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Broadcast Info:
- Date: Sat., Nov. 4
- TV channel: BTN
- Time of kickoff: 2:30 p.m. (CST)
- Betting line: Minnesota (-2.5) vs. Illinois, o/u: (43 points)
Opponent Information (Illinois):
- 2023 record: 3-5
- V. Toledo 30-28 W
- @ Kansas 23-34 L
- V. Penn State 13-30 L
- V. Florida Atlantic 23-17 W
- @ Purdue 19-44 L
- V. Nebraska 7-20 L
- @ Maryland 27-24 W
- V. Wisconsin 21-25 L
- Head Coach: Bret Bielema (3rd year)
- Players to watch: Jer’Zhan Newton (DL), Isaiah Williams (WR), Luke Altmyer (QB), Tahveon Nicholson (CB), Kaden Feagin (RB), Reggie Love III (RB)
The Gophers race for Big Ten West supremacy makes another stop on Saturday with a tough home test against pesky Illinois and the big, bad Bret Bielema. Minnesota is 0-9 all-time vs. the former Wisconsin head coach, and taking down the 3-5 Fighting Illini in Week 10 will be no easy task. Illinois’ schedule has not been much easier than the Gophers with tough non-conference games against Toledo and Kansas, the Big Ten gauntlet has not been kind to them. They’re not your average 3-5 team, making for an intriguing battle at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Illinois Season Storylines:
- Year Three of the Bret Bielema era:
After firing Lovie Smith following the 2020 season, Illinois went out and made a splash by hiring Bret Bielema. With three different trips to the Rose Bowl during his time with the Badgers, Bielema’s Big Ten pedigree made him a very interesting hire for a struggling Fighting Illini program. In year one, they went 5-7 and it looked like the program was already trending in the right direction, knocking off Penn State on the road in Beaver Stadium. Last year they went 8-5 with a bowl game loss to Mississippi State.
Year three is often the time for new head coaches to have a breakout season. With Ole Miss transfer QB Luke Altmeyer and potential All-American DT Jer’Zhan Newton, it seemed like the Fighting Illini had the pieces to do so in 2023. A tough road loss to Kansas set them one step behind heading into the Big Ten season and it has seemed like they have not been able to find their footing this season. But don’t get it twister Bielema has this program going in the right direction and they’re still a live dog.
- Replacing Tommy DeVito, Chase Brown and Ryan Walters:
I might’ve been a little too high on this Illinois team preseason. I think a major reason for their disappointment thus far was replacing their starting QB Tommy DeVito, All-America RB Chase Brown and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters who is now the head coach of Purdue. They replaced DeVito with Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer, they replaced Brown with Reggie Love III and Kaden Feagin and lastly, they replaced Walters with DB coach Aaron Henry.
Altmyer has shown flashes this season but has also struggled mightily at times, most notably throwing 4 INTs vs. Penn State. He has 1,671 passing yards on the season with 10 TDs and 9 INTs while adding 301 yards on the ground with 3 TDs. Feagin and Love III have combined for 630 rushing yards and 5 TDs, showing a real drop off from Chase Brown. Lastly, the defense has taken a slight step back under Henry, allowing 27.8 PPG, ranking 84th best in the country.
- Jer’Zhan Newton suspension + Isaiah Williams:
All-conference DT Jer’Zhan Newton has been one of the best players in the conference, earning an 82.9 PFF Grade with 31 total pressures and 28 tackles on the season. While he might hear his name called in the first round of next spring’s NFL Draft, he will not play this first half Saturday vs. the Gophers. After receiving a targeting penalty in their last game against Wisconsin he will be held out for the first 24 minutes vs. Minnesota.
In a division with talented running backs and run-first offenses, WR Isaiah Williams has been one of the best receivers in all of the Big Ten this season. With 46 catches for 562 yards and 1 TD, he has provided Illinois with a different dynamic in their offense in 2023. With a PFF Grade of 74.1, he is their highest-graded offensive player by nearly five points. When they’ve found success moving the ball this season it’s been because of Williams.
Gophers’ path to victory:
Illinois’ biggest favor in this game is that they will have an extra week to prepare for the Gophers. The Fighting Illini were idle in week nine after losing the Wisconsin in Week eight. So while they will be without Jer’Zhan Newton for the first half, their team was able to get healthy and find themselves after going through a tough stretch of conference play.
I expect this game to look a lot like any game in the Big Ten West. It will likely be another low-scoring affair and the team who makes the fewest mistakes will likely be victorious. While Illinois might be allowing more points this season, they’re still allowing only 273.5 yards per contest and it is not easy to move the football on the Orange Crush.
There will be a small handful of plays that decide this game. Likely getting both Darius Taylor and Zach Evans back in the lineup will only help the Gophers’ offense. But like the Iowa game, there will be a few plays that Athan has to make if they want any chance of winning. Ultimately I think these are two incredibly similar teams in very similar spots as programs. Given that Illinois and Bret Bielema had an extra week to prepare, I think that they will have a slight edge to come out ahead 20-16, taking down the Maroon & Gold.