No. 25 Michigan wiped the floor with Big Ten rival Illinois on Saturday, putting up a 21-point third quarter en route to a 45-0 shutout. The Wolverines got the scoring started when quarterback Denard Robinson, bothered late by a pinky injury, hit Jeremy Gallon for a 71-yard touchdown strike, and it was steady going from there.
The Wolverines put up 17 points in the first half: Robinson rushed for a 6-yard score and Brendan Gibbons hit an 18-yard field goal following a couple failed runs from Fitzgerald Toussaint. The game was plenty over by the time Thomas Rawls rushed for a 63-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter for 45-0 lead.
Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O'Toole had only thrown a combined 11 passes by the time the fourth quarter came around. In the end, Illinois finished with just 29 yards through the air, and 105 yards rushing. Michigan outgained them with 174 yards passing and 353 yard on the ground.
Box Score Hero: It seems like Denard Robinson is always the guy talked about when it comes to this section, and that's not changing today. Robinson accounted for four touchdowns, and 287 all purpose yards. While he only threw for 159 yards, he added 128 on the ground.
Rankings Ramifications: Illinois is unranked and will remain as such, while Michigan has a case to move up from its spot at No. 25. Within the Big Ten, the Wolverines now hold a 2-0 mark.
But Did They Cover? According to SB Nation's college football odds page, the Wolverines were favored by 21 points and easily covered. The over/under of around 50 wasn't reached in the shutout, however.
Next Week's Schedule: Michigan will take on a fierce rival Michigan State on Oct. 20, while Illinois will have a bye week to work out the kinks before taking on Indiana on Oct. 27.
This story was originally published on SB Nation.com.