Riding high off of their home victory against a ranked Kansas Jayhawks team, the Illinois Fighting Illini will look to stay unbeaten in the young season when they take on Central Michigan this Saturday at 11 AM local CST. The surprise of last week’s victory has Bret Bielema’s team primed for a letdown. But there are many ways they can avoid one in their last game before conference play begins in one week.
After a game dominated by Xavier Scott IV, the rest of the defense will be looking to match the effort of the defensive back this week. On offense, the Illinois offensive line and running attack will need to focus on sharpening their schemes and execution. Soon they head into rugged Big Ten territory and weather conditions coming this fall.
Some of the special teams gaffes that plagued the Illini in their first two games of the season will have to be left in the rearview mirror. Finally, there’s always room for growth at the quarterback position, especially with some of the weapons on the perimeter finding their groove.
Final Non-Conference Test for Illinois
The Illinois Fighting Illini will look to wrap up their non-conference schedule with a win over Central Michigan this Saturday. The Fighting Illini come into the bout riding high off of their victory over Kansas, who came into the game ranked 19th in the country. After the upset, the Illini look to take down CMU and head into Big Ten play undefeated. If they want to make this happen, and also set themselves up well for the meat of their season, there are some keys for Illinois to focus on.
The Illinois offensive line has been a mixed bag so far this season. The running game is a must in the Big Ten, especially when the passing game is limited by elite defensive backs and the hectic Midwest weather. Central Michigan provides an opportunity for the line to get on the right track. In their two games against Central Connecticut and Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan has struggled to contain the run game, especially in their loss to FIU. The Illini need to run the ball early and often if they want to get ahead of the Chippewas.
The glow cast by Xavier Scott IV after the win against Kansas looms large over the Illini defense. His superstar outing covered up a lot of areas that Illinois can improve on against Central Michigan. The Chippewas will run out with Bert Emanuel Jr. under center. He has the ability to expose some weaknesses in the Illini defense, especially if Illinois gets out to a lead and puts CMU in passing situations.
Special teams has been a bugaboo for Illinois in the first two games of the season. Mac Resetich has muffed multiple punt returns, which hasn’t come back to haunt the Illini yet. If this game ends up being closer than people expect, a crucial special teams mistake could prove costly.
Luke Altmyer is at the helm for his second season in Champaign and is still much of an unknown. With an offense that relies heavily on the spread run scheme and limits decision-making options in the passing game, the junior Ole Miss transfer has been kept under wraps thus far.
Even in the win last week against Kansas, Altmyer threw for under 200 yards, without a touchdown or interception. Central Michigan might not be the best game on his docket when the season comes to an end, but if he can make some notable improvements, or shoulder more of the offensive burden, Illinois fans will be thrilled.
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