A different Michigan football quarterback stood in the same spot, in the same room, at the same time of week, just three weeks earlier, and fielded many of the same questions.

That was Davis Warren, the senior from Los Angeles who won a lengthy position battle that had drawn on from spring, to summer to the final week of fall, when the team began prep for its season opener. On the heels of a less-than-stellar win over Fresno State, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound pro style quarterback insisted he was ready for the moment, that he was excited to lead his team, and he had worked hard to be in this position.

A Leukemia survivor in high school who then began his college career as a walk-on and waited his turn while a number of talented quarterbacks in the room from NFLers J.J. McCarthy and Joe Milton to others starting at Power Five programs like Cade McNamara (Iowa) and Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State), Warren was easy to root for as a galvanizing force.

There was one glaring problem: he didn't protect the football. Sure, he gave Michigan the threat of a passing attack. He completed 48 of 72 passes (66.7%) and threw for 444 yards and a pair of touchdowns in three weeks, but the major mistake continued to be his undoing.

After throwing one pick against Fresno State and two against Texas, he was intercepted three times vs. Arkansas State and head coach Sherrone Moore had seen enough, pulled the plug and handed the keys to Alex Orji, the 6-foot-3 and 235-pound mobile threat with some simple instructions.

WINNERS AND LOSERS VS. USC: Kalel Mullings soars, Alex Orji has room to grow

"Things I tried to go in the game and do No. 1 rule of playing quarterback is trying to win the game and I think I did an okay job at that," Orji said Monday. "But next after that is eliminating turnover-worthy plays, those are the main two things that I'm focused on doing."

Now, on the heels of an upset 27-24 victory over then No. 12 USC where Orji did not cough up the ball, and made enough plays to get a critical victory in the Big Ten opener to keep hope for the College Football Playoff alive, he has been cemented as the starting quarterback: so long as that should continue to any reasonable expectation.

Though the goal of protecting the football sounds simple, Warren was said to be the best at this during camp, and recent evidence shows it's not as simple as taking it from State to Main. This past week, every offensive coach Orji spoke with hammered home the point to the Sachse, Texas native who would be making his first career start.

"That's everything, that's the No. 1 part of playing the position, you just can't turn the ball over," Orji said Monday. "It's good to end every drive with a kick, coach will always say, whether it's a field goal, PAT or a punt... But Michigan football prides ourselves on protecting the football.

"The football is the program and I think we got a pretty good record when we win the turnover battle."

Moore spoke highly of the junior at his weekly press conference inside Schembechler Hall on Monday afternoon, as well. Though the team hadn't all watched film yet together (that comes shortly after media availability on Monday) coaches have already poured over the contest multiple times over and Moore said he liked what he saw out of his quarterback, starting with the main ask.

"I thought he did a good job and took care of the football for us which was the No. 1 thing we wanted," Moore said. "Good to get that experience as a starter and play, especially a big time game and atmosphere."

WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff time, TV channel set for Michigan football national title rematch vs. Washington

He's well aware Orji finished the afternoon completing 7 of 12 passes for 32 yards, the fewest in a U-M victory since the year after Jim Harbaugh was last a starting quarterback (1987) in Ann Arbor, but he also takes notes from his predecessor in all that matters is the final result.

Michigan got out to an early 14-0 lead thanks to its rushing attack with Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, who scored touchdowns of 53 and 41 yards respectively as the Wolverines punched first, but Orji made plays along the way as well.

He picked up an early fourth-and-1 with a three yard keeper, ran for six yards on third-and-four to begin the second quarter and then took the next snap 14 yards (his best play of the day) to get into Trojans territory to help set up Edwards' touchdown.

He converted four first downs, all with his legs.

Sure, if it weren't for a late Kalel Mullings 63-yard sonic boom late in the fourth quarter, U-M's late comeback effort may have fallen short. But the presence of Orji and those running threats earlier helped open lanes, which allowed Mullings to have his heroic effort later in the contest.

Orji had played in a number of games prior; he had 31 rushes for 181 yards and three scores in his career to go with 5 of 8 passing for two touchdowns and 20 yards, but he said Monday "it wasn't quite the same...(now) everyone looking at you every play, looking you in the eye, ready to go to war whatever it is."

It was certainly a battle for U-M last Saturday which ended with Orji not failing to complete a single pass more than nine yards down field. However it also ended with the Wolverines rushing to their student section, leaping into the stands and chanting the Victors.

If Orji can do job No. 2 and protect the football, the belief is it can lead to goal No. 1 of winning games.

"Definitely more to his game and more things that we have complemented for him and the offense (to show)," Moore said. "There's a good bit that we can add, things we can do to complement the running game. Obviously the running game was successful but want to be balanced.

"But we've had years' years in the past where we've had games like that, had to win like that and not afraid to win like that as long as we win. So we will definitely just keep rolling."

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X @RealTonyGarcia.

Make "Hail Yes!" your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football 'not afraid' to win behind Alex Orji, run game combo