The Illini quarterback shuffle continued Saturday night against Michigan. Juice Williams started the game and played the entire first half before Eddie McGee replaced him in the third quarter for a series.

Head coach Ron Zook switched quarterbacks four times in the second half but neither quarterback was able to mount a comeback late in the fourth quarter.

After the game Zook named Williams his starter for next Saturday’s matchup against Ball State.

Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said it is too early to know exactly how he will use McGee next week.

“I want someone that’s going to move the team down the field and score touchdowns,” Locksley said. “That’s the ultimate goal of the quarterback.”

Williams started the game strong and found wide receiver Jacob Willis for a 26-yard touchdown in the opening series of the game. Later in the half Williams led the Illini on a 90-yard touchdown drive. It was Illinois’ longest touchdown drive of the year in terms of plays, yardage and time. He finished 8 of 14 for 70 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

McGee finished six-of-12 passing for 48 yards and also had 18 yards on the ground.

“We had a chance to make a couple of plays and for whatever reason the plays weren’t made,” Locksley said.

Flurry of flags

Ten Illinois penalties for 107 yards helped bail out the Wolverines and hurt any chance at the Illini defeating Michigan in Champaign for the first time since 1983.

Joe Morgan was charged with a personal foul late in the second quarter for roughing the punter deep in Wolverine territory. Michigan was punting from its own 13-yard line. The penalty gave the Wolverines an automatic first down.

They then marched 71 yards for a touchdown and grabbed the 17-14 halftime lead.

In the fourth quarter Vontae Davis was flagged for a 15-yard facemask penalty after stopping the Wolverines’ Greg Matthews on a third-and-15 play. The penalty gave the Wolverines an automatic first down and allowed them to keep possession in the fourth quarter.

“We don’t teach facemask; we don’t teach holding,” Zook said.

“Good football teams don’t make those mistakes; these guys know that,” he added.

Michigan was flagged four times for 35 yards.

Special teams

The Illini special teams got off to a hot start with Davis’ 63-yard opening kick return but it was downhill from there.

Jason Reda missed his first field goal attempt of the year on the Illini’s first possession of the second half. The kick sailed wide right. The 47-yard kick would have tied the game at 17; instead, Michigan took over at the 30-yard line and drove down to the Illinois 28-yard line before quarterback Ryan Mallett fumbled the snap and turned the ball over to Illinois. Reda connected on a 38-yard field goal on the next Illinois possession to knot the score at 17.

But the crucial special teams miscue came in the fourth quarter. After the Illini defense stopped the Wolverine attack at the Illinois 43-yard line, senior receiver Kyle Hudson fumbled the Michigan punt trying to make a fair catch on his own 12-yard line.

The Wolverines recovered and two plays later scored the game-winning touchdown.