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Illinois Football: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Purdue

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 13: Purdue Boilermakers running back D. J. Knox (1) reacts after a short run during a Big Ten Conference college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 13, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. Purdue won, 46-7. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 13: Purdue Boilermakers running back D. J. Knox (1) reacts after a short run during a Big Ten Conference college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 13, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. Purdue won, 46-7. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 13: Illinois Fighting Illini running back Reggie Corbin (2) with the ball in the second quarter during a Big Ten Conference college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 13, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 13: Illinois Fighting Illini running back Reggie Corbin (2) with the ball in the second quarter during a Big Ten Conference college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 13, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Running back distribution off

This Illinois offense has the identity of a running team. Coming into the game against Purdue, the Illini three-headed monster of AJ Bush, Reggie Corbin and Mike Epstein were being talked about around the league.

But, on Saturday against the Boilermakers, everything went wrong. The running back distribution was way off, and this killed any momentum for the offense.

The carry distribution goes as follows; Bush 20 carries for 24 yards and a touchdown, Corbin six carries for 20 yards and Epstein one carry for 10 yards. This is unacceptable. The read option was failing the Illini team on Saturday and it had to do with Bush.

I not sure what is going on in Bush’s mind where he thinks he needs to keep the ball 20 times out of the, roughly, 27 read options he does. If he was finding holes in the Purdue defense and just gouging them for double-digit yards every time, then sure go ahead and rush the ball 20 times, but I better see over 100 yards on the board if this is happening.

The fact Bush only ran for 24 yards on the 20 carries kills this Illini team. He is a playmaker, but Corbin and Epstein are better playmakers. The two running backs have done special things this entire year. You have to rely on them to move the ball. You can’t play hero ball, and I believe that is what happened with Bush on Saturday.

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