4. Offensive playcallers need to work on short-yardage situations
I love Andy Kotelnicki, but he is too passive at times. He talked about how he wants to be the most dangerous coordinator in the game this season, and while he lived up to those expectations in the first half, he got a little lazy in the second.
The Dylan McDuffie play stood out to me. You’re up by 11 points in the opponent’s territory with a chance to seal the game. It’s 4th-and-3. What does he do? Calls for an inside handoff to the team’s third-string running back. The defense was able to fend off Illinois that drive, but mistakes like that won’t be acceptable in league play.