"[18][19] After five minutes of play, "the men were plastered with mud,"[20] and the wet field contributed to poor footing and difficulties handling the ball.

Michigan students raided the hotel dining room and woke the guests with a variety of cheers and songs, including "Varsity" and "Samuel Hall".

"[26] Michigan's scoring drive was led by the rushing of Franklin Cappon and Doug Roby and ended with a field goal kicked by Frank Steketee.

One sports writer opined that Kirk's 80-yard return "will take rank with the most brilliant football achievements of any of Michigan's illustrious sons of the gridiron.

The field goal was set up by Bennie Oosterbaan's interception and a long gain on a triple pass from Friedman to George Babcock who then handed the ball to Bruce Gregory.

The Associated Press noted: "The fact that the same men finished the game is causing wide comment, for such a happening has not occurred in Big Ten contests for a great many years.

This seems to be the age of wholesale substitutions, and to have two elevens go through an important and hard contest without rushing in new men every few minutes is to upset modern football precedent.

Michigan played without its backfield star, Louis Gilbert, who was injured the prior week when he threw three touchdown passes against Ohio State.

On November 3, 1928, Illinois came into the Michigan game undefeated and expecting to win a fifth national championship under head coach Robert Zuppke.

In a result that was rated as "the greatest upset in years in the Big Ten", Michigan won, 3–0, with the only points being scored on a field goal by Joe Gembis.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Newman returned the ball 76 yards to the Illinois 19-yard line, and Petoskey ran for the touchdown.

[47] On November 4, 1933, undefeated Michigan beat Illinois 7–6 en route to the team's second straight national title.

Fullback Cook scored from the three-yard line, but Barton Cummings' kick for the extra point was blocked by Michigan's right end Willis Ward.

[49][50] Illinois coach Zuppke was credited for his "magnificent" strategy in nearly upsetting a Michigan squad that had been hailed as the "perfect team".

[56] On November 11, 1944, Illinois and Michigan came into the game with both teams ranked in the top 10 in the AP poll for the first time in series history.

In the third quarter, Illinois end Sam Zatkoff intercepted a pass thrown by Bob Chappuis and ran 53 yards for a touchdown.

Russ Steger scored for Illinois, and Michigan's winning touchdown was set up by a 52-yard passing play from Bob Chappuis to Bump Elliott.

[61] In its tenth and final year under head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan went on to compile a perfect 10–0 record, win the Big Ten Conference championship, and defeat the USC Trojans 49–0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl.

Michigan's defense held on a goal-line stand in the first quarter (first-and-goal from the five-yard line), and Illinois failed to convert a field goal on fourth down.

The New York Times called the game, witnessed by a homecoming crowd of 85,938, "one of the wildest fights in Big Nine history" and added, "What a battle this was!

The game was a scoreless tie until late in the fourth quarter when the Illini drove 84 yards, capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tommy O'Connell to Red Smith.

Michigan's star back, Jim Pace, who won the 1957 Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the Big Ten MVP, was injured after a 48-yard gain early in the first half, carried off the field on a stretcher, and sidelined for the remainder of the game.

[71] In November 1963, Pete Elliott's Illinois team, led by Dick Butkus, was ranked #2 in the country and was the favorite for the Rose Bowl when it played Michigan.

The Illini, led by Tony Eason, took a 21–7 lead in the first quarter, but Michigan dominated for the remainder of the game, scoring 63 unanswered points.

[75] Trudeau passed for 271 yards and two touchdowns, the first to Thomas Rooks and the other to David Williams, who was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

[80] On November 14, 1992, an unranked Illinois team led by Jason Verduzco played the undefeated, #3 Wolverines to a 22–22 tie at Michigan Stadium.

Quarterback Johnny Johnson scrambled and threw a touchdown pass to Jim Klein with 34 seconds left for the winning score.

Michigan trailed 21–7 in the third quarter, but Drew Henson replaced John Navarre at quarterback and led the Wolverines to three late touchdowns.

[86] Despite the loss, Illinois, led by senior quarterback Kurt Kittner, went on to win the Big Ten championship and lost to LSU in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.

[89] After the 2024 additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, the Big Ten eliminated the divisional format and announced future conference schedules from 2024 to 2028.