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ANN ARBOR, Michigan (Ticker) -- The Mid-American Conference continues to be no problem for Michigan. B.J. Askew ran for a pair of touchdowns and was on the receiving end of another score as the 17th-ranked Wolverines remained unbeaten all-time against teams from the MAC with a 38-21 pounding of Western Michigan. A powerhouse in the Big Ten Conference, Michigan improved to 15-0 all-time against foes from the MAC, including 2-0 this season. The Wolverines rolled to a 31-13 victory over Miami Ohio in the season opener. Askew was a major reason the Wolverines (2-1) extended their perfect mark against the MAC. He was on the receiving end of a 41-yard touchdown pass from John Navarre in the first quarter and added TD runs of eight and 26 yards. Askew carried 15 times for 112 yards and also had five catches for 66 yards. "They never knew what I was going to do, whether we were going to run, throw a screen or pass or if I was blocking. I think we threw them off a little," Askew said. It was a busy afternoon for Western Michigan (1-2) quarterback Jeff Welsh, who set school records for attempts and completions by going 35-of-58 for 379 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. "We ran a lot of quick passes to get the ball out there and let the receivers do some things," Welsh said. "We could've run the ball more but we were playing catchup. I took quite a few hits but that's going to happen. That's all part of the game." Michigan Stadium drew a crowd of 109,837 in its first football game since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11. "The tradition and celebration in college football every weekend is special," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I think it's even more special now on what we've gone through. People need to be together and have some fun. In the big scheme, how we play is not important but I have to look at it as football coach who is trying to get a team ready to reach our goals." Michigan remained tied with Yale as the winningest program in college football history. The Wolverines improved to 807-226-36 in 122 seasons while Yale is 807-301-55 in 128 campaigns. Navarre, replacing Drew Henson, who left the school to pursue a professional baseball career, found Askew with a screen pass that the junior turned into a 41-yard touchdown 5:53 into the contest. Askew made his way over and touched an American flag following his score. "It was a spur of the moment thing," Askew said of touching the flag. Hayden Epstein kicked a 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter, extending the Wolverines' lead to 10-0. The Broncos squandered a chance to cut into the lead with under 11 minutes left in the period, when Welsh was intercepted inside the Michigan 10 by freshman cornerback Marlon Jackson. But Welsh atoned for that error with 7:45 left before halftime as he found Micah Zuhl with a 17-yard touchdown pass, bringing the Broncos within 10-7. The Wolverines quickly restored control as Askew ran eight yards for a score 68 seconds later and Navarre found Marquise Walker with a 40-yard TD pass with 44 seconds before intermission, making it 24-7. Navarre completed 16-of-28 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. "We wanted to be aggressive and see what we have," Navarre said. "I feel good about the offense. Every play call could make something happen." Askew helped the Wolverines extend the lead 4:10 into the third quarter, scoring on a 26-yard touchdown run to make it 31-7. Welsh found Brandon Johnson with a four-yard TD pass less than four minutes later. Welsh also scored on a two-yard run on the game's final play around a one-yard TD run by the Wolverines' David Underwood earlier in the fourth quarter. "We battled all the elements and climbed higher," Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell said. "They blitzed more than they did in the past. But we were able to get points on the board against a fine defense. We can take something from that."
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