In the inaugural matchup between the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners and the No. 19 Michigan Wolverines, the Wolverines turned a close first half into a dominant second‑half performance, winning 52-17 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Early lead for UTEP
UTEP jumped out to a 14-0 advantage, thanks to quarterback EJ Colson Jr. connecting on a 45‑yard touchdown pass to Carver Cheeks and an 18‑yard strike to Lamar Sperling. Michigan answered with a 6‑yard rushing touchdown by Savion Hiter and a 21‑yard pass from Bryce Underwood to JJ Buchanan, tying the game.
A 48‑yard field goal by Trey Butkowski with five seconds left in the first half gave Michigan a 17-14 lead heading into halftime.
Michigan takes control
The Wolverines opened the second half with a 6‑yard touchdown run by Jordan Marshall, followed by another rushing score from Hiter. Underwood then found Andrew Marsh for a 34‑yard touchdown, extending the lead.
Michigan capitalized on a Colson interception in the end zone to push the margin to 45-14 early in the fourth quarter. UTEP’s Carlos Arreola added a 38‑yard field goal, but Michigan answered with a 19‑yard touchdown pass from Tommy Carr to Salesi Moa.
Statistical summary
Michigan outgained UTEP 427 yards to 139. Underwood finished with 223 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Marsh led Michigan’s receivers with 10 catches for 105 yards and a score. Colson completed 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns for the Miners.
UTEP entered the game after a 51-10 victory over Texas Southern, while Michigan improved to 2-0 with wins over Western Michigan and Oklahoma. The final score stood at Michigan 52, UTEP 17.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
