Illinois Football: 4 reasons why the Illini are losing games

1. Youth is everywhere

This isn’t a bad thing by any means. Youth, and the struggles from being so young, now will benefit the Illinois football team and their fans down the road. Everyone just has to be patient with the group of players Lovie Smith trots out there every Saturday and sometimes Friday.

The current Illinois roster has 53 redshirt or true freshman. That is a number that I have never seen before. Just think about this, 53 players who are freshman would account for an entire NFL roster. That is a major reason for the Illini losing right now.

Among the 53 freshmen who are on the roster, there are some immediate impact players who have played well this season.

Running back Mike Epstein is the first that comes to mind. He is still Illinois’ leading rusher with 57 carries for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. He only had a chance to play in five games, though. Right before the start of the Rutgers game, it was announced he would miss the season with a lower-body injury.

Four of the top six leading pass catchers for the Illini are also freshmen as well. Whoever comes in as the starting quarterback next season will have a nice arsenal of weapons to use in the passing game. Let’s not forget the offensive line who started four freshmen yesterday against the Scarlet Knights as well.

Illinois’ defense is also freshmen-heavy. We have seen the Illini defensive ends Bobby Roundtree and Isaiah Gay a lot this season. Tony Adams, Nate Hobbs and Bennett Williams have been developing in the Illini secondary as well.

So, yes, one of the reasons Illinois is losing right now is youth. But, that isn’t a bad thing. The pain today will be the reward in a year or two. This is all a part of the rebuilding process.