Illinois Football: 3 reasons Minnesota is a must-win for the Illini

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Oct 31, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini punter Blake Hayes (14) celebrates his touchdown with running back Chase Brown (2) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

Just two games into the 2020 campaign and the Illinois football team is already facing a must-win game.

Week one was difficult to watch. Illinois matched up against the Wisconsin Badgers in hopes of winning back-to-back games against them for the first time in a long time. But Illinois quickly lost control of the game toward the end of the second quarter.

Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters only threw for 87 yards in the 45-7 loss to the Badgers. This was an ugh moment for many Illini fans as the hopes and expectations were raised after a six-win campaign the year before.

Week two featured Purdue coming to Champaign. Illinois seemed out of this game early on as starter Peters and backup Isaiah Williams both were out due to COVID-19. Starter Matt Robinson went down with an injury in the first series too. So that left Coran Taylor to take the reins.

Taylor gave everything he had throwing for 273 yards, but his three turnovers were too much for the Illini to handle. Illinois fell to the Boilermakers 31-24 in what was a closer game than many had expected.

So, with the Illini starting the season 0-2, this makes it awfully difficult for Lovie Smith and Company. Winning needs to start happening for this program. The next game is on Saturday against Minnesota. This game is a must-win for Illinois.

Here are three reasons Minnesota is a must-win for the Illini.

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