Michigan football is currently experiencing a losing streak for the first time in four years after suffering another setback on Saturday.
Ranked No. 22, Michigan (4-3) was defeated by No. 21 Illinois (6-1) with a score of 21-7, marking their second consecutive loss, a trend not seen since 2020. Michigan had a week off after losing their first road game against Washington two weeks prior and faced Illinois in hopes of regrouping. This victory made Illinois bowl-eligible for the first time since 2022.
Illinois capitalized on two forced fumbles in the first half, resulting in 10 points following a field goal on their opening drive. Michigan managed to score just before halftime, with Kalel Mullings running for a touchdown to close the gap. However, the first half was challenging for the Wolverines. Illinois extended their lead early in the second half with a touchdown following a successful fake punt. Michigan reached the red zone twice but failed to score, suffering a blocked field goal and an interception at the goal line.
This game also saw Michigan using their third starting quarterback of the season, with seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle taking the helm after replacing a struggling Alex Orji in the prior game. Tuttle finished with 20 completions on 32 attempts for 202 yards, along with one interception and one lost fumble.
The game’s key moments included:
3:14, 4Q: Michigan turned the ball over on downs while trailing 21-7, unable to capitalize on a fast punt from Illinois. After gaining one first down, Tuttle was sacked and then threw three consecutive incompletions.
7:58, 4Q: An interception by Tuttle in the red zone thwarted a potential scoring drive for Michigan, leaving the score at 21-7.
0:27, 3Q: Michigan’s field goal attempt by Dominic Zvada was blocked after a lengthy drive came to a halt inside the 10-yard line.
9:16, 3Q: Illinois scored another touchdown with Luke Altmyer sneaking in to extend their lead to 21-7.
Halftime concluded with a blocked field goal by Michigan, preventing Illinois from extending their lead to two scores.
1:40, 2Q: Michigan’s first points came after a 12-play drive, ending with Mullings scoring on a fourth-and-goal.
7:43, 2Q: Illinois scored a touchdown through a pass from Altmyer to Tanner Arkin, making the score 13-0.
10:57, 2Q: Donovan Edwards fumbled, leading to an Illinois recovery.
Despite dodging some turnovers early in the game, Michigan’s offense struggled significantly, gaining just 40 yards on 12 plays in the first quarter.
With the loss, Michigan will now shift their focus to the upcoming matchup against their rivals as they seek to end the losing streak and regain momentum in the season.