The Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 30-9 on Saturday afternoon in their final non-conference matchup. The Illini relied on their stout defense and a string of successful offensive drives on both sides of halftime. Xavier Scott continued to shine in the defensive backfield, registering his third interception of the year. Pat Bryant went for over 100 yards in the receiving game, and Luke Altmyer looked sharp and in command in the lead-in to next week’s big game against Nebraska.
With a daunting Big Ten campaign underway, Illinois can take a lot from the game to be proud of and look to improve upon. Bret Bielema’s Fighting Illini committed ten penalties in the game, which he will be harping on throughout the week. CMU found constant opportunities in the rushing game, exposing some weaknesses in the Illinois defensive front. In their own rushing game, the Illini spread the wealth with four different rushers combining for 137 yards. After the homecoming victory, they are still looking for a definitive number-one option out of the backfield.
Illinois Fighting Illini Win Big On Homecoming
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The Illinois Fighting Illini celebrated homecoming on Saturday with a big 30-9 win over Central Michigan. The Illini entered the contest riding high off of their win versus the Kansas Jayhawks last week and continued their winning ways as they head into the meat of their schedule, conference play in the Big Ten. While the competition wasn’t as engaging as Bret Bielema’s crew will face in the coming months, the game was still an insight into the 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini.
After forcing a three-and-out to open the game, the Illini scored a touchdown on their first drive and set the tone early. Despite their talent advantage, the Illini couldn’t put the game comfortably out of reach until the second half. A big reason for this was CMU’s success in the run game. Even though they were behind for the whole game, they remained committed to the running game and used it to stay competitive on offense, outgaining the Illini on the ground.
Limiting Mistakes
Even though the game was never out of reach, Illinois could stay ahead by protecting the football. QB Luke Altmyer played the role of field general well in this one. There were miscues and missed opportunities, but he kept the ball out of harm’s way and got it to his weapons. Today’s biggest weapon was WR Pat Bryant. Bryant caught seven balls for north of 100 yards and two touchdowns, wreaking havoc on the Central Michigan secondary all day. Zahkari Franklin was another prominent threat for the Illini opposite Bryant, catching five balls and going for 66 yards.
On the other side of the ball, the Fighting Illini turned the Chippewas over once, coming on an interception from Xavier Scott. Scott made his third interception of the year, one week after having two INT’s against Kansas. Scott, the junior defensive back, has paired athleticism and agility with cerebral instincts and scheme integrity so far this season and will be a focal point of the rest of the Fighting Illini season, for them and most definitely their opponents. The biggest point of emphasis for the Illini moving forward will have to be making corrections on the defensive front to help stop the run, especially with their slate of Big Ten opponents.
The Illini found some success themselves in the run game. Three ball carriers contributed to the rushing attack, in addition to scrambles from Altmyer. Josh McCray and Ca’Lil Valentine each toted the rock for over 50 yards, and Kaden Feagin got into the end zone for Illinois’ final game touchdown. The three-headed attack was successful against CMU, but not as much as Coach Bielema would’ve liked. The hope for the Illini is that they will be able to have more success running the ball against tougher fronts in the Big Ten, and their output in this one against the Chippewas wasn’t the best endorsement of that happening.
Special Teams
The special teams mistakes that plagued the Fighting Illini in the season’s first two weeks were nowhere to be found against Central Michigan. On the receiving end, Hank Beatty replaced Mac Resetich with returning punts and was able to hold onto the football. On the kicking end, David Olano hit two of his three field goal attempts, missing from 54 in the second quarter. Ethan Moczulski set a program record for field goal distance with a 59-yarder to end the first half and give the Illini a 13-6 lead going into the half.
The precious lead was extended coming out of the half as Illinois matched their first drive of the first half with a touchdown in their first drive of the second half, scoring for the third of what would be four consecutive possessions ending up with points on the board. The teams matched each other with field goals to make it 23-9 as the game entered the fourth quarter but Feagin’s touchdown gave the Illini the breathing room they needed to leave homecoming weekend and non-conference action happy.
Illinois’ next game is Friday night on the road. They will travel to Lincoln to take on freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola and the 23rd-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Fighting Illini will be looking for their second win over a ranked opponent this year.
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