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3 important players injured in Michigan football's win over Purdue

Wilton Speight, Kekoa Crawford, Nick Eubanks injured in Big Ten opener

Wilton Speight of the Michigan Wolverines lays on the field after being injured while passing in the first quarter of a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on Sept. 23, 2017 in West Lafayette. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Another week, another victory for Michigan football which improved to 4-0 on the season with a win over Purdue.

Jim Harbaugh's team kicked off Big Ten play with a solid win in its first road test, and more importantly, went into the bye week without a blemish on its record.

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But the victory didn't come without cost. Michigan had already been bitten by the injury bug last week when Tarik Black broke his foot against Air Force. Against Purdue, the Wolverines saw three more players leave with injuries.

Wilton Speight

The most high-profile injury of the game was starting quarterback Wilton Speight, who was hurt just 10 minutes into the game after taking a late hit in the backfield.

Speight hasn't been a consistent passer this season, but Harbaugh named him the best quarterback on the team when he handed him the starting job out of fall camp.

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Speight walked off the field under his own power, but Harbaugh said he's dealing with a "soft tissue" injury. More about the injury will be revealed over the next couple of weeks, but it's unclear if Speight will be available for Michigan's next game against Michigan State.

Kekoa Crawford

Michigan lost another starter later in the game when Kekoa Crawford went down grabbing his lower leg following a John O'Korn run.

Crawford was trying to make a block for O'Korn when he pulled up and hopped a couple of times on one leg before going down. Like Speight, he walked off under his own power, but there was a noticeable limp. The severity of the injury is unknown.

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The temperature on the field was more than 100 degrees in West Lafayette, so it's possible that Crawford just had a calf cramp. But he didn't return to the game, so it won't be known for sure until Harbaugh provides an update.

Nick Eubanks

Tight end Nick Eubanks was the third player to be knocked out of the game after a Purdue defender delivered a vicious blow to his head and neck area.

Eubanks hasn't played as many snaps as Speight or Crawford, but the young tight end has played a significant role in the offense. In the opener against Florida, he caught a 48-yard pass to completely flip the field and give Michigan a scoring opportunity.

READMichigan's explosive tight ends steal show on offense

On the season, Eubanks has two catches for 61 yards. The redshirt freshman is a member of the dynamic group of young tight ends Harbaugh has brought to Ann Arbor, and he offers a big target downfield in the passing game.


About the Author
Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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