Illinois Football: Breakdown of the Western Illinois offense
The Illinois football team takes on a Western Illinois offense this weekend that has some bright spots.
Here is the breakdown of the Western Illinois offense.
Quarterback (D-)
The starting quarterback for the Western Illinois Leathernecks is Sean McGuire. He is a 6-foot-3, 228-pound senior from Franklin, Wisconsin.
McGuire had an okay first game of the season against Montana State. He threw for 164 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He wasn’t effective on the ground, though. He rushed for a total of -14 yards.
Overall, McGuire isn’t a polished quarterback, but he brings a lot of grit to the field. He reminds me of a poor man’s version of Jeff Garcia. He will give the Illini some headaches at times with how he can move around the pocket.
Running Back (C+)
Western Illinois had two running backs who were the primary ball carries in the first game of the season. Steve McShane led the way with 76 yards on 11 carries. He also added a touchdown as well. Max Norris was the second-leading rusher for the Leathernecks. He finished the game with 54 yards on 17 carries.
The duo of McShane and Norris has been around for a few years as well. They combined for 1,238 yards last season.
Honestly, I like McShane as a running back. He is a little burst of energy who can elude tackles. He is another one who can give the Illini troubles if they don’t keep contain. McShane has the ability to slip away from defenders.
Receivers (F)
It looks like Western Illinois moved one of their running backs out to wide receiver in the first game of the season. Clint Ratkovich is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound pass catcher who likely played the slot position in game one. He finished the day with five catches for 74 yards. He is someone the Illini linebackers need to keep an eye on.
The Leathernecks’ running back, Steve McShane, also had a good day receiving as well. He was their second-leading pass catcher with six catches for 40 yards. He even added two touchdowns to the mix as well.
Offensive Line (D-)
The offensive line for Western Illinois is a bit young and inexperienced. Their left tackle, Drew Wagner, is the leader on this line. He is a 6-foot-6 senior. I assume most of the rushes will be to the left side of the line.
The rest of the offensive line is filled out with two freshmen, a sophomore and a junior. They clearly struggled against Montana State as well. They gave up four sacks on the day. This would need to improve against the Illini.
Overall (D-)
Honestly, the Western Illinois offense goes as running back Steve McShane goes. He had a combined 150 yards through the air and on the ground. He has accounted for all three Leathernecks’ touchdowns this season as well.
Illinois shouldn’t have too tough of a time stopping McShane. While he is small and can get through small holes, the Illini defense is bigger, faster and stronger than what they will be going up against on Saturday. This game shouldn’t be close at the end. Illinois’ defense should hold Western Illinois to less than 14 points.