Here's a nice run by Michael

Hart.

Well, I think it's an excellent call on third down and six.

The defense is playing man coverage, expecting defense.

pass and terry made a good call there and then max martin uh he got 12 carries in this game and really one of the real uh surprises for us to be able to give him some work you've got a 10 nothing lead still first quarter they've got a good screen package yes and twice uh in this game that's the first time they convert a first down get the ball outside the defense we got to get that uh straightened around.

And here on the cutback, Illinois ran the football very well here in the first half against us.

But the defense difference, here's a fourth and one.

Then you spread them out and got something done.

But what follows those two defensive stands was this drive, which was the drive of the game.

Well, this heart, uh, you know, over the left side again, uh, makes a good cut there, get extra yards.

Then you get a big play on a crossing route, and you're down near the goal line.

Well, we got first and goal at the six, and Greg Matthews, um, Ryan finds him an open spot there.

This is a big play in the game.

You can see the interference, the ball's in the air, the defender's got his hands on the receiver, and now, uh, we got a first down deep inside their territory.

You know, there was a movie once called Big Jake with John Wayne, and, and I kind of think that Jake, in a way, is a little, got a little John Wayne in him, doesn't he?

Well, you know, John Wayne was a great patriot, loved America, and, uh, Jake Long is one of those guys that truly loves Michigan.

Defensively, you hold a team to, what, under 50, under 40 yards

rushing? 52 yards, I think, and we rushed for 350 yards.

So if you look at it from a statistical standpoint...

It's easy for you to say.

No, it isn't.

But...

You know, the problem was we were too generous.

You said after the game you want to take your hat off to Ball State.

you know, over the left

side again.

Makes a good cut there, get extra yards.

Then you get a big play on the crossing route.

You're down near the goal line.

Well, we got first and goal at the sixth.

Greg Matthews.

And this is some clock-eating football right here, which is just what the

Shutting them out in the first half was unbelievable.

Well, Jim, uh, you know what can happen to you.

You can think because, uh, there's, uh, the defenses on both sides played so well the first half, uh, you...

The, the...

You can get into a mindset that it's gonna be that way the rest of the game.

But there's a lot of skilled athletes on that field on both sides, and I think as the game went on, both, um, fronts, they...

You know, they're not gonna rush the quarterback, uh, as well as they do early, and so the quarterbacks have a little bit more time.

Talk to me about your strategy and what your thoughts were as you took that ball.