Tag: Fighting Illini

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Zakhari Franklin (4) dives after the catch for the touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

No. 20 Illinois holds off No. 15 South Carolina for rare 10th win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Josh McCray rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 7:29 left, to lead No. 20 Illinois to a 21-17 Citrus Bowl victory over No. 15 South Carolina Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

Luke Altmyer completed 13 of 22 passes for 174 yards with one score and one interception, while Gabe Jacas racked up three tackles for loss as Illinois (10-3) earned its first 10-win season since 2001.

LaNorris Sellers hit on 24 of 34 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown for South Carolina (9-4), which had its six-game winning streak snapped. Oscar Adaway rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown and caught seven passes for 37 yards.

After Illinois went backward on the game’s first possession, South Carolina used favorable field position to set up Alex Herrera’s 29-yard field goal at 7:24 of the first quarter.

Illinois responded with a 59-yard crossing pattern from Altmyer to Hank Beatty that got the Illini inside South Carolina’s 1-yard line, but Debo Williams was credited with a forced fumble on the next snap – a McCray plunge – that Dylan Stewart recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

On the final play of the first quarter, Illinois capped a 76-yard drive with its first score. Altmyer scrambled and found Zakhari Franklin for a 15-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead.

South Carolina squandered a scoring chance midway through the second quarter when it ran an unsuccessful trick play on fourth-and-7 from Illinois’ 13. The Gamecocks came up empty again on the half’s final play when Herrera doinked a 41-yard attempt off the upright.

South Carolina seized a 10-7 lead in the third quarter when Adaway broke through the middle on fourth-and-1 and sprinted 36 yards down the right sideline for a score. Illinois regained a 14-10 lead with 2:23 to go in the third on McCray’s 3-yard blast up the middle.

The Gamecocks forged the third lead change of the second half on the first snap of the fourth quarter. Sellers faked a handoff and lobbed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Simon for a 17-14 edge.

Illinois answered with McCray’s 7-yard touchdown run on a misdirection pitch to the left. South Carolina had a chance to retake the lead, but Sellers threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-4 inside Illinois’ 10 with 3:08 left.

McCray’s 60-yard rush on the ensuing drive allowed the Illini to run out the clock.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) scrambles against the Wofford Terriers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

No. 15 South Carolina, No. 20 Illinois vie for 10th win at Citrus Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

South Carolina’s best defensive player — actually, the nation’s best defensive player — won’t play in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Illinois won’t have its all-Big Ten receiver.

But aside from the Gamecocks’ Kyle Kennard and the Fighting Illini’s Pat Bryant opting out for NFL Draft purposes, both No. 15 South Carolina and No. 20 Illinois will be loaded and eager to battle for a coveted 10th win Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

The Gamecocks (9-3) are riding a six-game winning streak — including three victories over Top 25 opponents — as they shoot for their first 10-win season since 2013. The Illini (9-3) have won three in a row as they vie for their first 10-win campaign since the 2001 Big Ten champions.

Of course, this clash to end 2024 is also about what can happen for both schools in 2025.

“We’re either the first- or second-youngest team coming back in Power 4 football,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “We’re all juniors and sophomores.”

That includes junior quarterback Luke Altmyer, who publicly committed for the 2025 season when he addressed the sellout crowd at Illinois’ home basketball game versus top-ranked Tennessee on Dec. 14. Altmyer clicked on 60.9 percent of his passes during the regular season for 2,543 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

“In this crazy world that we’re in with the portal and the transfers, he’s the definition of what you’re looking for,” Bielema said.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers has made a similar agreement to return to South Carolina, signing a deal with the school’s NIL collective. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound dual threat racked up 2,274 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air along with 655 yards and seven scores on the ground.

Sellers and the Gamecocks are working with a new offensive coordinator. Former Alabama head coach Mike Shula was upgraded from offensive analyst last week when offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains took the head coaching job at Appalachian State.

“I trust him,” Sellers said of Shula. “He’s coached a lot of guys, had a history with a lot of guys in the NFL.”

As prolific as Sellers has been, South Carolina’s defense has been the superior unit most of the year, allowing just 17.8 points per game.

The Gamecocks will miss Kennard, who led the Southeastern Conference with 11.5 sacks and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player, but they still boast first-team All-American safety Nick Emmanwori. He led South Carolina with 83 tackles and returned two of his four picks for touchdowns.

Without Bryant (54 receptions, 984 yards, 10 TDs) to serve as Altmyer’s go-to guy, the Illini will rely on Zakhari Franklin (51 catches, 613 yards, three scores) to keep drives going. Illinois split its rushing workload between the speedy Aidan Laughery (522 yards, four TDs) and the stout Josh McCray (495 yards, eight scores).

South Carolina doesn’t expect to have its leading rusher available. Second-team all-SEC running back Raheim Sanders (881 yards, 11 TDs) announced on social media his intent to enter the NFL Draft.

That puts more on Sellers’ plate, but he’s facing an Illini defense that allowed 59 points across its season-ending wins at Rutgers and against Northwestern. Illinois also surrendered 35 points in the first half against top-ranked Oregon during its visit to the West Coast on Oct. 26.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) scrambles during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

No. 23 Illinois optimistic about postseason hopes, takes on Northwestern

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Illinois comes in at No. 23 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and with three losses remains a long shot to make the coveted Top 12.

Still, it’s coach Bret Bielema’s experience to never say never.

As they prepare for Saturday’s game against struggling Northwestern at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the Fighting Illini (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) carry optimism alongside their solid resume.

Two of Illinois’ losses came in road games to CFP No. 1 Oregon and No. 4 Penn State. The outlier? An eight-point home loss to bowl-eligible Minnesota to open November.

“What we’ve got to do is take care of Saturday, but the dialogue is out there and for that I respect,” Bielema said. “We, unfortunately, have three losses on the year, but it’s happened before. I did tell our guys when it happened, it was something still in the bag of tricks.”

Speaking of tricks, the Illini relied upon some savvy to shock host Rutgers 38-31 last week. Trailing 31-30 with 14 seconds left and zero timeouts and the ball on the Scarlet Knights’ 40, Illinois appeared primed to try to improve upon a potential go-ahead field goal. Moments earlier, a missed attempt was waved off by a Rutgers timeout.

Instead, receiver Pat Bryant rerouted after catching a pass from quarterback Luke Altmyer, spotted an opening and followed it to the end zone with just 4 seconds to go.

Altmyer was 12-for-26 through the air for 249 yards and two scores.

Outside linebacker Seth Coleman’s status for the game is uncertain after the sixth-year senior was injured in the fourth quarter at Rutgers.

Northwestern continues to fade, losing four of its past five games to likely tumble out of bowl eligibility. The Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) are coming off their most lopsided defeat of the season, 50-6 at Michigan last week.

Northwestern trailed just 10-6 after Luke Akers connected on field goals of 28 and 26 yards in the second quarter, but the Wolverines scored 40 unanswered points to close out the game.

“I’m excited for our team to bounce back after a tough Saturday,” Wildcats coach David Braun said. “The product that we put on that field is not us. We have to be better. … In our last guaranteed opportunity together, we have to send this team, this group, out the right way.”

Increased development from quarterback Jack Lausch figures to go a long way to that end. A sophomore who took over for transfer Mike Wright in mid-September, Lausch is a mere 31-for-56 for 307 yards and two interceptions in the past two games — against No. 2 Ohio State and at Michigan.

Northwestern allowed nine sacks of Lausch in those contests after yielding 12 in his first seven games.

“I’ll continue to be excited to be next to Jack as he continues to compete and put this team in situations to win games,” Braun said. “It can be really easy to point out issues at quarterback when the offense is not operating at the level you want it to. … But offensive success, it’s the beauty of football; it takes all 11 (players) to function at a high level to get results.”

–Field Level Media

Illinois coach Bret Bielema has words with an official during the first half at Autzen Stadium.

No. 24 Illinois’ Bret Bielema out to remain perfect vs. Minnesota

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Illinois coach Bret Bielema will strive to maintain his stranglehold over Minnesota when the No. 24 Fighting Illini host the Golden Gophers on Saturday in Champaign, Ill.

Bielema is 10-0 in his coaching career against Minnesota, including a 3-0 mark since he took over at Illinois in December 2020. He went 7-0 against Minnesota as Wisconsin’s coach, while he never faced the Golden Gophers during his coaching stint at Arkansas.

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Bielema and what he does,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. “He always has a hard, smash-mouth, tough football team no matter where he’s been — Wisconsin, Arkansas, Illinois. It’s his DNA.”

Illinois (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) is looking to bounce back from a lopsided loss at No. 1 Oregon a week ago. The Fighting Illini fell behind 35-3 by halftime and lost 38-9.

Now, Illinois returns to its home field, where it is 5-0 this season.

“We’re a program that’s on the rise,” Bielema said. “It’s a program that’s building, and we’re going to get better at every opportunity. … I promise you that we’ll get better this week.”

Bielema challenged the Fighting Illini’s fans to make it tough on Minnesota.

“I hope you’ll be there and be loud,” he said. “You’ve got an 11 a.m. (local time) kickoff. You’ve got to get that first beverage, whether it’s a coffee, a mimosa, a bloody, a Red Bull — whatever you got going, man — just get up and get it going and get here and get seated by about 10:30 and get ready to be a part of a really good Big Ten football environment.”

Minnesota (5-3, 3-2) would love to spoil the mood among the Illini faithful. The Golden Gophers are going for their fourth straight win after knocking off then-No. 11 Southern California, UCLA and Maryland over the past three contests.

One more win would make Minnesota bowl-eligible.

Fleck wanted no part of that hypothetical as he prepared for Illinois.

“We’ve got to play our best football against a ranked opponent on the road,” he said. “We’ve got to D.I.B. — do it better.”

Quarterback Max Brosmer leads Minnesota with 1,776 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. His top target in the passing game is Daniel Jackson, who has 51 catches for 568 yards and three touchdowns.

Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor also will look to build upon his impressive season. He has 513 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in seven games.

Illinois’ offense is led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, who has passed for 1,667 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Top wideout Pat Bryant has 34 catches for 510 yards and seven touchdowns, but his status is uncertain this week because of a concussion. Bielema said Monday that Bryant is expected to clear concussion protocol and play Saturday.

With running back Kaden Feagin out for the rest of the season with a hip injury, the next top rushers are Aidan Laughery (268 rushing yards) and Josh McCray (258 rushing yards, three TDs).

Minnesota leads the all-time series 40-33-3, although Illinois has won the past three.

–Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel leaps into the end zone fr a touchdown during the second quarter against Illinois at Autzen Stadium.

Dillon Gabriel, No. 1 Oregon have no issues taking down No. 20 Illinois

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dillon Gabriel threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in the first half as top-ranked Oregon cruised to a 38-9 Big Ten win over visiting No. 20 Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Eugene.

In addition to leading the Ducks (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) to their first win as the nation’s No. 1 team since Dec. 4, 2010, Gabriel climbed into second place on the Football Bowl Subdivision’s all-time charts for passing touchdowns (143) and passing yards (17,236) as he finished 18 of 26 for 291 yards, three scores and one interception.

Oregon rolled up 527 total yards — including 363 in the first half — as Tez Johnson caught six passes for 102 yards and one touchdown while Jordan James rushed for a game-high 83 yards in 15 attempts.

Illinois (6-2, 3-2), which came in with three Top 25 wins this season, never achieved liftoff in its first game against a No. 1 team since 2007. Quarterback Luke Altmyer completed 17 of 35 passes for 161 yards and his second and third interceptions of the year. Aidan Laughery rushed for 69 yards and Zakhari Franklin posted six receptions for 72 yards.

Oregon marched 83 yards on the game’s first possession to take a 7-0 lead. Gabriel hit Johnson on a short crossing pattern that turned into a 31-yard score when Johnson dove into the pylon in the left corner of the end zone.

After Illinois went backward on its first possession and had to punt, the Ducks zipped 58 yards for another score. Gabriel tossed a 34-yard post to Justius Lowe to make it 14-0 with 6:05 left in the first quarter.

Illinois broke through with David Olano’s 38-yard field goal at 1:34 of the first, but the Ducks got back on track with Gabriel’s 7-yard keeper around left end. He raced in untouched to put Oregon up 21-3, then Noah Whittington added an 18-yard sprint up the middle for a 28-3 bulge with 6:09 left in the first half.

For good measure, the Ducks ran the two-minute drill to perfection to score their fifth touchdown in six possessions. The left-handed Gabriel capped an 89-yard march with a 2-yard pitch to Whittington using his right hand for a 35-3 halftime lead.

Illinois drove to Oregon’s 2-yard line on the second half’s opening possession but got turned away on downs. The Illini finished the job on their next drive — going 95 yards capped by Ca’Lil Valentine’s 5-yard blast. The first touchdown allowed by Oregon in eight quarters cut the margin to 35-9 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) makes a short catch and run against Michigan Wolverines linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 22 Illinois handles business at home, topping No. 24 Michigan to improve to 6-1

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Luke Altmyer threw for one touchdown and ran for another as No. 22 Illinois defeated No. 24 Michigan, 21-7, in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday.

Altmyer completed 9 of 18 passes for 80 yards and rushed for 48 yards on 10 attempts. Aidan Laughery rushed for 54 yards on nine carries, and the Fighting Illini defense forced three turnovers and sacked Michigan quarterback Jack Tuttle five times.

Illinois (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) had dropped its last six meetings vs. the Wolverines, with its last victory coming in 2009.

Tuttle completed 20 of 32 passes for 208 yards and Colston Loveland caught seven passes for 83 yards. Kalel Mullings rushed 19 times for 87 yards and one score for the Wolverines (4-3, 2-2).

Illinois scored on its first possession, as Laughery’s 29-yard run set up David Olano’s 47-yard field goal.

Early n the second quarter, Illinois linebacker Malachi Hood recovered a Tuttle fumble at Michigan’s 38-yard line, but the Wolverines defense again managed to limit the Fighting Illini to a 32-yard Olano field goal.

Donovan Edwards fumbled on the Wolverines’ next possession and Miles Scott recovered it, giving Illinois the ball at its own 49-yard line.

Altmyer had a 14-yard run and the Wolverines committed pass interference, leading to Altmyer’s 2-yard scoring pass to Tanner Arkin.

Michigan responded with a 72-yard drive. Tuttle completed two passes to Colston Loveland during the 12-play possession and Mullings scored on a 1-yard dive with 1:40 left in the half.

Olano had a 44-yard field goal attempt blocked on the final play of the half, which ended with Illinois up 13-7.

Arkin raced 36 yards on a fake punt to set up the first score of the third quarter. That play put Illinois at Michigan’s 16-yard line, and four plays later, Altmyer scored on a 1-yard run. The Illini added a 2-point conversion to make it 21-7.

Michigan’s Dominic Zvada had a 28-yard field goal attempt blocked in the final minute of the quarter.

After the Wolverines drove to the Illinois 15 midway through the fourth, Matthew Bailey picked off a Tuttle pass and returned it 20 yards. It would Michigan’s final scoring threat.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) runs with the ball in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 23 Illinois stops Purdue’s OT 2-point conversion attempt for 50-49 win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Linebacker Dylan Rosiek sacked Ryan Browne on a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime to lift No. 23 Illinois to a 50-49 Big Ten victory over Purdue on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois (5-1, 2-1) squandered a 24-point second-half lead as Purdue (1-5, 0-3) took its first lead with 46 seconds to play, but the Illini forced overtime on David Olano’s 38-yard field goal as time expired.

Once in overtime, Luke Altmyer hit Patrick Bryant for a 25-yard score on Illinois’ first play and Olano booted the extra point. Purdue scored on its second play — Arhmad Branch jogging in from 3 yards out on an end-around — and Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters called a timeout to set up the 2-point try.

Browne, who had been sacked just once all game, couldn’t elude Rosiek’s blitz and was dragged down at the 23-yard line. Illinois players stormed the field to collect the Cannon Trophy that Purdue possessed after winning the last four meetings.

Altmyer finished 20-of-34 for 379 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards and another score. Josh McCray added 78 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards and three scores as Illinois played without leading rusher Kaden Feagin.

Illinois built a 24-3 halftime lead as Browne, a redshirt freshman making his first start following Hudson Card’s injury, threw for just nine yards in the first half. But Browne responded with 288 passing yards and three touchdowns after halftime — along with 118 rushing yards for the game — as the Boilermakers rallied from a 27-3 third-quarter deficit.

Purdue’s comeback was fast-forwarded by scoring two touchdowns in an eight-second span. Browne completed a 53-yard bomb to Jahmal Edrine for the Boilers’ first touchdown in seven quarters. On the next snap from scrimmage, blitzing cornerback Nyland Green sacked Altmyer from the blind side and forced a fumble that defensive end Will Heldt scooped at Illinois’ 16 and raced into the end zone to make it 27-17 at the 7:35 mark of the third.

Illinois took a 40-28 lead on McCray’s 3-yard blast with 5:05 to play, but Purdue didn’t stop. Devin Mockobee dove over the goal line with a 2-yard score with 1:35 left as the Boilermakers cut the margin to 40-35. Then Purdue’s Leland Smith recovered the ensuing onside kick at Illinois’ 43, and Browne lobbed a play-action pass to Mockobee for a 13-yard score that gave Purdue a 43-40 edge with 46 seconds to play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) throws during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Illinois 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Purdue looks to extend hex over No. 23 Illinois

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Illinois has resided in the AP Top 25 for the past few weeks, is coming off a bye week and surely is looking forward to playing on its home field for the first time in a month.

Purdue has lost in each of the last four weeks by a combined 140 points, fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell after a 10-point showing vs. Nebraska at home on Sept. 28 and has lost commitments from some top high school recruits.

This all sounds promising for No. 23 Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten), which enters Saturday afternoon’s conference game vs. Purdue (1-4, 0-2) in Champaign, Ill., as a double-digit favorite. However, recognize that everyone on both sides understands Purdue has beaten Illinois each of the last four years to maintain possession of the Purdue Cannon that goes to the yearly victor.

“Never had it, never saw it, never touched it, never smelled it,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “I’ve never been able to hold that Cannon, right? So until it’s in our hands, all we can do is talk about it and see pictures of it.”

Now, throw in the fact that Purdue head coach Ryan Walters served as Bielema’s defensive coordinator for two seasons before getting the top job for the Boilermakers in in December 2022 — and there will be no taking anybody lightly on Saturday.

“Obviously, (I have) a lot of respect for Ryan and his staff,” Bielema said. “I know a lot of those guys on a personal level. I think I know what this game is going to mean to them and to their players … and, hopefully, the best team wins on Saturday.”

“I expect them to come out guns blazing,” Walters said. “Last year didn’t go their way, so I’m sure that’s being replayed and reminded. I fully expect to get their best shot. They’ve had an extra week to prepare as well. Coach ‘B’ does a great job during bye weeks in presenting new wrinkles and new personnels, so I fully expect to see things we haven’t seen on tape yet.”

Purdue’s issues are all over the tape. Last week at Wisconsin, the Boilermakers surrendered 52 points and 589 yards. The Badgers outscored Purdue 31-0 in the second half.

“We are struggling to play from behind,” Walters said. “For some reason, it kind of snowballs when things don’t go our way. I’ve got to do a better job of giving them emotional answers of how to respond when we’re behind or when things aren’t going our way. Right now, when we get behind, we tend to hit the panic button, and there’s no need to.

“The main culprit Saturday was (our defensive backs’) eye discipline was awful,” Walters added. “We’re not getting the quarterback out of the pocket, either. He’s been able to sit back there and kind of wait. Then, when the ball’s in open space, there are angles to get the ball(carrier) down. And the technique with which we’re tackling was awful on Saturday. So that’s got to be addressed and has been addressed.”

For Illinois, Luke Altmyer has starred at quarterback this season, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,047 yards, with 11 touchdowns against just one interception. His passing efficiency rating (164) ranks sixth in the Big Ten.

His counterpart, Hudson Card, is 71-for-112 (63.4 percent) for 738 yards, seven TDs and four picks.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) warms up before a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Luke Altmyer, No. 19 Illinois out to upend No. 9 Penn State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

It’s not unexpected to see No. 9 Penn State bolt out to a 3-0 start entering Big Ten Conference play.

On the other hand, Illinois getting off to a 4-0 start and earning a No. 19 ranking in this week’s Associated Press poll probably wasn’t on too many bingo cards a month ago.

That makes the teams’ meeting Saturday night in State College, Pa. a big game, particularly for the Fighting Illini. After opening conference play last weekend with a 31-24 overtime victory at Nebraska, they’d love nothing more than to take down one of the preseason favorites.

“When you get into Big Ten play, it’s different, and Illinois has done a really good job,” Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said. “They’re a physical bunch. The quarterback is playing at a high level.”

Which is a big reason why the Illini are surpassing most preseason expectations. Luke Altmyer has thrown for 10 touchdowns in four games after managing just 13 scoring strikes last year. Most importantly, he’s not been intercepted in 105 passes this season after being picked off 10 times in 2023.

Altmyer’s 71.4 percent completion rate is the best of his career and he’s improved his yards per attempt by more than one. Add on a balanced rushing attack and a defense that resembles the one of two years ago that enabled Illinois to contend, and you have a team that fourth-year coach Bret Bielema can believe in.

“Defensively, we get better as the game goes along,” Bielema said.

Case in point: how Illinois ended the win at Nebraska. After Altmyer fired the go-ahead touchdown pass on the Illini’s overtime possession, they sacked Dylan Raiola on first, second and fourth down to seal the outcome.

Now comes, at least on paper, another step up in class. Penn State’s offense has looked much-improved in the early going, getting more big plays to complement what appears to be another solid defense. It rolled to a 56-0 win last week against hapless Kent State, allowing just 66 total yards.

New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki stressed creating more chunk plays, and that’s what’s happened. Quarterback Drew Allar is averaging a whopping 17.8 yards per completion and running back Nicholas Singleton is averaging a robust 8.5 yards per rush, compiling 314 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“The quarterback can’t work through his progression if we’re not playing well up front,” Franklin said. “That plays a part in the quarterback being able to attack the entire field.”

Franklin said the Illinois pass rush is a concern. The Illini will need to pressure Allar because he has capable receivers all over the field, beginning with tight end Tyler Warren, who’s on pace to catch 64 passes. Wideouts Omari Evans and Harrison Wallace are combining to average nearly 22 yards per catch.

This is Illinois’ first visit to Beaver Stadium since it won an NCAA-record nine-overtime game in 2021 on a two-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to Casey Washington. The Nittany Lions own a 21-6 lead in the all-time series, winning last year in Champaign 30-13.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) hands the ball off to running back Dante Dowdell (23) for a touchdown run against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Resurgent No. 22 Nebraska, No. 24 Illinois clash in Big Ten opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For the first time since October 2011, No. 22 Nebraska and No. 24 Illinois find themselves listed in the same Associated Press Top 25 poll. They’ll meet in a Big Ten opener Friday night in Lincoln, Neb., to decide which team gets to stay there.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) are off to their best start since 2016 — their most recent bowl season — while the Illini are 3-0 for the first time since 2011.

After cruising through their respective non-conference schedules, both teams will get a much better picture of their might while they clash in front of Nebraska’s 400th consecutive home sellout.

“To have two big teams ranked on a Friday night game is a little bit unusual,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who has his program in the polls for just the second time in the last 13 years. “It doesn’t happen all the time. To see it play out and be a part of it is awesome. Give a lot of credit to their team and what they’ve accomplished to this point. I told our guys to continue to keep our focus, our mentality, and see where it can go.”

The Huskers have three blowouts under their belt — they led at halftime against UTEP, Colorado and Northern Iowa by a combined score of 79-10 — but head coach Matt Rhule hasn’t been overly impressed yet.

“I think any time you don’t punt in the game, you feel pretty good,” Rhule said. “So I felt pretty good about what we did Saturday offensively (against Northern Iowa). But that was all preseason to me. Now the season starts. We’ll find out where we are. This will be such a different challenge playing against these guys.”

The Illini enter Friday’s game tied for second nationally in turnover margin (+8) and tied for fifth in turnovers forced (9). Defensive back Xavier Scott is one of four FBS players with at least 3 interceptions through three games, and he has forced four turnovers overall.

But Scott and company haven’t faced a passer like Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. Even on the rare occasions when the pass rush has forced him to improvise, the five-star freshman has appeared unflappable while completing 73.8 percent of his passes for 670 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception.

“He brings a different element immediately,” Bielema said. “He’s a very talented young man that’s got a great deep ball throw. They maximize him pretty well. There’s some things you can literally see him get better on every series — just very impressive to see.”

Rhule seems eager to find out how Raiola will handle an Illinois group that ranks 12th nationally in pass efficiency defense (an 87.98 rating versus Raiola’s 162.22).

“They’ve altered a lot of what they’re doing,” said Rhule, noting how Illinois second-year defensive coordinator Aaron Henry has been using more disguises this season. “They’ll show man and play Cover 2. They’ll show man and play zone. With a young quarterback, he’s got to recognize because they don’t show it to you. He’s got to recognize zone on the snap. And they’re taking the ball away at a high level.”

On the flip side, Bielema wants to see his rushing attack be more reliable. The Illini’s quartet of backs have been satisfactory (153.3 yards per game), but Illinois hasn’t faced anything like the Huskers’ defense, which surrenders just 2.5 yards per carry and 70.3 rushing yards per game.

“If we’re going to win in the Big Ten, we’re going to have to run the ball in certain situations,” Bielema said. “I think the greatest definition of a team is a team that can run the ball effectively when they want to run it against good competition.”

–Field Level Media