CHAMPIONS — In fact, the 2022 8-5 Illini soccer team was more talented than the current team.
A multiple NFL prospect in Chase Brown (1,643 rushing yards), star defensive tackles Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph Jr., an exceptional secondary led by Devon Witherspoon, Quan Martin and Sidney Brown, and receivers with 82 catches. Isiah Williams, who is a 70 percent passer, and Tommy DeVito.
But the 7-1 club inexplicably suffered an all-too-familiar November woes, dropping by one point at home against Michigan State and Purdue, then losing 19 points in its last two games to Big Ten champion Michigan. They lost 17-1.
So while the current 7-3 team has fewer NFL draft picks, they have a great chance to achieve a better record… reach a good bowl game… finish in the top 25 (Illini returned to the AP rankings on Sunday) Six lower pollsters lost on Saturday: Kansas State, Washington State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Missouri State and LSU.
Rutgers University and Northwestern University, which just conquered Minnesota and Maryland, are the only 6-4 players standing in their way.
How it ends
It looked like a crushing defeat for Illinois State on Saturday when it clinched the winning run against Michigan State by a score of 38-16.
Considering how it ended, I was right.
However, there were some concerning moments in the middle of the game. The running game gained six yards on four consecutive possessions, with the only big positive being a 40-yard pass to Pat Bryant. At the same time, MSU marched for a field goal before the first half and covered 75 yards to make it 21-16 after intermission.
It looked like a dog game, and the score was 24-16 heading into the fourth quarter.
But in the final game, Bryant racked up 135 yards receiving, and the Illini broke away from the Spartan spirit. The visiting team nearly matched Illinois’ total yards, 343 to 369, but did not score again while UI veteran Josh McCray finished with three touchdowns.
switch
Notable in bouncing back from the loss to Minnesota was the University of Illinois’ use of a number of reserves, including a trio of running backs as well as multiple replacements on defense.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Henry has previously talked about the benefits of using fresh players in a designed defensive scheme, especially at this point in the season.
There, he was a relentless sub, with a tackle chart that boasts a slew of reserve players, including Jojo Haden, Gentle Hunt, CJ Bufkin, Jaheim Clark, Malachi Hood, and veterans like Ezekiel Holmes and Alec Bryant. The name has been revealed.
Mac Lesetich, who replaced Myles Scott (who came off the bench in the first half due to targeting), led with 12 tackles, and James Kreutz replaced injured linebacker Dylan Rosiek.
The Illini replaced their punter on Saturday.
Next stop: New Jersey
Find out what’s next at Rutgers. Unlike Michigan, which is a mediocre 5-5 team with the top four teams in the NFL’s first round, this team is a 7-3 Illini team that has been “grouped according to situation.” , the Spartans were held to just two third-down attempts out of 15 attempts. 5 bags worth.
I doubt we’ve seen a rotation pattern like this in the past, but certainly not in 2022, when starting on the defensive line or secondary, or even at running back, slot receiver, or offensive line, just doesn’t make sense. Probably not.
Rutgers has a solid one-two punch of hard-running Kyle Monangai and an excellent receiving corps, and will be a slight favorite to win at home Saturday.
With a new approach, the Illini will try to win by inserting more fresh bodies than they are used to.
