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Illinois Football: Preview of the Illini offense against UTSA

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 12, 2020; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Brandon Peters (18) looks to pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2020; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Brandon Peters (18) looks to pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Illinois football offense operated fairly smoothly against Nebraska despite some bumps in the road.

After the solid win over the Cornhuskers, the Illini are now welcoming in UTSA. The Roadrunners have a good program, so this won’t be a cakewalk by any means. A big question mark is whether or not the Illinois offense will have their starting quarterback healthy.

Here is a preview of the Illinois football offense against UTSA.

  • Strength

A strength Illinois has on offense heading into the game against UTSA is their running attack. UTSA ranked No. 71 in the nation in run defense in 2020, so this will be an opportunity for Illinois to exploit this with their great five-headed backfield.

Against Nebraska, three Illinois running backs – Mike Epstein, Chase Brown, Jakari Norwood – had a 4.7 or better yards per carry average. That doesn’t even include Reggie Love who finished with 12 carries for 45 yards. I think Illinois needs to pound the rock all day long, and I believe that is what Bret Bielema will do.

  • Weakness

I would say the biggest weakness Illinois has on offense right now is availability. Everyone is still unsure if quarterback Brandon Peters will be able to suit up this week. That big question mark on the depth chart is a big question mark on the field.

Thankfully, Bielema was able to land Artur Sitkowski from the transfer portal this past offseason. This gives Illinois more stability when it comes to injuries. But it would be nice to have our starting quarterback behind center. Without him, the offense becomes weaker.

Next. Illini report card against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. dark

  • Confidence

Overall, I am pretty confident in Illinois’ offense right now. I know the type of game Bielema likes to play. He wants to drive the ball down your throat, and I think that is what he will do against UTSA. The Illini are built for that style of offense. The only weakness I see right now is health, and we have a backup plan for that. I like our chances on offense this Saturday. I’ll give a confidence rating of 8.5 out of 10.

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