5 sad observations from the Illinois football loss to Minnesota

4. Illini defense folded like a cheap lawn chair

I think it is fair to say that I am massively disappointed in the Illinois offense. Did I mention the offensive line is bad? Well, that remains a fact in my eyes, but I am done harping on the lackluster offense. It is time to focus on the defense.

Let me first start off by saying, that I think there was a noticeable difference in the Illinois defense when our star cornerback Xavier Scott left with an injury. The Illini defense struggled to stop Minnesota after that point.

Illinois then lost Miles Scott late in the game. He had a targeting call go against him, so Illinois was missing both of the Scotts in the secondary.

With that being said, this defense folded like a cheap lawn chair when we needed them the most. The Illini offense finally came through. The offensive line finally blocked, and Luke Altmyer threw a touchdown to take the lead.

All the Illinois defense had to do was have one stop. We just needed to stop Minnesota one time, and this was going to be a win for the Orange and Blue.

That didn’t even come close to happening. The Golden Gophers started the drive at their own 25-yard line and never saw a third down. It was a seven-play, 75-yard drive that took 3:49 off the clock. The chunk plays were plentiful, and Illinois didn’t have an answer.

Illinois needed to have this stop. A win would have had so many positive ramifications for the program. Sadly, the Illini defense, the one thing that is supposed to be strongest, failed in the most crucial moment.