Beat writer Scott Richey previews the Illini’s season-opening showdown with the Panthers ahead of Thursday’s 8:10 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium:
Three big storylines
Shift in end-of-half, end-of-game strategy
Several rules and procedure changes were made for the 2024 college football season. The addition of in-game, coach-to-player communication and availability of video on the sideline and in the locker room during games are major differences from a technology standpoint. There have also been multiple tweaks to the replay process, and horse collar tackles inside the tackle box are now 15-yard penalties. A significant change that could have serious impact on game play, though, is the addition of what most football fans know as the 2-minute warning.
“It’s called the 2-minute timeout for us,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “It’s the 2-minute warning in the NFL. Why we couldn’t call it the same thing, I have no idea. That one’s a big one because now you have stoppage in play. Every college football, I’m sure, over the last six months has been revamping their end-of-game chart and their end-of-half chart because it’s a game changer. I do think there will be a dramatic spike in scoring at the end of the second quarter than we’ve ever seen before. It’s going to put more time on the clock, and in today’s world offensively I think that will be a big, big deal.”
Keeping the quarterback upright
Illinois finished the 2023 season allowing 40 sacks in 12 games. That total ranked 116th nationally among 130 FBS teams. Certainly better than the 62 times Old Dominion quarterbacks were sacked, but far from the five times Oregon quarterbacks went down behind the line of scrimmage last fall. It was a sack total that quarterback Luke Altmyer said didn’t rest solely on the Illini offensive line. He played his own part in how often opposing teams were able to take him down in the pocket.
“Sacks are always a skewed stat,” Altmyer said. “The offensive line gets way too much hate for that stat. … So many people say the offensive line should do this, that or the other, but so much of that is on me as well being able to navigate the pocket, understanding where pressure is coming from and feeling my way through things. A lot of that comes with reps and understanding, week to week, different edge rushers or whatever it may be. Going into year two with (coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.’s) offense and just being here, simply, I just have a lot of comfort within that space.”
Hands to yourself
Illinois was one of the most penalized teams in the Big Ten last year with 79 penalties during the course of the season. Only Michigan State committed more flagged infractions. It wasn’t an every game issue — the Illini had just a single penalty in their regular season finale agianst Northwestern — but they also had 10 in their season opener and a season-high 14 in a home loss to Indiana. Defensively, pass interference penalties were semi-regular mistakes, and new defensive backs coach Corey Parker tried to address that during training camp with a unique approach.
“We wore boxing gloves at practice and oven mitts,” Parker said. “Anything possible to get them from holding and really being able to use your feet. Is that going to replicate success on the field? We’ll find out on game day, but they’ve at least had the opportunities to say, ‘Coach has shown me how to play with my eyes and my feet without needing my hands until I need to get my hands on the ball. I’m excited to see how they manage just the emotions and the pressure. Third and long, who are you? Can you make this play for us or not?”
Two key matchups
Illinois running back Kaden Feagin vs. EIU defense
EIU coach Chris Wilkerson views his team’s path to success against Illinois as winning as many “one-on-one battles” as possible. It might behoove the Panthers to give individual supporters some help when it comes to trying to bring down the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Feagin. Former Virginia quarterback turned EIU quarterback/wide receiver/safety/linebacker Ira Armstead II has the size at 6-4, 240, and Elijawah Tolbert is back after leading the Panthers in tackles in 2023. But Feagin is a load — and not the only one in the backfield — for an Illini team that still subscribes to a run first, run often approach.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer vs. EIU quarterback Pierce Holley
Both signal callers are in their second season as starter after transferring, and both lead teams — whether as captain or not — that will go as far as they take them. That’s life as a quarterback. In between a slew of interceptions early last season and losing his starting job at the end of the year, Altmyer completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,312 yards, 10 touchdowns and just three picks in a six-game stretch. More like that is Illinois’ hope. The Panthers’ hopes are similarly pinned to Holley, who had the best season of any EIU quarterback not named Sean Payton, Tony Romo or Jimmy Garoppolo last year.
One stat that matters
Upsets from FCS programs against FBS teams have happened with regularity, if not high frequency, the last 45 years. Montana State already has the FCS on the board this season after beating New Mexico in Week 0. Illinois has avoided being on the wrong side of those matchups with an unblemished 18-0 record against FCS (née Division I-AA) teams. That includes two previous games against EIU with a 42-17 win in 2006 and a 47-21 victory in 2008. Both were semi-competitive early before the Illini took control in the second half.
Illinois will win if …
game outcome matches game plan. Because that doesn’t change for a Bielema team. Run the ball. Defend the run. Execute on special teams. It’s a simple formula (in theory). Actually pulling it off is where the Illini have stumbled at times the past three seasons. But there’s little doubt Thursday night’s season opener will end in an Illinois victory if Feagin and Co. overpowers the EIU defense, the Panthers’ MJ Flowers gets bottled up and the Illini don’t commit too many critical mistakes on special teams or otherwise.
EIU will win if …
the turnover battle tips in its favor. Too much is stacked against the Panthers otherwise simply based on the differences inherent between Big Ten and Big South/Ohio Valley Conference programs. Illinois has a deeper, generally more talented talented roster. But force a team into some mistakes and capitalize off them, and the scales can wind up balanced. It’s how EIU knocked off San Diego State in 2013. Four interceptions thrown and one fumble lost by the Aztecs turned into a 40-19 win for the Panthers.
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Publish date : 2024-08-28 23:00:00
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