Illinois vs. Penn State: 5 Halftime Adjustments the Fighting Illini Must Make

Today's matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Penn State Nittany Lions has definitely not disappointed. Coach Ron Zook and the Illini are hoping to turnaround their once promising season by getting a huge road win in a snowy Beaver Stadium.

If Illinois wants to end their two-game losing streak in the midst of a PSU white out, they must make the five following adjustments at the half.  

3rd Down Efficiency 

To say it nicely, the Illini have been horrible on third down. They have continually left themselves in extremely long conversion situations with too many negative yard plays and penalties. In the second half, Illinois needs to start getting positive gains on early downs and convert on third and short. 

Take Advantage of Turnovers

In the second half the Illini MUST put points on the board following PSU turnovers. They were already unable to take advantage of two huge Penn State gifts, and a terrible illegal motion penalty robbed them of six points.

If the Illini want any chance of upsetting PSU, they must make the most out of every scoring opportunity.

Quick Hits to A.J. Jenkins

In order for Illinois to create some offensive momentum in the second half, they need to continue to get Jenkins the ball. Jenkins leads the B1G in receiving and has crazy quickness. The Illini should try running more end-arounds or bubble screens in the second half and see if Jenkins can get the offense rolling early. 

More Ford 

With the snow making a huge impact on the flow of this game, the Illini should keep pounding RB Jason Ford up the middle in the second half. Ford is a mammoth of a running back, weighing in at 235 pounds. As the field conditions worsen and PSU's defense wears down, look for Ford to be able to break off bigger gains. 

Keep Bringing the Heat

The Illini have done a great job of bringing a variety of pressure in the first half. Their front four has been able to have their way, led by the push from Whitney Mercilus.

In the second half Illinois needs to keep bringing the heat to rush PSU's QBs who have not looked impressive early. Expect either Penn State QB to make a huge mistake in the second half.