I will be the first to say, the Illinois football team doesn’t just have one issue right now.
There are multiple issues with this team, and the fact that we are 5-1 this season is kind of impressive. I would say the secondary is one of the issues for the Illini.
Illinois consistently gives up big chunk plays in the passing game, and there is nothing we can do about it. This season, the Illini give up 276 yards per game through the air, which ranks No. 119 out of 136 teams in the FBS.
There are reasons for that bad of a secondary. The injuries have been a killer, especially to a future NFL Draft pick, Xavier Scott. But that isn’t even the glaring issue I am here to talk about.
I am here to talk about the Illinois offensive line and the protection of our cherished quarterback, Luke Altmyer.
Even if the Illinois defense is putrid, as long as we have a quarterback behind center who can move the ball down the field, we can at least put up points and keep up with the opposing team.
Illinois football will break down if Ohio State brings any type of pressure on Saturday
There are two different Altmyers out on the field when it comes to pressure. This season, when Altmyer is pressured by the opposing defense, he is only completing 57.9% of his passes. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown yet, either.
While those numbers aren’t terrible considering he has someone coming at him, the biggest number I look at is how often Altmyer is pressured. Altmyer sees pressure on him 33.9% of the time.
Think about that for a second. Exactly one out of every three times Altmyer drops back to pass the ball, he is feeling the heat from the opposing defense.
Let’s look at the opposing quarterback this weekend, Julian Sayin. He is completing 70.8% of his passes under pressure and has two touchdowns and an interception. But Saying is only feeling the pressure 20.1% of the time. That is exactly one time every five drop-backs.
Here is the thing, folks. When Altmyer is kept clean and doesn’t have pressure, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He has a completion percentage of 77.5%. He has thrown for 12 touchdowns and hasn’t thrown an interception.
The massive glaring issue for Illinois is the offensive line. We aren’t protecting Altmyer well enough, and the numbers bear out.
Illinois needs Josh Kreutz back this weekend. He was missed dearly against Purdue. I think the biggest issue on the offensive line comes from the entire right side. Right tackle Melvin Priestly and right guard Brandon Henderson just aren’t getting it done.
Teams are bringing the blitz on the right side, and they can get to Altmyer too easily. But it is more concerning than that. This side of the offensive line gets into tangles when the defense does a simple stunt.
If Altmyer gets pressured 33% of the time against Ohio State, then it will be game over by halftime. The offensive line, mainly the right side, needs to step up. Bret Bielema and Barry Lunney also need to help with this situation.
Illinois has to put a tight end or another running back on that side of the line. Let’s get someone in there to at least chip and help slow down the defensive end or incoming linebacker. The weakness of the Illini offense is clearly the right side, but let’s not sit on our hands and let it happen.
The Buckeyes are going to bring a high-powered defense to the table on Saturday. If they get too many hits early and get momentum going, that could end this game awfully quickly. Illinois will hopefully have fixed this glaring issue, or at least have a game plan to curb it, by game time.