Michigan Football's Winners and Losers from Dominant Win Over UTEP

You’d be forgiven if you were wondering if Michigan was in line for another nailbiter against an inferior opponent when UTEP took a 14-7 lead near the end of the second quarter.

No late game theatrics needed this time around. After Michigan fell behind by a touchdown late in the first half, the Wolverines would outgain the Miners 253 to -10, and outscore them 38-0. It was a dominant second half performance by a Michigan team that now is set up at 3-0 heading into conference play.

Here are the winners and losers for Michigan’s 52-17 win.

Winner: QB Bryce Underwood

What a difference two weeks makes. Yes, there’s a caveat to be noted that Michigan was playing against UTEP. Yes, Underwood needs to protect the ball better and avoid an ugly turnover on Michigan’s first drive of the game.

Outside of that, however, Underwood looked more comfortable and in command of the offense than he ever has. Protection around him was good. He rarely looked panicked, and was able to find open receivers down the field.

He ran sparingly, which likely was part of the plan as Michigan would like to protect him from taking more unnecessary hits.

Bryce Underwood vs. UTEP:

19-for-25
245 total yards
2 TD pic.twitter.com/v8BeDpeBQ9
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) September 19, 2026

Overall, Underwood finished 19-25 with two touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He added 22 yards on the ground, and did lose a fumble, but that was about his only mistake of the day.

The bigger point to be made here is that Underwood has gotten better each week since the season began.

Yes, the opponent this week was worse than either team Michigan played in the first two weeks, but the Wolverines should feel solid about their quarterback heading into conference play.

“I think we're trending in the right direction,” Whittingham said after the game. “Our most productive offensive game by a landslide. If you can get to 60 with points and first downs, you have about a 90-percent chance to win. We didn't come close to that the first two weeks, but today over 70."

Winner: DL Jonah Lea’ea

Who doesn’t love a big man touchdown? With Michigan leading 38-14 late in the third quarter, the defense started to smell blood. Jonah Lea’ea added the capper to a dominant third quarter that saw the Wolverines outscore the Miners 28-0. He read a screen pass and showed off some impressive hands while rumbling, bumbling, and stumbling into the end zone to give Michigan a 45-14 lead

The optics alone make Lea’ea a winner for the day, as Michigan’s defensive line has really emerged as a significant strength for the team.

Winner: WR Andrew Marsh/JJ Buchanan

Every week it felt like we heard some iteration of Michigan needing to find ways to get Andrew Marsh involved, but little substance behind those words.

This week, that was a different story. Marsh was the cog who made the offense roll. He had eight catches in the first half. He finished with 10 for 105 yards and a touchdown where he showed off his ability to make plays after the ball was in his hands.

Bryce beats the blitz 🔥

Bryce Underwood hits Andrew Marsh for yet another @UMichFootball TD.

Watch on BTN pic.twitter.com/gxyKvNligh
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 19, 2026

Marsh and Buchanan combined for 17 catches, 197 yards, and both scored a touchdown on the day.

Marsh and Buchanan represent, essentially, the entire passing offense. That’s not a bad thing if this group can continue to string together performances like this one.

Winner: RB Savion Hiter

Savion Hiter might be the perfect microcosm of how Saturday’s game went for Michigan. In the first half, Hiter was in the dog house after a fumble led to a touchdown for the Miners.

In the second half Hiter made up for his early mistake with a touchdown. That was his second score of the day, and he showed off some impressive power. Hiter has impressive power for a freshman. He ran for 5.6 yards-per-carry and was the team’s leading rusher on the day. If Jordan Marshall is going to continue to battle through injuries, Hiter might find his way into the role of starting running back. As long as his fumble from today is a blip and not the start of an ugly trend, Michigan’s run game should be in good hands there.

Winner: QB Tommy Carr

How could you not feel romantic about football when Tommy Carr entered the game at quarterback with the game already in hand? Broadcast shots of Carr’s family saw them in tears of joy, and exuberance as he threw his first career touchdown pass as a Wolverine. Carr’s stats aren’t going to blow anyone away, but he was able to lead a scoring drive. That drive ended with a pretty pass to freshman wide receiver Salesi Moa, who was able to drag his foot through the end zone.

Carr is not going to start in the near future barring an injury, but he did inspire some confidence that he could move the ball in the event he was pressed into duty.

Loser: Team Health

Before Saturday’s game began, Michigan’s offensive line was dealt what could be a devastating blow. Evan Link was starting at left tackle because Andrew Sprague missed Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury that that Big Ten Network broadcast stated popped up within the last 24-48 hours.

The hope is that Sprague can return sooner than later, and Michigan can install their preferred offensive line before conference play begin.

One other potential issue is the health of running back Jordan Marshall. Marshall left the field with a slight limp in the second half. Whittingham noted the team hopes to have him back next week against Iowa.

One other potential significant development is the injury status of defensive back Zeke Berry. He was noted to be battling through something, and missed Saturday’s game.

Obviously Michigan can deal with a few bumps and bruises against a team like UTEP, but with the meat of their schedule on its way, they’ll need all hands on deck.

Loser: Self-Inflicted Wounds

If Michigan could simply get out of their own way. Michigan’s 14-7 deficit was largely built on the back of two turnovers in the name of fumbles by Bryce Underwood and Savion Hiter.

Hiter’s fumble was capitalized upon immediately as Michigan trailed 14-7 on EJ Colson’s touchdown pass on an interesting play design.

Last week, Michigan played clean and controlled the game for most of the day. This week, they did not. Their first possession had a holding penalty wipe out a run by Jordan Marshall that would have given them a first-and-goal from deep inside UTEP territory.

One play later, Bryce Underwood was stripped, and a series that could have ended with a touchdown, now resulted in a goose egg.

To their credit, Michigan cleaned things up in the second half. They finished the day with just four penalties, their lowest total of the season.

However, they will be facing more difficult opponents than UTEP with Big Ten play set to begin next week. Their first test is a notoriously opportunistic Iowa defense. They’ll need to be on their details.

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