Michigan's defense set the tone early, with Zeke Berry picking off Mikey Keene on Fresno State's opening drive and Davis Warren finding Donovan Edwards for a touchdown just minutes later to establish a 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs stayed competitive through the first half behind Keene's passing, with Dylan Lynch connecting on a 41-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3, but Michigan's defense continued to dominate, forcing two more turnovers before halftime. The Wolverines pulled away in the second half behind their ground game and kicker Dominic Zvada, who connected on three field goals from 45, 53, and 55 yards. Fresno State's late score—a 16-yard touchdown pass from Keene to Raylen Sharpe in the fourth quarter—made the final margin look closer than the game actually was, as Michigan sealed the victory with Colston Loveland's 18-yard touchdown reception and Will Johnson's devastating 86-yard pick-six in the final minutes.
Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.