Editor’s note: The Daily Illini football writers graded each facet of the Illinois football team’s 34-31 loss to Purdue on Saturday. The Illini offense, defense, special teams and coaching were graded.

Offense: B+

The Illini offense had its best performance since the game against Murray State, tallying 499 total yards against Purdue – 315 on the ground and 184 through the air – and 31 points. Before he left the game with an injury, Wes Lunt could only get the Illini in field goal range. But when Chayce Crouch took over, the Illini focused on their run game, and started finding the end zone. Crouch had a career game off the bench, running for 137 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 142 yards.

Reggie Corbin, Kendrick Foster and Ke’Shawn Vaughn kept the pressure on the Purdue defense with the run game. Between the three of them, they recorded 178 rushing yards on 29 carries.

Malik Turner provided a great safety valve for Crouch when the Illini needed to pass. The junior had nine receptions for 129 yards – a season high for the Illini and a career high for Turner.

Defense: C-

After the 22-play drive that the Illini had to endure against Nebraska, the focus was getting off the field after third downs. The lesson didn’t stick for the Illini. Purdue converted on 9 of 16 third downs, including six straight in the first half. Boilermaker quarterback David Blough had all day to deliver the football. The Illini defensive line did not sack him once, and only hurried him twice the entire game.

Blough threw for 228 yards and a touchdown, but he also had two interceptions. The Boilermakers had 231 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. After the game, head coach Lovie Smith said that the Illini need to control the opponent’s run game better, and that the second line of defense past the defensive line needs to play better if they want to have a chance of doing that.

The defense did make one of the biggest plays of the game when linebacker Hardy Nickerson Jr. intercepted a tipped pass from Blough late in the fourth quarter, but it was negated when the Illini missed the game-winning field goal.

Special Teams: C

Chase McLaughlin had been perfect all season up until the last three seconds of regulation, when he put a 41-yard field goal off the right upright. McLaughlin may have not missed a field goal in his short Illini season, but that does not change the fact that he had the game in his hands.

Ryan Frain made his return to Memorial Stadium, and had a solid game punting for the Illini, minus one bad punt that only traveled 17 yards.

Kendrick Foster continuously put the Illini in good field position on kick returns. He averaged 21.5 yards per return.

Coaching: B+

The only facet of the game that the Illini did not look prepared in on Saturday’s game was the defense, and according to Smith, that had more to do with players not performing to the level they are capable of. The offense took a major blow when Lunt left the game, but immediately turned around and started scoring even though Crouch brought in a different system when he took over.

The first six plays that Crouch played under center were read-option plays, something the Illini have never and will never play with Lunt on the field. The other players on the field did not miss a beat with the change. The Illini offensive line created gaps on the inside and hustled out wide to open up running lanes for Crouch and the running backs. Once the run game really got going, the Illini receivers knew they could get open. The Illini offense was prepared for anything Purdue or injuries could throw at them.

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