It was hard to pinpoint any one thing that went wrong for Illinois (5-2, 2-3 Big Ten) in Saturday’s 42-25 loss to Washington in Seattle – and that’s the crux of the problem. The Illini aren’t one or two adjustments away, or ready to cure what ails them with a good week of practice focused on a particular skill or technique. The wheels – all of them – are starting to come off, and a quick tune-up isn’t the answer.
Illinois coach Bret Bielema didn’t boil over in Saturday’s postgame press conference, but he didn’t hide his frustrations, either. Nor did he pull any punches when it came to his willingness to step in and take a more hands-on approach in certain lagging areas (specifically amid the struggles of defensive coordinator Aaron Henry’s unit).
Here, we share an edited, slightly condensed version of Bielema’s postgame presser, concentrating the sharpest takes, juiciest bits and most relevant info. (See full video just below if you prefer.)…