Michigan football, college football's defending national champion, started their title defense on the right foot.

The Wolverines returned to action Saturday night hosting Fresno State in Week 1 and pulled away from the Bulldogs late for a 30-10 win. It was the first win for Sherrone Moore as the full-time head coach of Michigan after he took over for Jim Harbaugh.

Davis Warren got the start for Michigan at quarterback, ending the summer-long speculation of who would replace J.J. McCarthy. Alex Orji also featured in Michigan's first drive at the goal line. Warren completed 15 of 25 passes for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

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Check out the game recap from Michigan vs. Fresno State in the season opener below.

Michigan vs. Fresno State game recap

Final: Michigan takes down Fresno State 30-10

The Wolverines are 1-0 in the Sherrone Moore era after pulling away from Fresno State late for a 20-point win. The Bulldogs were nipping on Michigan's heels for most of the game and even cut it to a six-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Wolverines put the nail in the coffin with two touchdowns from two of their best players, tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson on a pick-six.

Michigan put up 272XXX yards of offense and had large stretches where the offense struggled to move the ball. Davis Warren got the start at quarterback and completed 15 of 25 passes for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Alex Orji played a handful of snaps as a change of pace and completed his only pass attempt for a 3-yard touchdown to Donovan Edwards and ran 32 yards on five carries.

Michigan's defense was smothering, holding Fresno State to 247 yards while recording two interceptions by Johnson and Zeke Berry. EDGE Josiah Stewart led the team with five tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.

3:57, 4Q: Will Johnson returns interception 86 yards for a touchdown; Michigan leads 30-10

The third time's the charm.

Michigan's defense nearly had two interceptions on the first two plays of Fresno State's drive, but a review and late hit penalty extended Fresno State's drive. Another facemask penalty helped put Fresno State inside the red zone for just the second time in the game, but Michigan's star corner had something to say about that.

Will Johnson jumped a what was supposed to be a wide receiver to the right, avoiding the blocks and snagging the ball at full speed, for the interception and ran down the Michigan sidelines 86 yards for a touchdown. It was Michigan's second turnover of the day.

5:43, 4Q: Colston Loveland catches 18-yard TD, extending Michigan's lead to 23-10

The Wolverines can let out a small sigh of relief after immediately pushing the lead back to two touchdowns on the next drive. Michigan drove 75 yards in seven plays, largely powered by bruising runs from Kalel Mullings. Mullings picked up 42 yards on three carries before Davis Warren found his favorite target, Loveland, wide open over the middle on a crosser. Loveland turned it upfield and tumbled into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season and the first career touchdown pass for Warren.

10:06, 4Q: Fresno State WR Raylen Sharpe gets loose for 17-yard TD; Michigan's lead cut to 16-10

It is a one-score game again entering the final stretch. Fresno State broke the goal line for the first time to cap off a seven-play, 75-yard drive on a 17-yard touchdown from Sharpe, who caught a hitch at the 5-yard line and made a defender miss on the turn and walked into the end zone. Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene completed four passes for all 75 yards on the drive.

12:42, 4Q: Zvada hits again from 55 yards; Michigan leads 16-3

The biggest positive for Michigan on the opening night is they have found a kicker with a booming leg. Dominic Zvada hit his third field goal of the night, this time from 55 yards. Zvada had distance to spare on the long kick and put it right down the middle again. Michigan went 26 yards in nine plays, but the drive ended on a rare drop from Colston Loveland, who beat the corner on a slant but had it bounce off his hands for what would have been a first-down completion.

End of 3Q: Michigan still leads 13-3

Michigan's offense couldn't get anything going on its next drive after the field goal, but its defense has been up to the task coming out of the locker room. Fresno State punted twice in the quarter, only running 10 total plays, because Michigan's defense was able to contain the run and limited passes to short of the sticks.

Michigan moved the ball 34 yards in nine plays on the second drive of the quarter, but it sputtered to a halt just past midfield after Davis Warren threw three incomplete passes. Warren is 13-of-21 for 92 yards, while Alex Orji rushed for 12 yards on two carries.

Michigan currently has the ball at its own 47 entering the final quarter.

9:21, 3Q: Dominic Zvada hits 53-yard field goal, Michigan leads 13-3

Michigan came out of the locker room and added another field goal from Zvada, this time from 53 yards with plenty of distance to spare, to increase the lead to 10. The Wolverines picked up 37 yards on the nearly six-minute drive and were able to methodically move the ball past midfield on a series of short completions by Davis Warren. He completed four of six passes on the drive for 38 yards, mainly hitting receivers on crossing or slant routes over the middle. The drive came to a halt after left guard Josh Priebe was called for a hold on what would have been a 20-yard gain for Donovan Edwards.

Halftime: Michigan leads Fresno State 10-3

Michigan has a one-touchdown lead after the first 30 minutes. The Wolverines immediately jumped ahead 7-0 after a Zeke Berry interception and Donovan Edwards touchdown catch in the first four minutes of the game, but the Wolverines couldn't find much of a rhythm offensively after that.

Michigan gained 89 yards in the first half, getting outgained by Fresno State who had 97, and converted zero third downs on four attempts. Davis Warren, who got the start at quarterback, was 8-for-10 for 51 yards and one interception, while Alex Orji played two snaps and threw the lone touchdown.

But Michigan's defense still looks strong. The Wolverines held Fresno State to 97 yards — 72 came through the air — with one third down conversion on seven attempts on top of Berry's turnover that led to points.

0:31, 2Q: Dominic Zvada hits 45-yard FG to extend Michigan's lead to 10-3

Michigan took nearly the final seven minutes off the second quarter clock on an 11-play, 47-yard drive that doubled the offense's yardage output in the first half (U-M had 42 total yards in the first five drives). Davis Warren completed three passes for first downs, one to Kendrick Bell and two to Colston Loveland, to move into field goal range. But, Donovan Edwards had two negative plays, split by a short gain from Kalel Mullings, forcing Michigan to settle for a field goal. Zvada, an Arkansas State transfer, split the uprights easily.

7:35, 2Q: Fresno State adds FG to cut Michigan's lead to 7-3

The Bulldogs are on the board. After coming up with a stop with a sack of Davis Warren on third down, Fresno State was able to move the ball inside Michigan territory, coming away with a made 41-yard field goal by Dylan Lynch. Quarterback Mikey Keene layered a sideline fade to Jalen Moss over Michigan defensive back Myles Pollard for a 23-yard gain to the Michigan 36, and picked up one more first down before Michigan got the stop.

Fresno nearly scored on third down after Mac Dalena beat preseason All-Amercan corner Will Johnson with a double move, but the pass was just off his fingertips and incomplete.

3:23, 1Q: Davis Warren intercepted on end zone shot

Warren's first mistake as the starting quarterback was an underthrown deep shot on the first play of Michigan's third drive. Warren faked a handoff out of shotgun, then loaded up and tried to thread a 50-yard pass between a sea of Fresno defenders to Fredrick Moore, but the ball was a few yards short of the end zone. Moore tried to fight back for it, but Fresno's Cameron Lockridge stayed in front of him and high-pointed the ball for the interception.

11:03, 1Q: Alex Orji finds Donovan Edwards for short TD, Michigan leads 7-0

If you wanted an answer to Michigan's quarterback question, both Davis Warren and Alex Orji were prominent factors in Michigan's first drive. Warren got the start under center and completed his first pass to tight end Colston Loveland for a first down, taking Michigan down inside the red zone.

Michigan moved the ball to the 4-yard line, aided by a targeting penalty against Fresno's Jayden Davis, then Orji replaced Warren at quarterback. On his first snap, Orji faked a handoff, scanned the field, then flipped it to Edwards, who walked into the endzone for the Wolverines' first touchdown of the season. It was the first touchdown pass of Orji's career.

13:53, 1Q: Michigan's Zeke Berry intercepts Mikey Keene

It did not take long for Michigan's vaunted defense to make an impact. Fresno State received the opening kickoff and gave the ball back to the Wolverines three plays later. Keene tried to fit a pass over the middle, but Berry stepped in front for the takeaway and returned it to Fresno's 31-yard line.

Michigan vs. Fresno State time today

• Date: Saturday, Aug. 31.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Where: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

The Michigan vs. Fresno State game starts at 7:30 p.m. from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

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What channel is Michigan vs. Fresno State game on today?

• TV channel: NBC.

• Streaming live: Peacock (sign up here) and Fubo (free trial).

• Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) in Detroit (radio affiliates throughout the state of Michigan).

It's a big night at the Big House, which means NBC Sports' Big Ten Saturday Night team is on the call. Noah Eagle (play-by-play) and Todd Blackledge (analyst) will call the game from the TV booth, and Kathryn Tappen patrols the Michigan Stadium sidelines. Terry McAulay is the rules analyst for NBC.

Michigan vs. Fresno State pregame: What you need to know

Michigan is in a unique spot as the defending national champion having to replace its head coach and a chunk of assistants that followed Harbaugh to the NFL. Moore served as the interim coach in four games last year, including wins over Penn State and Ohio State, making him a clear choice to inherit the job.

The battle between Warren and Orji has played out in practice behind closed doors to not tip their hand. Here are some things to watch for with both quarterbacks should they play, according to Free Press beat writer Tony Garcia.

"If it's Orji, the focus will be on going beyond just one read as a passer and being on time and on target," Garcia wrote. "If it's Warren, the focus will be on his intangibles, after beginning his career as a walk-on?"

Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings are the two running backs expected to take on Corum's workload, while Semaj Morgan and Tyler Morris are the projected starting receivers to replace Wilson and Cornelius Johnson. There will be a new offensive line after last year's starters graduated or entered the NFL.

One key returner is standout tight end Colston Loveland, a projected first-round pick, with some comparisons to Travis Kelce.

On defense, Michigan returns plenty of blue-chip talent from last year's No. 1 ranked unit. Cornerback Will Johnson is a consistent playmaker and one of the best defensive backs in the country. He is joined by a handful of experienced transfers such as Jaden Mangham in the secondary. Defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are consistent play-wreckers in the middle — perhaps the most formidable interior duo in the nation — alongside Josiah Stewart and Derrick Moore on the edge.

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city's professional teams, the state's two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan vs. Fresno State: Game recap, score from opener