Minnesota @ Illinois 2022 - Media Predictions Thread

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College Football News has Minnesota edging Illinois 17-16
Minnesota is playing better defense.

Illinois went to Madison and out-Wisconsined, Wisconsin. Minnesota is going to out-Illinois, Illinois.
Veteran quarterback Tanner Morgan will come up with a few more competitions, the running game will have far more juice this week, and the defense that did its share of the heavy lifting against Purdue will keep it going.

The Gophers won’t have turnover issues this week, the D will be great on third downs, and they’ll right the ship as they take back control of the Big Ten West. It’s an Illinois game, though. Points will be scarce.

Tony’s Picks has Minnesota coming away with a win, 17-10
The running game is a strength for both teams, and they both experience trouble passing the ball. This Big Ten game will include a lot of hard hits and trench warfare and be nasty, black, and blue.

Scores and Stats has Minnesota winning 23-17
If it weren't for one other running back, Illinois' Chase Brown would have the longest streak in the nation of consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards.

That other running back happens to be Mohamed Ibrahim, who will be on the opposite sideline on Saturday when the No. 24 Fighting Illini clash with Minnesota in a Big Ten game in Champaign, Ill.
 


Sports Bank chimes in:

Prediction: Minnesota Golden Gophers 9, Illinois Fighting Illini 7​

At least two underdog Minnesota teams have come into Zuppke Field and ruined Homecoming in recent years (1999, 2008), so Illini alums should really hate this scheduling. But then again, Goldy is favored here, so maybe that’s a good thing for the orange and blue.

www.thesportsbank.net

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Preview

With Artur Sitkowski at the helm, the Illini offense gets significantly limited and becomes way more conservative.
www.thesportsbank.net www.thesportsbank.net

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Sports Bank chimes in:

Prediction: Minnesota Golden Gophers 9, Illinois Fighting Illini 7​

At least two underdog Minnesota teams have come into Zuppke Field and ruined Homecoming in recent years (1999, 2008), so Illini alums should really hate this scheduling. But then again, Goldy is favored here, so maybe that’s a good thing for the orange and blue.

www.thesportsbank.net

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Preview

With Artur Sitkowski at the helm, the Illini offense gets significantly limited and becomes way more conservative.
www.thesportsbank.net www.thesportsbank.net

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Oh god, a real barn burner that would be.
 

The Daily Gopher (SB Nation) has Minnesota winning 17-9
The biggest advantage the Gophers have coming into this game is that they are coming off a loss that exposed their vulnerabilities on offense and they’ll have had two weeks to self-scout and clean up those issues. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, in particular, has made the most of his bye weeks at Minnesota, averaging 30 points per game when coming off a bye.

I can’t imagine scheming against this Illini defense is easy, but I’m going to bet on Kirk finding a way with a healthy Mohamed Ibrahim back to give his offense the engine it needs. Illinois crashed the party last year once Minnesota became ranked. It only seems fair that the Gophers march into Memorial Stadium and return the favor.
 





Gophers1992 said:
Two elite defenses. Two offenses with plenty of question marks and/or injuries. The O/U is only 39.5
Click to expand...
Yeah, two teams that also want to control the clock and keep it on the ground so not surprising the O/U is as low as it is. Could definitely see this as a first team to 20 points wins kind of game but even 20 might be asking a lot with these two defenses.
 




All the predictions of a low score means it's going to be a 41-38 type of game.
 

Bleacher Report has Minnesota edging Illinois 26-24
This is a battle of two run-heavy teams. Gophers running back Mohamed Ibrahim has already notched eight touchdowns and 567 yards this season. He has the help of a quality quarterback in Tanner Morgan and a group of unselfish receivers that have helped push the team toward a 4-1 record.


That loss for Minnesota came two weeks ago, just before taking a bye last weekend. The Gophers being able to rest their workhorse running back isn't great news for an Illinois fan. With that said, the Fighting Illini have a top-notch running back of their own in Chase Brown, who's been one of the most consistent offensive weapons in the country.


Brown has over 100 rushing yards in every game this season, including a 199-yard game in Week 1. He'll go against a well-organized defense on Saturday. With the bye week on their side, the Gophers should be considered the favorite, even while playing on the road.

All three reporters at Athlon Sports have the Gophers winning
 

Who has the edge?​

Gophers offense vs. Illinois defense: Minnesota was held to its lowest rushing total since 2015 against the Boilermakers (47 yards), and Fleck said Illinois’ front is better than Purdue’s. After missing the Boilermakers game, RB Mo Ibrahim (ankle) is expected to return. That will be a massive boost for Minnesota. He has 567 rushing yards, including 388 after contact. Backups Trey Potts and Bryce Williams had trouble breaking tackles vs. Boilers..Illinois has not given up a touchdown at home this season.. EDGE: Illinois

Gophers defense vs. Illinois offense: Minnesota’s total defense is No. 1 in the nation (222 yards per game), and while Illinois rushing offense is a big threat with Brown, the Illini could be even more one-dimensional Saturday. They are No. 30 in rushing yards, but 101 in passing yards and starting QB Tommy DeVito is questionable with an ankle injury aggravated in the Iowa game. Backup Artur Sitkowski completed 13 of 19 passes for 74 yards, no touchdowns and one interception..This high level in the back end will allow defensive coordinator Joe Rossi to be more aggressive if he sees fit. EDGE: Gophers

Special teams: ..EDGE: Illinois

Prediction: At No. 24, the Illini are ranked for the first time since 2011, ending the longest drought among Power Five programs. But they are nearly a touchdown home underdog, in part, because of injuries to key offensive players. That will make the difference. Gophers, 20-14

www.twincities.com

Gophers football vs. Illinois: Keys to game, how to watch and who has the edge

Minnesota is a 6.5-point favorite for Saturday’s game in Champaign, Ill.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com
 



This game will be about execution. Last year's IL game looked a lot like this year's Purdue game. Gophs had every chance to win but kept shooting themselves in the foot.

Last year key points:
- Turnovers (MN was -2 last year). IL scored 7 points on turnovers and kept the Gophs from scoring.
- Unsuccessful 4th down conversions (MN had 2 failed attempts near the redzone). This cost MN a likely 3-6 points if field goals kicked, or more with successful conversions.
- Special teams. MN missed a 48 yard kick to close the half last year. Missed an extra point.
- Penalties. Gophs had a key holding that pushed them out of the redzone in the 3rd quarter.

Play a relatively clean executed game and the Gophs win.
 

Sports Book Wire (USA Today) has Minnesota winning 20-17
The Golden Gophers are coming off of a bye week following a disappointing 20-10 setback against Purdue in Week 5, their 1st loss of the season. Minnesota is expected to have RB Mohamed Ibrahim back in the mix on Saturday. He has rushed for 567 yards and 8 TDs in 4 games.

This should be a competitive game between 2 Big Ten programs, but Minnesota should be able to pull off the win on the road.
 

Las Vegas Sun

Minnesota -6 at Illinois, over/under: 39. This is an unexpectedly huge game for the Big Ten West division race and, until the fallout of last week, looked like a fair fight. The odds should have tilted more in Minnesota’s favor after both Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito and receiver Isaiah Williams went down with injuries in a 9-6 win over Iowa as 3.5-point favorites. Play: Minnesota -6.
 


Iceland12 said:

Who has the edge?​

Gophers offense vs. Illinois defense: Minnesota was held to its lowest rushing total since 2015 against the Boilermakers (47 yards), and Fleck said Illinois’ front is better than Purdue’s. After missing the Boilermakers game, RB Mo Ibrahim (ankle) is expected to return. That will be a massive boost for Minnesota. He has 567 rushing yards, including 388 after contact. Backups Trey Potts and Bryce Williams had trouble breaking tackles vs. Boilers..Illinois has not given up a touchdown at home this season.. EDGE: Illinois

Gophers defense vs. Illinois offense: Minnesota’s total defense is No. 1 in the nation (222 yards per game), and while Illinois rushing offense is a big threat with Brown, the Illini could be even more one-dimensional Saturday. They are No. 30 in rushing yards, but 101 in passing yards and starting QB Tommy DeVito is questionable with an ankle injury aggravated in the Iowa game. Backup Artur Sitkowski completed 13 of 19 passes for 74 yards, no touchdowns and one interception..This high level in the back end will allow defensive coordinator Joe Rossi to be more aggressive if he sees fit. EDGE: Gophers

Special teams: ..EDGE: Illinois

Prediction: At No. 24, the Illini are ranked for the first time since 2011, ending the longest drought among Power Five programs. But they are nearly a touchdown home underdog, in part, because of injuries to key offensive players. That will make the difference. Gophers, 20-14

www.twincities.com

Gophers football vs. Illinois: Keys to game, how to watch and who has the edge

Minnesota is a 6.5-point favorite for Saturday’s game in Champaign, Ill.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com
Click to expand...
😆 Edge ILL, Edge ILL…prediction, MN wins! 🤣
 

Athlon Sports has Minnesota coming away with a close win, 21-20
This is a fascinating matchup given the similarities between the two teams, starting with ground-oriented offenses and extending to strong performances from each defense. Illinois has won four in a row and is the ranked team but Minnesota's lone loss came when its best player was out with an injury.

Ibrahim's return cannot be overstated while the Fighting Illini have some injury concerns with their starting quarterback so give the slightest edge to the Golden Gophers in a game where both teams will likely have to earn every yard. A Minnesota win also adds more intrigue to an already crowded Big Ten West race and who doesn't love more drama?
 

The Star Tribune has Minnesota coming out on top, 20-13
The Gophers and Illini are two evenly-matched teams who want to impose their ball-control, grind-it-out offense on the opponent, and whichever does it better likely will win. A key for the game will be how each team handles third-down situations.

Both defenses have been outstanding this season on third downs, with the Gophers leading the nation by allowing opponents to convert only 10 of 56 (17.86%) third-down situations, while Illinois ranks sixth at 26.37% (24-for-91).

Where the Gophers have the edge is on offense. They lead the nation in third-down conversions by a large margin at 70.31% (45-for-64), while Illinois ranks 78th at 38.46% (35-for-91).

Ibrahim's ability to gain yards after contact will be key for Minnesota in creating third-and-manageable situations. This should be a tight game, and Ibrahim's expected return and DeVito's absence or limited effectiveness could swing it.

Gopher Illustrated (247 Sports) is predicting a 17-14 Minnesota victory
I think both defenses are really good. I think both running backs are really good. But it comes down to which quarterback can make more plays to help spur their offense to points, and which quarterback can take care of the ball in what is largely projected to be a tightly contested game. I trust Tanner Morgan to do that more than I do Sitkowski.

Vegas has this game projected around a 23-16 win for the Gophers, but I just don't see that many points going up on the board. Minnesota responds on the road, and Morgan makes enough plays to keep the Gophers alive in the West.

Black Shoe Diaries (Penn State SB Nation) has Minnesota winning 17-14
A team coming off a deflating home loss travels to face a team who is currently red hot, and is ranked for the first time since 2011, when the Illini started the season 6-0. Did the week off help the Gophers get over the disappointing result against Purdue? Is Mohamed Ibrahim going to play in this one? He may very well be the difference in the game.

Hammer and Rails (Purdue SB Nation) put out a 24-17 Minnesota victory prediction
This is a surprisingly big game in the West. I still think Minnesota is the best team in the division, but Illinois is on a roll with a lethal defense and at least some form of offense, unlike Iowa. Chase Brown and Mo Ibrahim are two great running backs for each side. These teams might finish the game in 2 hours if they run the ball well.

Here are the staff predictions at The Daily Gopher (Minnesota SB Nation)
  • GoAUpher has Minnesota winning 21-17: Here’s to an offensive line performance that isn’t, well, offensive. If the offensive line plays as it has every week but Purdue, I think this will be a close but happy game.
  • GopherGuy05 is predicting a 17-13 Minnesota victory: This one will be tight and low scoring, but hopefully with Illinois more banged up than Minnesota coming off of a bye, it will make the difference.
  • GopherNation has Illinois winning 16-10: Just don’t feel good about this one.
  • Hipster Gopher is taking Minnesota, 14-6: Looking at old scores is my bit. This week I threw it back all the way to 2021. Last year, Illinois won 14-6. This time the good guys score 14 points and get the Bret monkey off their backs.
  • Mowe0018 is picking Illinois, 17-16: I’m doing this for you, the people. To paraphrase Sidra Holland, “The reverse jinx is real and it’s spectacular.”
  • UStreet is predicting a 24-21 win for the Gophers: RB1 is way better than RB2.
  • White Speed Receiver has Minnesota winning 17-13: I hate this game.
  • WildCatToo is picking Illinois, 24-17: I did not feel this way a couple of weeks ago, but I’m not confident the Gophers can take the Fighting BERTs now.
  • Zips Of Akron has the Illini winning 21-17: I don’t like this any more than you do, but I already feel queasy about Saturday. Something about “Top 25 Illinois on the road” doesn’t scream “bounce-back” to me.
 

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