CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Mistakes plagued the No. 17 Illini on Saturday morning, as they fell short of shocking the world and went down to the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes.
With untimely penalties stalling the offense
and turnovers putting the defense in tough spots, self-inflicted wounds were a killer for Illinois in the 34-16 loss.
Ohio State started three of its first six drives on Illinois’s half of the field, leading the way to a 20-point first half and a commanding lead at the break.
Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin and the rest of the offense ended up marching down the field for six total scoring drives over the course of the game, with three of them coming after Illinois turnovers.
Ohio State’s superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was able to execute against a beaten-up Illini secondary, scoring a touchdown and serving as Sayin’s safety valve on later downs.
It was an uphill battle for Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer, as a formidable Buckeyes defensive unit forced his first interception and his first fumble of the season.
Entering Saturday’s showdown, Ohio State had only conceded 25 points through its first five games, a daunting stat.
Coming out of halftime, however, it felt like the Illini QB and his offense had life for the first time.
They marched down the field for a 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a gutsy 4th down play call from offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., as running back Aidan Laughery burst into the end zone untouched, and a breath of fresh air swept through a rowdy Gies Memorial Stadium.
Laughery was the team’s leading rusher, adding 50 yards to go along with his touchdown. Wide receiver Collin Dixon had a good day through the air, as he tallied 46 receiving yards and grabbed his third touchdown of the season late in the fourth quarter.
For Illini fans that were momentarily riding high after the Laughery score, the wind was quickly let out of their sails.
A quick Ohio State touchdown drive and an Altmyer turnover immediately ensued, and the Buckeyes went on to prove why they’re the best team in the country, putting the game out of reach.
For much of the game, it felt like Illinois’s defense wasn’t able to catch its breath, which was a game-changer.
The Buckeyes dominated in terms of Time of Possession and only had one drive that was under a minute long, while the Illini had four.
All things considered, it wasn’t the showing that head coach Bret Bielema and his guys were shooting for in front of their home crowd.
While an upset win would’ve certainly shaken things up in terms of the AP Poll and Big Ten standings, there’s still a lot of football left to be played for the Illini, as five conference games remain on the schedule.
After a bye week, they’ll play their next game on the road, as they take on the Washington Huskies in Seattle.
STAT STUFFERS:
ILL Luke Altmyer: 248 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and one fumble
OSU Jeremiah Smith: 42 receiving yards, one touchdown
ILL Aidan Laughery: 50 rushing yards, four catches, one touchdown
UP NEXT:
The Illini get the week off, with their first of two bye weeks coming next weekend.
Following that, they’ll make a trip out to the West Coast for a match-up against the Washington Huskies on Oct. 25.
