's second sack in as many games.

Michigan's defense outscored UTEP's offense in the second half, as Jonah Lea'ea jumped in front of a screen pass as time expired in the third quarter, taking his first career interception nine yards to the house, wrapping up a 28-0 third quarter. Lea'ea recorded the first pick-six by U-M since Will Johnson on Sept. 21, 2024, vs. USC.

Offensively, the Wolverines recorded their highest yardage output of the season with 431. They featured a balanced attack throughout the contest, scoring three touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. Five different players scored offensively, including Savion Hiter's first two collegiate touchdowns from six and eight yards out, respectively.

Hiter paced the Wolverines on the ground in the contest with 62 yards on 11 carries, both career highs.

The Maize and Blue did not start the scoring for the first time this season and trailed at two separate points in the first half but still entered the break with a 17-14 lead following a career-long 49-yard field goal from Trey Butkowski.

Both of the Miners' first-half scores came after U-M turnovers, but the Wolverines drew even after both UTEP scores. Hiter got them on the scoreboard with his first touchdown of the game, and JJ Buchanan found the end zone for the second time as a Wolverine with 4:27 left in the second quarter, the last time Michigan trailed in the contest.

Receivers Andrew Marsh and Buchanan led the way through the air for Michigan, combining for 197 receiving yards and two touchdowns, with Marsh hauling in 10 passes for 105 yards, and Buchanan totaling 92 yards on seven grabs.

Jordan Marshall added his second rushing touchdown of the season to open the scoring after halftime, the first of five U-M touchdowns in the second half.

To close out the scoring, freshmen Tommy Carr and Salesi Moa combined for their first career scores, as Moa stayed in bounds in the back of the end zone for the 19-yard score.

Michigan opens the Big Ten portion of its schedule when it hosts Iowa at Michigan Stadium next Saturday (Sept. 26) for a Stripe Out. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kick on CBS.