ANN ARBOR, Michigan — As the old saying goes, “A win’s a win,” but Michigan fans might not be thrilled with what they saw Saturday night, especially from the offense. The Wolverines didn’t top 100 yards of total offense until the third quarter, and Michigan really struggled to run the ball — until the second half.

Senior Davis Warren was named the starting quarterback after weeks of speculation and while he threw one interception, he managed the game fairly well. He was safe with his throws, sometimes even overly safe, but he also led a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to give Michigan some breathing room. If fans see Warren improve as the season progresses, fans won’t have much to complain about when it comes to Warren.

After watching the game, here are my Michigan players from the game.

TE Colston Loveland:

The junior tight end was the security blanket Warren needed Saturday. An athletic tight end who is far too quick for linebackers to cover and too big for defensive backs, he is a nightmare in the game. Loveland had one drop in the fourth quarter but was extremely effective outside of it, finishing with a game-high eight catches for 87 yards and a score. Even if Michigan’s passing attack regresses from last season, Loveland is poised to have a monster season.

RB Kalel Mullings:

Mullings needed until the second half to get things going, but the thundering back did just that. Mullings outplayed his opponent Donovan Edwards — who ran for 27 yards — and refused to lie down and shake off tacklers late in the game when the Wolverines needed someone to gain yards. Mullings had 92 yards on 15 carries, and it certainly appears that Michigan has an excellent Plan B for Edwards if he can’t see the holes.

K Dominic Zvada:

The Arkansas State transfer is likely to be the player of the game for the Wolverines. Michigan has had solid field goal kicking since Jake Moody. Even last season, James Turner was very good, and it seems like Zvada will be just as good, if not better, than Turner. He split all three of his kicks Saturday night and had a lot of space to spare. Zvada made kicks of 45, 53 and 55 against the Bulldogs.

Josaiah Stewart:

I predicted Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart would each have 10 or more sacks this season, and Stewart is well on his way. Both Moore and Stewart were disruptive off the edge, but Stewart is the one who took down Mikey Keene. The senior sacked Keene in both the first and fourth quarters for two sacks in the game. He also finished with five tackles with three TFLs.

Will Johnson:

Granted, Will Johnson didn’t always look like himself on Saturday. The junior All-American got beat a few times, which we can chalk up to first-game rust. But Johnson made plays when Michigan needed him. Johnson interfered with stopping Malik Sherrod and the run game by being aggressive from the outside, and then Johnson called the game by taking an 86-yard interception to the house in the fourth quarter.

Rayshaun Benny:

It’s a pretty cool story for Rayshaun Benny, someone who has battled injuries but still keeps coming back to Ann Arbor as a backup — making plays. Benny was one of the best players on defense. Benny had Michigan’s third sack and he was smothering in the run game. The senior had five tackles, including two TFLs. Michigan fans should feel great about Benny being behind Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage at Michigan Wolverines On SI –

Takeaways: Michigan beats Fresno State with a rather mediocre offensive game

Michigan’s offense sluggish, defense dominant in win over Fresno State

College GameDay heads to Michigan football for Week 2