Trick plays have been a staple of Bill Cubit’s offense. The offensive coordinator implements gadget and trick plays to open up a defense. Early in the 2013 season, such plays elicited audible “oohs” from the crowd as yards piled up behind the flash and misdirection.

But during the Illini’s (3-4, 0-3 Big Ten) three-game losing streak, the explosive trick plays have blown up in Illinois’ face, as they did twice in a 42-3 loss to Michigan State on Saturday.

For the second consecutive week, the Illini fumbled a double reverse which immediately led to a short field and quick touchdown for the opponent.

Last Saturday against Wisconsin, quarterbacks Nathan Scheelhaase and Aaron Bailey couldn’t hook up on the lateral, but this week wide receivers Ryan Lankford and Martize Barr were the culprits. Lankford couldn’t get a clean pitch away when he was hit by Shilique Calhoun and Barr tried to scoop up the ball instead of falling on it before it was recovered by the Spartans’ Marcus Rush at the Illinois 23-yard line.

“The thing that is a little disturbing is that we practice it all week, walk through it a lot and they lined up wrong,” Cubit said of the botched reverse. “We got to line up first and do it right and then take care of the ball.”

The Illini dialed up the double reverse four plays after its defense had forced its sixth turnover of the season — a fumble recovery in the end zone — and the ensuing Spartan touchdown brought the score to 7-3.

To cap it all off, Lankford injured his shoulder on the play and head coach Tim Beckman said the senior is “probably out for the season.”

“We gave the game away,” wide receiver Spencer Harris said. “We always shoot ourselves in the foot. The play is there and someone doesn’t make the play or there’s an offside penalty. There’s always something.”

The Illini had a chance on to go up 7-0 on their opening drive of the game, but a holding penalty on center Alex Hill negated a touchdown. Illinois eventually settled for a 31-yard field goal.

Despite the lack of success over the past few weeks with trick plays, Cubit was not backing off his philosophy of creative play-calling.

“We’re not going to be able to move the ball just playing base offense,” Cubit said. “We’re just not at that point.”

A second trick play came in the second quarter with first and goal from the 5-yard line, and the Illini looking to take the lead. A jetting wide receiver took a handoff and quickly gave it back to Ferguson hoping to misdirect the defense, but the running back was hit in the backfield for a four-yard loss.

The Illini would eventually be stopped from the 1-yard line on consecutive plays, and when the Spartans went 99 yards back the other way right before halftime, the momentum was firmly on the their side.

After two drives deep into Michigan State territory, the Illinois offense couldn’t move the ball or stay on the field. The unit finished with 128 total yards and only 12:56 of possession time in the final 45 minutes of the game. The Illini set season-lows in passing yards, rushing yards, total offense and points against versus the Spartans.

The Illini travel next week to Penn State, which had the 16th-best defense in the country entering Saturday’s games.

“Ultimately, we have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves,” Scheelhaase said. “No one else is going to feel sorry for us. We’re no longer a young or inexperienced team, we’ve played seven games. Honestly, no one really cares. Penn State doesn’t really care how young or inexperienced we are.”

Stephen can be reached at [email protected] and @steve_bourbon.