Behind the Mic

No Rest For The Weary Illini Defense

Posted by: Brian Barnhart

Saturday, October 3, 2009 8:17 PM

For the first 30 minutes the Illini football team belonged on the field with #15 Penn State.  The offense had some big plays (Juice to Benn-49 yards the biggest). The defense limited big plays (52-yard TD run by Stephon Green the only really big play) and it was scoreless after the first quarter.

The Illini offense was poised to take the lead late in the first half...or at least get a roughly 43-yard field goal attempt from Matt Eller to get within a point of the Nittany Lions.  But an intentional grounding penalty took them out of scoring position as the final seconds of the half ticked away. 

The Illini had outgained the favored  Nittany Lions and had more first downs than Joe Paterno's team.  It was a contest at 7-3 Penn State.

Then came the 2nd half.

The key stat of the game really tipped in PSU's favor in the 3rd quarter.  On third downs...the Nittany Lions converted time and time and time again.  They finished at a 75% (8 for 12) conversion rate on third downs for the contest. The backbreaker was a 50 yard run by quarterback Darryll Clark on 3rd and long that really zapped the Illini's defensive energy.  Penn State scored on that drive and eventually pushed the lead out to 28-3 with 10 minutes left in the game.  The Illini defense spent most of the 2nd half on the field and just simply ran out of gas as two Nittany Lions went over 100 yards on the ground and nearly had a third (quarterback Darryl Clark).

Illinois did manage two late touchdowns and Juice Williams passed Kurt Kittner on the all-time total yardage list at Illinois...but all in all....the Nittany Lions took control of the game in the final 30 minutes and never let the Illini back in the game.

Next week:  Michigan State at 11 am...with the Spartans coming off of an emotional overtime win against Michigan. 

 

 

 

 

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