A non-conference loss in the second game of the season was not what Illinois was hoping for.
The Illini needed a win against Duke prior to their week four trip to Ohio State. They needed to bring a 3-0 record to Columbus, but that dream fell short after they struggled in multiple facets of their game against Duke.
Illinois couldn't put a complete game together against the Blue Devils, and after the game, Bret Bielema had this to say about his team's performance at Gies Memorial Stadium.
#Illini Bielema on the balance of moving on from Duke, while also not ignoring the issues - good question from @matthewcstevens:
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) September 13, 2026
"Before you can move forward you have to understand why you fell back... Tomorrow is a really, really important day." pic.twitter.com/268nEjFySq
Bielema is correct. Illinois needs to look at their trouble areas as they get ready for Southern Illinois this week. They need to see where they struggled as a collective, and here are two places where they can start this week at practice.
Tackling needs to greatly improve for Illinois
Illinois' tackling has been a cause for concern with fans, as the defense missed 16 tackles in week one against UAB and reportedly hit double digits again in week two.
The number of tackles Illinois missed against the Blue Devils was almost surreal, especially with Duke running back Nate Sheppard thrashing the Illini for 188 total yards and three touchdowns. They struggled in the open field, and the pressure up front against Walker Eget was almost non-existent.
If Illinois wants to do anything positive this season, they are going to need to fix this problem as quickly as possible. Their conference schedule is going to get intense, and they can't afford to be stumbling like this against stronger teams.
Illinois' second half adjustments were non-existent
The second half of Saturday's game against Duke was perplexing, as Illinois' offense took a 180-degree turn in production.
Their first half performance was electric, scoring 24 of their 27 points to begin the game. The Illini looked like a well-oiled machine, with Collin Dixon recording nine receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns.
The second half, however, was a completely different story for Barry Lunney's crew. They were held to just three points early in the third quarter and 119 yards of offense. The play calling was questionable, and Katin Houser tried to make some tough throws to keep his team in the game.
If Lunney had a plan for the second half, it surely did not work in his favor. Duke's defense stepped up in a big way down the stretch, but Illinois helped them out with questionable play calling.
This issue lies mostly on the coaching staff's shoulders, and they will need to change their mindset for the future. This team needs to start running up the score to make up for their struggling defense, and being conservative with the game on the line will certainly not get the job done.
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