Illinois Football: 5 bold predictions for the rest of the Illini 2022 season

There is no Illinois football this week, and it is hard to get by with just watching other teams play the game.

But with a bye week comes reflection on what has happened with the Illini and what could be coming down the road. Illinois has started the season well, going 2-1 and taking down a tough Virginia squad last week.

With 9 games left of the regular season, it is time to make some bold predictions on what is going to happen on the way out.

Here are five bold predictions for the rest of the Illinois football 2022 season.

1. Chase Brown breaks Illinois single-season rushing record

I am starting the bold predictions off a little light here. Chase Brown is a great running back for the Illini, and he has a chance to etch his name in the history of the program.

Through three games this season, Brown sits with 496 yards and two touchdowns. He is also averaging 6.6 yards per carry, which is an insane number.

Heading into this week, Brown has the most rushing yards out of any running back in the college game. He is also No. 51 in the country in yards per attempt, and this stat is a bit skewed considering quarterbacks count in the ranking.

The talent that Brown brings to the football field is exactly why I think he has a chance to break the Illinois single-season rushing record. Right now, that record is held by Mikel Leshoure when he rushed for 1,697 yards in 2010.

If you break Brown’s numbers down, he is averaging 165.3 yards per contest right now. If you multiply that by a full 12-game season, Brown would finish with 1,984 yards. That would shatter Leshoure’s previous record.

To break Leshoure’s record by one yard, Brown would just need to average 133.6 yards per game in the final nine contests this season. That is a mark I think could be achieved.