Ann Arbor -- In a crazy shootout, on a day when Michigan allowed more points than any time in its 1,224-game history, it was the much-criticized defense that made the final play Saturday to win it.
Coach Rich Rodriguez got the word on his headset from defensive coordinator Greg Robinson before Illinois' two-point conversion attempt in the third overtime: "We're bringing the house."
Rodriguez's reaction: "That's good."
Offensive lineman Stephen Schilling was standing on the sideline and couldn't watch.
"I just closed my eyes and listened for the crowd's reaction," Schilling said.
The thunderous roar throughout Michigan Stadium told him everything.
Linebackers Jonas Mouton and Craig Roh came charging through to force Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase to throw the ball away in desperation.
A rare blitz finished off a 67-65 victory, ending a three-game losing streak and making the Wolverines bowl-eligible for the first time in Rodriguez's three years.
"That's a perfect ending," Rodriguez said after the 3-hour, 51-minute marathon. "The defense, to make the play, to come with pressure, to basically win the game on the last play, I think, is really uplifting.
"Not just for the young guys but some of the seniors that have been trying to hold everything together."
This was the highest-scoring game in Michigan history. The 132 combined points surpasses U-M's 130-0 victory over West Virginia in 1904.
Illinois' 65 points (45 in regulation) broke the record for points by an opponent. Cornell scored 58 against the Wolverines in 1891.
Meanwhile, the 1,237 combined yards (676 by Michigan, 561 by Illinois) also were the most ever in a Michigan game.
The Wolverines won it because their offense could not be stopped by the nation's 15th-ranked defense -- well, except for those five turnovers -- and because their defense made a few key plays at the right time.
Michigan's Roy Roundtree caught nine passes for a school-record 246 yards. The old record was held by Jack Clancy, who had 197 receiving yards against Oregon State in 1966.
"When we play like we can play, I don't think anybody can stop us," said Roundtree, who scored two touchdowns.
Quarterback Tate Forcier came off the bench early in the fourth quarter to replace injured Denard Robinson. Forcier overcame a fumble on his first play and ended up passing for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
Forcier also connected with Junior Hemingway for the winning two-point conversion. Teams are required to go for two starting with the third overtime.
After watching Roundtree get off to such a sizzling start, including a 75-yard touchdown on the game's first offensive play, Hemingway said he jokingly asked on behalf of the other receivers, "Can we get some?"
He got some all right. Hemingway finished with six catches for 104 yards and two scores.
"Our wide receivers made a lot of big, big plays that might have been the difference for us," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Denard Robinson took a "helmet-to-helmet" hit late in the third quarter.
"He was dizzy," Rodriguez said. "He had a little headache. For his safety, we're not going to put him back in."
Robinson sat on the bench the rest of the way, but he was on the field, with a big smile, jumping around and celebrating with his teammates when it ended.
Robinson had passed for 262 yards by halftime, the most-ever by a Wolverine in a half.
The teams combined for 49 points in the second quarter alone (25 by Illinois) and were tied 31-31 at the half.
The Wolverines needed a 9-yard touchdown pass from Forcier to Darryl Stonum with 1:47 remaining to send the game to overtime.
While those 65 points allowed are embarrassing, they are not totally indicative of the defense's performance.
Illinois started 10 of its 17 drives at its 40-yard line or better, including five in Michigan territory. The turnovers and poor special-teams play constantly put pressure on a defense, which bent a lot and broke a little but didn't completely cave in this time.
Freshman defensive back Ray Vinopal wasn't going to worry about that points-allowed record.
"It's all about the W," Vinopal said.
"We're young, we play hard, we fight," safety Jordan Kovacs said of the defense, which improved its biggest weakest by holding Illinois to 6-for-16 on third downs. "There have been some down weeks. This is a positive one. We're going to ride it out."
Perhaps this week is a turning point for Rodriguez.
The NCAA announced Thursday it had dropped the most severe charge against him after its investigation of the Michigan program.
And while the defense remains a serious concern overall, this dramatic victory puts Rich Rod's team at 6-3 (2-3 Big Ten) with three games remaining.
As Rodriguez said, grinning, "It's been a good week."
Nov. 6, 2010
