Wolverine Watch: Michigan Bottoms Out At Illinois

By John Borton

Anyone coming to this space seeking a glimmer of light regarding the back half of Michigan’s football season should turn back now. He’s like a man wearing a steak suit into a den of hungry lions.

This is a disaster. The light at the end of the tunnel is a lightning bolt.

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Michigan State comes to town next week. The Spartans and Wolverines will be battling for the hope of finishing 6-6. The difference? The Spartans might be thrilled with it.

The Wolverines, on the other hand, already tumbled into The Devastation Zone with their second straight road loss, the 21-7 capitulation at Illinois. They billed this as a throwback game, the Illini wearing Red Grange-era uniforms. Michigan featured its own Galloping Ghosts, but they were the ghosts of the national championship crew of 2023, hovering over the field and sadly shaking their heads.

Everybody knew Michigan lost a ton of talent from 2023, in the headsets and on the field. Nobody knew it might careen the Wolverines from 15-0 to a .500 record — or worse.

Realistically, that’s what Michigan stares down right now, barely past mid-October. They’re 4-3, 2-2 in the Big Ten. If they perform like this against Oregon and Ohio State, Michigan fans will be peeking occasionally through their fingers at the carnage. Indiana — that’s 7-0 Indiana — will be a heavy favorite down in Bloomington.

The Spartans might be feeling a 2020 vibe coming into Michigan Stadium. Northwestern? The Wildcats will concede nothing, and why would they?

CBS pointed out in its postgame show, Michigan now stands as one of two teams nationally to have thrown for fewer than 1,000 yards and turned the ball over in double digits. The other is winless Kennesaw State, in its first year of FBS football.

Studio analyst Brian Jones, ending a withering rant, said: “These guys started in 1890. They’re playing like it’s 1890. Well, they’re not even playing that good.”

Michigan offense remains MIA

Ouch. And so much for the narrative that elevated seventh-year grad QB Jack Tuttle to season-saver. Tuttle went 20-for-32 for 208 yards passing, but threw a crucial interception near the goal line when the Wolverines absolutely needed to score. He fumbled away another turnover on a potential touchdown drive. The Illini also sacked him five times, killing multiple drives.

At this point, Michigan stands 0-for-3 on quarterbacks who can pass effectively and take care of the football. That’s a recipe for a lost fall, and despite any brave words, the Wolverines are hurtling headlong into one.

“Offensively, it was not good — at all,” Sherrone Moore said. “It was disappointing in a lot of areas. Jack can’t turn the ball over. When the guys are open, we’ve got to complete those passes. We’ve just got to be better … you have 3 turnovers in a Big Ten game, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing. You’re not going to win. We just have to be better on offense.”

The offense, at this point, rivals a Rich Rodriguez defense for sheer helplessness. An attrition- and injury-battered line can’t protect the QB. The passing game outstrips the worst fears coming into the season. And grad tailback Kalel Mullings’ best efforts on the ground (19 carries, 87 yards, and Michigan’s lone touchdown) simply aren’t enough.

The Wolverines have earned their way to the depths of the NCAA statistical categories. From roster recovery to production on the field, everyone has played a role in this mess.

Defense beginning to crack

Michigan’s defense held out as long as it could, keeping the Illini to 6 points until midway in the second quarter, despite the early injury departure of junior cornerback Will Johnson. Tuttle had an interception wiped off the board by a penalty, but on the very next play, senior tailback Donovan Edwards fumbled to set up a 51-yard Illinois TD drive.

U-M responded with a 12-play, 72-yard touchdown drive on Mullins’ back to claw back within six at the half, 13-7. But Michigan never scored again, and this time Michigan’s special teams doomed the defense to failure. Illini coach Bret Bielema gambled on fourth-and-long to open the second half, and Tanner Arkin rambled 36 yards on a direct-snap run out of punt formation.

Illinois soon scored to make it 21-7, less than six minutes into the second half. The Illini wouldn’t need to score again.

“I have extremely high expectations for this program,” Moore offered. “Going on Year 7, I’ve seen where we’ve been and what we’ve done. This is not indicative of who we are and what we should be. It’s my job to fix it — and we will.”

Looking for hope at this point? Tom Brady might be granted a COVID half-season of eligibility and come out of the broadcast booth. Dusty May could heat up Crisler Center soon. As radio play-by-play man Doug Karsch says, this is a quick-fix era, so 2025 isn’t far away. Beyond that, there aren’t many straws to grasp.