Illinois Football: 3 keys for the Illini to beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

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Oct 31, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith (right, top) is seen during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Win the penalty battle

I like Lovie Smith and think he is a good coach. But one thing in particular that has been frustrating me is the fact Illinois is one of the most undisciplined teams in the country.

Heading into the game on Saturday, Illinois is averaging eight penalties per game, which ranks No. 104 in the nation. That is a horrific number, but I have a number that can top that. Out of the eight penalties the Illini average per game, they are giving up a total of 85 yards per game from those penalties.

Let that soak in. Illinois is literally handing the opponent 85 yards in each game. That is essentially spotting the opposing team seven points every game we play. That is a mind-blowing number.

Thankfully, while Illinois is one of the most undisciplined teams in the country, so is Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights average nine penalties per game, which ranks No. 120 in the nation. It does seem that most of those penalties are small ones considering they are only giving up a total of 70.7 yards per game with those penalties.

On paper, the Illinois versus Rutgers game is, arguably, the most undisciplined matchup of the century. To win the game, the Illini will need to be less undisciplined than the Scarlet Knights. Can that happen? Sure, but I haven’t seen it once this season.

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