CHAMPAIGN, Ill. >> It’s hard to decipher where Michigan goes now. The Wolverines have started three quarterbacks and now have three losses, including two straight on the road, and it is any wonder how the Wolverines will avoid the spiral they said they planned to avoid.

The 24th-ranked Wolverines, ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll coming off a national championship, will drop out of the rankings after being outcoached and outplayed in a 21-7 loss at No. 22 Illinois at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Michigan is now 4-3, 2-2 Big Ten and Illinois is 6-1, 3-1.

After losing at Washington two weeks earlier, the Wolverines said they would spend the extra week — they were off last weekend — working to find an offensive identity and consistency. They hit the reset button giving Jack Tuttle the start against the Illini, after Davis Warren started the first three games and Alex Orji the next three. Tuttle had relieved Orji in the Washington game and gave the team a spark before two costly turnovers in the fourth quarter.

There was a lot that went wrong for the Wolverines against Illinois. They had three turnovers, including two first-half fumbles, and late in the second half, had no points off two long drives, one that went 15 plays and used nearly nine minutes and another that went 69 yards on 12 plays and used 5:24.

Michigan’s nine possessions yielded three punts, two fumbles, an interception, a blocked field goal, a turnover on downs and a touchdown. For a team that had two weeks to prepare for this game, it was woefully lacking on offense Tuttle was 20-of-32 for 208 yards and had an interception and a fumble. Running back Donovan Edwards had the other fumble. The highlight was running back Kalel Mullings who had 87 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Tight end Colston Loveland had 83 yards on seven catches.

The Wolverines’ defense, without top cornerback Will Johnson much of the game because of what was reported during the television broadcast as toe injury, was not the weak link in this game and gave up 267 yards. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was 9-of-18 for 80 yards and a touchdown and also had 48 yards on 10 carries and a score. He has only one interception this season and was turnover free against Michigan.

The Wolverines gained some momentum late in the first half, scoring a touchdown and blocking an Illinois field goal attempt in the waning seconds, but opened the second half absolutely flat on offense with a three-and-out and a sack of Tuttle for a nine-yard loss on third down. Illinois started its drive with strong field position from its 45-yard line.

It appeared Michigan’s defense had stopped the Illini when Jaishawn Barham deflected an Altmyer pass on third down to bring out 4th and 7. But the Illini executed a fake punt and Tanner Arkin, who scored in the first half, ran 36 yards to the Michigan 16-yard line. Altmyer would score on a one-yard run and would make the two-point conversation to build a 21-7 lead.

Michigan’s defense was without standout cornerback Will Johnson who, according to the CBS television coverage, suffered a toe injury. He was on the sideline for the second half without his helmet.

Trailing by two touchdowns, Michigan got the ball with 9:16 left in the third quarter and drove 65 yards on 15 plays and used 8:49 but Tuttle was sacked on 3rd-and-6 and forced a 28-yard field goal attempt by Dominic Zvada, who was 7-of-7 on field goals entering the game. It looked like an issue with the hold and the kick was blocked with 27 seconds left I the third quarter.

Michigan put together another long drive in the fourth quarter and went 69 yards on 12 plays and after converting on 3rd-and-18 with a 22-yard pass to tight end Colston Loveland, Tuttle committed his second turnover of the game, this time an interception with just less than eight minutes left, effectively ending any shot at coming back

The Wolverines, with Tuttle making his first start and playing behind a tweaked offensive line with Jeff Persi at left tackle, Greg Crippen at center and Andrew Gentry making his debut at right tackle, was brutally inefficient in the first half with the exception of its final possession and only scoring drive that pulled the Wolverines within 13-7.The Wolverines were undermined by two fumbles — one each by Tuttle and Edwards — and five penalties, including a couple critical pass interference calls. They had 80 yards on 16 plays before the scoring drive.

During the last two weeks while Michigan enjoyed a bye after losing at Washington, the Wolverines’ defensive backs said they focused on cutting down explosive plays. Illinois had six pass plays of 15 or more yards and built a 13-0 lead with 7:53 left when Altmyer connected with Arkin on a two-yard score.

Tuttle’s play was unsteady in the first half and after the shaky start from Michigan’s offense, the Wolverines finally went back to its bread and butter and ran Mullings. Illinois entered this game having allowed 239 rushing yards in each of its previous two games, and the Wolverines made ground against the Illini in 72-yard, 12-play touchdown drive that used just more than six minutes. Mullings accounted for eight runs during that drive, including the one-yard touchdown — it looked more like eight inches — on fourth down with 1:40 left.

Illinois tried to add points before halftime, but Makari Paige blocked a 44-yard field goal by David Olano with three seconds left. Olano had made field goals of 47 and 32 yards to give Illinois a 6-0 lead. The 47-yarder came on the first series of the game when Michigan forced 4th-and-3 at the 29-yard line.

Michigan’s adjustments on the offensive line were partly because of injury. Myles Hinton, who started the first five games at left tackle, missed the game at Washington and was in uniform at Illinois but was considered a game-time decision. Crippen started at Washington in place of injured Dom Giudice, who also was in uniform at Illinois, and Gentry started in place of Evan Link.