Michigan football came off its bye week and laid an egg in the first half Saturday against Illinois in a top-25 Big Ten battle.
The No. 22 Wolverines lost two first-half fumbles, and allowed three scoring drives on defense, before finally showing life offensively late in the second quarter at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
Michigan 25-year-old quarterback Jack Tuttle, making his first start for the Wolverines, had a rough showing early with inaccurate passes, and had the ball punched out on a run early in the second quarter.
On the next possession, Donovan Edwards lost a fumble. Seven plays later, the No. 21 Illini had covered 51 yards for the game's first touchdown and a 13-0 lead. Illinois led 13-7 at the half after blocking a field goal to end the half.
CBS' halftime analysts ripped into the Wolverines' performance. And that was before U-M went three-and-out to start the second half and the Illini went right down for a touchdown and 2-point score for a 21-7 advantage.
"This is the best that you have coming out of a bye week, defensively and offensively?" CBS' Aaron Taylor, the former Notre Dame standout and six-year NFL veteran, said at the half. "What'd you do with that time?"
"I understand coming out of a bye it takes maybe a few series to get back up to speed, to real game," Brian Jones, who played at Texas and in the NFL, said. "But this is pathetic. And Jack Tuttle, way to get off to a good start ... in the wrong direction. This guy couldn't hit the side of a building, wide open tight end there. He's open again on the corner route, just hit him! Layer the ball over there, no touch on these passes. ... And right here, man he's running towards the light. Turns out it was a bus because he gave up the ball! Come on, you got to take care of the rock baby."
Folks on X ripped into Michigan first-year coach Sherrone Moore, and criticized the quarterback situation, turning to a seventh-year player in Tuttle.
Michigan in the second quarter averted disaster when a holding penalty away from the play negated an Illinois interception returned inside Michigan's 10-yard line. The Wolverines' quarterback room continues to be a large reason for this subpar season.
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