Peoples-Jones’ Big Day Leads Michigan Past Southern Methodist

Saturday, September 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:30 PM

Michigan

2-1

SMU

0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

SMU

Michigan

Peoples-Jones’ Big Day Leads Michigan Past Southern Methodist

9/15/2018 8:07:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery Postgame Notes Player Participation PDF Boxscore In the Trenches Podcast: Southern Methodist Photo Gallery

By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard

» Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones caught three touchdown passes.
» Michigan scored on every offensive possession from the second quarter onward.
» Josh Metellus returned his first career interception 73 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half to give U-M a 21-7 lead at the break.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #19 Michigan 45, SMU 20
Records: U-M (2-1), SMU (0-3)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 22 -- vs. Nebraska (Michigan Stadium), noon

• Postgame Press Conference: Players
• Kornacki: Metellus Reveals How His 73-Yard Pick-Six Almost Never Happened

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A three-touchdown afternoon from sophomore wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones propelled the 19th-ranked University of Michigan football team past Southern Methodist, 45-20, in front of a crowd of 110,549 on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 15) at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan (2-1) scored on every offensive possession from the second quarter onward -- six drives in all -- and ended the game with 434 yards of total offense.

Junior quarterback Shea Patterson completed 14-of-18 pass attempts (8-of-10 in the first half) for a season-best 237 passing yards and three touchdowns. Peoples-Jones was the beneficiary of all three TD passes with catches of 35, seven and 41 yards, which marked the most touchdowns scored by a Wolverine wide receiver since Jehu Chesson scored three against Indiana in 2015. Peoples-Jones finished with four receptions for 90 yards.

Patterson has posted three touchdown passes in each of the last two games.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Michigan went on its scoring binge with the opening drive of the second quarter. Starting at its own 43-yard line, Michigan extended a drive thanks to an impressive pass completion under duress from Patterson, who on 3rd-and-4, threaded a 24-yard pass down the seam to Zach Gentry to SMU's 27-yard line. It took eight plays from there, but on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Ben Mason plunged into the end zone on a fullback dive with 6:56 remaining in the half.

SMU immediately answered as Ben Hicks found James Proche wide open down the Mustangs' sideline for a 50-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play, 75-yard drive at the 5:16 mark of the quarter.

Michigan reclaimed the lead on its next drive with another fourth-down conversion playing a large roll. Chris Evans converted a one-yard carry to midfield, and SMU coach Sonny Dykes disagreed with the call, eventually earning himself a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. On the ensuing play, Patterson went play-action before he found Peoples-Jones on an out pattern, and he hurtled into the end zone for the 14-7 lead with 2:34 to play in the half.

Josh Metellus put an exclamation point on the first half when he picked off Hicks on U-M's 27-yard line and raced up the SMU sideline, waiting patiently for key blocks from Aidan Hutchinson and Noah Furbush while cutting back to the middle of the field, before diving into the end zone. The interception, the first of Metellus' career, occurred as time expired and sent the Wolverines into the locker room with a 21-7 lead.

Michigan started the second half with the Wolverines driving 62 yards on eight plays for a 28-7 lead. Patterson again exploited the seam route, this time finding Gentry for 28 yards on the right hashmark to set up a back-shoulder scoring strike to Peoples-Jones from seven yards out at the 9:07 mark of the third quarter.

The catch gave Peoples-Jones his first multi-scoring game of his young career, while Gentry had notched a career high in receiving yards (95, on four receptions).

SMU remained in contention thanks to a 16-play, 81-yard drive that covered 7:31 of the third quarter. William Brown found Ryan Becker on a rollout pass from two yards out and, following a missed extra point, U-M's lead was down to 28-13.

Dykes' squad tried an onside kick, but Josh Ross covered the effort, giving the Wolverines prime field position at SMU's 46-yard line. Two plays later, the play-action pass again worked to perfection when Patterson lofted a 41-yard strike to Peoples-Jones for a 35-13 lead with 1:23 left on the clock in the third quarter.

SMU embarked on another lengthy scoring drive, going 80 yards on 12 plays and covering 5:40 of game time before Brown found Proche on a two-yard scoring pass to make it a 35-20 contest with 10:43 left in the contest.

Michigan scored again on its next two drives, thanks to a 45-yard field goal from Quinn Nordin and a punishing nine-yard rushing touchdown from dynamic walk-on running back Tru Wilson. His first collegiate touchdown gave U-M a 45-20 lead with 1:05 to play and completed an 11-carry, 53-yard day for the Warren, Michigan, native.

Proche was the catalyst behind an SMU offense that stayed in contention until the latter part of the game. The Mustang wideout was targeted almost exclusively in the passing game and ended his day with 11 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Michigan will welcome Nebraska to Ann Arbor next Saturday (Sept. 22). The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff at Michigan Stadium and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.