Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down winners and losers for Michigan football after its 24-17 victory over Michigan State in the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy in Week 9 at Michigan Stadium:

Michigan football winners vs. MSU

QBs Davis Warren/Alex Orji

It took nine weeks, but U-M finally got what it wanted out of its quarterbacks. Davis Warren got his first start since Week 3 and played the best game of his career. The senior completed 13 of 19 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown and did not turn the ball over. Warren picked up eight first downs via the air with his arm to six different players as he did exactly what U-M asked of him. So too, did Orji. The run-first quarterback showed exactly way type of rushing threat he is, carrying the ball six times for a team-high 64 yards and U-M’s only rushing score of the day. Four of his touches went for a first down or touchdown, which included the final drive to seal the game.

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Colston Loveland

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He’s the best player on the offense and played like it on Saturday, at least before the final whistle. Loveland led the team (again) with six catches for 67 yards and had the first multi-touchdown game of his career. He caught a 14-yarder to end the first quarter, though he added three more receptions for 20 yards in the half, he didn't have a truly consequential play until he caught a 10-yard touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in the first half. The projected first-round pick had just one reception in the second half, but it was the play of the game as he sold the delayed blocked well, then broke down field as Warren pitched the ball to running back Donovan Edwards who lofted it down field for the 23-yard score.

Other pass catchers

The wide receivers group has been much maligned this season and while it was far from eye-popping, seemingly everybody contributed in some way at some time. Semaj Morgan had just three catches for 12 yards, but one went for 6 yards on third-and-5, another went for 9 yards on third-and-8. Tyler Morris had just one catch, but it was a big 23-yarder on a flea-flicker which sent some juice through the team. Peyton O'Leary had his first grab since Texas, a big 15-yarder that tied the longest non-trick play of the day. Even Kendrick Bell finished with one catch, but it went for 12 yards on third down in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown on the next play. They combined for six catches for 62 yards, but every single one mattered.

Michigan football losers vs. MSU

Kalel Mullings

For the first time all season, U-M's lead running back finds himself on the wrong side of the ledger. Simply put, Mullings was never able to get going. U-M's bell-cow ball carrier was bottled up all night long, running 13 times for 18 yards as he was clearly the focal point of MSU's defensive game plan. It was an astonishingly inefficient night for the man who entered averaging better than 6.1 yards per carry. All but one of Mullings' rushes went for 3 yards or fewer, deemed as 'inefficient' by Michigan's long-held coaching metrics. His longest rush of the day went for 6 yards on third-and-1 in the second quarter, as one of just two first downs he picked up in the contest. To be fair, he had almost no help from his line. Mullings averaged both 1.38 yards per rush, and 1.38 yards after contact (meaning he was on average met at the line of scrimmage on all 18 of his touches).

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Tommy Doman

There weren't many standout performances in a negative light − that's what happens when there's no turnovers, no penalties and the defense allows just three scoring drives on the evening − however multiple mistakes earned Doman a spot here. The first error came late in the first half, after U-M appeared poised to tie the game after Loveland caught a touchdown with 29 seconds remaining. The snap looked clean, but Doman dropped it, couldn't get it set for kicker Dominic Zvada and Michigan didn't get the attempt off. Then, later in the game after U-M went three-and-out in the fourth quarter, Doman shanked a punt 24 yards which set MSU up at midfield with the game on the line. Though he pinned MSU inside its 20 three times, his average punt distance on the day was just 36.6 yards and none went 50 yards.

Defensive line depth

Michigan's stars on the defensive line were, as always, quite good. Josaiah Stewart came away with three tackles, two hurries and a strip sack, Mason Graham had two hurries and a tackle for loss, Kenneth Grant had a pair of tackles and fumble recovery and Derrick Moore graded out the best of the bunch with six pressures, five hurries, a sack and a tackle for loss. The second unit, however, didn't do much. Though Cam Brandt was credited with a sack, that really was more of a coverage sack. Beyond that, Pro Football Focus had Enow Etta, Trey Pierce and Ike Iwunnah graded out as U-M's three lowest pass-rushing grades.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football winners, losers vs MSU: QB double trouble can work