The Illinois Fighting Illini improved to 6-1 with a 21-7 win over the Michigan Wolverines. On a day when the program rededicated Memorial Stadium, Bret Bielema’s squad made Red Grange proud. The Fighting Illini never trailed all day and used a strong running game and persistent defensive front to deliver Michigan their third-season loss. Turnovers, sacks, and even a fake punt helped propel Illinois to their first win over the Wolverines since 2009.
Luke Altmyer outshone Jack Tuttle in a quarterback matchup, and Bret Bielema re-emerged on the national scene as a premier college football coach with his performance against Sherrone Moore. The win over the defending national champions was capped off with a storming of the field, celebrating the win, bowl eligibility, and ushering in a new era of Fighting Illini football.
Party Like It’s 1924
Illinois broke out the throwback jerseys Saturday afternoon in their matchup against #24 Michigan. To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the dedication of Memorial Stadium in Champaign, the Fighting Illini turned back the clock with an overwhelming rushing attack and a relentless pass rush, paired with an opportunistic defense and trick plays. Michigan was battling for much of the game but found themselves thoroughly outmatched as the game wore on.
Starting running back Kaden Feagin did not suit up for Illinois, leaving Josh McCray to get his second consecutive start. For Michigan, Will Johnson left the game in the first quarter after Michigan’s first defensive possession, and he would not return.
Illinois Fighting Illini Establish Run
Illinois received the opening kickoff and made a concerted effort to establish the run early. With Feagin out of the lineup and the Michigan defense touting premier stoppers up front with Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Josiaah Stewart, putting them on their toes was a priority for Barry Lunney’s offense. Josh McCray got the start, but Aidan Laughery made some big plays. Luke Altmyer didn’t have a huge day and had to escape the pocket a number of times to evade the pass rush.
The run game was a constant lifter to the success of the Illinois Fighting Illini offense, starting from the first drive and continuing on. Luke Altmyer continued to increase his scrambling to keep drives alive and get easy yards. McCray and Laughery combined for over 100 yards and created a threat that ‘Wink’ Martindale had to respect, putting fewer resources into stopping the passing game.
Michigan Quarterback Struggles
Jack Tuttle got the nod for the Michigan Wolverines at quarterback and had trouble getting into rhythm. The Michigan Wolverines’ rushing attack supported Tuttle throughout the game. Kalel Mullings did a vast amount of work, especially after Donovan Edwards fumbled. Even with help from Mullings, Tuttle struggled to consistently make good throws and keep the Michigan offense on track.
The pressure that the Illinois defensive front was able to put on Tuttle made it more chaotic for the seventh-year veteran, leading to a fumble in the first half and a late-game end-zone interception. When Tuttle was at his best, he was finding tight end Colston Loveland, Michigan’s premier receiving threat. Illinois made adjustments on defense that made it difficult on Tuttle. Especially in the second half, Illinois only rushed three and dropped eight into coverage.
Illinois Passing Game
The numbers for the Illinois Fighting Illini passing game weren’t gaudy, even with Will Johnson injured. There were multiple occasions where Michigan defensive backs were beaten by Pat Bryant or Zakhari Franklin and rather than give up big plays, first downs and touchdowns, opted to hold and interfere. Luke Altmyer’s stat line read weak, only completing nine passes for 80 yards, but the pressure he put on the Michigan defense allowed for Illinois to move the ball throughout the game.
The defensive pass interference penalties kept the Illinois Fighting Illini out of the end zone twice and contributed to two different drives ending in field goals. Altmyer found Tanner Arkin in the end zone for Illinois’ first score that pushed the lead from 6-0 to 13-0. Perhaps more importantly than what Altmyer did, what he didn’t do was Illinois won the turnover battle 3-0, and Altmyer stayed away from dangerous situations, continuing his great trend of protecting the football in 2024.
Fake Punt for Illinois Fighting Illini
One of the biggest plays of the game was a fake punt Illinois managed to pull off in the second quarter. With a six-point lead, the Fighting Illini were set to give the ball back to the Wolverines when they pulled off a fake punt from midfield. The ball went to Tanner Arkin who not only got the first down but got into the red zone on the carry. Illinois would finish the drive with a touchdown on a Luke Altmyer 1-yard sneak.
By not giving the Michigan Wolverines the ball back and by extending the lead back to two scores, the fake punt proved to be one of the most important plays of the game. Michigan would not get back within a score and the offense became more and more desperate to create big plays, helping the pass rush put more pressure on Jack Tuttle. The Illinois offense didn’t score and was largely stunted for the rest of the game, making the fake punt that much more crucial to Illinois’ victory.
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