Wolverines Improve to 1-1

Michigan improved to 1-1 with a 16-6 win over Miami University on Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Freshman running back Sam McGuffie led the Michigan offense with 106 all-purpose yards. Both quarterbacks Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan each captained the Michigan offense to one touchdown drive in the 10-point win.

ANN ARBOR – Going for win No. 1 in attempt No. 2, the Michigan football team played host to the Miami University RedHawks on Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. This time they were just good enough. Michigan jumped on top 10-0 early, and held on 16-6 late as Rich Rodriguez won his first game at his new school and improved to 1-1 at Michigan.

"I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty. It might not have been pretty, but we got the win and the team played hard,” said a relived Rich Rodriguez following the 10-point Michigan win. “We made a few good plays in the end and our defense played great. We'll take it."

Miami went three-and-out on its opening possession; then Michigan went on top 7-0.

Quarterback Steven Threet connected with freshman slot receiver Martavious Odoms for 50-yards on Michigan’s first play from scrimmage, and four plays later he faked a handoff to running back Sam McGuffie before cutting up the middle of the field and finding the end zone from nine yards out.

The lead grew to 10-points shortly after.

On its first play of its second possession, Miami connected on its first-down pass to move the chains on the ensuing possession, but on the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh and center Josh Satterthwait fumbled the ball back to Michigan; U-M linebacker Obi Ezeh spotting the loose ball and pouncing on it. K.C. Lopata capitalized on the field position with a 47-yard field goal.

Michigan would put together just one more legitimate scoring drive until the fourth quarter on its next possession, but Lopata’s second field goal try of the game sailed wide left, possibly tipped as it crossed the line of scrimmage.

Miami added three points before the end of the half. Capping a 10-play, 72-yard drive kicker Nathan Parseghian split the uprights from 27-yards out.

It was more of the same in the second half. Michigan struggled moving the ball through the entire quarter, and Miami added just one more field goal, this one from 23-yards. That was all Miami would score.

Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan captained the offense for the fourth quarter, and guided Michigan to its final touchdown of the game. Brandon Minor capped the 87-yard drive with a 15-yard run around the left side, leaping over the defense and into the end zone with just over eight minutes left on the clock.

Freshman running back Sam McGuffie played a significant role in the scoring drive. After running around the right side for 13-yards on the first play of the drive, McGuffie drew a late-hit personal foul that moved the ball to the 41-yardline. He added another five-yard run, and then took a swing pass 27-yards to set up the Minor 15-yard score.

"He's slowly getting there. He missed a couple reads today, but he also made a couple he didn't make last week,” Rodriguez said on McGuffie. “He's a very competitive guy that loves to play and I am proud to see the way he competed."

"First game I was nervous, I had first-game jitters, Big House jitters. Now that I had my first game out of the way this game I didn't have to think as much, I could just play," McGuffie said.

Neither team would score again.

Miami turned the ball over on downs with 4:23 left in the contest, and after three McGuffie runs and a Michigan punt, the RedHawks final possession ended with another failed fourth down conversion, this one with just 57-seconds left on the clock. Brandon Graham recorded the fourth-down sack, the exclamation point on the Michigan victory.

We got after them and pressured them a little bit and as a result got a few sacks. Our defensive line was also pretty good for the most part and responded well to the difficult situations our offense put us in," Rodriguez said.

Michigan travels on the road for the first time of the 2008 season, taking on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind., next Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30 eastern time.