No. 22 Illinois eyes 1st ranked-vs-ranked win at home since 1991 against No. 24 Michigan

 

[October 18, 2024]  By STEVE STEIN

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Michigan and Illinois will try to get back on track Saturday in the first ranked-vs-ranked game at Memorial Stadium since 2000.

No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) had a school-record 27-game Big Ten winning streak snapped Oct. 5 at Washington when it lost 27-17. The Wolverines also had won 11 straight road games.

No. 22 Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) led a one-win Purdue team 27-3 in the third quarter last week, fell behind in the final minute of regulation, and rallied for a 50-49 overtime victory.

The Illini are 11-11-1 in ranked-vs-ranked games at home, but haven’t won one since beating Ohio State in 1991. They’ve lost six straight ranked-vs-ranked games against Michigan at home and on the road.

Illini coach Bret Bielema wants his team’s fans to bring a raucous atmosphere.

“This place should be rocking and going crazy with two ranked teams going at it,” he said. “When we go to Michigan, we have to prepare for the crowd noise there. I really want someone to prepare for the crowd noise here. That’s when we’ve arrived.”

QB play will be key to success

Illinois’ Luke Altmyer, who has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s top QBs in his second year as a starter, threw for a career-high 379 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 60 yards and a TD vs. Purdue.

He’s thrown 14 TD passes this season — one more than last year — and has more passing yards in Illinois’ last three games (779) than Michigan has all season (690).

“At the end of the day, it’s about every guy doing his job,” he said.

Receiver Pat Bryant praised Altmyer’s leadership of the Illinois offense during a tense second half against Purdue.

“I had a sad face because we weren’t playing good football, but I never saw Luke’s expression change,” Bryant said. “He kept telling us to keep our composure. He had faith in us.”

The Wolverines have turned to their third starting quarterback this season, seventh-year player Jack Tuttle. He was at Utah as a freshman in 2018, didn’t play there, and was used sparingly in four years at Indiana before joining the Wolverines in 2023.

“Our guys call him Uncle Jack,” coach Sherrone Moore said. “We’re excited to watch this offense grow with him at the helm.”

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards (7) runs for a touchdown against Washington during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

There’s nowhere to go but up for the Michigan offense. The Wolverines are averaging 8.52 yards per pass completion, which ranks 133rd and last in the nation. They’re also 130th in passing offense, 119th in total offense fand 102nd in scoring (23.5 points per game.)

Tuttle replaced Alex Orji vs. Washington and was 10 of 18 for 98 yards and a TD. He also had a fumble and interception.

Michigan's dominance over Big Ten

Michigan is 44-5 in its last 49 games including 31-2 against Big Ten schools since the start of the 2021 season. The Wolverines were 15-0 last season en route to the national championship.

Another sellout at Memorial Stadium

The game Saturday will be played in front of sellout crowd of 60,670. It’s the second sellout of the season for Illinois. The first was Sept. 7 against then-No. 19 Kansas. This is only the second time since 2009 that Illinois has sold out two games in a season.

The green zone

The Illini don’t let scoring opportunities slip away when they reach the red zone. They’re tied for ninth in the nation with a 96% success rate (24 for 25 with 17 TDs).

Michigan's run defense

Michigan has the best run defense in the Big Ten. The Wolverines allow just 76 rushing yards per game. Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller calls Michigan’s defensive front “one of the best, if not the best in the country.” But Michigan allows 259 passing yards per game, third-worst in the conference.

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