Michigan defense shines in 28-7 victory vs. UNLV

ANN ARBOR, Mich. There are very few guarantees in this early Michigan football season.

The most certain after three games: the Wolverines have a strong defense.

Which is important because the offense still is figuring itself out.

Aside from one fourth quarter drive, the U-M defense was dominant, holding UNLV down on the way to a 28-7 win at Michigan Stadium.

The Wolverines (2-1) grabbed two interceptions and held the Rebels (0-3) to 235 total yards for the day, under 100 on the ground.

That allowed the offense’s early spurt, building a three-touchdown halftime lead, to carry them through the day.

The 108,683 at Michigan Stadium had enough to cheer for before halftime, but in the second half saw a U-M team that wasn’t in sync offensively.

The running game numbers were impressive again, with 254 yards on the ground. Yet two of those came on big first-half runs a 76-yarder from Ty Isaac and a 36-yarder from wideout Jehu Chesson.

Other than that, the offense was merely average. Quarterback Jake Rudock couldn’t do much through the air, going 14-of-22 for 123 yards, with a long pass of 21 yards.

His only touchdown came on a swing pass to tailback De’Veon Smith and the offense only scored once after halftime.

Working with a cushion, it didn’t matter much.

But the lack of consistency could be a larger problem against a more talented team.

That’s where the U-M defense will continue to have to dominate.

Until midway through the fourth quarter, the Rebels couldn’t move the ball, barely crossing midfield.

Even when they did, it wasn’t methodical, needing a 53-yarder to get within striking range.

Fortunately for Michigan, the first half was ideal, building a 21-0 lead.

There was first-drive interception from U-M cornerback Channing Stribling, which fed the Wolverines’ first touchdown on a swing pass to Smith.

The U-M defense didn’t allow a point, didn’t allow the Rebels past midfield and to only 75 yards of offense. That number would have been even lower if not for an early apparent sack, where UNLV quarterback Blake Decker was brought down but never touched, getting up for a 16-yard run.

There was the possibility for another turnover also when Chris Wormley stripped a tailback and tried to corral the ball with one hand but couldn’t.

U-M’s offense was productive with 233 total yards by the break.

For the first time all season, the Wolverines got an huge play, when Isaac, the backup, waited for a crease on the left side and raced 76 yards for the touchdown.

Michigan’s longest run since Denard Robinson broke free in 2012 against Air Force, and longest by a tailback since Carlos Brown in 2009, ended with Isaac, at 230 pounds, pulling away from the UNLV secondary. That came soon after Chesson’s 36-yard end around, untouched, for U-M’s second score.

The only legitimate concern was Rudock throwing an interception, his fifth of the season, tying his season total from 2014 playing at Iowa.

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