advertisement

No. 3 Michigan tops Illinois 41-8, tunes up for Michigan St

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Wilton Speight faked a handoff and delivered a strike to Tyrone Wheatley Jr. for a 21-yard touchdown as the tight end when from right to left. Later, he drilled the ball to Amara Darboh, putting it where only the receiver could catch it between a couple defenders as he zipped from left to right.

He was so sharp and his team was up by so much that he didn't even have to play the whole game.

Speight threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters before watching No. 3 Michigan finish off Illinois 41-8 Saturday.

Taking advantage of last week's bye, Speight spent a lot of time studying himself.

"I watched all the six games, every snap, and took a lot of notes," he said.

The Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) were leading 34-0 in the fourth quarter when Jim Harbaugh put backup quarterback John O'Korn in the game and rested Speight.

Speight, who completed 16 of 23 passes, threw a 3-yard pass to Jake Butt to score the first of four straight TDs to open the game.

"May have had one of his best games," Harbaugh said. "It was windy out there. It was tough to throw."

The Fighting Illini (2-5, 1-3) found that out as they were relegated to starting their third-string quarterback with a familiar name.

Jeff George Jr., son of the former Illinois and NFL quarterback, was 4 of 15 for 95 yards with a TD, an interception and a fumble in his first start. He played because Wes Lunt and Chayce Crouch are injured.

"It's tough, but everybody has to have a start," Illinois coach Lovie Smith said. "The running game could have helped him and other people had to play better."

Illinois ran for 77 yards as a team - 113 below their previous average - and gained just 3.3 yards per carry.

After Michigan botched a fake punt near midfield in the fourth quarter with a 34-0 lead, George threw a 43-yard TD pass to Malik Turner on the next snap and followed with a 2-yard conversion pass to Zach Grant.

Karan Higdon scored on a 45-yard run on the ensuing possession and finished with 106 yards rushing on just eight carries for the Wolverines.

THE TAKEAWAY

Illinois: George got off to an awful start, but bounced back with some good throws. He was 0 for 7 in the first half with an interception.

"At one point, I looked up and there was zero yards passing," Harbaugh said.

George fared better in the second half. He perfectly lofted a 43-yard pass to Turner in the third quarter and dropped another long pass to him just over safety Delano Hill early in the fourth for a TD. George's father attended the game and gave his son a pregame pep talk.

"He told me to get my mind right and get my emotions in check," the freshman said. "He said I belong out there."

Michigan: The Wolverines seemed to let up in the second half for the first time this season. They were up big, leading 31-0 at halftime, but didn't continue to score at will as they did in other lopsided wins. Speight acknowledged that the team has to learn how to not "give the opponent any sense of life" after building a big lead.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Wolverines will likely stay ranked No. 3, their highest spot in The Associated Press poll since 2006.

JUST KICKING IT

Michigan's Kenny Allen made two field goals from 23 and 27 yards after missing his previous three attempts.

HAMMERIN' HANK

Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron accepted Harbaugh's invitation to be the team's honorary captain, giving him a chance to visit his granddaughter, a student at Michigan. Aaron flipped the coin before the game.

UP NEXT

Illinois: The Illini return home to host Minnesota.

Michigan: The Wolverines play at Michigan State, a game they've been looking forward to since a botched punt led to a stunning loss a year ago.

"Those last couple seconds are still boiling ," De'Veon Smith said. "We still taste it in our mouth."

___

Online:

AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org

Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight, left, celebrates a touchdown with tight end Tyrone Wheatley (17) and running back De'Veon Smith (4) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Michigan running back De'Veon Smith (4) leaps over Illinois defensive back Stanley Green for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The Associated Press
Michigan running back Karan Higdon (22), defended by Illinois linebacker Hardy Nickerson (10), rushes for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) returns a kickoff in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Michigan running back Karan Higdon (22) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback John O'Korn (8) in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Illinois quarterback Jeff George, Jr. (3) is sacked by Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (73) in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight (3) runs alongside his offense lined up in a straight line formation in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh wears a headset and glasses on the sideline in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Ding) The Associated Press
Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (73) reacts after sacking Illinois quarterback Jeff George Jr. (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The Associated Press
Illinois defensive lineman Gimel President tries blocking a pass while pushed by Michigan offensive lineman Michael Onwenu (50) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The Associated Press
Michigan running back Karan Higdon (22) outruns Illinois defensive back Stanley Green for a 45-yard touchdown run during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.