Illinois

Staff Predictions: Michigan at Illinois

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

The Michigan Wolverines (4-2) come off their bye this week and hit the road to Champaign to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1). As we have all season long, staff writers from Maize n Brew are chiming in on this weekend’s game in this edition of the Roundtable.

And just like that, the bye week is over and we are back to football! Michigan will travel to Champaign to take on Illinois tomorrow afternoon. What are you most looking forward to seeing benefitted from the week off for the Wolverines?

Von: Health! The last time we saw the Wolverines, 10 players (not including Rod Moore who’s out for the season) were out against Washington, including edge rusher Derrick Moore, cornerback Aamir Hall, linebacker Jimmy Rolder, and offensive linemen Myles Hinton and Dominick Giudice. Michigan NEEDS to get healthy and stay that way to have any shot of a second-half comeback in the Big Ten, so hopefully most of these guys can return this weekend.

Grace: Injuries really impacted Michigan the last few games. I’m hoping they’ll be healthy heading into the back half of the season. Along with that, more time for Jack Tuttle to get comfortable at quarterback.

Nick: I’ll be looking to see if Michigan made any (the bar is low here so yes, literally any) improvements in the passing game. We saw Jack Tuttle gave the offense a little bit of a spark when he entered the Washington game, so I’ll be looking to see if him and the offense can keep their momentum going for more than a quarter and a half. This momentum will come from a more balanced approach and success throwing the ball. They don’t need to go out and throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns, but just be a little better to take some stress off the run game and keep the ball moving.

Andrew: Quarterback, the most important position in all of sports, of course. For the last week, Jack Tuttle has been able to walk around campus and hold his head high as Michigan’s starting quarterback. But with that comes the responsibilities of preparing like the starter, practicing like the starter, and ultimately playing like one to uplift and instill confidence in everyone around him. Going from plucky reliever to starter is a daunting task, but if Tuttle can bring baseline competence and consistency to the position this week, Michigan will have a chance to win.

Matt: I’m looking forward to seeing how the offense looks after two weeks of practice with Jack Tuttle at the helm. I don’t expect him to be a Heisman-caliber quarterback by any means, but you can tell his skillset is suited to the offense Michigan wants to run. I’m hopeful the week off will allow for the offense to find some sort of rhythm.

Kellen: The bye week could not have come at a better time. The Wolverines needed to get healthy after so many starters were out for the Washington loss. I’m looking forward to seeing a Michigan team at full strength face an Illinois team that came realllllly close to losing to the worst team in the Big Ten (and losing the eliminator challenge on the Pick’em Podcast for Von and I).

Illinois barely escaped Purdue last weekend, 50-49 in overtime. The game was on Illinois’ home turf and didn’t feature Purdue starting QB Hudson Card, who was out due to injury. Can we take anything away from this performance that leads you to believe Michigan can have similar success?

Von: Illinois’ defense got completely exposed last weekend by the Boilermakers. Purdue put up 297 passing yards with backup quarterback Ryan Browne, and 239 yards rushing, with two guys — Browne and Devin Mockobee — each going for more than 100 yards. Illinois’ defense had been rock solid all season long up until last week’s game, only giving up 78 points in the five games prior to Purdue, so perhaps Michigan can study the film and see what they can do to put plentiful points on the board with Jack Tuttle now under center.

Grace: In my opinion, the better game to look at for comparison is the Illinois/Penn State game. Michigan’s offense isn’t really built to put up more than 500 yards of offense. Penn State, on the other hand, ran for 239 yards and only threw for 135. The Nittany Lions came away with a 21-7, win and that feels more achievable for the Wolverines.

Nick: I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch much of this game, but I do know Purdue is not a good team and Illinois shouldn’t have been taken down to the wire. Purdue had success running the football with 239 yards on the ground, so I would expect Michigan to adopt a similar formula of pounding the rock. I think Illinois showed it was susceptible through the air as well, surrendering 297 yards to a backup quarterback, so perhaps this is the game Michigan can get something going in the passing game.

Andrew: That game broke my brain. Is there any lowest-level ‘Ewing Theory’ potential with Purdue? Perhaps my only takeaway is the Illinois offense found a way to score 50 against a P-4 opponent, and I am not sure if that is possible for the Wolverines.

Matt: All season long, I’ve wondered if Illinois is as good as its record indicated. The respectable showing in a loss two weeks ago to Penn State left me with inconclusive results. However, last week’s nail-biter over Purdue gives me significant hope Michigan should be able to to take care of business. The defense will be a problem for the Fighting Illini.

Kellen: Illinois’ offense is still a pleasant surprise, but its defense couldn’t stop a runny nose against a team that has looked just as bad as Michigan on offense. Part of me is wondering if that was a kitchen sink, got-nothing-to-lose game from Purdue, but those defensive miscues makes me confident Michigan can at least make some progress offensively.

Give us a bold prediction or two for tomorrow’s game.

Von: Jack Tuttle will throw for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois. (This may not seem bold, but Michigan has had just ONE 200+ yard passer this year — Davis Warren against Texas, and even in that game he only threw for 204 yards.)

Grace: Michigan gets most of their passing yards from a flea flicker.

Nick: I think Colston Loveland goes for over 100 yards receiving. Tuttle might be better at throwing the ball than Davis Warren or Alex Orji, but I don’t necessarily think that means that the receivers will have sorted much out. Loveland is and should continue to be the center of the passing game, so I think we could see a monster game from him with Tuttle throwing him the ball. Another bold prediction? We’ll go with another Will Johnson pick-six for no reason whatsoever.

Andrew: A Michigan wide receiver scores a touchdown. (this bold prediction feels very 2017).

Matt: The threat of a passing game opens up the running offense. Tuttle will throw for less than 150 yards, but Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings will eclipse 85 rushing yards each.

Kellen: Donovan Edwards will score both the first touchdown of the game and the touchdown that seals the victory for Michigan.

What do you think will be the final score and why?

Von (5-1): I got Michigan winning this one, 24-21. I think this is a pretty tight, relatively low-scoring game that goes Michigan’s way.

Grace (4-2): I’ve got Michigan winning, 24-17. The defense is going to give up a few big plays that lead to scores for Illinois, but the defense does enough to force a short field. From there, Michigan can score enough to win the game.

Nick (2-0): Deep breath. I think Michigan wins it, 21-13, following generally the same script as Penn State’s win over Illinois. Let the run game carry the load on offense, and the defense has itself a bounce back performance after the bye week.

Andrew (3-2): Michigan shows improvement, but its old bad habits rear their ugly heads at the worst time. Illinois wins, 24-21.

Matt (2-2): Michigan 24, Illinois 21. Michigan has had two weeks to get healthy and figure out how to function as an offense. I would hope a scripted drive or two can propel the Wolverines to an early lead they can hang onto thanks to an excellent run game.

Kellen (1-3): Michigan wins, 31-28, because of an offensive line that’s gotten healthy, a full game with Jack Tuttle and big plays gashing a shaky Illinois defense.

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Illinois

Takeaways: Michigan basketball ends Illinois streak, wins Big Ten

Published

7 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Takeaways: Michigan basketball ends Illinois streak, wins Big Ten

Michigan basketball entered Friday having lost nine straight games to Illinois. With the sole regular-season matchup coming in Champaign against the KenPom No. 4 Illini, it was going to be a tall task for the Wolverines to end that streak.

The game matched up the nation’s No. 2 defense against the No. 1 offense, and in front of a raucous Orange Krush, the maize and blue took a little while to get into an offensive rhythm. Because the No. 5 offense is no slouch, especially against the No. 31 defense. What’s more, Morez Johnson Jr. returned to Champaign after spending his first year with Illinois.

However, the Illini certainly showed how much Michigan appears to be their rival, and really played a physical brand of basketball. After Illinois got a five-point lead, the Wolverines bounced back and got a six-point lead. Illinois had a slight advantage in the first half on the boards, but the Wolverines had a field goal advantage. Both teams were relatively even on turnovers.

Ultimately, Michigan ended up taking a seven-point lead into the locker room at halftime, but backup point guard LJ Cason appeared to have hurt his knee on the final score of the half.

The second half started with a Michigan layup and an Illinois 3. The next round of scoring went exactly the same way. But then Yaxel Lendeborg hit a 3 to stop the asymmetry. They traded baskets, but then after a few Illinois turnovers, the Wolverines pushed the lead to 10.

Cason returned to the game after the under-16 media timeout, providing (temporary) good news for the maize and blue (he would leave the game again shortly). But the Wolverines missed a few shots, and Illinois took advantage, getting a shot from the field by Mirkovic before Wagler hit a 3 to cut the lead to five, prompting a Michigan timeout with 13:09 remaining.

Illinois cut Michigan’s lead back down to six, but Yaxel Lendeborg stretched it back to nine with a layup-and-one. Then Aday Mara started taking over.

Mara was unguardable, scoring floaters, dunks, and putbacks. His quick 7 points put the Wolverines up to a game-high of 14 with 9:13 remaining. The Illini answered to end the nearly three-minute field goal drought, ending Michigan’s 7-0 scoring run. But the Wolverine defense held, and Trey McKenney finally hit his first (of three) 3-point attempts to push the lead to 15, and he hit again on the next trip, pushing the lead to 18 with 7:34 left in the game. It was a 13-2 scoring run for the maize and blue.

After an Illinois timeout, they missed again, and Will Tschetter got in on the contagious, 3-pointer action, pushing the lead to 21. Cadeau finally broke the makes from deep, and Wagler hit to cut the lead back to 18 with 5:41 remaining.

Illinois couldn’t mount a comeback, and Michigan won, 84-70. Here are our five takeaways.

Homecoming for Morez Johnson Jr.

An Illinois native who spent his first year with the Illini, the Orange Krush did as much as it could to make it uncomfortable for the outgoing transfer. However, it wasn’t the case, as Johnson was often the best player on the floor.

He was the only Michigan basketball player in double digits at halftime, with 13 points, five rebounds, and a steal, and he was something of an energizer bunny out on the floor for the Wolverines. There were no qualms for Johnson returning to his old stomping ground, as he played one of his best games in a maize and blue uniform.

Johnson was quiet in the second half, but the damage was done, and it makes his former teammate’s pregame comments more prescient:

What could have been.

Johnson finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points and netting 11 rebounds.

Michigan’s offense outplays Illinois’ offense

As noted, the Illini entered the game with the No. 1 overall offense, while the Wolverines were No. 5. Yet, when the rubber hit the road, it was the maize and blue who had the superior offensive attack, managing to shoot 52.5% overall and 60% in the second half. Illinois managed 41.3% and 43.3% respectively.

The Michigan defense forced Illinois to go through a series of uncomfortable stretches in the second half, with multiple three-minute droughts from the floor. And Illinois, which is accustomed to getting to the foul line, couldn’t seem to draw many fouls until relatively late in the game. Even when the Illini forced three Wolverine turnovers late, they couldn’t seem to take advantage.

Ultimately, Michigan was dominant on both ends of the floor.

Bench, fastbreak, and points in the paint

The Wolverines dominated all three categories, finishing the game with 20 bench points, 10 fastbreak points, and 42 points in the paint. We already discussed Johnson and his homecoming, but we cannot leave out Aday Mara, who was just such a mismatch for Michigan vs. the Illini. As noted, Mara really flexed late in the game, taking it over. He was the catalyst for most of these stats.

Meanwhile, Illinois only had 7 bench points, 1 fastbreak point, and was just behind Michigan with 32 points in the paint.

The streak was emphatically broken

As we said in the open, the Illini had beaten the Wolverines nine straight times. Even the Fab Five couldn’t beat Illinois in Champaign, as the maize and blue have historically struggled at State Farm Arena. Though it took some time for the Wolverines to flex, flex they did, and this was as emphatic of a win as Michigan had all season.

The final score may have been just a 14-point gulf, but honestly, the game wasn’t really that close (and it hadn’t been for most of the final 10 minutes). This was a huge win for the Wolverines, one that’s been years in the making. If not decades.

With the win over Illinois, Michigan has won the outright Big Ten regular-season title.

No. 1 overall seed back in the realm of possibility

It may come down to the Big Ten Tournament now that Michigan has lost the head-to-head with Duke. And the Blue Devils’ 54-point win over Notre Dame pushed them into the No. 1 NET ranking, stealing it away from the maize and blue. But with a win over the No. 4 NET-ranked Illini, the Wolverines have the second-best win in college basketball (behind Duke, of course). They also have wins over No. 5 Gonzaga, No. 7 Purdue, No. 11 MSU, No. 12 Nebraska, and will face No. 26 Iowa on the road next week.

There’s a strong case for the maize and blue to have the No. 1 overall seed given the levels of domination over most all of the aforementioned teams.

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Illinois

Wisconsin man, woman killed in head-on Wadsworth crash involving semi ID’d: officials

Published

19 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin man, woman killed in head-on Wadsworth crash involving semi ID’d: officials

WADSWORTH, Ill. (WLS) — Two people who were killed in a head-on crash involving a semi in the north suburbs on Thursday morning have been identified, officials said on Friday.

The Lake County sheriff’s deputies and the Newport Township Fire Protection District responded to the Route 173 crash, which happened west of North Kilbourne Road in Wadsworth, around 7:50 a.m.

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Witnesses told investigators that the driver of a 2009 Acura sedan, which was traveling eastbound, appeared to be having difficulty staying in his lane and drifted into the path of a Freightliner semi-truck, which was heading westbound.

The two vehicles then collided head-on, officials said. A third vehicle was also hit.

Chopper 7 was over the scene at 9 a.m., capturing the damage.

The sedan’s driver, a man, and a passenger, a woman, were pronounced dead on the scene.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified them as 51-year-old Kelly Wooten and 45-year-old Jacklyn Bradley of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Preliminary autopsy results indicate that both Wooten and Bradley died from blunt-force injuries.

The driver of the third vehicle, a 54-year-old Salem, Wisconsin woman, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash shut down Route 173 between Kilbourne Road and U.S. 41 in both directions.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team is investigating.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

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Illinois

AIPAC faces test of its power in Illinois primary as Democrats debate future of Israel relationship

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

AIPAC faces test of its power in Illinois primary as Democrats debate future of Israel relationship

WASHINGTON — A crowded primary season in Illinois is shaping up as the next test for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful advocacy organization that’s generating fresh turmoil over the Democratic Party’s relationship to Israel and the role of undisclosed campaign cash in this year’s midterm elections.

AIPAC, which was founded decades ago to lobby for U.S. support for Israel, has reserved at least $1.9 million in advertisements through its super PAC in the race to replace Rep. Danny Davis, a veteran politician who is retiring. The organization hopes to boost Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the city treasurer in Chicago, to victory over a dozen other candidates in the March 17 primary.

Other organizations that critics believe are tied to AIPAC are also spending heavily in Illinois, a source of bitterness and recriminations in a state already known for its bare knuckled brand of politics.

The aggressive spending comes after AIPAC put almost $2 million into a recent Democratic primary for a special election in New Jersey, an effort that’s widely considered to have backfired. AIPAC targeted Tom Malinowski, a former congressman who narrowly lost to progressive candidate Analilia Mejia — who has been outspoken in criticism of Israel.

But AIPAC appears undaunted by the experience, despite an outpouring of criticism from across the political spectrum.

“We expect to be involved in dozens of races both in primaries and general elections this cycle,” said Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for AIPAC’s affiliated super PAC, the United Democracy Project, or UDP.

AIPAC has more urgently pursued its mission as Democratic skepticism and even hostility toward the U.S.-Israel relationship increases because of the war in Gaza, jeopardizing traditional bipartisan support for military assistance to a historic ally. But the group’s assertive interventions in this year’s primaries, which are expected to expand in the months to come, also risk further fracturing the party and eroding any remaining goodwill.

AIPAC has been dividing line in Illinois primary

Campaign finance laws involving super PACs make it nearly impossible to ascertain who is behind much of the money being spent in Illinois. Although UDP is open about its affiliation, recently created groups like Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now haven’t yet been required to disclose the sources of their money.

Neither group is obligated to disclose its funding until after the Illinois’ primary. Critics suspect they’re conduits for AIPAC money, and AIPAC has declined to say whether there’s any connection.

UDP, Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now are three of the top four spenders on advertisements in House races so far, with almost $11 million total, and the majority going to Illinois. Financial numbers are drawn from AdImpact, a nonpartisan ad-tracking service.

None of the organizations mention Israel in their campaign messaging, a strategy that AIPAC-affiliated groups have used in the past as well.

For example, the United Democracy Project assailed Malinowski in New Jersey as sympathetic to President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts, undermining him with liberal voters. In Illinois, it is promoting Conyears-Ervin to replace Davis in the 7th congressional district by saying she will fight to lower costs and protect healthcare.

The strategy has contributed to speculation and angst about AIPAC’s influence in politics. Supporters of Israel accuse critics of using antisemitic tropes about dual loyalty, and others say the focus on AIPAC is misplaced.

“I think the folks who are talking the most about AIPAC are seeking to demonize Israel and create a break in the U.S.-Israel relationship,” said Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat who represents Illinois’ 10th district.

“The problem is Citizens United and the decision to allow dark money,” said Schneider, the co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus. “The problem is the rules. Let’s fix the rules.”

Candidates have been criticizing each other for their perceived willingness to accept help from AIPAC. Four progressive candidates vying for different Illinois congressional seats jointly condemned the organization’s role in the state’s primaries during a press conference in February. Another candidate is selling shirts on her website with anti-AIPAC messaging.

AIPAC has increased its campaign spending in recent years

Malinowski is still raw over his experience as AIPAC’s target in New Jersey, and he said that he won’t support any candidates backed by the organization this year. He described himself as pro-Israel even though he opposed unconditional assistance for the country, a stance that drew AIPAC’s ire.

“Obviously, we were going to talk about Israel and Gaza in the campaign because many voters would be asking questions about it,” Malinowski said. “But I wanted those discussions to be about the substance, not colored by baggage of endorsements from groups that are controversial now.”

AIPAC said in a statement that Mejia’s success in the primary was “an anticipated possibility,” suggesting they had no regrets that their role could have helped pave the way for a candidate who has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.

Although AIPAC has always been politically active, it began spending directly on campaigns during the 2022 midterms.

Since then, it has spent more than $221 million through its traditional PAC and its super PAC, according to Federal Election Commission filings between December 2021 and January 2026.

The super PAC has mostly focused on Democratic primaries. In the 2022 and 2024 cycles, UDP spent at least $1 million supporting or opposing 18 candidates, 16 of whom were Democrats. Many of those candidates were running in open races.

Traditional PACs are allowed to raise and donate up to $5,000 per candidate per election, and may coordinate directly with campaigns. Super PACs don’t have fundraising or spending limits but are not allowed to make direct or in-kind contributions to candidates nor coordinate communications.

In 2024, UDP’s biggest investments were made in support of centrist challengers to progressive incumbents. It spent more than $13 million in the 2024 Democratic primary in New York’s 16th District, in which current Rep. George Latimer defeated former Rep. Jamaal Bowman. It also spent $8.5 million opposing former Rep. Cori Bush, who lost her primary to Rep. Wesley Bell.

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