The Illinois football program had one of the better offenses I have seen from the team in years.
With Luke Altmyer leading the way, the Illini were able to put up efficient and effective drives that won us games on multiple occasions. This has been a rare sight for the past couple of decades, so it was refreshing to see.
Tuesday is going to be a different animal than most of the teams we played this season. South Carolina’s defense has seen success, and they will be ready to play. Can the Illini move the ball against a team that gave up 18.4 points per game?
Illinois football is going up against a talented but wounded South Carolina defense
- Strength: Depth playing in the bowl game
In the age of the transfer portal and the trendy thing to do is find a new home, it is quite impressive how few departures South Carolina has had since the season ended.
On Tuesday, the Illini will face the top eight leading tacklers for the Gamecocks. South Carolina will also have six out of the top seven players in sacks and every player who has had an interception. That is a stacked defense.
- Strength: Shutting down the run game
Illinois has gotten sparks from the running game this season, but that might not happen on Tuesday. South Carolina is good at stopping the run, as they only allow 113.5 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 15 in the nation.
South Carolina has their starting defensive line back. This includes the duo of TJ Sanders and Tonka Hemingway, who both combined for 72 tackles, eight sacks, two fumble recoveries, and two pass deflections. It is going to be hard to run the football against the Gamecocks.
- Weakness: Missing a consensus All-American
Despite there being so many players back on the defense for South Carolina, they are missing their best defender.
Kyle Kennard opted out of the bowl game and is focusing on his NFL career. He finished 2024 with 28 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Kennard also won the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is given to the most outstanding defensive player. That should help Illinois when it comes to pressure and moving the football.
- Weakness: Pass coverage
South Carolina has a tremendous front seven that can cause some chaos, but the secondary does have its soft spots.
This season, the Gamecocks are giving up 205.8 yards per game through the air, which ranks No. 44 in the nation. While they take advantage of opportunities, this secondary is heavy on risk-reward. That could give Altmyer a chance to have some big plays through the air.