Fall is here. Technically, it’s been fall for quite some time, and for many, autumn begins long before the autumnal equinox. But it finally feels like fall to me. Not in the air. In my heart.
Illinois traveled to Purdue on Saturday, looking to get back into the W column after last week’s disappointing loss. It was a gorgeous fall football Saturday, just like last week. But when time ran out on Illinois’ attempted comeback, and the scoreboard read 21-14 in favor of the Boilermakers, I could feel the fall.
Not the orange leaves and apple cider kind of fall. It felt like one of those autumn days when it’s blowing rain and 40 degrees and it somehow manages to feel colder than it will all year. It may feel colder on those days because the rain soaks into your clothes, whereas snow just brushes off, but I don’t believe that. To me, it feels colder on those days because you believe in your heart that it should be warmer. Despite the fact that fall brings those nasty days every year, we still believe that fall means jumping into piles of polychromatic leaves. It’s not the wind. It’s the disappointment.
That’s the best way I can describe Saturday’s football game. In our hearts we had led ourselves to believe in the beauty of autumn and the promise of this team. And Saturday was that day that reminds us of the dark side of fall—the fact that it is necessarily followed by the cold dark of winter.
The Illinois loss was difficult to watch most of the time. Illinois did not score a single point until 8:12 left in the game. Purdue ran off a 21-0 start by mid-way through the second quarter, notching their third touchdown after tackling the Illini punter near the goal line before he could even attempt the dropkick.
The passing game looked out of sorts for the second week in a row. Scheelhaase seemed nervous rather than confident, and many passes were considerably overthrown. Backup Reilly O’Toole was subbed in at quarterback and got some momentum going before forcing a pass downfield into coverage for an interception. It was hard not to think of a driving, cold rain knocking the fall display off all those trees.
Illinois made it exciting, scoring twice in the fourth quarter to put themselves in theoretical contention for the game, provided they could recover an onsides kick with just under a minute to go. But it wasn’t to be. Illinois had dropped down to 23rd in the polls following last week’s loss, and dropped out of the rankings entirely following their defeat at the hands of the unranked Boilermakers.
It isn’t winter just yet. The game was close statistically. Rushing was pretty even: 126 yards for Purdue to 121 yards for Illinois. Passing was in Illinois’ favor: 245 yards compared to 178 for the Boilermakers. Illinois’ total offense, at 366 yards, represents over 60 yards better than Purdue. Jason Ford played well, making 83 yards on the ground in his 10 carries and catching 5 passes for nearly 70 more yards.
Illinois’ defense actually played rather well for the majority of the game, holding Purdue scoreless for all of the second half and the latter portion of the second quarter as well. Unfortunately, Purdue had already run up 21 points by the time the defense found their footing.
Take away the punting miscue, and you’re looking at a 14-14 tie at the end of regulation.
But we’re stretching. For the second week in a row, Illinois was without any offensive momentum as they lost a game they were favored to win. Barring something unforeseeable, Illinois likely won’t be favored to win another game until we’re all several days into Thanksgiving leftovers (November 26, @ Minnesota). It’s hard not to get the feeling that the best days of the season may be behind us. That’s how falls go.
Illinois is presently 2-2 in conference play. Last year, Illinois went 4-4 in the Big Ten. If Illinois follows expectations, they’ll be standing at 7-5 overall (one win better than last year’s regular-season mark of 6-6), but 3-5 in the Big Ten. For Illinois to best last year’s .500 conference mark, they’ll need to pull not one upset, but two. Unless they do, you’ll hear a lot of doubters saying that this year’s team wasn’t better than last, it just had an easier schedule.
But anyone who has followed the season through this column knows I’m an optimist, perhaps idiotically so. I’ll be ecstatic, but not surprised, if Illinois wins one or even two of the next three games. This is a team that has a lot of talent, and if they get the offense clicking and the defense starts playing the beginning of the games the way it plays the end, this is a dangerous team. No one can predict whether that will happen. I can’t. The doubters predicting four losses to close out the season can’t, either.
But it isn’t entirely foolhardy to stand in the dreary cold and look for better days, rather than worse. Some years there is a period of unseasonable warmth after a killing frost. Illinois fans should take heart in the fact that it’s happened often enough to have a name. Hopefully prophetically for the Illini Nation, they call it an Indian Summer.