Illinois sophomore safety Justin Harrison, the team’s second-leading tackler last season, returned to action in the lopsided loss to Michigan State after missing the first three games while recovering from a hip injury he suffered during spring practice. Harrison made an impressive return, recording five solo tackles.
“Emotionally, physically and mentally I felt good,” he said. “But toward the end my legs started to get tired.”
“We weren’t in sync,” coach Ron Zook said after reviewing the film of the 61-14 blowout. “On defense we had a few new things in the plan. Offensively, we moved our receivers around. Maybe we should have just stuck with our basic stuff.”
Zook attributed the Illini’s persistent tackling problems to a lack of emotion.
“You show me an emotional defense and I’ll show you a good tackling defense,” he said.
Sophomore cornerback Charles Bailey had a game-high eight tackles.
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