I believe it will be an incredibly close game between the Illinois football program and Penn State on Saturday.
These two teams played last season, and if it wasn’t for the five interceptions that Luke Altmyer threw, it could have easily been an Illini win. Even with those five interceptions, Illinois still managed to keep the game relatively close until the fourth quarter.
Illinois can’t let Penn State get rolling, though. This team is in the top 10 for a reason. They are extremely talented and can pounce when they see blood. That is why I have some areas of worry in this game.
Here are three areas of worry for the Illinois football team against Penn State
1. The Penn State balanced offense
When a team is much stronger in one area on offense, it is easier for the defense. Illinois could just focus on shutting down that one strength for the opposing team. With Penn State, everything is a strength on offense.
Penn State has a balanced offensive attack, and that is a big worry of mine. Illinois has the defensive backs that can give Drew Allar trouble, but then the Nittany Lions can hit us with a great running game.
Illinois hasn’t been good at defending the run this season. We are allowing 125.3 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 52 in the country. This includes allowing Kansas to go for 186 yards on 33 carries. From the defensive line to the defensive backs and everyone in between, Illinois is going to need to be ready for Penn State to come at us from all angles.
2. Illinois being able to run the ball
While I love the bullpen of running backs Illinois can trot onto the field, I am a bit worried about how effective we can be on the ground against Penn State.
The Nittany Lions have one of the best run defenses in the country. They give up just 85.0 yards per game, which ranks No. 12 in the nation. Last season, Penn State held Illinois to 29 carries for 78 yards as well.
Illinois isn’t exactly moving the ball on the ground at a high clip either. We average 127.3 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 88 in the country. My hope is that we don’t rely too much on Luke Altmyer to sling the ball around the field. I want to take pressure off of him. But without a run game, a lot will be on his shoulders.
3. Time of possession
On Saturday, time of possession is going to be a huge stat for both programs. The more you have the ball, the more you can control the game.
Illinois has been playing in somewhat of an up-tempo offense this season. We have only had the ball 50.69% of the time this season, which ranks No. 57 in the nation. Penn State hasn’t been much better at 52.28%.
We can’t let the Nittany Lions control the clock. They won the time of possession in both of their easy wins this season. In the close game against Bowling Green, Penn State actually lost the time of possession battle. This is a huge stat to keep an eye on.