Live coverage: No. 2 Michigan finishes off UNLV, 35-7

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 | 3:43 p.m.

That'll do it for the Scarlet and Gray here at the Big House, as Michigan just closed the book on a 35-7 victory that was never in question.

Michigan pulled its starting quarterback with three minutes remaining in the third quarter when the score was 35-0, and UNLV signal caller Doug Brumfield didn't take a snap in the fourth, as the game was well out of reach by then.

UNLV was simply overwhelmed on both sides of the ball from the opening kick. Michigan averaged 8.0 yards per play while UNLV posted fewer than three yards per play (until garbage-time gains inflated the number to 4.0).

Brumfield completed 10-of-18 passes for 100 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Through three quarters, UNLV running backs carried 11 times for just 17 yards. The lone touchdown came late in the fourth quarter, when Jordan Younge-Humphrey finished off a Jaiden Maiava-led drive with a 20-yard scoring run. 

UNLV is now 1-1 on the season as Barry Odom takes his squad into a crucial portion of the schedule. The Scarlet and Gray wrap non-conference play with games vs. Vanderbilt (Sept. 16) and at UTEP (Sept. 23), both of which should be winnable contests.

No. 2 Michigan leads UNLV football, 35-0

Michigan running back Blake Corum just pounded in his third touchdown of the game, and the Wolverines have blown this one wide open, extending their lead to 35-0 with 3:16 remaining in the third quarter.

After the teams traded punts to open the second half, J.J. McCarthy hit Roman Wilson for a 47-yard catch-and-run touchdown. It was the second TD hookup of the day for McCarthy and Wilson; McCarthy has now hit 20-of-22 passes for 249 yards, while Wilson has four grabs for 89 yards.

UNLV punted again, and Michigan drove 76 yards on four plays before Corum scored from four yards out. Corum now has 80 yards and the three TDs on 15 carries.

Blocking continues to be UNLV's biggest issue. Michigan has owned the line of scrimmage, including stopping Doug Brumfield on a QB run on 4th-and-4 to end the visitors' most recent drive. Brumfield has been taken a lot of hits today, including five sacks and numerous knockdowns.

With the game now out of reach, UNLV is just hoping to get through the final quarter minutes as healthy as possible.

Michigan ends half with TD to take 21-0 lead over UNLV

J.J. McCarthy tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson in the closing seconds of the half, and Michigan has taken a 21-0 lead into the locker room here at the Big House.

McCarthy has had no issues with UNLV's defense today, as the junior has completed 17-of-18 passes for 188 yards and the TD.

It looked like UNLV might have made a momentum-changing play on Michigan's previous drive, when Jalen Dixon and Jackson Woodard rallied to stop Blake Corum on a 4th-and-2 attempt. UNLV took over at its 17 with eight minutes left in the half and put together the best drive of the day; Doug Brumfield got it started with a scramble for 12 yards, then he hit Jacob De Jesus on three plays in a row to get UNLV near midfield. A third-down pass to De Jesus was broken up, however, and the Scarlet and Gray punted for the fourth time in four drives.

Michigan then went 83 yards in 10 plays, culminating in McCarthy's scoring toss with 24 seconds left on the clock.

The 21-point margin almost doesn't convey how dominant Michigan has been today. For the game UNLV is averaging just 1.9 yards per play, and Brumfield has been sacked five times for a combined loss of 30 yards.

Michigan will receive the kickoff to start the second half.

UNLV football down two touchdowns at Michigan

Michigan running back Blake Corum just punched in his second touchdown of the game to give the Wolverines a 14-0 lead over UNLV with 14:56 left in the second quarter.

UNLV punted on its second possession, and once again Michigan traveled the length of the field without much resistance. J.J. McCarthy is now 9-of-9 passing, and Corum has 40 yards on eight carries. UNLV has been able to get Michigan into a handful of third-and-long situations, but McCarthy has converted 4-of-4 on those plays to extend scoring drives.

Running the ball simply doesn't seem to be an option for UNLV today. Their running backs have zero yards on five carries, and Doug Brumfield was just sacked twice on consecutive plays, which gives an indication of how much difficulty the offensive line is having.

Unless something drastic happens soon, this could turn into a very long day for the visitors.

Michigan takes early lead over UNLV football

Michigan certainly looked like the No. 2 team in the nation on its first drive, rolling 80 yards for a touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead over UNLV.

UNLV was able to pick up a pair of first downs on the game's opening possession, first via a Senika McKie catch, and then on a 3rd-and-6 completion to Jacob De Jesus, but the drive ended when Doug Brumfield overshot a pass to Ricky White at midfield.

Michigan took over at the 20 and covered the length of the field in nine plays. J.J. McCarthy started things by converting a 3rd-and-7 pass to move the chains, and Blake Corum finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run. 

Running the ball could be a tough task for the Scarlet and Gray. Michigan's defensive line got a good push on the first possession, holding UNLV to three carries for zero yards. If UNLV can get into its up-tempo Go-Go offense, that might loosed things up a bit, but for now Michigan's massive advantage in the trenches is playing out on the field.

UNLV football at No. 2 Michigan

UNLV football is 1-0 on the season, and if they want to get to 2-0 it’s going to take the best performance in the history of the program.

That’s no exaggeration. The Scarlet and Gray enter Saturday’s road tilt at Michigan (12:30 p.m., CBS) as massive underdogs, so they’ll have to play a near-perfect game in order to give themselves a chance.

Can they pull it off? Some keys to watch:

Stop the run

More than any other national contender, Michigan wants to run the ball. Yes, the Wolverines are diversifying their offense this season and putting more in the hands of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but their identity remains that of a pro-style, run-first attack.

That could spell trouble for a UNLV squad that wants to play as many defensive backs as possible as often as possible. Head coach Barry Odom opened Week 1 in an alignment that featured six DB’s; can the Scarlet and Gray’s smaller secondary players hold up against Michigan’s powerful offensive line?

If Odom determines that they can’t, he’ll have to load up the defensive front with more linemen and linebackers. That will make UNLV stronger at the point of attack, but it also makes the defense slower overall. Tough conundrum, eh?

That’s what makes Michigan so difficult to defend. The first couple drives should give us an idea of which approach Odom is going to try.

Brumfield breakout?

Winning on the road against a more talented opponent is a difficult task, but quarterback play can be a great leveler in those circumstances. Which means UNLV’s best chance to be competitive would be a career-best performance from Doug Brumfield.

Brumfield was shaky in last week’s win over Bryant. He hit 11-of-18 passes for just 86 yards and no touchdowns, and he was intercepted once. That’s not going to be nearly good enough against a Michigan defense that is magnitudes more athletic than Bryant.

The good news is that UNLV’s passing game is close. Odom noted two plays that could have led to long touchdowns in Week 1 (one to receiver Ricky White, one to receiver David De Jesus) if not for missed connections. Brumfield can’t miss those opportunities when they present themselves on Saturday.

Tackling for dummies

Odom categorized UNLV’s tackling as “average” against Bryant. That’s not going to cut it against a Michigan squad that ranks as perhaps the most physical in the nation. Running back Blake Corum will blast through arm tackles all day long, and if UNLV defenders fail to bring down McCarthy, the Heisman candidate will escape the pocket and make them pay.

Senior defensive back Jaxen Turner said tackling fundamentals have been a focus all week.

“We’ve got to be real disciplined,” Turner said. “We had the Bryant quarterback wrapped up a couple times and he just got out of our grasp. I believe our guys will get it done this week.”

When UNLV has a chance to tackle, they can’t blow it.

What: UNLV (1-0) at No. 2 Michigan (1-0)

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

TV: CBS

Radio: 1100AM, 100.9FM

Line: Michigan -38.5

UNLV leaders

Passing

Doug Brumfield: 61.1%, 86 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing

Jai’Den Thomas: 60 yards, 7.5 yards per carry, 2 TDs

Receiving

Jacob De Jesus: 4 receptions, 50 yards, 0 TDs

Defense

Jerrae Williams: 4 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 1 passes defensed

Michigan leaders

Passing

J.J. McCarthy: 86.7%, 280 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing

Blake Corum: 73 yards, 7.3 yards per carry, 1 TD

Receiving

Roman Wilson: 6 receptions, 78 yards, 3 TDs

Defense

Junior Colson: 5 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss 

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.