Try as it might, Illinois football just couldn’t help itself from being Illinois football. Neither defense nor offense could be commended for what was an all-around atrocious performance as the Illini descended from mediocrity to helplessness in a 42-3 loss to Michigan State.

It was a few plays here and there that slowly peeled the lid off this game and let all the ugliness out. The most memorable of these was a touchdown pass thrown by Michigan State’s Connor Cook with just seconds left in the first half.

But the trouble didn’t start there. It started for Illinois when its first drive was gutted by a holding penalty against center Alex Hill. The hold enabled and subsequently cost a touchdown pass to tight end Jon Davis. A Taylor Zalewski field goal gave Illinois an advantage — and hope, as the team who’s scored first has one each of Illinois’ first six games — but left four points off the board that mattered at the time.

Tims Banks and Beckman, speaking of their defense, praised the effort in the first half. Banks said his team had a good week of practice and had made strides. He thought his players showed some of that progress early.

In the first half, perhaps for the first time this year, it was Bill Cubit’s offense that left more to be desired.

A timely Michigan State fumble on the goal-line gave Illinois a chance to avoid going down and expand its lead. The first quarter came to an end and allowed Illinois to flip sides of the field and play with the wind at its back.

Cubit called for a double reverse, and like they have more and more lately, the trick plays worked against the Illini and not for them. Ryan Lankford took the handoff from Scheelhaase and, despite Michigan State busting through the line and effectively blowing up the play, pitched it back to Martize Barr, who couldn’t handle it. Michigan State recovered.

Later in the second quarter, Illinois drove on Michigan State again, getting the ball eventually to the 1-yard line. Aaron Bailey, goal-line bruiser extraordinaire, was not inserted. Donovonn Young, who has recently been relegated to second string and short-yardage situations, was not inserted (he wouldn’t play all game). Two runs later, Illinois has given the ball back to Michigan State.

Enter the 99-yard drive and the soul-crushing, double-tipped, third-and-25 touchdown pass.

Fade to black for both the first half and Illinois’ sense of optimism.

Lankford’s mistake would be his last of the day, as he was chewed out by Cubit before heading to the locker room with an injury that Beckman later said was likely the end of his season. He is a senior.

Beckman emphasized positivity in the postgame press conference. He insisted that there were positives to draw from the game. He broke the news on Lankford and said Lank would continue to lead the team “by not playing.” Banks was similar. He emphasized the good and acknowledged without dwelling on the bad.

The players have to temper their expectations and accept their fate. They are not part of a top Big Ten program. They are the team that’s fighting to prove it belongs after losing its last 17 conference games.

It’s time to put away the notion that this team is a fringe competitor in the conference. Losing to Nebraska and Wisconsin happens. Losing to Michigan State happens, too, but not in the capacity with which it just did Saturday in front of 45,000-plus fans. Not unless your team has deep-seeded problems it needs to overcome.

Effort, competitiveness, tackling, covering receivers, shedding blocks in the trenches — these are elementary defensive problems to have. On offense, Cubit relies upon trick plays because he doesn’t believe the team can move the ball in its base offense.

Illinois solidified itself as an underdog from here on out. It came clean as a conference bottom-feeder. It can compete with better teams in the conference, but only in the right circumstances, and even then, for how long?

In the worst of ways, Illinois football came home Saturday. The goals from here on out have to change, and the focus has to be improvement. No room to worry about a bowl game. Penn State looms in a week, and Illinois will have to go to a place where a winning culture serves as a foundation for a successful program, which for Illinois is about as far from home as it gets.

Eliot is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @EliotTweet.