By Woodrow Carroll
The offense often receives the lion’s share of attention in football. In Saturday’s Illinois-Rutgers’ Big Ten Conference game in Champaign, it was the host Illinois defense that stood out in the 38-10 victory.
Rutgers was a three-touchdown underdog, however, the Scarlet Knights forged a 10-all tie at halftime. Then the Illinois’ defense took over.
With Illinois, 5-4 and 3-3 in the Big Ten Conference, nursing a 17-10 advantage early in the third quarter, Illini junior cornerback Nate Hobbs returned a Rutgers’ fumble 36 yards for a touchdown to make the score, 24-10. With Illinois leading 31-10 early in the fourth quarter, Illinois senior middle linebacker Dele Harding returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown.
Harding could be the player of the game, with 12 tackles and a touchdown.
In Illinois’ 23-20 upset of Wisconsin two weeks prior, Donny Navarro’s 48-yard catch, his lone catch of the game, put the Illini on scoreboard and set the stage for the big comeback victory. Saturday, Neuqua Valley High School graduate Navarro hauled in another 48-yard catch and run.
Navarro’s third-quarter reception put the ball on Rutgers’ 12-yard line. Two plays later, Illinois scored to lead, 17-10, and Illini never looked back.
Needing one victory to lock up an almost certain bowl bid, Illinois will play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Michigan State. The Spartans, 4-4 and 2-3, are one Big Ten team Illinois head coach Lovie Smith can claim a winning record. Smith’s lone meeting against the Spartans was a 31-27 Illinois victory in 2016.
• Northwestern, 1-7 and 0-6, will not be in a bowl game. The Wildcats fell 34-3 Indiana University Saturday. Thus, Northwestern and Rutgers became the first two Big Ten teams out of the running for bowl berths. Last season Northwestern was the Big Ten West Division champion and the talk of collegiate football. Talk of Northwestern football now is on the precipitous fall this season.
• Northern Illinois is about to join Northwestern in the fall from glory.
Northern Illinois, 3-6 and 2-3 Mid-American Conference, lost 48-10 at Central Michigan Saturday. Northern Illinois was Mid-American Conference champion last season! The Huskies lost to a team that was 1-11 last year and suffered a humiliating 61-0 loss to Wisconsin earlier this season.
Unless Northern Illinois runs the table its final three games to finish with a 6-6 record, the Huskies will be home for the holidays. Next up for Northern Illinois will be a game at Toledo Saturday. Given the low esteem in which the MAC is held, a 6-6 record might not be good enough for a bowl berth in head coach Thomas Hammock’s first season.
• Although the Illinois game at Michigan State merits attention, the Penn State at Minnesota match-up at 11 a.m. Saturday will get the most Big Ten focus. Each team is 8-0 overall.
Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa in the Big Ten are eligible for bowl games. Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue, and Maryland still could attain bowl-eligibility.