How big is the Illinois game now? REALLY big.

The trouble with losing a game you almost had won leaves a bad taste in your mouth and can get in the way of preparations for the next game, which is Saturday night at Illinois. The Big Ten also-ran hardly looked like that in throttling Murray State in its opener, 52-3.

Yes, Murray State is in the Ohio Valley Conference and went 3-9 last season. But Illinois under former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith looked better than the team picked to finish seventh in Big 10 West. A lot better, and it will give the Illini confidence they can beat the Tar Heels, who could go in with a Georgia hangover.

Illinois’ quarterback Wes Lunt completed 15 of 21 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. The Illini have a back who ran the ball only four times but averaged 30 yards a carry, skewed by one 56 yard scamper. And they looked solid on defense, dominating the Racers who understandably do not have the size, strength and speed Carolina will bring to Champagne-Urbana, which will be a fever pitch.

But this game becomes super important for Carolina, which has a wicked stretch after its home opener on September 17 against James Madison. The Tar Heels host Pitt, go to Florida State, come home for Virginia Tech and then go to Miami. So unless they stand at 2-1 and that bad taste is gone from the game they gave away in the Georgia Dome, the season could turn south suddenly.

What we saw Saturday night was spotty play calling and execution from the offense, which was facing perhaps the best defense in the SEC East Division. Mitch Trubisky could not connect on numerous long shots down the field, and besides one drive behind T.J. Logan UNC never got its run game going. And while the defense held the Dawgs to 14 points for 40 minutes and seemed to have bowling ball Nick Chubb contained and worn  down, the Carolina “D”  got beat on the long pass that led to the go-ahead field goal and the long Chubb touchdown run that put the game out of reach.

It will be an easier opponent this Saturday night, but a more consistent UNC team must show up to get win No. 1.