2. Make Purdue one dimensional
I think it is fair to say that Purdue had a good first week. They welcomed in a tough Iowa program and sent them home with a loss.
The Boilermakers needed this win after a rough 2019 campaign. The most impressive part about Purdue’s week one win over the Hawkeyes was the fact they were so dynamic. They had a great running attack to go along with their talented quarterback.
Illinois’ defense is going to have trouble with the Purdue offense on Saturday, but a key to coming away with the win is to make the Boilermakers one dimensional.
Wisconsin pounded the Illini last weekend, but I was happy with how the Illinois front seven stopped the running game. They were able to keep the Badgers in check most of the game with their leading rusher being Garrett Groshek with 70 yards on 13 carries, which comes out to 5.3 yards per carry.
Overall, Wisconsin only averaged 3.3 YPC on the ground, which is not a good number. Illinois limited the Badgers to being one dimensional. Sadly, the Illini ran into a freight train in the form of Graham Mertz.
Purdue was a dynamic team against Iowa last weekend. Aiden O’Connell threw for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns while Zack Horvath ran the ball for 129 yards on 21 carries. This can’t happen against the Illini.
Illinois needs to shut down Horvath on the ground. This will limit what Purdue can do offensively. We have faced O’Connell before and have done okay against him. He can turn the ball over as he had two interceptions against the Hawkeyes. That will be something to keep an eye on. Can the Illini cause a couple of turnovers via the secondary?
As a team, Illinois has a chance to knock off Purdue if the Boilermakers can’t get the running game going. This makes them one dimensional, and Illinois’ defensive linemen will be able to pin their ears back and go after the quarterback.