In Illinois’ opener on Thursday, the offense was spectacular. Transfer quarterback Katin Houser went 13-for-17 and threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns while tacking on a rushing TD. Running back Ca’Lil Valentine sliced and diced his way to 88 yards on just 11 carries and found pay dirt. Veteran wideout Collin Dixon reeled in two touchdowns.
But while the offense churned out 42 points, the defense gave up 23 – and, arguably, was fortunate to get away with yielding only that. The ballyhooed new scheme created some havoc: a sack, six quarterback hurries and a pick-six for linebacker Ismael Kante. Yet the Illini defense also kept giving up ground.
The defensive line seemed to play its role. The secondary, for the most part, lived up to its billing – especially Matthew Bailey. And even the linebackers were fairly solid. There didn’t seem to be any glaring, egregious mistakes – a sentiment confirmed by Illinois coach Bret Bielema. So what gives?
Illinois’ defense was abysmal in one area – and with reason
“Overall, there wasn’t communication breakdowns,” Bielema said in the postgame press conference. “I don’t think there was a lot of busts. And there’s a lot of stuff coming at them.”…