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3 biggest worries for the Illinois football team against Oregon

It is a big ask for the Illinois football team to go into Eugene and knock off the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks this weekend.

By Rees Woodcock

Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
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2. The Oregon pass rush

There are times that the Illinois offensive line worries me. Sometimes we can’t protect Luke Altmyer, and he ends up having to scramble. That is one of the reasons why I worry about Oregon’s pass rush.

In fact, Illinois is one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to allowing quarterback sacks. The Illini give up 3.3 sacks per game, which ranks No. 123 out of 134 programs. That won’t fly on Saturday.

The offensive line for the Illini has been so bad this season that all four starters at tackle and guard rank No. 337 or worst at their respective position. That is not good.

Oregon’s best pass rusher is Matayo Uiagalelei. The sophomore defensive end has 21 tackles on the season and leads Oregon with 5.5 sacks. Lining up alongside Uiagalelei is tackle Derrick Harmon. He also has five sacks and one pass deflection this season.

And then you have Jordan Burch. He is a monster defensive end as well. Burch has been hurt the past two weeks, and head coach Dan Lanning is noncommittal about whether he is going to suit up this weekend. Despite missing the past two games, Burch still has 19 tackles, five sacks, and three pass deflections this season.

Illinois has a struggling offensive line that has trouble protecting the quarterback. Oregon brings a tremendous pass-rushing defensive line that is one of the best in the country. That scares the heck out of me this weekend.

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