Pro Football Focus gives out Michigan-Illinois grades
Michigan defeated Illinois convincingly yesterday afternoon, 41-8, which moved the Wolverines to 7-0 on the season.
With the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes falling to Penn State, No. 3 Michigan is in a prime spot to move up in this week’s rankings. Pro Football Focus, who grades out every player’s game for both pro football and college football, announced its grades for Michigan and Illinois last night.
Here’s what PFF’s Josh Liskiewitz said about both the Wolverines and Fighting Illini:
Michigan Wolverines
Quarterback grade: Wilton Speight, 79.7
Speight not asked to do much, but he produces
With the run game clicking, Speight did not have to do much, but he was extremely efficient on Saturday. In the intermediate range (throws that traveled between 10 and 19 yards through the air) he was at his best, completing nine of 10 throws for 170 yards and a touchdown. While his 99.3 QB rating on eight dropbacks he faced pressure is impressive, his 148.2 rating on 18 non-pressured dropbacks is close to perfection.
Top offensive grades:
TE Jake Butt, 84.4
WR Amara Darboh, 84.3
TE Tyrone Wheatley, 80.4
QB Wilton Speight, 79.7
FB Khalid Hill, 79.5
Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarterback grade: Jeff George, 41.3
George struggles in debut
This was clearly not an ideal situation for Jeff George’s college debut, and as expected he struggled mightily. He completed just four of 13 passes, and his touchdown probably should have been intercepted by Michigan S Delano Hill, but he miss-timed his jump and the ball floated over his hands and into the hands of Malik Turner. George faced pressure on 12 of 18 drop-backs, and completed just two of his 10 throws under duress.
Top offensive grades:
WR Malik Turner, 73.5
OG Nick Allegretti, 66.9
RB Kendrick Foster, 64.5
OT Connor Brennan, 58.6
WR Justin Hardee, 53.1
PFF Game-Ball Winner: Michigan CB Channing Stribling
No huge surprises here – in general, Michigan out-graded Illinois. The Wolverines will take its perfect record to East Lansing, Mich. next week to take on the 2-5 Spartans, who lost to Maryland yesterday, 28-17.
Liskiewitz’s full article can be read here.