Illinois Football Week 9 Grades: How the Illini Fared Against Oregon

Saturday at Oregon was a bad day to be an Illini, who earned low marks nearly across the board

Oregon wide receiver Justius Lowe dives as he is tackled as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Growing up, we all had that one report card we were a little afraid to bring home to mom and dad. You know the one. Well, Illinois' football program (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) is still in the process of growing up, and Saturday's game at Oregon was that dodgy report card for the Illini.

They can learn their lesson, start straightening up at home against Minnesota starting this coming Saturday and begin salvaging a semester – er, season – that can still be on of the school's best on recent record. If not, these next few weeks are gonna feel a lot like detention.

Running game: C

It wouldn't be fair to come down too hard here, only because the Illini running game never really had a chance to get out of the starting gate Saturday. Illinois finished with 132 rushing yards (4.1 yards per carry) against the Ducks, but a lot of that production came after Oregon had more or less called off the dogs. Aidan Laughery ripped off a 34-yarder, and Ca'Lil Valentine finished hard at the goal line on a 4-yarder for the Illini's only touchdown of the day, but those were the extent of the highlights.

Passing game: D

Disaster. The game was billed, at least to some extent, as a duel between Ducks Heisman-candidate quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Illinois' rising Luke Altmyer – but the tension around that matchup dissipated before the end of the first quarter. Altmyer was done no favors by Illinois' pass protection or play calling, but his performance fell well short, too. With the Illini already down 14-0, but operating in a clean pocket on first down, he overthrew – into coverage – receiver Zakhari Franklin by 10 yards for a pick. It was far and away the most rattled and demoralized Altmyer has appeared this season.

Blocking: D-

Double disaster. The Ducks' defense all but set up camp in Illinois' offensive backfield Saturday as the Illini missed blocks and were outmuscled from start to finish. There were plenty of occasions when those blockers were outnumbered and left holding the bag, but when it came to the most fundamental (and important) concept in the game – put a body on a body – Illinois routinely missed the mark.

Run defense: F

Everything starts here. Always does. Stop the run, put the opponent in tough down-and-distance situations, give your offense a chance to grab a lead. When you don't, things tend to go poorly. So it went Saturday in Eugene, where the Illini were annihilated at the point of attack, failed to shed blocks and seemed completely gassed (and, worse, checked out) before halftime. By allowing 229 rushing yards (5.9 per carry), the Illini run D never gave the other phases a chance.

Pass defense: D

Gabriel sliced up the Illini for 291 passing yards and three touchdowns, and he was brought down for a sack just once. Illinois took few gambles with the blitz, but, frankly, it was the one area – facing Gabriel and perhaps the Big Ten's most dangerous receiving unit – where they needed to let it all hang out. Defensive back Tyson Rooks hauled in an interception in the fourth quarter, but it was more of a gift on a pass that Gabriel sailed than a momentum shifter.

Special teams: A-

This group was characteristically sound, covering kicks effectively and doing what it could under the circumstances to flip the field on the numerous occasions it was forced to send the ball back to Oregon (Illinois: 5 for 13 on third-down conversions on the day). Punter Hugh Robertson faced some pressure but got everything off cleanly (averaging 35.7 yards on three punts), and kicker David Olano punched through a 38-yard first-quarter field goal on his only opportunity of the game.

Coaching: F

Illinois coach Bret Bielema made the right call in taking responsibility for the Oregon loss – in part because he earned the scrutiny. The Illini, quite simply, weren't ready to play Saturday. To say the moment was too big for them is trite – these are big boys, and they had already shown mettle against now-No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley earlier this season. There were too many moments Saturday when the Illini coaches got away from their best stuff and, on a more basic level, failed to account for overloads and wrinkles in the Ducks' scheme that individual player ability or execution can't make up for. It's tough to have a bad day on the football field. It's brutal when your entire staff has one.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Instant Analysis: No. 1 Oregon Defeats No. 20 Illinois 38-9

Illinois Football Postgame Injury Update: Receiver Pat Bryant and Others

Illinois Football: Nothing to Lose Against Oregon? Think Again