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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Michigan was supposed to clean up some of these ills during the bye week.
Instead, the 24th-ranked Wolverines flashed more of the same mistakes on Saturday, piling up the turnovers and fundamental errors that plagued them during the first half of the season in a 21-7 loss to No. 22 Illinois at Memorial Stadium.
The loss drops a scuffling Michigan to 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in Big Ten play, its worst start to a 12-game regular season since 2014.
Quarterback Jack Tuttle failed to capitalize on the momentum of a couple weeks ago, completing 20 of his 32 pass attempts for 208 yards. He fumbled the football away on Michigan’s second drive of the game and threw an interception in the fourth quarter, his second straight game with two turnovers.
Tuttle could have been credited with two interceptions, tossing one in the second quarter that was overturned by a defensive holding penalty. Still, two plays later, Donovan Edwards committed a fumble himself and helped set up an Illinois touchdown. While neither team played the cleanest first half, the Illini made fewer mistakes and took a 13-7 lead into half.
Kalel Mullings was Michigan’s only reliable weapon offensively all day, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown. But a three-and-out to start the third quarter helped set the tone, one that quickly rolled downhill on the Wolverines. Illinois marched 55 plays on eight plays thanks to a fake punt that went for 36 yards, reclaiming a two-score lead that it never relinquished.
Michigan blocked a field-goal attempt before halftime but had the favor returned in the third, when Dominic Zvada had a 28-yard field goal attempt blocked himself. Punter Tommy Doman averaged just 32.7 yards per punt, with a long of 36, adding to the special teams blunders.
Defensively, the Wolverines only surrendered 267 yards to Illinois but contended with several short field situations, yielding a pair of touchdown drives and a field goal. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was 9 of 18 for 80 yards passing and rushed for 48 yards. The Fighting Illini leaned on a committee of running backs Saturday, with Aidan Laughery (9 carries, 54 yards) breaking a 29-yard run early.
Edge rusher Derrick Moore returned to the lineup, adding two tackles and contributing to a sack, but the Michigan pass rush totaled just one sack all game. Penalties plagued the Wolverines, who were flagged six times for 61 yards, especially the defense. Reserve cornerback Aamir Hall, filling in for the absent Will Johnson, was penalized twice for pass interference while reserve defensive lineman Trey Pierce was flagged for hands to the face.
Johnson started the game but exited in the second quarter and never returned.
Michigan tried to make a game of it late, marching 69 yards in 12 plays with a 29-yard completion to Colston Loveland (7 catches, 83 yards) on fourth-and-18, when Tuttle tossed a game-sealing interception.
Of note: Reserve tight end Marlin Klein (1 catch, 5 yards) was carted off the field with an injury during the first half and never returned. … Starting left tackle Myles Hinton suited up but didn’t play, forcing Michigan to reshuffle its offensive line. Jeff Persi got the start at left tackle, Greg Crippen made his second straight start at center, while Andrew Gentry started at right tackle over Evan Link. The Wolverines gave up five sacks.
Up next: Michigan hosts in-state rival Michigan State next Saturday, Oct. 26, in Ann Arbor (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network). The Spartans (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) play Iowa tonight.
- BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.
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