3 things to watch for Michigan Football against Illinois

Stay healthy

This is the most important factor of Saturday’s game against Illinois. I would rather win by one score and leave injury free than win by 30+ points but lose a key contributor. Obviously, those are both scenarios we’d like to avoid, but it is key that the Wolverines stay healthy.

The past few weeks, particularly last week, have seen a couple of Wolverines go down. I’m hopeful that most of the players were taken out for precautionary reasons, but we cannot afford to lose players. The Wolverines have seen injuries take out Donovan Edwards, Luke Schoonmaker, Trente Jones, Trevor Keegan, Mike Morris, and more.

It is essential that the Wolverines heal up before their matchup in Columbus. While I’m looking for the Wolverines to dominate Illinois on Saturday, I’m hopeful that it is a very conservative domination. I would love to see Corum taken out once the lead is two possessions or so, or at the very least I would love to decrease the number of runs straight up the middle into the teeth of the defense.

Out of everything we Wolverines fans want to see on Saturday, health is the number one factor. Maybe the Wolverines can sub in some of their underutilized players as the game advances. Look for the freshman trio of Darrius Clemons, Tyler Morris, and CJ Stokes. Ever since his insane spring game catch, I’ve been waiting for the staff to give Darrius Clemons a chance. He’s been put in the game in run-blocking situations a number of times but is an extremely talented receiver.

If the Wolverines can leave Saturday healthier than they entered it, that is a win. Wolverine fans, don’t overlook Illinois but November 26th is quickly approaching. Stay tuned for my Ohio State matchup analysis following the Illinois game.

Go Blue. Beat Illinois. Beat Ohio.