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Illinois Football: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Iowa

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 17: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback AJ Bush (1) hands the ball off to Illinois Fighting Illini running back Ra'Von Bonner (21) in their own end zone during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on November 17, 2018, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 17: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback AJ Bush (1) hands the ball off to Illinois Fighting Illini running back Ra'Von Bonner (21) in their own end zone during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on November 17, 2018, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 17: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback AJ Bush (1) asks Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Sam Mays (9) if he made the catch during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on November 17, 2018, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 17: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback AJ Bush (1) asks Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Sam Mays (9) if he made the catch during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on November 17, 2018, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. This was an embarrassing loss

Let’s not sugarcoat anything here. This was a horrific loss, and no one should make it sound like it was anything else. As an Illini fan, I am embarrassed to have watched this blowout.

Pretty much from the first snap, Illinois looked out of this game. They gave up 35 points in the first half. They followed that up with 28 points in the second half. This team wasn’t just bad on one side of the ball, though.

The Illinois defense gave up 49 out of the 63 points, and they were left in bad position all day long. Of the 49 points surrendered by the defense, three of those touchdowns the Iowa Hawkeyes started inside the Illinois 40-yard line. So, while the defense struggled, the other phases of the game didn’t help them.

Illinois special teams allowed a touchdown and one of their punts was blocked allowing Iowa to have an 11-yard scoring drive. I haven’t even talked about just how bad the offense was too.

Ra’Von Bonner fumbled in the ball in the second quarter, and it was returned for a touchdown by Iowa. Illinois was driving in the second quarter before AJ Bush threw an interception in Iowa territory. In the third quarter, Bush threw another interception in Iowa territory and it was returned deep into Illinois territory. These were just the big turnovers for the Illini.

The actual stats for the Illini are bad too. Bush was 12-of-28 for 82 yards and two interceptions on the day. You can’t win with those stats. Illinois’ leading rusher was Bonner with 21 carries for 111 yards. Reggie Corbin didn’t really play, so that hurt the Illini too.

Overall, this was an extremely embarrassing loss and there is no way around it. Illinois got their butts kicked in every phase of the game.

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