ANN ARBOR - The Michigan Wolverines soared past the East Carolina Pirates in their season opener, winning 30-3 in front of a Michigan Stadium crowd of 109,480. Despite the absence of Jim Harbaugh, who is serving a suspension to start the season, the No. 2 Wolverines were nearly flawless in their victory over ECU, the first time the two schools have played each other.
East Carolina put up a valiant effort but was seemingly outmatched from the opening whistle. Quarterback Mason Garcia did everything he could to move the Pirates' offense down the field, but the Michigan defense held the Pirates to 235 total yards with Garcia leading the team in both passing and rushing yards. Julius Wood paced the team on defense with nine total tackles (five solo) while Mike Edwards III notched eight tackles (seven solo) including one for a loss. Kicker Andrew Conrad’s field goal as time expired kept the Pirates from being shut out.
Michigan was led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who passed for 280 yards and threw for three touchdowns. Running back Blake Corum also had a strong game, with seventy-three rushing yards and a touchdown. The Wolverines’ receiving corps also had a standout performance. Roman Wilson led the way with seventy-eight receiving yards and six receptions, including three touchdowns. Cornelius Johnson also contributed with seventy-one receiving yards and five receptions.
Overall, it was a strong start to the season for Michigan, while East Carolina will look to bounce back in their next game next week against Marshall.
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