4 observations of the Illini defeat to Wisconsin

October 9, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, United States; Illinois Fighting Illino head coach Bret Bielema on Saturday in the first half during a game with the Badgers of Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois football had a chance to show the world that we are not in the big ten laughter, but we failed to do so against Wisconsin.

The Badgers didn’t even play so well, but still managed to beat Illin score 24-0. This was one of the worst offensive performances in Orange and Blue’s latest memory. The coming week is very much needed.

Here are four observations of the loss of Illinois football to Wisconsin.

1. The balance was out of Illinois

Remember the last two games when Illinois runners ran 156 and 257 yards against Purdue and Charlotte?

Yes, those were the good days when Illini actually ran the ball. In Purdue, Illin had 42 runs compared to just 27 passes. Charlotte’s victory in Illinois was 50 runs compared to just 19 assists. These two games are the ones I want to be in a running and feeding relationship.

However, the Illinois run-to-pass balance was off against Wisconsin. At the beginning of the game, Illini attempted to pass. It didn’t make any sense. I don’t care how good Wisconsin’s running defense is this season, our strength is ball running, and we didn’t.

As the last seconds ticked the clock, Illin’s statistics line showed only 13 runs a day. Instead of driving the ball, we passed it for some reason. We ended up throwing the ball 34 times against the badger. So 13 runs compared to 34 feeds. What did we think?

This Illinois national football team is not a passing team. We have a stable running distance that is impressive. I’m not sure what the coaching staff thought to pass the ball. We played straight into Wisconsin, and therefore lost 24-0.