Michigan used the deep ball to widen the lead over Western Michigan, with Cade McNamara finding Ronnie Bell on third down for a 76-yard touchdown to make it 17-7 with 9:18 left in the second quarter.
The score came after Michigan's defense stacked up defensive stops. The Broncos' second drive sputtered at Michigan's 39-yard line and their third drive was a three-and-out.
In between those possessions, the Wolverines had a three-and-out that featured an impressive one-handed catch along the sideline by Bell, but it was wiped out by offensive pass interference.
Moody FG puts UM in front
Michigan regained the lead with a 37-yard field goal by Jake Moody for a 10-7 advantage with 4:21 left in the first quarter.