Following back-to-back strong performances against the University of Maryland and the University of Michigan, MSU’s offensive line looked to be on the upswing from questionable performances in the weeks prior.
By the time the offensive left Illinois, the battered line had turned in one its worst performances of the season, becoming an impairment to scoring points and adversary to the offense gaining much-needed confidence.
Tight end Josiah Price called this week’s performance frustrating but credited Illinois saying, “they have two really fast defensive ends that can cause a lot of problems.”
It was a frustrating effort replete with drive-killing penalties and marred by injuries forced into a physical embodiment of “anything that can happen, will happen.”
The offensive line was left without Kodi Kieler, who suffered an injury during the week. Tight end Jamal Lyles didn’t make the trip for violating team rules. With Lyles and Kieler gone, MSU had no one left on the bench but underclassmen.
Sophomore David Beedle was thrust into action only to leave with an arm injury on top struggling to keep ground on Illinois defenders. Redshirt-freshman Cole Chewins replaced senior Miguel Machado, Beedle, and freshman Thiyo Lukusa who turned in poor performances at different positions along the line.
Redshirt-freshman Tyler Higby was yanked from the game only to return when Brian Allen suffered a brief injury. Junior Dennis Finley, who broke his leg last season and has not fully recovered to his potential, did not make the trip to Illinois.
The injuries and struggles all piled on but their effects were not more prevalent than on MSU’s second drive of the game.
Down to the Illinois 15-yard line with a first-and-10, MSU would end up punting from the Illinois 36-yard line thanks to two holding calls on Machado and Lukusa and a sack on quarterback Tyler O’Connor.
MSU was taken out of points again by its own mistakes and reverting to conservative play calls as the yards to gain mounted. Breaking into Illinois territory was easy for the Spartans who ended there on all five drives of the first half. However, only two drives (the first and the fifth) came away with points — both field goals.
Of those drives, a total of five penalties were called on the offense: three for holding (Machado 2, Lukusa 1), one for a false start (Lukusa) and one for an illegal shift.
In the months following MSU football’s blowout loss to the University of Alabama, the magical feelings worn off from a spectacular season, the holes in MSU’s title defense began subtly to emerge.
In 2015, MSU’s offensive line had gouged out holes for a trio of running backs and gave Connor Cook an impenetrable wall to showcase his accuracy for most of the season. However, by Dec. 31 in Dallas, the offensive line had run into superior talent and struggled.
That line had NFL talent.
What would hamper the offensive line the most would be chemistry. Kodi Kieler had mentioned it before the season, having played alongside Jack Allen, Jack Conklin and Donavon Clark for most of his career.
Brian Allen had talked of the line’s improvements even without its NFL guys in spring ball.
This year’s edition has, for the most part, struggled, losing leverage on defenders and allowing for 20 sacks which have set MSU back a total of 107 yards. It has slowed quarterback progression, never really allowing Tyler O’Connor, Damion Terry or Brian Lewerke much time for routes to develop.
Machado’s hold on the third drive nullified an eight-yard pickup to the Illinois 27-yard on third and 11, setting up a third and 21 from the Illinois 45-yard line. O’Connor was hurried on the next play missing a throw to Felton Davis III and causing MSU to punt.
Lukusa’s false start on the next drive came on a third and 10 from Illinois’ 36-yard line, setting MSU back to the Illinois 41-yard line. O’Connor was hurried again with another throw sailing by Davis III with a punt following on the net play.
“At the end of the day, we have to get back and do the little things,” receiver R.J. Shelton said. “The details are so critical. On the offensive side, the things we can control we need to control – the penalties, the offsides, hand placement, running routes for wide receivers, quarterback check-downs or running back picking up blocks.”
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In the second half, MSU cut down on the penalties only suffering one (Davis III, false start, 5 yards) in Illinois territory. The false start, however, created a third-and-15 from the Illinois 19-yard line. MSU settled for a field goal.
The blame is not easily pinned, largely it is all-encompassing. Whether injuries or anemic performances, it's left nothing but the empty feelings for MSU going forward.
“We are very disappointed,” Dantonio said “lots of disappointed people but it’s like I told the football team, when we are on that long road, everybody’s walking down that long road.”
