Illinois Football: What the Illini should expect from the Virginia Cavaliers

Illinois football is heading into a game on Saturday against the toughest non-conference opponent they will face in 2021.

Not only do the Virginia Cavaliers look tough on paper, but Las Vegas sees them as a heavy favorite as well. According to WynnBET, the Cavaliers are 10.5-point favorites against Illinois. But can this Illini team prove doubters wrong?

Here is what the Illinois football team should expect from the Virginia Cavaliers.

Virginia is 1-0 on the season with their lone game coming against William & Mary. It is hard to judge how good a team is based on one game. But you can tell they are a good program because they finished 5-5 last season and return a ton of talent.

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• Offense

Everything flows through quarterback, Brennan Armstrong. He led Virginia in passing and rushing last season with 2,117 yards and 552 yards, respectively. That hasn’t changed in 2021.

Armstrong started the season off strong against William & Mary with 339 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Despite only seven carries for zero yards in week one, Armstrong is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback who can tear up a shallow Illini defense.

As far as other skill position players, Virginia returns a ton of experience from 2020. Their leading running back, Wayne Taulapapa, is back this season. The leading wide receiver from 2020, Billy Kemp IV, also returns to the team. A well-balanced Virginia offense is a scary thing to think about. Illinois’ defense will be tested.

• Defense

Giving up zero points in week one is impressive but, again, it is only William & Mary. Despite the hot start by the Cavaliers’ defense, look for Illinois to have some success on Saturday.

In 2020, Virginia had one of the worst defenses in the country. They surrendered 454.3 yards per game to opposing offenses, so there is room for the Illini to put up some points.

What was the weakest part of Virginia’s defense?  The pass coverage. Virginia gave up 307.3 yards per game through the air in 2020, which ranked No. 124 out of the 127 teams in college football.

I am not terribly concerned by Virginia’s defense. It will be an opportunity to have Art Sitkowski shine. He has played well in the first two games this season, so Sitkowski shouldn’t have a problem slinging the ball around the field.

At the end of the day, this could be a high-scoring affair. Illinois is going to need to expose a weak Virginia defense if they want a shot at pulling off the upset.