Michigan football's revamped offensive line dominated in first game together vs. Minnesota

Michigan football had no shortage of options for their offensive lineman of the week.

In Saturday's 49-24 win at Minnesota, the Wolverines dominated the line of scrimmage. The run game had 256 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Quarterback Joe Milton, meanwhile, was sacked only once — and on a play where he left the pocket.

So it was no surprise that the Wolverines settled on two players to share the award: fifth-year senior center Andrew Vastardis and redshirt sophomore right tackle Jalen Mayfield.

The duo were part of a unit that had offensive line coach Ed Warinner fired up during an appearance on the "Inside Michigan Football" radio show Monday night.

"Considering we were starting four new guys and their experience level, I thought they did a great job," Warinner said. "I was really proud of them. They played hard. They were assignment sound. We had very few problems and just played aggressive. And we created some nice run seams in there. I think we averaged 8.3 yards per carry, so happy about that. Overall, just the way the offense performed was fun.”

ON DEFENSE: U-M hammered Minnesota with 'havoc plays'; 'an extreme emphasis'

THE TIGHT END: Why Erick All's stunning drop didn't faze Harbaugh: 'I love him'

THE RIVALRY: For Michigan, MSU has become just 'another game'

One particular play drew attention from Warinner: The 70-yard touchdown run on the opening play of Michigan's second possession. It tilted momentum back in the Wolverines' favor after a blocked punt helped Minnesota take an early 7-0 lead.

The touchdown run featured several components: The caving-in of Minnesota's defensive line by Mayfield, right guard Andrew Stueber and H-back Ben Mason; and a crucial block from left guard Chuck Filiaga, who pulled around to take out a safety.

“Chuck got his first start and he played very well," Warinner said. "Did a lot of good things. I was really excited for him."

[ Harbaugh reveals Ben Mason's 'passionate' speech before Minnesota win ]

By the time running back Zach Charbonnet touched the ball, there was already a clear hole.

"There was a lot of room in there," Warinner said. "He just sprinted to the end zone untouched. It was beautiful. It got me excited. I think it was the fourth play of the game for us on offense. Answered."

While preparing his unit for the offense's second drive, Warinner made sure to emphasize the importance of the next few plays. He told his offensive linemen that they needed to put together a successful drive. But even he was taken aback by how quickly the response came.

“I didn’t anticipate it popping out of there that cleanly," Warinner said.

It wasn't the only big play from the run game.

In the second half, running back Hassan Haskins broke loose for a 66-yard run that moved Michigan from inside its 5-yard line to scoring position in Minnesota territory. And the Wolverines also were successful when calling designed runs for Milton, who finished with eight carries for 52 yards and one touchdown.

"Big plays happen," Warinner said. "We always say big plays happen with the execution of proper fundamentals. It’s not about out-scheming somebody. That wasn’t a schematic advantage. That was just, we out-executed them. So when you execute correctly with proper fundamentals, you get big plays, and that’s what happened.”

Warinner acknowledged that the entire position group is "excited about how well we did" and specifically praised the unit's communication and composure.

But he's also looking forward to the next few days — because he believes teams usually see the most improvement between the first and second weeks of the season.

“We’re not a finished product," Warinner said. "There’s lots of things we can get better at. We’re really going to focus hard this week. Now we have a baseline of who we are. We’ve watched ourselves play on game film against somebody other than our own team and our own defense. Some of those little pointers that you make, some of those little things you talk about, the guys now say, ‘I see what you were talking about, coach. I see it. I understand. I’ve got to do this better. I’ve got to do that better.’

"I think we can take another step this week. I think that’ll be exciting to watch us do it.”

Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Michigan Wolverines content.

Free Press Voter Guide

Welcome to the Detroit Free Press 2020 Voter Guide. The Free Press asked candidates in most of the contested races in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties questions about a host of issues. Enter your address to see what the candidates on your ballot had to say, from U.S. Senate to your local school board. You will only see an accurate ballot if you enter your full address. Your information will not be shared with anyone.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's offensive line dominated in first game together