+33 PHOTO GALLERY: Illini vs. Western Illinois
CHAMPAIGN — Balanced offense doesn’t automatically mean an equal split between running the ball and throwing it. It’s more about being to do both effectively.
Illinois just managed to have a near perfect split in Friday night’s 52-3 victory against Western Illinois while doing both effectively.
Luke Altmyer completed 17 of 21 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns. The Illinois quarterback connected with nine different receivers and avoided any mistakes through the air, while the running back trio of Aidan Laughery, Kaden Feagin and Ca’Lil Valentine combined to rush 31 times for 226 yards.
The latter? Classic Bret Bielema.
“In my previous life at another institution, I had some combos of two or three backs that were all different skill sets,” the Illinois coach said, referencing his time at Wisconsin. “A lot of people like to have cookie cutters who all look the same, but I like a little variety. As a defensive coordinator, I always thought it was challenging when you had three or four different style runners in there because every play looks a little bit different.”
WIU clearly found it challenging.
Laughery led the way with nine carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and added a similar breakaway effort with a 57-yard touchdown run late in the fourth.
The secret to Laughery’s ability to maneuver through a defense and then hit the afterburners? Patience and the ability to make something happen if the play doesn’t go as planned.
“That’s what I feel is the best part of my game,” Laughery said. “When things don’t go right, I can make something happen. That’s what playing running back is all about. … (Patience is) definitely something that took me a couple years at Illinois, but it’s something that once it clicks, it clicks, and sticks with you.”
Feagin rushed 13 times for 74 yards and one touchdown. Valentine’s 51 yards on nine carries was just shy of his career high, but Laughery was still impressed by the Illini sophomore.
“I would say he’s developed much more in the pass game and the protection game,” Laughery said. “He’s gotten bigger, and he’s a lot more confident and comfortable out there in protection and more schemes than he was.”
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Bielema didn’t have much to nitpick after Friday’s game. At least nothing major. The only issue he took was how his team handled the end of the first half.
Illinois took possession with roughly 90 seconds to play in the second quarter and was looking to double dip with a score at the end of the first half knowing it got the ball back to start the second half. Instead, Altmyer took back-to-back sacks on second and third down. He also got hit with an intentional grounding penalty on what became the second set, resulting in a loss of down and a punt from Keelan Crimmins.
“You only get so many of those reps,” Bielema said. “We’ve been a pretty good end-of-half, end-of-game team. That was our first live bullet. Obviously, it didn’t end well. … You just can’t take those sacks in those moments.”
That was the message from Bielema to Altmyer at halftime. One the Illinois quarterback didn’t necessarily need — he understood his mistake — but still one he internalized for similar situations in the future.
“I’ve got to get better,” Altmyer said. “I never take winning for granted — the scoreboard looked really good — but to get to where we want to go I’ve got to play a whole lot better. The first game there’s a little bit of jitters and excitement and you speed things up in your head a little bit. It slowed down for me and I settled in, and I’m confident I’ll handle those kind of pressures.
“Excited to move forward and get better, but I’ve got a whole lot of getting better to do. Excited to do it and I know I can, but all those hits and things I took were kind of my fault.”
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Miles Scott and Gabe Jacas watch most of their game film together. It might seem odd given their roles are so wildly different with Scott at the back of the Illinois defense as free safety and Jacas up front at outside linebacker, but they’ve found the benefit watching together.
“I learn so much from Miles,” Jacas said. “What he sees as a safety can help me. Different formations can turn out different type of route concepts.”
Scott’s found value in watching film with Jacas for the times he plays boundary safety and is in the box.
“Understanding how the front works makes my job easier,” Scott said. “I know where I’ve got help and where I don’t have help.”
That film study, though, requires Scott operating the remote. Jacas admits Scott knows how to get through the film efficiently.
“Usually I have to be on the remote because Gabe is a guy that likes to take water breaks,” Scott said. “He’s got this huge, gray jug. Gabe, he takes a long time to do things. I’ve got to run the tape.”
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Five returning starters on the offensive line didn’t mean all five started Friday night for Illinois against Western Illinois. The change? Brandon Hansen at right guard in place of Brandon Henderson.
The reason?
“Brandon Henderson was scheduled to start but failed to show up on time for a meeting, so the coach decided to sit him and had a very good, live conversation about that,” Bielema said. “Both the Brandons have a lot of talent and a lot of ability, but that right guard spot is something we can continue to build on.”
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The availability report for Illinois ahead of Friday night’s game was mostly as expected. True freshmen Tywan Cox, John Forster, JJ Hirdes and Grant Smith were all ruled out for the season at some point during training camp.
Also out against Western Illinois were junior cornerback Jaheim Clark, senior offensive lineman Ayden Knapik and walk-on safety Ben Clawson. Knapik was sidelined for the majority of camp with a lingering knee issue.
Clarke was the notable name among that group given his status in the two-deep. The Fort Myers, Fla., native, who suffered a hamstring injury about two weeks ago, according to Bielema, will contribute in the Illinois secondary. Eventually.
“I don’t know if we’ll have him this (coming) week against Duke, but I think we’ll probably have him for our third week or fourth week,” Bielema said. “Just a little soft tissue (injury).”
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Xanai Scott is the only Illinois freshman Bielema said he’s given the green light to not redshirt this season, and the first-year defensive back played Friday night against Western Illinois. He just wasn’t the only one.
Wide receiver Brayden Trimble, tight end Trey Peters and defensive linemen Cameron Brooks and Isaiah White also played against the Leathernecks.
“It was fun to see some of those freshmen to get out there and run around,” Bielema said. “We hadn’t planned on playing that many, but just the way the game played out and the four-game NCAA rule you can play some of those guys, we got some guys who played valuable reps.”
