L – Illinois at Minnesota – October 5
After a big victory against a ranked Nebraska team at home to bring the Illinois record to 4-0 on the season, the Illini then hit the road to take on a solid Minnesota program.
I realize that Minnesota was pounded by the Illini in 2018. Illinois torched them in Champaign as Reggie Corbin went for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns. AJ Bush and Dre Brown also had big games going for 127 yards and 92 yards, respectively.
But that game was also at home, and the 2019 matchup is up in Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are returning most of their roster too. Tanner Morgan returns as the starting quarterback. He threw for 1,401 yards, 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions as a freshman last season. I expect him to be improved this year.
Mohamed Ibrahim is back at running back for Minnesota as well. As a freshman, he rushed the ball for 1,160 yards and 9 touchdowns. Now that he has back as a sophomore, I expect Minnesota to use him frequently. He will be an impact player.
Just because this game is on the road and the fact Illinois will be flying high after starting the season 4-0, I have us falling to the Golden Gophers. This will be a slight letdown game for the program. But Minnesota will be a tough team in 2019.