The DLine was my biggest concern coming out of this game. After watching the first time, I was pessimistic about their performance, as was Robert and many here. Then Rees Woodcock was high on the DLine. Now, Rees is overly optimistic anyway, but he went out of his way multiple times to praise the DLine. I decided to investigate by analyzing each play of the second half. Didn’t care to look at the first half...every unit was awful.
Kent State ran 43 plays from scrimmage in the second half. 12 were designed tailback run plays. There were no tackles for loss by the DLine. Two went for less than 4 yards with a tackle by a DLineman, one by Roundtree on 1st and goal at the end of the game and an impressive tackle by Carney. 5 were up the middle for 4 or more yards. 5 went immediately to the outside with tackles by a linebacker or DB.
Kent State ran 7 designed QB runs. Two went for 3 yards or less with a tackle by the DLine, but one of those was 4th and inches and they got the first. A third was a Hansen tackle on 2nd and goal at the end of the game, but it was good pursuit/containment by the DLine. Three involved some big holes and gains by Barrett. The seventh was on third and goal at the end of the game. It appeared to be a designed run for the QB but he had nowhere to go and ended up throwing an incomplete pass.
Kent State drew up designed pass plays 24 times in the second half. For 10 if them, the pass was too quick to allow for much pressure. For 9, there was enough time but the Illini got no meaningful pressure, meaning that it did not disrupt the QB’s rhythm. (For some of these, there was some pressure coming, but it was too late to disrupt the play). 6 of these 9 went for 10+ yards. Ouch. One of these 9 was deflected by Roundtree or Oliver and incomplete. One more incomplete, and the last complete for 6 when Kent State needed 16.
Four plays involved meaningful pressure. One by Oliver resulted in a high pass which was tipped by the receiver and intercepted. Another which was a real team effort resulted in an interception on 4th and goal at the end of the game. In another Isaiah Gay got in there resulting in an incomplete pass, and Roundtree was held, so 10 yard penalty. On the fourth, Gay had the drop on his man. Looked like he was held to me, no call, pass complete for 10 yards.
Only one sack. Play never developed for Kent State downfield, and whole line got off their blockers as Barrett scrambled to his right. Avery got their first to slow down Barrett, then Carney and Jackson combined for the sack.
While most of the units went from awful to good/great at halftime, my impression is that the DLine went from awful to average at best against a young, MAC OLine. It did contribute to both interceptions and it did come up big at the end of the game with the goal line stand. There just weren’t a lot of other impact plays from a unit that was supposed to be full of playmakers. Obviously the return of Milan should help (but when?), but that would seem to be a troubling performance from a unit that is supposed to be strong this year.