In their regular-season finale, the Illini have questions to answer even against the wallowing Wildcats
No. 22 Illinois is coming off an unforgettable 38-31 victory over Rutgers, highlighted by the late-game heroics of quarterback Luke Altmyer and receiver Pat Bryant.
On Saturday, the Illini make the short trek to Chicago’s Wrigley Field, where they’re set to take on in-state rival Northwestern in a battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. The Wildcats have dropped four of their last five, including last week’s 50-6 thrashing by Michigan. In a game that can not only secure Illinois’ first nine-win season since 2007 but likely lock-up a spot in the Citrus Bowl, coach Bret Bielema’s squad will be answering a few questions for Illini fans:Having thrown for over 200 yards and two touchdowns in both of Illinois’ last two games, Altmyer appears to have rediscovered his early-season rhythm – which has helped translate into back-to-back Illini wins.
Sacks may not fully describe the quality of a pass rush, but they certainly have some usefulness as a unit of measurement – and, according to that metric, the Illini front four have come up short too often in 2024. Moreover, the pass rush has gone a long way toward dictating the performance of the Illini defense as a whole: In the three games that saw Illinois allow 30 or more points , the Illini combined for a total of two sacks.
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