Ohio State beat Illinois 42-19 on Saturday, but allowed 199 rushing yards and six third-down conversions on 14 tries. The game recap said the run defense and pre-snap discipline need work before the Buckeyes’ next game against Iowa in Iowa City.
Illinois’ Aidan Laughery rushed for 113 yards at 10.3 yards per carry; Ca’lil Valentine averaged 4.7, while Jordan Anderson averaged 10 yards on two attempts. Ohio State also gave up a fourth-and-12 conversion, and Devin Sanchez committed multiple pass-interference penalties.
The Buckeyes also had several pre-snap penalties, including false starts that disrupted drives. Jermaine Mathews Jr. dropped an interception and slipped on a play that let Illinois convert second-and-20; a holding call erased Bo Jackson’s one-handed catch-and-run before halftime.
