Oct. 11, 2022: After a much-needed bye week, the Gophers will look to get their Big Ten Championship campaign back on track against Illinois.
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Broadcast Info:
- Date: Sat., Oct. 15
- TV channel: BTN
- Time of kickoff: 11:00 a.m. (CST)
- Broadcast team: n/a (play-by-play) & n/a (color)
- Betting line: Minnesota (-6.5) @ Illinois, o/u: (38.5 points)
Opponent Information (Illinois):
- 2021 record: 5-7
- 2022 record: 5-1
- V. Wyoming 38-6 W
- @ Indiana 20-23 L
- V. Virginia 24-3 W
- V. Chattanooga 31-10 W
- @ Wisconsin 34-10 W
- V. Iowa 9-6 W
- Head Coach: Bret Bielema (2nd season)
- Players to watch: Chase Brown (RB), Devon Witherspoon (CB), Tommy DeVito (QB), Jer’Zhan Newton (DT), Seth Coleman (LB)
There are no easy games in the Big Ten this season. After a much-needed bye week following their first loss of 2022 to Purdue, the Gophers will travel to Champagne, Illinois for a pivotal West Division matchup with Illinois. The Fighting Illini are ranked for the first time since 2011, with plenty of momentum in Brett Bielema’s second season at the helm. Saturday’s game will go a long way in determining who represents the West Division in Indianapolis.
Illinois Season Storylines:
- Year two of Brett Bielema’s rebuild:
After five seasons of Lovie Smith; with only one winning record, Illinois decided to move on from his glorious gray beard and bring in Big Ten veteran Brett Bielema. Nine years removed from leading Wisconsin to a Rose Bowl victory, Bielema returned to the conference to lead the Fighting Illini. Last season Illinois finished with a 5-7 record flashing a quick turnaround. With wins over No. 20 ranked Minnesota and No. 7 ranked Penn State it seemed as if Bielema had the program pointed in the right direction. After starting 2022 5-1, and now ranked for the first time in 10+ years it is fair to say that he has quickly turned Illinois back into a competitive program in the Big Ten West.
- Chase Brown among CFB’s best RBs:
Illinois’ hot 2022 star is in large part due to running back Chase Brown’s dominance. The All-Big Ten junior is currently second in the FBS in rushing yards per game (146.5), while his 879 total rushing yards rank best in college football. It is fair to say the Fighting Illini’s offense runs through Brown, as he accounts for 38.2% of their total offense. Minnesota’s (13th-ranked) offense is far more effective than Illinois’s (67th), but it is fair to say that both teams rely on their star runningbacks in a similar manner.
- QB Tommy DeVito’s injury:
Syracuse-transfer QB Tommy DeVito’s start to 2022 is another major reason for Illinois’ surprising start. After breaking out for 2,360 passing yards in 2020, his 1,163 total this season is more than his previous two seasons combined. He hasn’t been a game-breaker at QB, but much like the Gophers, he is a veteran signal-caller who often makes the right play. Unfortunately for Illinois, he left last week’s win over Iowa with an ankle injury and did not return. There is no word on his status for this week’s game, but it’s fair to say Illinois has a much better offense when DeVito is under center. Artur Sitkowski would likely get the nod if DeVito doesn’t go, a guy who started a handful of games last season for the Fighting Illini.
Gophers’ path to victory:
Minnesota (222) is one of two FBS defenses that have allowed fewer yards than Illinois (227.8). Saturday’s game in Champagne will be a battle between two of college football’s best defenses and two of its best running backs. This football game will start and end up front. Whoever dominates the trenches will win this game.
The Gophers are coming off their most disappointing offensive line performance of the season, where they averaged 1.8 yards per carry against Illinois. Getting Mohamed Ibrahim will obviously be a major boost to the rush attack, but they will need to play better upfront if Minnesota wants to win this game. Illinois’s dominant front seven has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards-per-game (67.2) in FBS. This will be the best defense Minnesota has played this season, by a pretty wide margin. Quinn Carroll is one of many X-Factors in this game. As the most-penalized player on the team, he has been a weak link on the Gophers’ offensive front. If Minnesota decided to keep rolling with Carroll or goes with a change, there needs to be better play at right tackle.
It sounds stupid, but whoever scores more points is going to win this game. I expect both defenses to show up in a big way, so I think whichever team makes more explosive plays on offense wins this game. Depending on Illinois’s QB situation, I think the Gophers’ offense has a much deeper repertoire of playmakers, so I think they will have a better chance to make plays. This is going to be a dogfight in every sense of the word, but I think Minnesota comes out on top 24-10.