Field Level Media
Sep 4, 2021
Blake Corum caught a touchdown pass and ran for another as Michigan opened its season with a 47-14 romp over visiting Western Michigan on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Corum rushed 14 times for 111 yards and caught two passes for 22 yards.
Starting quarterback Cade McNamara completed 9 of 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard strike to Ronnie Bell.
Bell, however, was injured during a punt return in the second quarter and did not return.
Wide receiver A.J. Henning scored on a 74-yard run in the third quarter. Hassan Haskins added 70 yards rushing on 13 carries and a touchdown.
The Wolverines are now 8-0 in program history against the Broncos.
Kaleb Eleby completed 20 of 37 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown for Western Michigan.
Sean Tyler rushed for 55 yards on 10 carries in the loss.
Michigan grabbed a 27-7 halftime lead.
The Wolverines drove 75 yards on their opening possession. Haskins converted a 4th-and-1 with a 4-yard run before McNamara connected with Corum on a 14-yard scoring pass.
Elleby's 29-yard pass to Jaylen Hall set up Western Michigan's first-half touchdown, a 2-yard run by La'Darius Jefferson.
Corum returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards, setting up Jake Moody's 37-yard field goal.
Bell had a one-handed sideline grab nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty early in the second quarter. On Michigan's next possession, Bell beat one-on-one coverage on a 76-yard pass play. He caught the ball at the WMU 30-yard-line and raced untouched into the end zone.
On the play that Bell was injured, he made a 31-yard punt return to the Broncos' 31-yard line. That set up Haskins' 22-yard touchdown run up the middle.
Moody added a 20-yard field goal seconds before halftime.
Henning eluded two would-be tacklers on his 74-yard end around five minutes into the second half to make it 33-7.
Corum scored on a 30-yard run with just under 13 minutes remaining. JJ McCarthy's 69-yard touchdown pass to Daylen Baldwin gave the Wolverines a 40-point lead with 7:57 left.
Corey Crooms caught a 27-yard pass from Eleby for the Broncos' second touchdown.
--Field Level Media