For one final fight at Memorial Stadium, the Illini (7-3, 4-3) stepped up on both ends of the ball to defeat the Michigan State Spartans (4-6, 2-5), 38-16. The team has emphasized complementary football and playing for one another all season. On Saturday, that is exactly how Illinois succeeded against Michigan State.
Illinois’ offense worked off the efforts of its defense. Through their coordinated communication, they’ve now given themselves an extra edge going into the final two games of the season. Ten games into the year, Illinois’ athletes deserve their flowers and some brief evaluations.
Quarterback (B+): Junior quarterback Luke Altmyer needed a rebound game after the last two losses. Though not overly accurate, with a 59% completion rate, Altmyer got the job done while looking professional and comfortable, a step up from their recent matchups.
He finished with two touchdown passes and 231 passing yards. It was refreshing to see Altmyer learn from his errors. He released the ball quickly and was aware of his field position in challenging situations. Also, rather than taking sacks, he ran the ball himself or threw the ball away to avoid losing yards.
“Luke’s continued to be the guy we see at practice,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “He’s really diligent … I think today was one of those great examples of what you see during the course of the week is what you get during the game.”
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Running backs (A): Junior running back Josh McCray was the standout running back for the Illini on Saturday. McCray ended the game with 61 rushing yards and three touchdowns, the most touchdowns he has scored in a single game this season. Freshman running back Ca’Lil Valentine and sophomore running back Aidan Laughery added to the Illini’s running back success. Laughery, McCray and Valentine had a combined total of 119 rushing yards, which made up over 85% of the Illini’s total rushing yards for the game.
In his postgame conference, Bielema credited the running backs and assistant head coach Thad Ward. He highlighted that the success of Laughery, McCray Valentine and the entire running back ensemble stems back to Ward’s coaching.
“A running back room across the country, I think, may be the hardest to manage,” Bielema said. “The way Thad manages that room to have no egos in that room is impressive. They all cheer for one another, and it’s fun to be a part of.”
Receivers (A): Senior wide receiver Pat Bryant made his mark on Memorial Stadium’s history against Michigan State. Bryant is now Memorial Stadium’s player with the most touchdown receptions. Bielema noted after the matchup that he awarded Bryant with the game ball.
As for some of the other receivers on the team, senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin also continued to add touchdowns to his impressive record. Franklin scored his third touchdown as an Illini, bringing his career total to 41. With that, Franklin maintains 10 more touchdowns than any active player in the FBS.
“There’s not many tandems in the country that are that good,” Altymer said. “They make my job a whole lot easier with their experience and their abilities.”
Offensive Line (A-): Illinois’ offensive line was able to execute its job greatly. They protected Altmyer and had decent pass-blocking. As a whole, the offensive line stopped the Spartans from sacking Altmyer so he could do his job.
This is the first time since the beginning of the season that the offensive line has stopped the opposing team’s defense from sacking Altmyer. In the second half of the game, Altymer received more pressure from the Spartan’s defense, but Illini’s offensive line continued to shield Altmyer.
Other than protecting the quarterback, the offensive line also needs to be better prepared for blitzing attacks and protecting the run game. Both of these are things the Illini should aim to improve for the last two games.
Defensive Line (A): The seniors knew it would be their last run in Champaign. Because of that, they played with extra energy, aggression and thrill to make an impact against the Spartans. The Illini defense held the Spartans to a ridiculous 2-15 on third-down attempts and sacked sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles five times.
“I’m glad we got to end the season and my career like that,” said senior outside linebacker Seth Coleman. “From the staff to the players, I really enjoyed them like we were a family.”
It was full-family dominance from the linebackers against Michigan State. Coleman sacked Chiles twice and also broke up a pass. Junior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas had another monster game with three quarterback hurries and 1.5 sacks.
Though some veterans will depart after this year, the team is in good hands. Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Jojo Hayden recorded his first sack of the season, and junior linebacker Kenenna Odeluga stepped up when he needed to as well. It’s tough to see seniors go, but it’s a relief to know talent will still be prevalent next season.
Secondary (B-): Illinois’ backfield hasn’t excited with many interceptions as of late. But the defensive efforts Saturday were just enough to prevent more than two touchdowns. Since junior defensive back Miles Scott was ineligible to play for the first half due to a targeting call against Minnesota, sophomore defensive back Mac Resetich stepped in and led the team in tackles with seven.
Sophomore defensive back Matthew Bailey and junior defensive back Xavier Scott played well but allowed a chunk of receptions. However, that’s to be expected. Bailey had more of an edge against Michigan State and attacked harder in the interior. Scott had more trouble defending his opponents but maintained an effort to minimize yards after the catch.
Special teams (A): Illinois changed some things today with its punters and utilized Fabrizio Pinton in four punts. Pinton impressed the coaching staff and averaged 47.25 yards per punt, demonstrating the force he’s got in his leg.
To add on, sophomore kicker David Olano secured a 37-yard field goal, but some of the more notable moves came from junior wide receiver Hank Beatty. He averaged 12.3 yards in six punt returns and put Illinois’ offense in good field position to begin drives. Getting solid returns always gets the crowd and team hyped for the offense’s arrival, which is always welcomed energy.
