ANN ARBOR >> Somehow, someway, there is a disconnect between practice and games for Michigan in terms of turnovers. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore insists the players protect the ball in practices, but anyone who has watched the Wolverines’ games this season knows that has not carried over.

Michigan (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) has 15 turnovers and ranks 117th in turnover margin, 17th in the Big Ten. The Wolverines rank 122nd in turnovers lost, 107th in fumbles lost with six and 113th in interceptions as they prepare this week for in-state rival Michigan State (4-3, 2-2). Last season during their national championship run, they had five interceptions, including three in one game, and three fumbles.

The Wolverines are coming off a loss at Illinois in which they had two fumbles and an interception. They also hit their max of three turnovers against Arkansas State and Texas.

“I feel like (we’re) protecting it way better in practice, and it’s just not translated to the game,” Moore said Monday. “We have to figure out as coaches, as a team, how to translate all that stuff to a game. There’s things that you’re doing in practice that have to replicate in the game. And for us as coaches, whether that’s simplifying and doing things less so we can be better at those things, especially on offense, that’s what we’ll work toward doing that.”

Quarterback Jack Tuttle, in his first start, had a fumble and interception, and running back Donovan Edwards had his second fumble of the season against Illinois. The Illini scored 10 points off those turnovers in their 21-7 victory.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Edwards said Monday. “Especially just me always being hard on myself. I have two fumbles this year, which is not good. It’s just the small things that we always have to get better at. We just have to continue to win the day today.

“I live by a Kobe Bryant quote that says, ‘It’s a constant quest to be better today than you were yesterday and to make a better tomorrow than today.’ So that’s kind of the model that we have to live by, and every single week, every single day we have to get better. Every single week we have to get better.”

Tuttle took over for starting quarterback Alex Orji in the Washington game with Michigan trailing 14-0 and sparked three straight scoring drives. Michigan took a 17-14 lead, but Tuttle had two turnovers in the fourth quarter that led to 10 points and Washington’s 27-17 victory.

“We can’t turn the football over. That’s really the end of the discussion,” Moore said. “If you don’t turn the football over, you’re going to win the game. It puts you in a position to be in a good place. But we did that, so we have to take care of the football at all costs.

The Spartans also have endured turnover issues this season. They have nine interceptions and six fumbles. That is not something that Moore said concerns him.

“I just want us to be good,” he said. “I want us to take care of the football ourselves and not going to worry about what they’re doing. We’re going to try to take the football away from them, for sure, but for us, we’ve got to do everything we can to keep it.”

Moore said Monday night on the “Inside Michigan Football” show that he and his staff have a plan to try to make that happen.

“The biggest thing we need to do is keep it simple,” Moore said. “Not too simple where the defense knows everything, but for us, keep it simple so that our guys can execute a plan and let those guys compete, let those guys go out there and show (their abilities) and take care of the football.”