5. Illinois’ play calling was superb
I remember the days when I hated Barry Lunney’s play-calling. He was horrible, and I would mention it in nearly every article I wrote.
Fast forward a couple of years, and boy howdy, I am eating crow. Lunney has done some incredible work with the Illinois offense. We are chugging along like a well-oiled machine, and his play-calling is something to marvel at.
Lunney had quite a few big play calls against USC. The most obvious call was the Philly Special play call early in the game. Illinois did the reverse pass to Luke Altmyer, which resulted in a touchdown.
I was impressed with Lunney’s ability to feel the pressure of the game and perform at his best. When Illinois needed a few yards, he wouldn’t just do the same play over and over again. Lunney kept the game plan fresh, and it showed to the tune of 34 points.
At the end of the game, when Illinois needed three points to win, Lunney once again pulled the right strings and had the Illini drive down the field. It was a great showing by our offensive coordinator, and he has this offensive humming.