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Illinois Football: Illini Team Grades Through 3 Games

By Rees Woodcock

Sep 10, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; (left to right) Illinois Fighting Illini offensive line coach Luke Butkus, head coach Lovie Smith, and back judge Jim Biddle watch the replay board during the 4th quarter at Memorial Stadium. North Carolina beat Illinois 48 to 23. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; (left to right) Illinois Fighting Illini offensive line coach Luke Butkus, head coach Lovie Smith, and back judge Jim Biddle watch the replay board during the 4th quarter at Memorial Stadium. North Carolina beat Illinois 48 to 23. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois Football
Nov 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general shot of a Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Soldier Field. Northwestern won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

C+. . ST. FG 2-2, KR 23.6 YPG (41st). SPECIAL TEAMS

The Illinois football team hasn’t had great special teams in quite some time.  This season has been a little different, though.

Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini /

Illinois Fighting Illini

Sophomore Chase McLaughlin took the reins as the place kicker and has done a great job.  He has succeeded in not missing as single field goal so far this season.

McLaughlin is currently 2-for-2 on field goals this year.  One of those came toward the end of the Murray State game from 48-yards out.  The other was a 22-yarder against Western Michigan.

I think Illinois has their kicking game in order as well as their kick return game.

Kendrick Foster has done a great job returning kicks this season.  He has 8 returns for an average of 23.6 yards per return.  This would rank No. 41 in all of college football.

The one bad area for the Illini this season has been punting.

There are times that our punting really has hurt the Illini in the field positioning game.

During the Western Michigan game, David Reisner had a punt that only went 13 yards and gave the Broncos decent field position.

The game before that, Reisner did the same thing.  Illinois was up 7-0 and then he punted for only 28 yards giving North Carolina great field position to score a touchdown.

Special teams are just as important as offense and defense.  Illinois needs all three of these groups to be clicking on all cylinders to have a chance at making a bowl game this season.

Overall, I would give the Illini special teams a ‘C+’ this season.  The kicking game has been solid as well as the punt returning, but the punting has been bad.

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