3 big areas where the Illinois football team can attack Purdue

2. Illinois can dominate the penalty battle

As a coach, there is only so much you can control on the football field. Sometimes a ball doesn’t bounce your way, or the other team is far better than you and you just hope to keep the game respectable.

One thing a coaching staff can control is discipline. Penalties are a huge way to see if a team is listening to the coach and buying in.

Illinois is doing an impressive job with discipline. This program went from averaging 62.3 yards per game in penalties just two seasons ago to now only averaging 45.3 yards per game in penalties. That is a massive jump, as the Illini rank No. 39 in the country when it comes to penalty yards.

On the other side of the field, things aren’t going to plan. Former Illini defensive coordinator Ryan Walters doesn’t seem to be getting the buy-in that I once thought he was going to have. His team is struggling greatly, and the discipline on the field isn’t there.

For the season, Purdue is averaging a whopping 78.3 penalty yards per game. That is down there with the bottom of the FBS, as the Boilermakers rank No. 123 in the country in penalty yardage.

So, I think Illinois can really attack this area against Purdue. Not only should the Illini win the penalty yardage battle, but I want to see the Boilermakers with double the penalty yardage on Saturday. If the Illini can win this battle, we should be able to win the game.