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Riding the A-Train Huge rushing game lifts No. 10 Michigan over Illini
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Michigan and Illinois traded places. Anthony Thomas, injured and helpless as Michigan blew a 20-point lead to Illinois last year, scored on a 3-yard run with 2:30 left as No. 10 Michigan beat the No. 19 Illini 35-31 on Saturday. Rocky Harvey, who scored Illinois' last two touchdowns last year, was forced to watch from the sideline knowing that his late fumble gave Thomas his chance to be the hero. "Any game you lose, you take it personal," Thomas said. Michigan took advantage of two late Illinois fumbles and rallied from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit behind the comeback of injured quarterback Drew Henson. "Drew was a tremendous lift for everybody," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I've never been prouder of a group of kids. These kids fought and fought." On the play before the winning touchdown, Thomas dropped the ball near the goal line, but officials ruled he was down. A replay appeared to show otherwise. But Illinois lost two of its three fumbles, including one on its last drive. "There are a lot of things we could have done better so I'm not going to put it on that [fumbles]," Illinois coach Ron Turner said. "Obviously, protecting the football is one of them." After missing the first three games with a broken right foot, Henson replaced an ineffective John Navarre late in the second quarter. Thomas rushed for 228 yards and two touchdowns to help the Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) avoid a repeat of last week's close loss at UCLA. "After last week, we didn't want that feeling again," said Thomas, who returned to Michigan for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft. "I didn't come back to lose games." Illinois' final drive ended when Jameel Cook fumbled near midfield. The Illini (3-1, 0-1) missed a chance at the program's best start since 1951. Illinois stopped Michigan's first drive, but were fooled by a fake punt. Cross ran 41 yards before the stunned Illini caught him at the 18. Four plays later, Thomas scored on a 2-yard draw. The early momentum swung on two punts. Illinois' Steve Fitts pinned Michigan at its own 2. When the Wolverines' drive faltered, punter Hayden Epstein bobbled a low snap in the end zone. He scrambled and tried to kick, but instead sent the ball floating sideways and Illinois batted it out of bounds at the 3. Antoineo Harris ran it in on the next play. Late in the half, Aaron Moorehead broke free and caught quarterback Kurt Kittner's pass for a 58-yard touchdown play. With Illinois leading 14-7 and 1:42 left, Carr switched quarterbacks, replacing Navarre with Henson. Henson exploited Illinois' prevent defense to move the Wolverines into field-goal range with 14 seconds to go in the half. Epstein, who missed a late 24-yard field goal last week in Michigan's 23-20 loss at UCLA, missed the 32-yarder wide left. Kittner drove the Illini 65 yards on the opening series of the second half, hitting tight end Josh Whitman with a 15-yard TD pass. Henson and David Terrell, held to two catches for 12 yards in the first half, teamed up on the next drive. On fourth-and-inches near midfield, Henson dove for a first down. Then he went deep to Terrell, who jumped so high to make the catch that he landed flat on his back at the Illinois 11. Henson scored on an 8-yard scramble. Kittner answered with a 76-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard field goal by Fitts that put Illinois up 24-14 with 22 seconds left in the third quarter. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Henson hit Terrell with a 57-yard touchdown pass to get Michigan within three. Kittner responded with a 17-yard touchdown to Eric McGoey to go up 31-21. Chris Perry scored on a 15-yard run to bring Michigan close again, 31-28, with 9:29 to go. Illinois could not hang on. On a third-and-6, Harvey tried for extra yardage and fumbled at the Illinois 26. Two plays later, Thomas ran for 17 yards, but appeared to fumble near the goal line. Illinois recovered, but the officials ruled Thomas was down. Thomas then scored the game-winner. "We were up and we didn't come out and do what we needed to do in the fourth quarter," Kittner said.
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