Michigan State 23, Illinois 15: Illini blow it on an afternoon that resembles bleak past

CHAMPAIGN — A lot for Illinois’ slick little first-ever School Soccer Playoff rating. All of the discuss in regards to the Illini dwelling giant within the AP High 25 all of a sudden rings hole, too.

Whereas we’re at it, we will stop with the oohing and aahing on the Illini protection’s flashy statistics. Sure, the unit got here into Saturday’s supposed-to-be-easy sport in opposition to Michigan State ranked No. 1 within the nation in so many classes — factors allowed, yardage allowed, touchdowns allowed, interceptions and extra — it was wild. However statistics don’t imply squat when the stress is mounting, a play must be made and nobody appears to be elevating his hand.

It’s hardly the tip of the world that Illinois was upset by Michigan State 23-15 at Memorial Stadium. At 7-2 total and 4-2 in Large Ten play, the Illini stay in first place of their division and have what’s, all issues thought-about, a candy set-up the remainder of the way in which — a house sport in opposition to beatable Purdue, a street sport in opposition to mighty Michigan and a street sport at last-place Northwestern.

Even with Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue all at 3-3, the Illini nonetheless are in nice form as a result of they personal tiebreakers over the primary three of these groups. Beat the Boilermakers, and followers right here can be too busy celebrating — and searching into journey plans for the convention championship sport in Indianapolis — to recollect one brutally dangerous afternoon in opposition to a Spartans squad that was purported to be no good and solely getting worse.

All week, the Spartans (4-5, 2-4) confronted blistering criticism after a number of of their gamers violently beat a pair of outnumbered Michigan gamers within the stadium tunnel instantly following a blowout rivalry loss in Ann Arbor. Eight Spartans gamers had been suspended earlier than the Illinois sport, all of them probably going through costs. Mel Tucker’s workforce had been a shadow of final season’s profitable model even earlier than issues turned disastrous on the Large Home.

A sport at Illinois — which, for 2 months, might do no fallacious — appeared nearly like an unfair task. As a substitute, although, the Spartans lined up and challenged the bodily Illini from the get-go. And because the sport went on, it was the Illini who repeatedly faltered, so typically that it started to resemble many a darkish, miserable afternoon previous at Memorial Stadium.

The brutal wind didn’t make it simpler on both workforce. Just one workforce discovered how to deal with it. Add failing to take action to the Illini’s checklist of bumbles and stumbles.

“Plenty of it was self-inflicted,” coach Bret Bielema mentioned. “I instructed the fellows within the locker room, ‘That is the definition of the right way to lose a sport.’ ”

On the very first play from scrimmage, although, Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne threw into the wind and was intercepted by Illini security Sydney Brown. Right here we go once more, proper? Nope. The Illini drove to the 2-yard line earlier than turning the ball over on downs — one thing they’d do 4 extra instances earlier than the sport was over.

Brown’s twin brother, Chase, got here in main the nation in dashing yards and piled up 136 extra. However he additionally misplaced an enormous fumble after an 18-yard run to the outskirts of the purple zone within the second quarter and was stopped on fourth-and-short two different instances.

The second of these fourth-down stands, deep into the fourth quarter, ended a 79-yard drive. The drive started with the Illini at their 1-yard line after an ideal 62-yard punt by Bryce Baringer, who additionally had a 68-yarder and averaged a hair below 50 in tough situations. Illinois’ Hugh Robertson, however, averaged 21 yards on his punts and booted certainly one of them, ridiculously, straight into the rear finish of certainly one of his blockers. That arrange the Spartans on the Illini 29 for a brief landing drive.

“We’re not a ok soccer workforce to have these issues occur and have the ability to overcome it,” Bielema mentioned.

That’s the reality.