Illinois Football: 5 key players for the Illini to beat Maryland

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Sep 23, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Kaden Feagin (3) runs the ball against the Florida Atlantic Owls after a game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Illinois football travels to Maryland this weekend to take on the Terrapins.

This is going to be a tough test, as the Illini have been struggling lately and Maryland has a good passing attack.

A win is a must if Illinois wants any chance of going bowling this season. I still maintain the team is not as bad as the 2-4 record. There is talent on this roster, and Bret Bielema is a good coach. We just need to get out of our own way. Turnovers and dumb mistakes are killing us.

I also believe there are a few players who need to come up big this weekend. They are the ones who can make the biggest impact on whether or not Illinois gets a victory.

Here are five key players for the Illinois football team to beat Maryland

1. Kaden Feagin

Illinois is coming into the game on Saturday against Maryland in a dark place. But we can easily climb out of that dark place with a solid victory.

It looks like Reggie Love III will be sidelined heading into the game against the Terrapins. Earlier this week, it was announced that Josh McCray would also miss the rest of the season. That means one thing; it is Kaden Feagin time.

Feagin, a freshman, has been the most effective running back on the roster this season. He has about half the carries as leading rusher Love, but Feagin’s 6.2 yards per carry lead the team. He has 24 carries for 148 yards this season.

I have been calling for Feagin to get the reins for quite some time, or at least be more involved in the offense. It had to be sad circumstances for it to happen, but the star former four-star recruit will finally get his shine.

On Saturday, I think Feagin is going to be one of the key players for Illinois to get the win. If he can establish himself on the ground, then we can continue to hold the ball longer. The Illini have allowed opposing teams to eat up 55.55% of the play clock each game, and that ranks No. 123 out of 133 teams.

If Feagin gets going on the ground, then the Maryland offense will stay off the field. This gives the Illini a much better chance to come away with the victory.

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