Illinois Football: Can the Illini replicate their Minnesota win from 2018?
The upcoming game against Minnesota is going to be big for the Illinois football team.
Winning this game against the Golden Gophers on Saturday will go a long way in getting to a bowl game. Last season, we were able to beat this Minnesota team 55-31. Can we repeat that great performance in 2019?
The game last year was close at halftime. Illinois was only up 24-17 at the break, but we took control of the game in the third quarter. The Illini scored 21 points to head into the fourth quarter with a 45-17 lead and finished them off with a 24-point victory.
What stood out in that game in 2018? AJ Bush had, arguably, his best game for the Illini. He threw for 216 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also rushed for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns. That is going to be difficult for Brandon Peters to replicate. I think he can hit the passing numbers and even exceed them, but he won’t get to the rushing numbers.
Reggie Corbin had a crazy good game against Minnesota last season. He rushed the ball for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 13 carries. Those are incredible numbers that are hard to top. Even Dre Brown had 92 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 carries. Illinois’ offense was clicking on all cylinders.
As an offense, it is going to be hard to replicate what we saw in 2018. Peters should be able to come close to matching Bush’s total yardage. But it is going to be difficult to rush the ball 35 times for 430 yards and 5 touchdowns again.
On the defensive side of the ball, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan threw for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns. He played well last week against Purdue, so I wouldn’t be shocked if he has another good game. I think Illinois will be able to force a turnover or two from him, unlike last season.
The running game has been on the mend for the Golden Gophers. Last season, Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Illini. He hasn’t played the last two games for Minnesota, so Rodney Smith is carrying the ball. He is a solid running back who is averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
Overall, I think Illinois’ defense will do a little better than Purdue did. This is, roughly, the same team we played last year. I definitely think we have a shot at winning our first Big Ten game of the season on Saturday. Minnesota is who we thought they were.