Illinois Football: Illini Team Grades Through a Quarter of the Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:04 a.m. ET

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Sep 10, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; (left to right) Illinois Fighting Illini offensive line coach Luke Butkus, head coach Lovie Smith, and back judge Jim Biddle watch the replay board during the 4th quarter at Memorial Stadium. North Carolina beat Illinois 48 to 23. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois football team is coming off their bye week with a record of 1-2 this season.

Over the last two weeks, the Illinois Fighting Illini went through some rough patches that enabled them to see their flaws.

These last two losses shine a light on what is wrong with this Illinois football team. Lovie Smith and the coach staff see where the Illini are short and where they exceed.

I think there are a lot of areas Illinois is above average. They show flashes of being a top 25 team at times but then there are other times where I am not sure they are an FBS team.

But, overall this team isn’t as bad as some people say. They had an ugly loss against Western Michigan but that team is pretty good and could go undefeated.

Each position on this team has to be responsible for what they bring to the table, good or bad. This includes everyone from the offensive line to the coaching staff.

There have been some areas that have flourished and some that have shown huge deficiencies.

I have put together grades for the first three games this season. Here is where I think the Illini stand at each position.

Nov 14, 2015; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Wes Lunt (12) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback

QB, 665 Yards, 62.2 COMP%, 6 TD, 1 INT

There have been many issues on this football team through three games, but I think one of the biggest issues is quarterback play.

I like Wes Lunt as a quarterback at times, but this season he seems to be extremely timid. He isn’t letting the ball fly.

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Lunt’s stats show a solid start to the season. What they aren’t showing is his fumbles in key situations and the lack of pop he is bringing to the offense. These are the main reasons why he is getting such a bad grade this early into the season.

Of course, Lunt has a chance to resurrect his season and get this team back on track. As a leader that is his job on the football field.

The examples that keep coming to mind when I think of Lunt and his fumbles come from the North Carolina game.

Early in the game, Illinois was up 14-10 over the Tar Heels bur then Lunt fumbled the ball at the Illinois 23-yard line. This enabled North Carolina to score and it shifted momentum completely.

Then, Illinois drove all the way down to the one-yard line late in the third quarter and Lunt fumbled the ball and lost three-yards.

While the next play was a score, this could have cost the Illini the game.

On the next drive, Illinois gave the ball back to North Carolina on downs but in the middle of that series Lunt fumbled again.

These fumbles have to stop or they could cost Illinois the season. There is still a bowl game in sight as long as the Illini tighten up their ball security.

Nov 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Ke

Running Back

RB, 91 Carries, 472 Yards, 5.2 YPC, 5 TD

Heading into this season, I think the running back situation was one of the areas that people were most excited about.

Last season we witnessed the emergence of running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn as a true freshman. He had a solid season rushing for 723 yards and 6 touchdowns in a reserve role.

In 2016 we were expecting to see Vaughn be even more dominant but that hasn’t fully happened yet.

Vaughn has rushed the ball 40 times for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. He is doing all of that while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

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The pleasant surprise out of the running backs is Kendrick Foster. He has rushed the ball 18 times for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also has a 9.7 YPC average.

But, the running backs haven’t been the needed stability that I thought they would be. They disappear at times and I don’t know if that is because of their skill set or the coaching staff.

I gave the running backs a grade of a ‘C’ because it was going to be higher but the Western Michigan game was ugly. As a team Illinois only rushed for 3 yards on 15 carries.

In this game, Vaughn only received 8 carries for 22 yards and Foster only 2 carries for 3 yards. This has to change moving forward.

Illinois has to be more dedicated to the run and that in turn will open up the passing game. Lovie Smith is a run first and play great defense type of coach. He needs to get back to that formula.

The flashes of greatness Vaughn showed against North Carolina can be duplicated. That first run for a 65-yard touchdown was incredible and I am looking for more of that in the coming weeks.

Oct 10, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA;Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Wes Lunt (12) is protected by offensive lineman Austin Schmidt (57) as he blocks Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Parker Hesse (40) in the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa beat Illinois 29-20. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line

OL, 2.67 SPG (95th), 6.67 TFL (92nd)

The offensive line has experienced talent that can be great at times, but when the injury bug occurs things can go south pretty quick.

Illinois has had some issues keeping offensive linemen healthy this season.

Center Joe Spencer missed the first game of the season against Murray State. That left a gap in the offensive line and it made a true freshman start in Darta Lee.

And then during the North Carolina game, starting guard Gabe Megginson got rolled up on and injured. He missed the rest of that game and the following game against Western Michigan.

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Due to this injury, Illinois had to start Jordan Fagan in place of Megginson and that didn’t go so well.

These injuries have really taken a toll on the Illinois football team. Without a healthy offensive line, nothing operates well.

Illinois is No. 95 in the nation in sacks allowed with 8 in just 3 games. That is an average of 2.67 sacks per game.

The offensive line also allows an average of 6.67 tackles for loss per game, which ranks No. 92 in the nation.

With all of this taken into consideration and the fact that Illinois had a total of 3 yards rushing against Western Michigan, I have to give the offensive line a grade of a ‘D+‘.

Oct 24, 2015; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive end Carroll Phillips (6) celebrates after sacking Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Joel Stave (2) at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line

DL, 4.33 SPG (3rd), 10.7 TFL (3rd), 158 RYA (70th)

The one bright spot of this Illinois football team is their defensive line. This squad has really made Illini Nation proud with how much talent and heart they bring to every game.

Illinois currently averages 4.33 sacks per game, which ranks No. 3 in the nation. That is extremely impressive. The have 13 sacks through just 3 games this season.

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The Illini defensive line is also No. 3 in the nation in tackles for loss average per game. They are averaging 10.7 TFL in each game this season.

But, the defensive line does have a few deficiencies. While they can get to the quarterback and cause chaos in the backfield, they are having troubles with opposing running backs.

Illinois is currently giving up 158 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 70 in the nation. This isn’t good and it means that opposing offenses control the ball.

To get their grade up higher, the Illinois defensive line is going to need to stop the run. I do like how they are playing overall, though.

Carroll Phillips leads the team in sacks with 4 this season. He also has 18 total tackles as well.

Chunky Clements is a nice big body in the middle and he has 2 sacks as well. He really anchors the middle of that defensive line with Rob Bain.

But, the main attraction is Dawuane Smoot. He doesn’t have a sack and only has 12 tackles this season, but that is because he draws a ton of double teams from opposing offensive lines.

Despite not having the stats, Smoot is a huge factor because he allows the other four to draw one-on-ones and that helps them get sacks.

Overall I like how the Illinois defensive line is playing. They need to stop the run a little better, but they are not the reason the Illini are 1-2.

I give them a grade of B+ so far through three games.

Oct 10, 2015; Iowa City, IA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini safety James Crawford (5) pursues Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback C.J. Beathard (16) at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers

LB, Nickerson: 29 tackles (31st)

The defense as a whole has not been as good as I had hoped, but they aren’t bad either.

There were some nice offseason additions to this defense and one of those is linebacker Hardy Nickerson Jr.

Nickerson has done a solid job anchoring the linebacker core. He is a talented player that has helped the defense really come together.

Through just three games this season, Nickerson has accumulated 29 total tackles and 1 sack. He leads the team and is No. 31 in the nation in total tackles.

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The addition of Nickerson is proving to be crucial in the Illinois defensive scheme.

I also like what James Crawford has brought to the table this season. He is third on the team in tackles with 16 and he has been a nice presence on the football field.

Crawford will continue to develop throughout the season.

And then the other starting linebacker on the squad is Tre Watson. He hasn’t had a terrible year so far with 9 tackles.

But, the fact still remains that opposing offenses are running all over the Illini defense. This trend has to stop or it could be a long season for the Illini.

There are times that the linebackers look lost in the middle of the field. I think this has to do with a new coach and Nickerson still being new to the team.

I would give this group of linebackers a B- this season so far. There is still a lot of room for improvement but I don’t think they are the reason for the slow start.

Nov 14, 2015; Champaign, IL, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) is tackled by Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Taylor Barton (3) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Backs

DB, 196.7 PYPG (40th), 2 INT (86th)

Heading into the 2016 season, the main issue fans and media were talking about was the young and inexperienced Illinois defensive backs.

This group has kind of impressed me this season, so far. They are young and haven’t had a ton of experience but they are playing well.

Illinois is currently giving up 196.7 yards per game through the air. This ranks as No. 40 in all of college football. That is quite impressive considering the teams they have played so far.

This squad is led by safety Taylor Barton. He currently has 14 tackles and 1 interception on the season. Opposing teams need to fear him over the middle.

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Illinois is also getting some decent play out of surprising starter Julian Hylton.

Hylton was thrust into the starting safety role and has done pretty well since. He has 8 tackles and 1 interception on the year.

The cornerback play hasn’t been great but they have done an okay job. Jalen Dunlap and Darius Mosely are going to need to step up to cause some more turnovers on the outside.

Illinois currently has only 2 interceptions on the season and those were by Hylton and Barton. They don’t have a single pick by a cornerback yet.

The Illini currently rank No. 86 in the nation in interceptions. To give up fewer touchdowns and to score more points, Illinois defensive backs need to step up and cause turnovers.

Overall, I would give the defensive backs a ‘C’. They haven’t been awful but they aren’t feared, yet. There is still a ways to go for this squad.

Nov 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general shot of a Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Soldier Field. Northwestern won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams

ST, FG 2-2, KR 23.6 YPG (41st)

The Illinois football team hasn’t had great special teams in quite some time. This season has been a little different, though.

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Sophomore Chase McLaughlin took the reins as the place kicker and has done a great job. He has succeeded in not missing as single field goal so far this season.

McLaughlin is currently 2-for-2 on field goals this year. One of those came toward the end of the Murray State game from 48-yards out. The other was a 22-yarder against Western Michigan.

I think Illinois has their kicking game in order as well as their kick return game.

Kendrick Foster has done a great job returning kicks this season. He has 8 returns for an average of 23.6 yards per return. This would rank No. 41 in all of college football.

The one bad area for the Illini this season has been punting.

There are times that our punting really has hurt the Illini in the field positioning game.

During the Western Michigan game, David Reisner had a punt that only went 13 yards and gave the Broncos decent field position.

The game before that, Reisner did the same thing. Illinois was up 7-0 and then he punted for only 28 yards giving North Carolina great field position to score a touchdown.

Special teams are just as important as offense and defense. Illinois needs all three of these groups to be clicking on all cylinders to have a chance at making a bowl game this season.

Overall, I would give the Illini special teams a ‘C+’ this season. The kicking game has been solid as well as the punt returning, but the punting has been bad.

Sep 3, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Samuel Harlib (82) and Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Joe Spencer (71) celebrate with head coach Lovie Smith after the game against the Murray State Racers at Memorial Stadium. Illinois defeated Murray State 52 to 3. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching Staff

C, Record: 1-2

When Lovie Smith was hired back in March of this year I thought it could be an addition that put the Illini back on the map.

Well, I wasn’t wrong because Illinois received the most positive attention for their football program in years.

Through three games this season, the coaching staff grade is probably a ‘C’.

There is nothing Lovie has done amazing with this team. They are basically the same program we saw last season, but a big difference in coaching is how this team will regroup.