Illini’s Targeted Man: RB Corbin Disappointed With His Play

Illini RB Reggie Corbin had just 14 yards on nine carries last week in the loss to Michigan.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Reggie Corbin was warned he’d be the player every defense on Illinois’ 2019 schedule would want to stop.

The senior tailback said Tuesday he’s not thrilled with his last two performances (68 yards at Minnesota and 14 yards vs. Michigan) and knows he will need a superstar effort Saturday to keep the Illini (2-4, 0-3 in Big Ten) competitive against No. 6 Wisconsin.

“I don’t think I had a very good game last week at all that I’d like to brag about so everything is about motivation when you think about how to get better and get yourself to a different level of play,” Corbin said.

The main problem for Corbin, who is still seventh in the Big Ten Conference in rushing and fourth in rushing yards per game (79.2 ypg), this season has been on first down. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound speedster has been bottled up against eight and sometimes even nine-man defensive fronts on initial downs. Corbin averages 3.55 yards-per-carry on first down with only four of those 42 carries going for those explosive plays (10 yards or more). Without those positive plays on first down, Illinois’ offense has been unable to get is tempo pace going and have been consistently getting behind schedule on drives. Illinois is 12th this season in the league in third-down conversions and have kept drives going on just 9 of 42 third-down plays in Big Ten play.

Corbin, who climbed to 15th on the Illinois all-time rushing list during the Minnesota game, passing Illini and college football legend Red Grange, became the 18th Illini player in program history with 2,000 career rushing yards this season. He said Tuesday morning following a practice session inside Memorial Stadium that the defensive schemes he’s facing aren’t a proper excuse for averaging just 3.28 yards-per-game in the last two games.

“I was expected (to be a targeted player for defenses in 2019), was warned about it and just have to do a better job of accepting the challenge,” Corbin said.

“When things aren’t there you got to make something happen. From an outside perspective who might say they’re bringing more guys than we can block or they stack the box, that’s still on me. I got to make something happen.” - Illinois RB Reggie Corbin

The challenge for Corbin and the Illini offensive line doesn’t get any easier this weekend as Wisconsin (6-0, 3-0) leads all Football Bowl Subdivision schools in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring defense this season. The Badgers are only allowing 44.67 yards per game on the ground and 1.75 yards-per-carry. Wisconsin hasn’t allowed a team to rush for 100 yards this season. The defensive play, under coordinator Jim Leonhard, has been just as much of the reason as Heisman Trophy candidate Jonathan Taylor to why analysts believe this could be the best Badgers team under head coach Paul Chryst.

“Everything is on the table (vs. Wisconsin),” Illini coach Lovie Smith said. “Believe me, teams have had some form of success, haven’t been able to maintain that level of success but they’ve had success.”

In last year’s 49-20 loss in Madison, Corbin had 100 yards on just nine carries with a touchdown but the early deficit lessened his ground contribution similarly to the loss two weeks ago at Minnesota.

For an Illinois offense, which still has a mystery situation at starting quarterback this week, looking to “start fast” after scoring only 10 first-half points in each of its last two losses, coordinator Rod Smith may likely have to stay committed to a run game despite the reality of one or two-yard gains.

“We’ve been saying that for the last two or three weeks to be honest with you because I think Michigan’s defense is as good as anybody’s,” Rod Smith said. “I’m going to have to be consistent in my approach. I believe in our system in our system 100 percent. If we can get ourselves to execute for four quarters like we did in these second and third quarters of this last game (vs. Michigan), then we’re going to be smiling.”