The Fighting Illini opened conference play today with a rough 35-7 loss against Penn St.
The Nittany Lions stayed hot, winning their third straight. They played rather efficiently, with few penalties, no turnovers, and 23 first downs.
The Illini, on the other hand, struggled to even put the ball in the endzone. Their only touchdown came off a pass from Josh Ferguson, a freshman running back from Joliet Catholic.
Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase once again struggled as well. Putting the ball in the air 46 times, Scheelhaase had just 270 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The question that ran through my mind all game; Is it time to give Reilly O'Toole the starting job?
O'Toole has played terrific, when he has actually played. Nearly an 80% completion percentage, O'Toole finds his receivers. Not as much of a running threat as Scheelhaase, O'Toole still has the ability to move out of the pocket.
The Illini had a terrible day running the ball. One word to describe their efforts on the ground? Pathetic.
Donovonn Young broke off a 52 yard run, but only had 5 carries other than that. Take away the 52 yard carry, the Illini had 21 carries for just 22 yards.
It is tough to describe the Illini this year, except for inconsistent. Two good wins and three really bad losses.
They show tendencies of being undisciplined at times, but can also seem like one of the better teams in the B1G Ten at other times.
As they prepare for their toughest opponent yet, the Wisconsin Badgers, the Illini have to think about being more consistent, more disciplined, and smarter team all together.
At 2-3, it is obvious the Illini most likely won't make a bowl game this season. Not even the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
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