Michigan Gets to Pasadena Via Illinois, 38-9

Michigan fullback Leroy Hoard, who spends much of his time in the coach’s doghouse, doesn’t appear in the Wolverines’ media guide and was suspended for a game earlier this season for skipping classes. But when Coach Bo Schembechler has needed him most, the 6-foot, 215-pound Hoard has delivered.

Michigan clinched its fourth Rose Bowl berth of the 1980s Saturday as Hoard rushed for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the 13th-ranked Wolverines to a 38-9 victory over Illinois.

“Hoard played decently,” Schembechler said. “He’s a load. I thought he played well, very well.”

With a Michigan Stadium crowd of 105,714 rooting them on, the Wolverines (7-2-1 overall, 6-0-1 in the Big Ten), who conclude the regular season next week at Ohio State, wrapped up the conference title and will play the Pacific 10 champion on Jan. 2 in Pasadena.

Illinois (5-4-1, 4-2-1) was limited to field goals of 32, 40 and 23 yards by Doug Higgins.

It was the second time Hoard has taken charge in a showdown game. He ran for two 54-yard touchdowns in a 31-6victory over Indiana 4 weeks earlier.

Hoard, carrying the bulk of the Michigan running load in the absence of injured tailback Tony Boles, scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter and a 1-yard scoring dive in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t think they expected a guy my size to play tailback,” Hoard said. “I just did what I had to do for the team. Anybody in the position I was in would have done the same.

“They were over-pursuing. I just cut back into the holes. I just ran through them. The Illinois defense wasn’t really charging. Our offensive line just overpowered them.”

Michigan quarterback Demetrius Brown, starting his first game of the season in place of injured Michael Taylor, completed 8 of 14 passes for 101 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chris Calloway that put the Wolverines ahead, 7-0 on, their first possession.

A 28-yard field goal by Mike Gillette, after an Illinois fumble, gave Michigan a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter and the Illini never got into the game.

“I told our players it’s not a disgrace to lose,” Illinois Coach John Mackovic said. “It’s only a disgrace not to play hard. This was a great learning experience for our team. We’ve adjusted well, considering it’s our first season together.”

Jarrod Bunch scored on a 3-yard run and Tracy Williams had a 1-yard touchdown run for Michigan.

Keith Jones rushed 18 times for 105 yards for Illinois, and quarterback Jeff George had 16 completions in 28 attempts for 135 yards with an interception.

Michigan took the opening kickoff and moved only 8 yards on two runs by Williams and an incomplete pass. Then, on fourth-and-2 at the Illinois 45, snapper David Weil hiked the ball to Erick Anderson instead of the punter Gillette.

Anderson, a 215-pound inside linebacker who lined up several yards ahead of Gillette as a blocker, ran 22 yards around right end before being tackled by Steven Williams.

Six plays later, including a 16-yard third-down pass from Brown to Calloway, Brown beat a blitz and flipped a 6-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Calloway.

On the third play after the ensuing kickoff, George’s pass went off the hands of wide receiver Steven Williams and was intercepted by David Arnold, who returned it 16 yards to the Illinois 21.

Four plays later, Gillette kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 10-0 Michigan lead with 7:38 remaining in the first quarter.

On their next possession, the Illini went 60 yards in 12 plays for a 32-yard field goal by Higgins with 2:34 remaining in the quarter. Illinois had a first down-and-goal from the Michigan 5-yard-line, but wound up losing 10 yards in 3 plays before the field goal.

On the next Illinois possession, Jones’s fumble, after a hit by Tripp Welborne, was recovered by Mark Messner and the Wolverines went 74 yards in 9 plays for Hoard’s 3-yard touchdown run a 17-3 lead with 7:33 remaining in the half.

George moved the Illini into position for Higgins’ 40-yard field goal, cutting Michigan’s lead to 11 points with 6 seconds left in the half.

After a 22-yard punt by Illinois’ Brian Menkhausen, Michigan drove 47 yards in 8 plays for Bunch’s touchdown early in the third quarter.

The Wolverines went 66 yards in 11 plays for Williams’ touchdown and 38 yards in 9 plays for Hoard’s final touchdown.