CHAMPAIGN – Illinois senior quarterback Wes Lunt sat there on a chair surrounded by media after a 25-point loss to North Carolina Saturday night and took the heat.
It’s what a quarterback does. After fumbling three times and losing one that North Carolina converted into the go-ahead touchdown, Lunt “did things I don’t normally do,’’ he said. “I know I can play better.’’
Admittedly, he produced a D game, he said, when the Illini needed an A or B kind of night. When Lunt is off, the Illini have no chance. Once again this Saturday, Illinois is an underdog. This time, Western Michigan is a 2-point favorite, and the Illini will lean on Lunt, the fifth-year senior quarterback who is the key variable in the Illini season.
He’s the greatest playmaker on offense, the leader who holds everything together. When he cracks, so do any chance of an Illini victory. Against the Tar Heels, Lunt flinched.
“I think we’re close to breaking through,’’ Lunt said. “We can’t let adversity go from bad to worse.’’
On an offense woefully short on big-play threats, Lunt’s ability to read the defense and make plays becomes paramount. Against North Carolina, his fumble when flushed out of the pocket as a play broke down gave North Carolina a short field, a quick score and a lead the Tar Heels never relinquished.
Lunt appeared tight, perhaps even jittery. The turnover on the busted play when receiver Malik Turner failed to run a bubble screen fell apart when Lunt panicked, he said. Maybe it was the first big game under the former NFL coach. Nonetheless, his 127 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air were a little less than he expected, not to mention the folks in the packed Memorial Stadium stands.
“Our biggest thing as a team is that we haven’t overcome in a long time is when things go wrong, how do we respond?’’ he said. “That’s something that we have to continue to work on.’’
Two players control the Illini season. Lunt takes charge on offense while transfer Hardy Nickerson, a middle linebacker and son of the defensive coordinator, is in control on defense. Without big games or even solid performances from these two guys, the Illini will find it difficult to win again.
Lunt said his fumble against North Carolina was “the turning point’’ in the loss. Lunt‘s role, he said, is more of game management than playmaking.
“I just have to manage the game,’’ he said. “I have to take what the defense gives me on first down, get us to third and manageable. At the end of the game, we were taking more risks because we were down a lot. In the beginning, we were doing a good job of that. But penalties and my fumbles didn’t help.’’
It’s not every day you’re playing for a coach like Lovie Smith, who twice helped teams reached the Super Bowl as a coach or an assistant. The calming voice comes from Lovie.
“I think he will bounce back,’’ Lovie said. “I was critical of my play and my job this past week. Everybody to a man should not be happy, should be disappointed in our play. Wes is a part of that.
“You find out a lot about you and what’s inside of you when you need to come back from adversity.’’
Lunt, of course, wasn’t the only guy who didn’t play a perfect game. Better teams find a way to make you feel like that. Illini offensive coordinator Garrick McGee searches for more discipline on the bench and more teamwork when necessary. So McGee wasn’t laying it all at Lunt’s feet.
“He shouldn’t take all the (blame),’’ McGee said. “When you’re the quarterback, it’s OK to feel that way. He’s definitely not the only one out there who made a mistake during the game.
“He’s the quarterback, and he accepts a lot of responsibility for our success or failure.’’
Western Michigan’s defense goes all out to stop the run. That means Lunt and the passing game will have to beat the Broncos if the running attack can’t beat a feisty Mid-American Conference opponent stacked to stop the run.
“They believe in stopping the run,’’ McGee said. “The defense is built to stop the run. That’s their defense. They believe if they hold a team to under 100 yards rushing, it gives them a 92 percent chance of winning the game.’’
Therefore, Lunt’s play becomes even more important.
Seven offensive penalties weren’t Lunt’s fault, and McGee looks to figure out how to get the Illini more disciplined while playing with greater effort and focus.
“We have to understand that winning is hard, especially against good quality winning football teams,’’ McGee said. You have to play with a certain level of intensity and focus and passion throughout the game. (North Carolina) figured out we were serious about winning. They went to the sideline and raised their level of play, and we didn’t match it.’’
Lunt’s career is winding down, and the Illini don’t have a sure-thing quarterback in the pipeline. The backups have played little experience in college, and there’s a question if Illinois will search for a fifth-year transfer following the season to bolster an inexperienced quarterback rotation.
Lunt and the Illini admire Smith for his calm demeanor and his lofty expectations. Through the preseason, Lovie was evaluating, but he waited until the game against North Carolina to see how the Illini would react to a high level opponent.
“Whenever you have play that’s not acceptable, it’s a lack of execution,’’ Lovie said. “You practice, but that’s practice. You never know what happens until you get to a game. You handle things differently. Some of the things we saw in game, we didn’t see in practice. Now, we can make those corrections. It’s about setting bars throughout. I made this mistake, I don’t want to make it again.’’
Lunt looks to rebounds in the season’s third week. The Illini need it.
John Supinie is a columnist for Orangeandbluenews.com. During the day, he’s an Audi Brand Specialist at Green Audi in Springfield. Call or text him at 217-377-1977 if you’re looking for an Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota or preowned car. Ask for the Illini deal.
