The Michigan Daily football writers break down the weekend’s stats that don’t show up in the boxscore. The defense-o-meter measures the intensity of the defense, the Carr-o-meter judges Lloyd Carr’s demeanor following the game and the hypemeter measures the fans’ game performance.
Defense-o-meter: 3/4 Crables
After some early mistakes and shoddy tackling gave the Illini a 14-3 lead, the defense stiffened. It allowed just 29 rushing yards to mobile quarterbacks Juice Williams and Eddie McGee and held Illinois to just three second-half points while the Michigan offense made its comeback.
Carr-o-meter: 3/4 Lloyd Carrs
Carr couldn’t have been more proud of quarterback Chad Henne. The coach said just one word summed up the injured senior’s play: courageous. Although he didn’t seem too excited to be talking to the media so close midnight, Carr was generally pleased with his team’s performance. He even answered questions about special teams this week.
Hypemeter: 4/4 Big Houses
An incredible atmosphere at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. After spending all day tailgating, the Illini fans were ready for Michigan, making their presence felt early and often. Clad almost completely in orange and yelling throughout the game, the Illinois fans impressed us. Even with the clock winding down and the game appearing to be over, most fans stayed until the clock struck zero, hoping for some sort of miracle comeback.