No. 24 Michigan’s season has become very predictable.
The defending champions fell 21-7 to No. 22 Illinois on Saturday, dropping to 4-3. The Wolverines’ offense once again struggled to throw the football, turning the ball over three times and leaving the defense to defend multiple short fields.
Illinois had just 267 yards of total offense, and the Illini’s longest scoring drive was just 55 yards. That came in the third quarter, when Luke Altmyer scored a one-yard TD on the eighth play of the drive, giving the Illini a 14-point lead after the ensuing two-point conversion.
Oh, that drive also included a phenomenal fake punt that totally caught Michigan off guard.
After Illinois opened the game with a field goal, the 10 straight points Illini scored came on a 32-yard field goal after a 24-yard drive and a TD on a seven-play, 51-yard drive.
The field goal was set up by a fumble by QB Jack Tuttle. He made his first start of the season after replacing Alex Orji during the Wolverines’ Week 6 loss at Washington. The TD came after Donovan Edwards was fumbling around midfield at the end of a 19-yard run.
Michigan put together a long TD drive to cut Illinois’ lead to six before halftime, but that was the best the offense looked all day. A 65-yard drive in the second half led to a blocked field goal, and a 12-play, 69-yard drive ended with an interception midway through the fourth quarter.
The Wolverines’ offense simply cannot be counted on to break a big play unless it is in the run game. TE Colston Loveland’s 29-yard catch was the only UM play of more than 20 yards until Hogan Hansen’s 20-yard catch on the final garbage time drive. Kalel Mullings rushed 19 times for 87 yards, and Tuttle was sacked five times.
Tuttle finished the game 20 of 32 passing for 208 yards and two turnovers. His pedestrian total underscores how much trouble Michigan has had throwing the football. It’s the most yards the Wolverines have thrown all season, as UM QBs have only thrown for more than 200 yards in a game twice all season.
Considering Tuttle is the third QB of the season behind Orji and Davis Warren, it seems pretty clear that the passing game doesn’t have a magic solution. And with games remaining against No. 2 Oregon, No. 16 Indiana and No. 4 Ohio State in November, Michigan may be lucky to get eight wins this season.
