Illinois Football: 3 key numbers for the Illini to beat Penn State

3. 4.8 yards per attempt

The play calling on the offensive side of the ball for Illinois this season has been frustrating. It is fun to pass the ball, but running the football not only helps the offense move down the field, but it also helps the defense stay off the field longer.

Illinois had 28 pass attempts and 28 rush attempts against Kansas. This number was a bit skewed due to the Illini being down by double digits in the second half, but even in the Toledo game, the passing-to-run ratio was 26:35. I would like this to be even more lopsided in favor of the run, though.

This season, Illinois is having success on the ground. We are running the ball well to the tune of 4.8 yards per attempt, which ranks No. 38 in the nation.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer leads the Illini in rushing at 6.3 yards per attempt. I think we need to draw up more designed runs for him throughout the game.

Reggie Love III is right behind Altmyer at 5.4 yards per attempt. Some people are trying to tell me that Illinois doesn’t have a run game, but that is just not true. This Illini running attack can be dangerous if we actually use it the right way.

When I say the right way, I mean don’t abandon the run just because. The run starts working and then offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. reverts back to the passing game. Illinois needed points on the second drive in the Kansas game. In that drive, Illinois dropped back to pass five out of six plays. When you know your defense is struggling and you need a long drive, why are we passing it that many times early on in the game?

Better play calling needs to happen against Penn State. Let’s use our running attack, from our running backs and quarterback, and expand on that 4.8 yards per attempt. Penn State has a good offense. Let’s keep the ball away from them.