Illinois football is going to take on the best team in the country on Saturday.
Oregon has talent from top to bottom and at every position. They not only have great starters, but their depth is incredible as well. The Illini haven’t played a team like this in this big of a game in quite some time.
Illinois is going to be prepared to take on the Ducks. I believe in Bret Bielema and the coaching staff, but Oregon is also going to come out firing with all of their weapons. There are multiple areas that worry me heading into this game.
Here are the three biggest worries for the Illinois football team against Oregon
1. Consistent offensive attack
Everyone knows Oregon has a good football team. They are ranked No. 1 in the nation for a reason. This team has been able to steamroll through their schedule for multiple reasons, one being their great balance on offense.
Most college football programs are heavy in either the passing or running game, but that isn’t how Oregon unleashes their talent. They can strike from both areas consistently throughout the game.
Two games ago, Ohio State felt the consistent offensive attack deployed by Oregon. The Ducks had 34 pass attempts to 31 runs. That is great offensive balance.
Oregon’s run game in that contest went for 31 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns, which is a solid 5.0 yards per carry average. Through the air, they were even better, as Dillion Gabriel was 23-of-34 for 341 yards and two touchdowns. That is a 67.6% completion rate.
This season, Oregon is in the top 50 in both pass and run offense. On top of that, the offense doesn’t turn the ball over. They average 1.0 giveaways per game, which ranks No. 29 in the nation.
The efficiency and consistency of the Oregon offense is impressive. That is how they continue to win games. Illinois is going to need to cause some chaos within that offense if we want any chance at slowing the Ducks down.
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.
3. Passing game weapons
With the upper-echelon programs, they have weapons everywhere on the field and at all levels. You can go to the second and third string and find talented athletes.
Dillion Gabriel is a good quarterback, but he also has incredible weapons that can open up a game and destroy a secondary.
Tez Johnson is one of those weapons. Coming off a season where he went for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns, Johnson is going to blow those numbers away as a senior. He already has 536 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 receptions this season.
As a slot receiver, Johnson has tremendous speed and quickness. I would argue the most important thing is Johnson’s reliability. He has 68 targets this season and out of those 68 targets, he only has three drops. That is a mind-blowing number.
Oregon’s passing weapons go much deeper than Johnson too. They have seven players with at least 12 receptions this season. Four of those players have already hit 300 yards receiving.
Top tight end Terrance Ferguson, who has 20 receptions for 321 yards this season, is injured. He isn’t going to play against Illinois, but the Ducks have a rotation of talented tight ends. They can just call on Kenyon Sadiq to perform. He has 13 receptions for 170 yards this season.
The elite level of talent at the top and the quality of talent throughout the passing game depth chart is overwhelming. Illinois will have our hands full on Saturday. The Oregon passing game weapons scare me.