By halftime Michigan had eight times as many yards as Illinois. Deep into the second half the Wolverine defense still hadn't let the Illini cross midfield. Yet as the clock wound down on the third quarter, all that had gotten the Wolverines (No. 24 BCS, No. 22 AP) was a 10-point lead on an Illinois team starting to piece together a rally. Cornerback J.T. Floyd provided the missing piece, picking off Nathan Scheelhaase's pass and returning it 43 yards to set up a decisive touchdown, giving Michigan a 31-14 win that Michigan's coaches credited in large part to their defense.
