Brown Fills Hart's Shoes, Lifts Michigan
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Carlos Brown ran for 113 yards filling in for Mike Hart and Mario Manningham scored two touchdowns to give No. 24 Michigan a 27-17 win over Illinois.
Mike Hart, the nation's leading rusher with 152 yards a game, watched from the sideline in street clothes after hurting an ankle last weekend in a win over Purdue.
But Brown's 25 carries and Manningham's nine catches for 109 yards, combined with a bunch of Illinois mistakes, helped Michigan (6-2, 4-0) extend its winning streak to six games.
After starting the season with humbling losses to Appalachian State and Oregon at home, Michigan is tied with No. 1 Ohio State for the Big Ten lead.
The Illini have lost two in a row are still looking for the win they need to become bowl eligible for first time since 2001.
The Illini (5-3, 3-2) were flagged 10 times for 107 yards and kept two Michigan scoring drives alive with penalties.
And return man Kyle Hudson fumbled away a punt at his own 13 in the fourth quarter to set up the Manningham's second touchdown, which came on a gadget play.
Wide receiver Adrian Arrington ran right on a reverse before tossing to Manningham open in the Illini end zone.
Illinois earned a share of momentum with an early 7-0 lead, but gave it back with mistakes.
A short punt and interference penalty led to the Wolverines' first points, a 25-yard K.C. Lopata field goal that made the score 7-3.
Michigan took its first lead on a drive that, if not for another costly mistake, would have ended deep in Wolverine territory.
After back-to-back sacks of quarterback Chad Henne, the Wolverines were forced to punt from their own 13. But Illinois' Joe Morgan ran into punter Zoltan Mesko, giving Michigan a first down.
Ten plays later, Henne hit Arrington for a diving 8-yard touchdown and a 17-14 lead.
Henne hurt his hand on a first-quarter sack, and left the game twice. But he finished the game, completing 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Backup Ryan Mallett was 2-for-6 for 16 yards and an interception.
Rashard Mendenhall ran for 85 yards on 18 carries for the Illini.
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