This is not the 2023 Illinois Fighting Illini.
Looking to break a two game losing skid, Northwestern faces Illinois at Wrigley Field Saturday. Ahead of Northwestern’s final regular season game of the year, we asked The Champaign Room’s Pleas Honeywood a couple questions.
Inside NU: A year removed from a disappointing 5-7 season, this 8-3 Fighting Illini squad has turned heads. What’s sparked this run?
Pleas Honeywood: Illinois made tangible moves to improve its two biggest weaknesses from last season: secondary and offensive line.
In Illinois’ 8-5 2022 campaign, the defense thrived under Ryan Walters. It turned teams over and had a ball-hawking secondary that enabled consistent man coverage. Devon Witherspoon, Sydney Brown and Quan Martin were all drafted in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, which gutted the secondary.
This caused a significant talent gap for first-year defensive coordinator Aaron Henry to overcome. So after a tumultuous offseason that included massive staff turnover, the Illini defensive backs have improved. Sure, there are still chunk plays and inconsistencies. However, returning starters Xavier Scott, Miles Scott and Matthew Bailey have all played well enough to emerge on NFL radars. Junior college transfer Kaleb Patterson is healthy and makes plays consistently, especially as an open-field tackler. Ohio transfer Torrie Cox Jr. is an undersized corner who is feisty, tough and aggressive…just like Illinois likes its defensive backs.
The offensive line has also had some growing pains. Offensive line coach Bart Miller has had his unit’s depth tested via injury and performance. But center Josh Kreutz has emerged as an all-conference candidate. Transfer offensive tackles JC Davis and Melvin Priestly have stabilized a position with no clear starters on the roster. Priestly made several costly penalties against Rutgers, but the East St. Louis kid has the right amount of nasty for a Bielema-backed squad.
INU: Illinois needed a huge fourth quarter effort to come back against Rutgers last weekend. What were your main takeaways from last weekend’s contest?
PH: My main takeaway is that Pat Bryant is bloody good at football.
That was an all-time Illini receiver performance. His game-winning touchdown was the kind of play that traditionally happens to the Illini and not for them. And it comes on the heels of a 135-yard performance against Michigan State. Bryant is on an unbelievable heater right now. In what will likely be his last college game, I expect the Illini to feed him the rock at Wrigley.
My other large takeaway is that this Illini squad didn’t let the season get away from them. In 2022, a 7-1 start ended with an 8-5 record. This team could have crumbled after the debacle in Eugene. It could have folded after letting the Gophers eat its lunch on its home field. But back-to-back wins have salvaged what should be an excellent season.
If you told me before the season that I’d wonder whether Illinois would play Alabama or Ole Miss in a bowl game in Florida, I’d ask you what you were snorting. Then I would ask you what tragedy befell Alabama or Ole Miss.
INU: Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has rewritten his narrative after struggling in his first season with the Fighting Illini last year. What have you seen from him that has led him to newfound success?
PH: It’s amazing how much better a quarterback can play when he isn’t running for his life every single time he drops back.
Altmyer has taken advantage of better protection. He has also clearly made a sincere effort to get the ball out faster. Additionally, he’s a legitimate threat to break a big run. So teams have to respect his legs. This dual-threat ability has given him more opportunities in the passing game.
I would also add that the addition of Ole Miss transfer Zakhari Franklin has been a huge bonus. Franklin is a masterful technician of a receiver. He has ways of running himself open. He has a nose for first downs and sure hands.
INU: Illinois’ defense has struggled at points this season, giving up 31 points to Rutgers last weekend, 38 points to top-ranked Oregon and 49 points to a one-win Purdue squad in mid-October. Who are a couple of X-factors to watch for that could possibly turn that trend against Northwestern?
PH: The less said about the Purdue game, the better.
The biggest X-Factor on the defense is newly minted starting linebacker, James Kreutz. Kreutz, like his brother Josh, played for Illinois linebacker John Holecek at North Shore powerhouse Loyola Academy. Now in his third year on campus, Kreutz is filling the shoes of team captain Dylan Rosiek, who is out for the season with an injury.
Against Rutgers, Kreutz was a missile. While he still needs to improve in coverage, his aggression and willingness to lay in huge hits have enhanced the defensive upside for the Illini.
Another X-factor on the Illinois defense is former Northwestern defensive tackle, TeRah Edwards. Since arriving at Illinois, Edwards has been a solid, steady contributor in the middle of a defense that boasts future NFL edge talent like Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas. Shutting down Northwestern’s inside running game and forcing Jack Lausch to beat the Fighting Illini with his arm is a likely path to victory for Illinois.
INU: Although the Fighting Illini lost 45-43 against the Wildcats last season, they’ve taken two of the last three in the Land of Lincoln Trophy series. How do they add another win against Northwestern to their tally?
PH: I had a teacher once tell me to follow the KISS formula: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID.
(That teacher may or may not have subsequently faced disciplinary measures.)
The Illini stars have to be stars.
Luke Altmyer has to protect the rock and make decisive reads.
Pat Bryant has to continue being the best player on the field.
Gabe Jacas has to spend as much time in the Northwestern backfield as Cam Porter.
Xavier Scott and Miles Scott have to create turnovers on bad throws.
Most importantly, the Illini coordinators can’t get cute. There is no need. The talent is in place to win the physical battles. So don’t try to get fancy. Call a game that gets your stars in one-on-one situations and let them execute.
INU: What is your score prediction for the game and why?
PH: I know how much pride and passion the Wildcats have. I remember vividly the Wildcats beating the Illini in Champaign to keep Bielema and Co. out of a bowl game. I remember the Illini closing out the Big Ten West with a 1-5 record largely because Northwestern scored 24 points off Illini turnovers. It was a two-point game and an utter bloodbath all at once. I remember wondering what Parcells/McVay coaching factory built David Braun for the explicit purpose of torturing the Illini.
This year’s Illini have proven to be a different squad. It has shown an ability to close in big games. Luke Altmyer is a different player this year. I think the Illini have enough weapons on both sides of the ball to get the job done in the house Theo Epstein built.
I predict a 35-17 Illinois victory.