Michigan 42, Illinois 25
That's not going to satisfy anybody.
In many ways, Michigan won comfortably over a bad Illinois team today, outgaining them 489 to 256 with a 17-point final margin. The Wolverines boasted a pair of 100-yard rushers, finally utilized Shea Patterson in the running game, took several shots downfield in the passing game, and tallied 12 TFLs on defense.
And yet.
For most of the first half it looked like a Michigan-Rutgers game. The Wolverines moved the ball at a ten-yard-per-play clip, almost cruelly pounding the Illini defense on the ground, while the defense forced six punts and a turnover on downs on the first seven Illinois possessions as they rotated through ineffective quarterbacks. A Zach Charbonnet fumble to kill a drive and a Matt Robinson touchdown pass to Josh Imatorbhebhe shortly before halftime seemed like minor blips. Michigan led 28-7 at the break. All (okay, most) went according to plan.
Zach Charbonnet had 116 yards but also lost a fumble. [Barron]
Then the Michigan-Army game emerged from the tunnel. The offense punted on their first two drives of the half, then lost the third on a Tru Wilson fumble. That set up the Illini with a short field and they'd capitalize on a Dre Brown scoring plunge; he'd add a two-point conversion to stretch the scoring run to 25 unanswered points.
Patterson and friends averted disaster, as the embattled quarterback used his arm and his legs to account for most of the ensuing ten-play, 79-yard drive himself, capped with a diving touchdown catch by Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Illini fumbled on each of their next two drives, with the second—a comical pop-up caught out of midair by Carlo Kemp at the doorstep of the end zone—leading to a final Patterson touchdown run.
While this game wasn't going to solve the team's many season-long problems, it was reasonable to expect a relatively clean game against a struggling Illinois squad playing without their starting quarterback. Instead, it got passers-by-are-gawking bad for much of the second half as those familiar problems reappeared. Next week, Michigan plays in a much less forgiving environment: a night game at Penn State. Maybe this time they'll figure out how to hold onto the dang ball.
[Hit THE JUMP for the box score.]
But first, beard.
[Barron]
What a beard.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:46 PM ^
Great coaching. I agree, stop fumbling. I would drink less, and the team would probably cover the spread.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:42 PM ^
Aside from the obvious (PLEASE STOP FUMBLING, THX), one takeaway from these last two weeks is that Hassan Haskins looks really impressive.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:47 PM ^
Haskins should play more. He runs hard and looks great.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:52 PM ^
So naturally the coaches will start Tru Wilson only to fumble in crunch time next week.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:53 PM ^
He looked sharp today. Charbonnet was good early but faded in the 2nd half.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:56 PM ^
I was going to say the same thing. He is a beast and tough to bring down. He may be the real gem of the group. play him more! what would be even better: a breakout game against OSU.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:03 PM ^
Haskins has had a couple good games... I worry a bit about the sustainability because it seems like his specialty is exploiting crappy tackling. I’d still like to see Charbonnet rotated out less and get more chances in a coherent offense (i.e. not the crap we did against Army).
October 12th, 2019 at 4:48 PM ^
That beard is amazing. This incredibly undisciplined Michigan team is not.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:51 PM ^
The team completely lost focus in the second half. My goodness stop fumbling the effing ball. And what the heck was the defense even doing? Even featured an O’Neill special!
Whatever, they won. This much is true - the team isn’t good enough to overcome fumbleitis and turnovers against better teams. Because they almost let it doom them against a very bad team.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:52 PM ^
Very hard to enjoy wins this year bc all of them have been ugly- not counting Rutger. At least state is down 17-0 against wiscy. At this point thats the only “big game” where M has a shot ....maybe.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:52 PM ^
The team is so poorly coached, it's utterly mind-boggling. Brady Hoke 2.0 plus headset minus clapping. That there are so many people completely in denial about this is something that I will never understand.
October 12th, 2019 at 11:13 PM ^
Not true at all. If the QB was playing at high level, and/or the new OC called more long throws, you'd realize how untrue your statement is. Hoke lost statw recruiting to msu. Harbaugh took it back. No easy feat.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:53 PM ^
People forget this was a rivalry game (per Wikipedia) in a hostile environment where Dick Butkus created much blood loss.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:58 PM ^
Just as John Beilein's non-assistantship must always be mentioned, the fact that Red Grange had a good game against us 95 years ago must be mentioned in all Michigan-Illinois broadcasts.
October 12th, 2019 at 4:54 PM ^
Why all the fumbles?
Feels like whenever we do positive things, there is a negative attached to it.
Maybe we didn't want to showcase our playbook and looking forward to the next game?
Beat psu!
October 12th, 2019 at 4:59 PM ^
In week 8 can we make an about face. It seems unlikely but hope springs eternal. I hope Harbaugh doesn't say that Shea looked great and the defense was lights out. Just tell us the truth! Work out the problems and we'll see ourselves if it worked.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:13 PM ^
He doesn't and should not publicly blast his qb... That is bad advice and something stupid from a coach to do.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:19 PM ^
Post game interview with Jon Jansen; Harbs thought Shea made some great plays. After what JH said last week about the offense hitting it's stride, the truth will not be told. Too bad, because Bo would always tell the truth and never sugar coat the bad. Harbaugh hasn't learned from Bo.
October 12th, 2019 at 7:37 PM ^
Bag on him all you want, Shea DID make some big plays. If the color guy is right he made two great RPO reads for TD passes, with the latter to DPJ with the game on the line. Also a key 4th down conversion with his legs
October 12th, 2019 at 5:02 PM ^
I guess my question is which was more upsetting, the offense or defense?
October 12th, 2019 at 5:34 PM ^
Offense. They’ve been awful all year.
Defense is the only reason the team doesn’t have a losing record.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:19 PM ^
Is that a serious question?
October 12th, 2019 at 5:10 PM ^
I thought the poor end of the first half for Michigan was key. They had 2 poor possessions where if they tried at all to be aggressive, they could have gotten points. Instead they get nothing and give up a TD to Illinois. For whatever reason that dropped the team into a funk that they couldn't get out of until a loss was staring them in the face. This team is just too fragile to have a good season. The easy part is now over.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:15 PM ^
I think an RR or Hoke team loses this game. I know, this is a very low bar.
what is more upsetting, is that it took way too long to get Shea involved in the run game. Once he made himself a threat, it opened up everything else. They tried to lean on IZ waaaaay for far too long.
Shoot, they could have run that same quick pitch, play they ran on the first play from last week bc, Illinois could not set the edge to save their lives.
Also, I think Haskins played the best by far. He ran w/much better vision and toughness than the other 3.
October 12th, 2019 at 7:44 PM ^
Agreed. Augment your comment with how they basically took a knee with 50 seconds left even though they were averaging 10 yds/play.
team needs some more grit! Username checks out!
October 12th, 2019 at 5:14 PM ^
This team is too inconsistent. The good, the bad and the ugly. One thing for sure, Michigan is not a good team on the road. Gives me pause against Penn State and at night. We'll need to see an Iowa effort on defense. The offence is another matter. They are not fun to watch.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:20 PM ^
I posted this somewhere else — so many threads I doubt I could find it again — but...
This game was like an instructional video. Part 1: This is what you should do. Part 2: This is what you should NOT do. Part 3: THIS is what you do if you've done Part 2.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:23 PM ^
This was almost an embarrassment on par with App St. Truly indefensible. Idk what happened after 2016 but Harbaugh is not the same.
What sucks is James Franklin is about to slip his dick down UM's throat next week. I'm not sure the team wins anymore games this year. Maybe Maryland because they're imploding, but I highly doubt they beat anyone else.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:31 PM ^
Jesus, I need to take a shower and some antibiotics after reading this.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:17 PM ^
How is this getting downvoted? He’s 100% right.
The only guaranteed win left is probably Maryland. This team’s in trouble.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:22 PM ^
No he's not. An ugly but ultimately comfortable win is on par with App State followed by weird blowjob talk? It's the dumbest post in these comments.
October 12th, 2019 at 10:29 PM ^
You know, youre probably right, upon second thought. At first I thought you were just a bit uptight.
THEN I remembered--ANY weird blow job talk around Penn State is not a good thing.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:26 PM ^
Glass is half full: The offense looked pretty good but for the fumbles. The team stood up when it could have folded after Illinois got within three.
Glass is half empty: They couldn't hang onto the ball. The defense lost its will for about fifteen minutes.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:27 PM ^
Great game. Great qb play. Thought the offense was progressing well. Ran the ball well. Defense came up with big stops and forced big turnovers. Real proud of our team today, especially in a tough road environment.
- Harbaugh and most Joey Blue Skies fans. Probably.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:27 PM ^
If there was an over/under Vegas line for the combined PSU/ND games, what would it be?
October 12th, 2019 at 6:16 PM ^
You'd have to give me (UM) 50 points between the two games to lay down any money.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:28 PM ^
"finally utilized Shea in the running game"???
More like clearly instructed him to only handoff until our ineptitude caused the game to be in doubt. This is Borges stuff all the way where you do things that work grudgingly and poorly.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:34 PM ^
Mason's dumb penalty + 2 fumbles >> 21 points we did not get (7) & 14 they got. 3 inexcusable crappy plays.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:38 PM ^
Hopefully they just got complacent in that third quarter until it got uncomfortably close.
Not that complacent is good.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:24 PM ^
Good teams don’t have 3rd quarters like the one M had today. Very poor showing all the way around.
The offense stopped itself multiple times w/dumb penalties and honestly the play calling got complacent as well, once Illinois started to actually tackle.
And the secondary had some definite lapses also. The 3rd and long completion between Matellus Grey should have been a pick. And Ambry dropped the pick on their first TD drive
October 12th, 2019 at 5:44 PM ^
if UM's strategy of today's showing was to lower the expectation for their upcoming games against PSU, NS, MSU & OSU; it worked ...for me anyway
October 12th, 2019 at 5:44 PM ^
We will probably go 8-4 but I’m expecting 7-5 (losses to W, PSU, ND, MSU, and OSU) thus avoiding disappointment. Although, Indiana ?!
This team inspires zero confidence so I wouldn’t be surprised with 6-6 or 9-3 ??♂️. But I’d bet $ against 10-2.
Conclusion: 〽️ ? is Jekyll and Hyde.
October 12th, 2019 at 7:16 PM ^
You're expecting to lose to MSU?
Today was the closest I have ever been to feeling sorry for Dantonio. I couldn't quite get there, just close.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:45 PM ^
If Shea Patterson was a higher rated recruit than Coan at Wisconsin then the recruiting ranking system for QBs is junk. Might be more effective for OL & DL. Seems to be good for DBs & LBs, except Iowa & Wisconsin. But for QBs & RBs it’s junk.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:48 PM ^
Waste and mismanagement of talent
October 12th, 2019 at 6:18 PM ^
#TheMichiganDifference
October 12th, 2019 at 6:19 PM ^
In some cases. But with Shea I’m wondering if the talent was ever really there. UFR will be rough on him again because the # of missed WRs that were WIDE open on deep routes will be way too many. I don’t know how they rank QBs, or more so how they weight the skills.
Field awareness & vision should be 1,2 & 3.
Arm strength & accuracy 4 & 5
Stature & physical strength 6
Speed & athleticism 7
thats how I would rank the skills when evaluating QBs.
October 12th, 2019 at 5:49 PM ^
What I learned from Twitter: Shea allowed Illinois to score 18 (after halftime). Shea caused all the running back fumbles. And it definitely wasn’t Shea that took over and put the game away. Doom and gloom, 45 wasn’t good enough, etc, etc, etc.
October 12th, 2019 at 6:24 PM ^
I didn't get to watch the game yet, but he only completed half of his passes. Was he actually good?
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