After starting the season 3-0, No. 9 Illinois (3-1, 0-1) was completely dismantled by No. 19 Indiana (4-0, 1-0). The Hoosiers won 63-10, dominating the Illini on both sides of the ball.
Illinois certainly did not look the part of a top-10 team. It amassed less than 200 total yards on offense while allowing nearly 600 on defense. The 53-point loss is by far the worst loss Illinois has suffered under head coach Bret Bielema.
“(I’m) at a loss for words,” Bielema said. “I’ve never been a part of something like that.”
Close until it wasn’t
Things looked grim right out of the gate for Illinois. After a three-and-out deep in their own territory, the Illini sent out senior punter Keelan Crimmins. Instead of getting the punt away, junior defensive back D’Angelo Ponds blocked it and scooped it up for a touchdown.
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Just like that, Illinois was down 7-0, and all the momentum was with Indiana. Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer and the Illini offense took the momentum right back, though.
The senior connected with sophomore receiver Collin Dixon for a 59-yard touchdown. The score tied things up and quieted the Hoosier fans down. That was the last time the offense found the end zone.
Total dominance
On the other side, Indiana’s offense was firing on all cylinders. The Hoosiers scored 63 points and completely outplayed the Illini. Junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 21 for 23 for 267 yards and five touchdowns, all while sitting out the fourth quarter.
The rushing attack was even better. The Hoosiers totaled 312 rushing yards. The Illini ran the ball for a total of two yards.
Indiana continued to rub it in during the fourth quarter. It didn’t pass the ball once, keeping it on the ground. The Hoosiers tallied 147 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns in the quarter.
“We just didn’t have answers for what they were doing,” Bielema said. “They kept pouring it on.”
On defense, Indiana totally shut down Illinois. The Hoosiers allowed just 161 total offensive yards. Their defensive line overwhelmed the Illini, racking up seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
When it rains, it pours
The Illini couldn’t seem to get a break all night. Coming into the game, senior defensive back Xavier Scott was ruled out, weakening the secondary. Early in the game, senior defensive back Miles Scott was ejected for a targeting penalty.
It didn’t stop there. Junior defensive back Kaleb Patterson suffered an injury and didn’t return. Late in the fourth quarter, junior defensive back Matthew Bailey was shaken up and didn’t take the field for the rest of the game.
With less than three minutes left, senior defensive back Torrie Cox Jr. went down and walked off the field gingerly. That’s a total of four starters in the secondary who left the game due to injuries.
With another ranked team coming up next week, Illinois can’t afford any more losses in the secondary.
Heading back home
After the beatdown in Indiana, Illinois will head back to Gies Memorial Stadium to take on USC. The Homecoming game will kick off Saturday at 11 a.m.
@ben_some16
