Illinois Football: 5 observations from the win over Kent State

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 01: Ra’Von Bonner #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. Illinois defeated Kent State 31-24. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The Illinois football team went through some struggles on Saturday but still managed to come away with a win.

The first half was a tragedy. Illinois fans watched as the team struggled. There weren’t just Illinois fans that were watching, though. Many people were just ripping the team for being down 17-3 at halftime. I even had someone say the Illini were a hot mess and asked if Lovie was going to be fired during the season. Mind you, this was after one half of the first game of the 2018 campaign.

Illinois didn’t give up and played well in the second half. They beat Kent State in the second half 28-7 to come away with a 31-24 win over the Golden Flashes. Yes, the Illini struggled in the first half, but let’s not overreact. This wasn’t the Kent State team that finished nearly last in college football in offensive production. They had a high-level DI quarterback who showed why he was an Under Armour All-American in high school.

Even with that being the case, Illinois managed to win the game and move to 1-0. I understood the concerns and even had them in the first half as well. Thankfully, like every other game in the history of football, there was a second half. You can’t just give up as you head into the locker room.

There were some bad and good things to take away from this win against Kent State. Here are five things that really stuck out to me.

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