<body><div>The Illini struggled on the offensive line against a quick, talented Penn State team.CHAMPAIGN — The sack numbers don't look pretty for the Illini in the loss to now-No. 4 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/">Penn State</a>.The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) sacked quarterback <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/luke-altmyer-46050393/">Luke Altmyer</a> seven times, including five in the fourth quarter. Given <a href="https://247sports.com/college/illinois/">Illinois</a> trailed in the fourth quarter and the run game couldn't find consistency, Penn State was able to pin its ears back and overwhelm the Illini offensive line with a hyper-athletic and talented defensive front. <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/abdul-carter-46086350/">Abdul Carter</a> brought Altmyer down twice and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/zane-durant-46097810/">Zane Durant</a> brought him down once."We didn't play well enough, I think collectively as a team. Credit to Penn State. They're a phenomenal team and a phenomenal defense," Illinois offensive line coach <a href="https://247sports.com/coach/Bart-Miller-1474">Bart Miller</a> told Illini Inquirer. "I don't think we underestimated them at all. I think we knew how good they were. They played very well. It's the same type of story that happens to any team. When you get down and you're forced into playing one way, a team like that with (Abdul Carter) and the rest of those defensive guys, and (defensive coordinator <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/tom-allen-1497/">Tom Allen</a>) is a phenomenal football coach. They just dialed things back, and that's when things kind of got away from us. For most of the day, it was kind of a hard-fought football game. We were two top-20 teams going at it."Outside of <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/kaden-feagin-46114835/">Kaden Feagin</a> (13 carries for 69 yards), the offensive line struggled to get the run game going. No other running back had positive yardage at the end of the game (1 rush for 0 yards for <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/aidan-laughery-46103029/">Aidan Laughery</a> and 3 rushes for negative-2 yards for Josh McCay).One of the biggest snafus was a cadence-related issue that led to an errant snap at the goal line over the head of quarterback Luke Altmyer from center <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/josh-kreutz-46098875/">Josh Kreutz</a>. Illinois lost yardage on the next two plays and ultimately missed a field goal that would have given it a halftime lead."Of course, everything's going to be made about the snap, and rightfully so," Miller said. "We own that. Josh owns that. I own that. If we punch that in there, that's a different ball game, and I think everybody knows that. Not getting points there really hurts. That's the thing I think is most frustrating and continues to add some hunger to our team right now is I think they know how good we could be if we play up to our potential, and what happens any given Saturday in college football — last weekend was a prime example — if you don't play at your very best."That was probably the biggest takeaway is we're a 4-1 team, and that's great, but there's so much more there. Any coach, any competitor, any player, the expectation has to continue to grow and be higher than that. It certainly is in our room. I'm grateful that we're 4-1, but at the same time, I'm kind of angry because I think we could be better than that and I think so does most of our team and most of our coaching staff. To sit and say that we're sitting back on our laurels and that we're happy here, I think that's maybe a misunderstanding of where this program is at. We want more, and we've said that all along. Continuing to try to push that and get those guys and the guys on our team to understand that I think is a big deal."The Illini offensive line has struggled to string together good games. There have been flashes of strong play, and the kind of play expected of a team returning three interior starters (Kreutz, left guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/josh-gesky-46101783/">Josh Gesky</a> and right guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Zy-Crisler-46129183">Zy Crisler</a>) along with two immediate starters on the edge (left guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/jc-davis-46129023/">J.C. Davis</a> and right guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/melvin-priestly-46113082/">Melvin Priestly</a>). The <a href="https://247sports.com/college/nebraska/">Nebraska</a> game, including the fourth quarter and overtime periods, were encouraging moments for the line, paving the way for a strong rushing attack while protecting Altmyer.Most of the Penn State game was a struggle against an athletic and talented front. The key for No. 23 Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) is to find more consistency during this four-game stretch (<a href="https://247sports.com/college/purdue/">Purdue</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/college/michigan/">Michigan</a>, at <a href="https://247sports.com/college/oregon/">Oregon</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/college/minnesota/">Minnesota</a>) before its next open week.Illinois was high on its offensive line — starters and depth — entering the season ,and the lack of consistency has been a relatively unexpected part of the offense, at least from the outside."I think there's a variety of different things that show up," Miller said. "At times we've picked up movement very well, like at Nebraska, and other times we've kind of struggled with some movement. I think last week their talent combined with some of the movement was a challenge at times. Then some of our designs, the ball designs, call for the ball to get out and sometimes we hand it off. Some awareness. I think we've got to continue to work on our awareness. I think we've got to continue to work on some fundamental football. "There are some things that when you go back and do a massive self-scout of what has gone well, what has gone not as well and what continuously needs improvement. That was the biggest thing for me for the bye week was to take away stuff we can continue to get better at, and then go back to a few things that have worked. Look at fundamentals. Look at the way things are with their feet, their steps, their aiming points, the basic principles of o-line play. There are some things you kind of lose sight of in the middle of the fight, and all of a sudden you go back and look at maybe where you lost your way. That's probably the biggest thing is looking at some of that consistency and fundamentals."<h2>Wigenton trying to match games with practice</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2RiidF_0vzwg1UV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2RiidF_0vzwg1UV00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>Kevin Wigenton (Photo: Jeremy Werner, 247Sports)</figcaption></figure>Landing <a href="https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/">Michigan State</a> transfer <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Kevin-Wigenton-II-46086970">Kevin Wigenton</a> out of the transfer portal in the offseason was a big get for the Illini and its rebuilt offensive line.Wigenton seemed a likely bet to start given he started six games in the Big Ten last season and played 501 snaps with a 66.9 Pro Football Focus grade at right guard. But Gesky and Crisler held down their relative positions, and Wigenton has been a backup guard and third-string center so far this season. Wigenton in the last two games has played 21 combined snaps (10 at Nebraska and 11 at Penn State) and was the team's highest-graded lineman against the Nittany Lions.For a unit that's struggling with consistency, Wigenton should be a shoo-in for more snaps. Yet, there's a disconnect with his in-game performances, which have largely been good, and his practice performances, which have been less encouraging."Kevin in the game has really flashed, and that's been the good thing is in a game you're seeing a player who maybe you didn't anticipate playing at a high level based on his practices," Miller said. "That's been my message to Kev. Kev's an awesome guy and an awesome member of the team. We love him, and he's got some real talent and a lot of his best football is still ahead of him. He's got to continue to develop and really show that at practice and earn those reps as they go. The way he's played in games has been kind of a bright spot. We've got to see it at practice too."How does Miller approach that given Wigenton is delivering in games?"That's part of your job as a coach is to continue to bring that consistency along," Miller said. "That was my messaging to him and guys like Josh Gesky and Zy (Crisler). Zy practices really well. Then there's times in a game where it's not as consistent, where Kevin is a little bit the other way around. (Henderson) is a little bit of both. There are times where he goes out and does some really good things in a game, but then there are some times he falls off a block at Nebraska and his guy makes a tackle. Then you see him at practice. It's just building that consistency and being the player you are every day. In my opinion, at the o-line position, you can't just be a gamer. You have to be able to build that continuity, build the trust in your team, build the accountability with your coaching staff and then show what you can do to get those opportunities, and then take advantage of those opportunities. That's where we are: trying to get those guys to play more consistently."<h2>Run game close to clicking</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Y9qby_0vzwg1UV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Y9qby_0vzwg1UV00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: Justin Casterline, Getty)</figcaption></figure>Head coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/bret-bielema-137/">Bret Bielema</a> has pointed to the rushing attack coming close to clicking during a few different times this season. Sophomore <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Kaden-Feagin-46114835">Kaden Feagin</a> has had his two best games against FBS opponents in the last two games (12 for 69 at Nebraska and 13 for 64 at Penn State), but the run game hasn't quite taken off.Illinois ranks No. 94 nationally in rushing yards per game (132) and is averaging 3.8 yards per carry. The concept of close is fine, but the reality of hitting on those runs is more meaningful. "It all falls back on relying on your rules and principles, (running backs coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/thad-ward-1749/">Thad Ward</a>) would say, and getting to the spots we're supposed to be," Illini running back <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Aidan-Laughery-46103029">Aidan Laughery</a> said. "We're that close. It's going to happen. That's kind of our thing is first quarter three or four yards, third and fourth quarter those are going to hit. You've just got to keep trusting your rules and principles and getting to your spots and they'll break eventually."The Illini are averaging 4.3 yards per carry in the first quarter (which is heavily influenced by 6.3 against EIU and 6.8 against <a href="https://247sports.com/college/central-michigan/">Central Michigan</a>), 3.3 per carry in the second quarter, 3.5 per carry in the third quarter and 3.9 per carry in the fourth quarter.Illinois, with its bruising combination of Feagin and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/josh-mccray-46055782/">Josh McCray</a>, think that there's an element of wearing down teams as the game goes on.That dam just hasn't broken to this point. There's a patience required for that, and right now, Illinois has found a way to win and be ranked for four straight weeks despite the running game not taking complete hold yet."It's all routine of what you build in practice," Laughery said. "You've just got to have the discipline, and in our room we practice having the discipline to get the dirty four and eventually the big ones are going to come."<h2>Injuries, trust and a touchdown</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1TEJQh_0vzwg1UV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1TEJQh_0vzwg1UV00" width="620" height="320" ><figcaption>(Photo: courtesy Illinois athletics)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://247sports.com/Player/carson-goda-46150129/">Carson Goda</a> transferred to Illinois after a stellar four-year career at Division II Saint Anselm to prove himself at the highest level of college football. The adjustment was a process.Players in the Big Ten are, expectantly, bigger, stronger and faster. Goda had to adjust to that after arriving at Illinois in June. That adjustment was derailed a bit by an injury, but Goda returned and found himself on the receiving end of a four-yard touchdown reception at Penn State.That's a heck of a glow-up."It definitely wasn't easy. It was a lot of work," Goda said. "Fall camp was a grind. Every day, I just try to show up and do my job and hopefully build some trust. Then obviously the opportunity presented itself where I could get on the field, the coaches had some good stuff drawn up and I was able to get open and find the end zone."The Illini once again scored on an opening drive touchdown and Goda lined up as a fullback before breaking towards the end zone for a wide-open catch. Consider the move from a Division II school to a touchdown celebration in a hostile Beaver Stadium at Penn State in a don't-call-it-by-name White Out. It would have been difficult to draw that path up a year ago."That was a pretty cool experience," Goda said. "Obviously, I was put in a pretty good position. We had that play drawn up and it ended up working. The first drive to go out there, have a really good drive and get in the end zone in front of that crowd in the white out was pretty fun. It was really cool."Goda had to earn the trust of the coaching staff, which was looking for a pass-catching dynamic at tight end in the portal, and his path to playing time opened further when starter <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/cole-rusk-46098468/">Cole Rusk</a> tore his ACL in fall camp.From there, Goda kept pushing towards consistency to bridge that trust and ultimately lead him to being a rotational tight end."Earning it is a daily thing," Goda said. "Every day, I come in with 100% effort in the blocking game and then when the tight ends have a chance in the pass game, we've got to be perfect. Really just taking every small opportunity you get every day and trying to build that trust."</div></body>

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Notebook: Illini looking for more OL consistency; Wigenton needs to show more in practice; Goda's path to a TD

CHAMPAIGN — The sack numbers don't look pretty for the Illini in the loss to now-No. 4 Penn State. The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) sacked quarterback Luke Altmyer seven times, including five in the fourth quarter. Given Illinois trailed in the fourth quarter and the run game couldn't find consistency, Penn State was able to pin its ears back and overwhelm the Illini offensive line with a hyper-athletic and talented defensive front. Abdul Carter brought Altmyer down twice and Zane Durant brought him down once.

Notebook: Illini looking for more OL consistency; Wigenton needs to show more in practice; Goda's path to a TD

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