Film Breakdown: 4th Quarter vs. Youngstown State

The Penguins provided a pretty tough game for the Illini on Saturday. The Illini's best quarter, and the quarter that saved them the game, was the 4th quarter. So now I'm going to analyze and break it down using film. I'm thinking about turning this into a weekly series and here's what I would do: Every week I pick out the best all around quarter for the Illini. Then I break down the film from that quarter. So starting from the 15 minute mark:

Little Things

Right here we are in a five wide set. We have Dudek, Turner, and Ferguson on the bottom and Allison and Hardee up top. Lunt's in the shotgun.

On this play everyone is going to go deep except for Ferguson. He is going to curl. This is at the very beginning of this play and Lunt has a nice pocket here.

Number 7 is starting to get around Simon Cvijanioc and Lunt is going to need somebody to throw to. Ferguson decides to cut in to beat his man.

And Lunt hits him for a first down. A simple little cut in by a smart player in Ferguson gets us a needed first down instead of another stalled drive.

A Beauty of a Play

This is an amazing play right here and it was executed to perfection.In this set we have Geronimo Allison, Mikey Dudek, and Justin Hardee on the top. Then we have Matt Lacosse blocking. Ferguson and Lunt are in the backfield. The 5 Penguin defenders on the left side of the center do absolutely nothing on this play.

So now Hardee and Allison are both going to run slants and Dudek is going to run a post corner. Lacosse is going to criss cross with Allison. They are both basically decoys on this play. Ferguson is going out for a screen. The key defender here is the linebacker right in front of Dudek.

The linebacker that was just covering Dudek sees that Ferguson is on a screen and leaves Dudek for him. He probably thought there was safety help. Can you see the safety on this play? Sitting right on the "NO" in the end zone doing absolutely nothing.

Lunt's job on this play is to read where the linebacker is going and choose either Ferguson or Dudek. The linebacker is up even more now and Hardee is cutting his slant across the middle of the end zone. All that's left is for Dudek to cut out which he is doing.

Now all Lunt has to do is make the throw to a wide open Dudek.

And that he does. Easy TD.

Monheim!!!

This play is the dreaded dropped interception by Mason Monheim. The QB here is looking for the WR on the top right of the picture. The defense has this one pretty much covered.

He lets go and it's way too short. It's going right to Monheim! And you can see here he basically has to beat the QB with TJ Neal helping block for a pick six. That would make the game 21-9 and make all of our nails a lot less bitten.

But this happens. Go head other B1G SB Nation sites...

The Killer QB Draw

During the game I was often very mad that the defense would cover everybody but the quarterback. Here is a perfect example of this. Everybody is covered, but there is a wide gap up the middle. The only one standing in it? Mason Monheim.

But the running back dives out at Monheim for an even bigger hole for the QB.

So now he's gained 12 yards before anyone even comes near him.

And he slides down for nearly a 15 yard gain. The linebackers need to prevent this against WKU.

A Dive is a Tackle, Right?

Right here we have a set up screen to the receiver on the top cutting across. Notice it's 2nd and 16 because Caroll Phillips just got a sack. Now we're going to try to use that momentum. TJ Neal is in the middle to cover this screen.

So now Neal is out of position, but might be able to get back and make the tackle. And Earnest Thomas is trying to make a tackle, but he might get blocked.

And Earnest dives, but doesn't even get a piece of the receiver. By now Neal is way out of position.

If only Neal could dive...

But he's too slow and the receiver is now accelerating.

And the corners are getting blocked so he's gone.

And nobody can get him until Taylor Barton pulls him down at the 8.

We try to capitalize on momentum and this happens. Another reason this game was much closer than it should have been.

Too Easy

Here we have the two point conversion Youngstown St ran. The play is broken down and the QB decides to run. First off Jihad Ward is not being held. I mean you can just rip jerseys now, right? Monheim is the spy. He should stuff the QB. 

Well I wouldn't say he "stuffed" him.

There Was DY, Then There was Dudek

Another amazing play. Here we have Allison and Barr up top and Hardee and Dudek on the bottom. Lunt in the shotgun, DY at running back. On this play the receivers are going to cross.

Here they are crossing as Lunt drops back.

And Lunt actually is going to pump fake to DY here. He realizes he has Dudek down the field and lets one go. The best part about this picture though is Donnovon Young standing by himself with no defenders in front of him in the picture. That's how wide open this play was.

And as you know Dudek comes down with grab. Make it your screensaver.

Omaha!

So on this set we have Barr and Dudek in the slot, and Malik Turner and Justin Hardee on the outsides. Lunt calls an audible realizing there is only one defender in the middle of the field.

So now with a good pocket the wide receivers clear out, leaving a one on one matchup between Ferguson and the linebacker.

And Ferguson wins. Easy throw for Lunt and it's the go ahead touchdown.

The Freshman

There is not much to analyze here, but this was the biggest play of the game. Malik Turner on the top is going to get the catch for a first down.

And because of his amazing skills he breaks this tackle and ends up getting the first down.

Now it's Time to Dance

And on the very next 3rd down...

Now the receivers are once again criss crossing but that is not the thing to see here. Here we have the game saving BLOCK by Josh Ferguson. Ferguson is going to trip up that linebacker to give Lunt just a few extra seconds to get the pass off.

And he lays it up there for Martize Barr

Who goes and gets it for the score and the win.

And then he dances.

Even though the first three quarters were bad the 4th quarter was encouraging, and showed what we can do when all of our players aren't freaked out by jitters. Once again, let me know what you thought of this idea in the comments so I could possibly continue it on a weekly basis!