No. 17 Illinois (5-2) suffered its first defeat at home this season against No.1 Ohio State (6-0). The Buckeyes beat the Illini 34-16 after forcing two turnovers in the first half.
Takeaways
Illinois: For the first time this season, Illinois’ offense looked frozen for the majority of the first half. The Illini had a fumble by sophomore Ca’Lil Valentine, and Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer threw his first interception of the season. This allowed Ohio State to jump to a 20-point lead early in the game. If there is any bright spot in this game, it is that Illinois was able to get into the endzone and was able to score double digits against Ohio State. This is the first time the Buckeyes have let up double-digit points this season.
Ohio State: This game was all about taking control of the momentum for the Buckeyes. Ohio State knew that it was going to be a loud environment. From the beginning of the kickoff, the noise did not affect Ohio State. After multiple defensive stops, Ohio State gained momentum and got out to a large lead. The box score may show it was a close game, but Ohio State won the entire game. Sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin threw for over 160 yards and two touchdowns to seal the sixth victory for the Buckeyes.
Key Stat
The three turnovers by Illinois made the gap between the two teams. An early interception from Altmyer, which was caused by his receiver, forced Illinois to work behind a two-possession game. Then the two fumbles gave Ohio State good field position to score two touchdowns to keep the lead from getting close.
Up Next
Illinois will enter its bye week and get the week off. The following week, Illinois will travel to Washington and face off against the Washington Huskies on Oct. 25.
