Michigan football aims for mid-season turnaround in historic showdown against Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 24 ranked Michigan Wolverines (4-2) are looking for a mid-season turnaround ahead of their week seven matchup against the No. 21 ranked University of Illinois Fight Illini in a historic matchup.

The game against the Fighting Illini on Saturday (Oct. 19) will be the first time that both teams have matched up inside Memorial Stadium as ranked opponents since 2000.

The Illini will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium’s dedication, where Red Grange scored six touchdowns in an upset over the men in maize on Oct. 18, 1924.

Four of Grange’s touchdowns came in the game’s first 12 minutes to defeat the then-undefeated Wolverines.

Reports indicate that the Fighting Illini commissioned Saturday’s game against the Wolverines to commemorate the 100th anniversary.

The nationally televised game (3:30 p.m. EST) will be a sellout to honor the past, and Illinois is planning to wear specialty uniforms to commemorate the historic feat.

The men in maize have their goals for this season ahead of them as they face one of the toughest schedules down the stretch. But they must regain their defensive identity to return to the winning track.

The defensive side of the ball talked about how they were better than Team 144, which went 15-0 and won the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The O.G. hire of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Team 145’s defense would compete with last year’s team, but so far, through six games, they resemble the Don Brown era as they’re getting beat like a drum.

They have lost five football games in the previous four seasons, and although they’re coming off a national championship, the quest to repeat moves further and further away as the season progresses.

Through six games, the Wolverines look undisciplined on both sides of the ball, with problems with tackling and coverage.

Currently, the men in maize are ranked 133rd out of 134 teams in the country in 10 yards or more pass plays. They’re 90th on third-down conversions on the defensive side of the ball while ranking 65th in team passing efficiency.

They’re ranked 11th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten on run defense, 55th nationally and 14th on scoring defense, and 55th nationally and 14th in the Big Ten in total defense, which has caused them to fall from opening the season No. 9 to falling to No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

They’re ranked 44th in the FBS (336.2 yards allowed per game) on the defensive side of the ball, and they’re ranked 56th in points per game allowed per contest at 22.3.

Mr. Turnover Buffs, Will Johnson said it all comes down to knowing your assignment in the defensive backfield.

“It’s about knowing your assignment, knowing where your help is, film study, and being prepared for gameday,” said Johnson. “Doing that throughout the week will help you be ready for the games.”

When asked about allowing all the explosive plays in the passing thus far, Johnson said, “We got to be better. I mean, we got to not let them get that, be disciplined, have good eyes, and make plays when the ball is thrown to our side.

Johnson said the team’s low defensive ranking was disappointing, and they’ll try to fix those mistakes ahead of their top-25 matchup against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Quarterback play

The disappointing season thus far is not on the defensive side of the ball, as the Wolverines plan to start their third quarterback, Jack Tuttle, heading into the matchup.

Tuttle replaced Alex Orji in Seattle when the Wolverines fell to the Washington Huskies 27-17.

The Wolverines offense was stalling as they trailed 14-0 when head coach Sherrone Moore decided to make the switch at the quarterback position.

Tuttle was inserted in the second quarter, where he led the men in maize to 17 straight points.

However, his late-game fumble and costly interception aided the Huskies, who went on a 13-0 run to seal the upset victory. This brought on more criticism for the offense’s lack of scoring points.

The Wolverines offense has been a bottom-25 unit through six games, ranking 16th worst with 306.3 yards per game.

Davis Warren, Orji, and now Tuttle (for a half) are putting up 23.5 points per game, ranking them and their side of the ball 102nd in the FBS. The offense ranks fourth worst in passing offense, averaging 115 yards per game.

Michigan has only 690 passing yards this season, the fewest by any Big Ten team in its first six games in the past 20 years.

With the running game, which helped them get to four wins behind Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, they rank 39th with 191.3 rushing yards per game.

Tuttle has been discussed as a replacement for both quarterbacks, who Moore said were ready to lead the team this season.

However, from the looks of it, they were the playing quarterbacks because the 25-year-old former four-star out of California was injured.

Injuries have plagued Tuttle since he signed his letter of intent with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2018, as he backed up former Huskies quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.

Reports indicated that he tore part of his UCL in his throwing shoulder last season, so he was on the shelf until Saturday (Oct. 5) night in Seattle.

The 25-year-old is in his second season with the men in maize. He backed up J.J. McCarthy during Team 144’s historic undefeated season, leading to their first championship run since 1997.

Tuttle completed 15 of 17 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown for the Wolverines before his re-entry as the signal caller last season.

While at Indiana, he tossed the pigskin for 901 yards, six interceptions, and five touchdowns before injuries placed him on the shelf.

Tuttle, against the Huskies, completed 10-18 passes for 98 yards, one touchdown, one interception while rushing five times for 19 yards, and one fumble in his first game back from injury.

Coming off the bye week, Tuttle, the coaching staff, the offense, and the defensive side of the ball had two weeks to find their footing, regroup, and return to form in their quest to repeat as national champions.

With the veteran under center for technically his first collegiate start, the next six games must resemble last season‘s final push to the natty, but it’s up to Tuttle.