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Instant Analysis: Michigan 45 - Illinois 0

It got ugly, yo.

Gregory Shamus - Getty Images

There isn't much to say about this game. Michigan came out from the beginning and took it to Illinois in just about every facet of the game. Coming into the game it wasn't considered much of a matchup, and that proved to be true as Michigan coasted to an easy victory.

We didn't learn much, but the wreckage left behind is spectacular.

  • Denard Robinson may have gotten dinged up, but otherwise he was right on all afternoon. He finished the game completing 7/11 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns while running for 128 yards on 11 carries (11.6 ypc) and adding another pair of touchdowns. He is on.
  • The defense is playing at as high a level as it has in a long, long time. Today Illinois was held to 133 total yards, couldn't crack 30 yards passing, and put up a measly 2.8 yards per rush. Michigan dictated things all game and Illinois never got closer than it did to miss a long field goal. What can I say about Mattison that hasn't already been said.
  • If you want a big reason the defense was able to put that kind of effort forward, look no further than Jake Ryan, who spent the entire game causing problems for Illinois. His final line: 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. For anyone asking how good he could be, I'd simply say: he's there.
  • Fitzgerald Toussaint didn't have the kind of breakout game many wanted, but he didn't see a lot of clean holes to run through. Both Thomas Rawls and Justice Hayes got some snaps as the game wore on, and all three finished with over 60 yards.
  • No Michigan receiver caught more than one pass.
Michigan has Michigan State coming to town next week, and a win in that one would go a long way towards putting the Wolverines out front for the division title. With the way the team is playing now (and Michigan State's disappointing performances of the past two weeks) it seems that Michigan could even enter the game as a favorite. We've come a long way.