Happy Valley Insider - Summer Reading - Know Your Opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini
Penn State could face a sneaky difficult road test on week three when they travel to Illinois for the Big Ten opener
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Football Summer Reading - Know Your Opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini
- Thread starter Dylan Callaghan-Croley
- Start date
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good stuff. there was a thread on ILL last week.
One note is that they started the season 7-1 as the article states. However, those wins were over Wyoming, UVA, Chattanooga, Wisconsin, Iowa (neither team scored a TD), Minny and Nebraska. They then lost 4 of five to Spary, Purdue, Michigan and Mississippi State. They also lost to Indiana early and beat NW late in the season.
The bottom line is that their signature win was probably who? Iowa or Wisky I guess. Both had miserable seasons. maybe Purdue?
While BB has put them back on the map, they are still middle of the road B1G.
In 2023, we are clearly their toughest opponent as they don't play UM or tOSU. They could go undefeated if they beat us LOL.
One note is that they started the season 7-1 as the article states. However, those wins were over Wyoming, UVA, Chattanooga, Wisconsin, Iowa (neither team scored a TD), Minny and Nebraska. They then lost 4 of five to Spary, Purdue, Michigan and Mississippi State. They also lost to Indiana early and beat NW late in the season.
The bottom line is that their signature win was probably who? Iowa or Wisky I guess. Both had miserable seasons. maybe Purdue?
While BB has put them back on the map, they are still middle of the road B1G.
In 2023, we are clearly their toughest opponent as they don't play UM or tOSU. They could go undefeated if they beat us LOL.
The entire "we better fear Illinois" talk is based upon 2 things:
1. They played Michigan close last year while Michigan beat us soundly
2. They won the 9OT game in '21.
I don't see any "Illinois is winning the West" predictions. Just that we should be scared of them.
Let's hope we don't play like a middle of the road B1G with the early start.
I thought Purdue beat them?
A lot of what is written in that piece can be said for PSU. The two major differences is that we didn't lose our DC and our fantastic freshmen RBs are now sophomores, while their stud RB is gone. They lost a ton of production in their secondary, as did we. However, I think we're reloading. Not sure about them.
Both teams should be sound defensively. Replacing Brown either individually or with a package of players is the key.
DeVito played a lot of football at Cuse before finishing at Illinois. The Ole Miss kid isn't anywhere close to DeVito in terms of game reps- but neither is Drew.
Could be too close for comfort if Allar is rattled and Illinois gets confident along with some breaks. I saw us play in Champaign in 1997. It was a pretty uninspiring atmosphere- which may be different this time around. I'm sure there will be a lot of PSU folks there from Chicagoland.
DeVito played a lot of football at Cuse before finishing at Illinois. The Ole Miss kid isn't anywhere close to DeVito in terms of game reps- but neither is Drew.
Could be too close for comfort if Allar is rattled and Illinois gets confident along with some breaks. I saw us play in Champaign in 1997. It was a pretty uninspiring atmosphere- which may be different this time around. I'm sure there will be a lot of PSU folks there from Chicagoland.
Illinois is solid and on the road makes it tougher. Definitely a good test for Allar early. We will not be able to run it down their throats all day so Allar will need to move the offense via the pass and convert on some key passes.
I think our defense can handle their offense pretty well. They have a new QB and a lot of production to replace at RB. Our secondary is elite so I don't anticipate their WRs having much separation.
There will be a decent crowd but not that intimidating. One of the weaker home field advantages in the B10. Just don't give them any reason to think this could be their day to pull the upset.
We lost an ugly game there in Franklin's forst year that we shouldn't have. It was a cascading story of missed opportunities leading to the Illini getting a bog win. I remember a wr for them playing great, but then getting badly injured later on that season or the next and never returning to the level he was at.
Should be fun. Can't wait!
They should have a strong front 7, but they lost most of their secondary. They also should have a decent OLine.
It will be a good test on the road but if we lose, we are not what we think we are.
that offense was the key....unbalanced line, nine players on the line of scrimmage...we didn't adapt very well
Bielema always goes with nothing-to-lose game plans. He will bring the safeties up, bring 6 most plays, try to stuff the run and get to Allar. If PSU can beat the blitzes and get fast people in the open they will get explosive plays. But if, say, Allar gives up some turnovers and PSU goes into a shell offensively, you start to have a chance of a repeat of 2021.
Make no mistake, PSU should win, they have top 10 talent and Ill. doesn't. The biggest thing to me in a game like this is PSU should have a solid OL, and you combine that with super talented backs and experienced TEs, you have pass protection and also the chance to break Singleton past safeties who are playing super aggressively a la what happened in the Rose Bowl. If Yurcich sees the defense playing aggressively he will have stuff prepared that is specific to what Illinois' vulnerabilities should be. If they have an inexperienced secondary all the more so.
PSU has also tended to perform really well at the start of the season on the road -- Franklin does a good job preparing the team to play confident in games like this. I think they'll have Allar ready with a package that plays to his strengths and doesn't risk turnovers.
Remember also that in the IL loss in 2021 PSU, incredibly, had ZERO qbs who could actually run the PSU offense. This year they should have a starter and backup and maybe a third QB who are familiar enough to run the offense.
Make no mistake, PSU should win, they have top 10 talent and Ill. doesn't. The biggest thing to me in a game like this is PSU should have a solid OL, and you combine that with super talented backs and experienced TEs, you have pass protection and also the chance to break Singleton past safeties who are playing super aggressively a la what happened in the Rose Bowl. If Yurcich sees the defense playing aggressively he will have stuff prepared that is specific to what Illinois' vulnerabilities should be. If they have an inexperienced secondary all the more so.
PSU has also tended to perform really well at the start of the season on the road -- Franklin does a good job preparing the team to play confident in games like this. I think they'll have Allar ready with a package that plays to his strengths and doesn't risk turnovers.
Remember also that in the IL loss in 2021 PSU, incredibly, had ZERO qbs who could actually run the PSU offense. This year they should have a starter and backup and maybe a third QB who are familiar enough to run the offense.
Our offenses inability to move the ball or score points was probably more to blame than the defense giving up 400+ rush yards, but only 10 points in regulation.
Even if we had somehow won, it would be looked upon similar to our win vs NW last year.
