Illinois linebacker Simeon Rice, considered one of the best defensive players in the nation, is struggling a bit statistically–but only because he’s drawing so much attention from opposing offenses.
Coaches estimate that Rice faces a double-team in slightly more than half of the passing downs. Some opponents triple-team him. Moreover, officials have been slow to call holding penalties on offensive lineman who block Rice. There has been only one such flag this season.
In the 17-10 Illinois victory Saturday at Indiana, Rice had four solo tackles and two assists. He also had a sack, giving him 8 1/2 for the season and 41 1/2 for his career.
Those numbers would be outstanding for most players, but not for Rice. He notes, however, that Indiana often matched him against more than one player–and even that didn’t work well, especially as his unblocked teammates were picking up another four sacks.
“The pressure was there,” Rice said. “If I make the quarterback step up, throw picks, if someone else gets a sack, that’s fine. As long as someone else is making big plays, that’s fine. The protection was on my side, so I took what I could get.”
Boots: Illinois punter Brett Larsen continues to impress. He kicked seven times Saturday, averaging 40.7 yards. The longest was a 62-yard bomb that pinned Indiana at its own 5-yard line with 53 seconds left. The Hoosiers needed a TD to tie or win. “That was the biggest, baddest punt I’ve ever seen in my life,” quarterback Scott Weaver said.
