Opponent View/Scouting Illinois

It’s the battle for the Cannon Trophy!

Purdue (2-2 overall; 0-1 Big Te) is coming off a bye, while Illinois (4-1; 1-1) is fresh off a home win vs. USC.

The Boilermakers have won 15 of the last 20 meetings with the Illini but Illinois took the last meeting, a wild 50-49 overtime win last season. Barry Odom never has faced off vs. Illinois as a head coach; Bret Bielema is 1-3 against Purdue while at Illinois.

GoldandBlack.com spoke to the voice of the Fighting Illini, Brian Barnhart, to learn more about Illinois.

GoldandBlack.com: What can we expect from the Illinois offense?

Barnhart: It starts with Luke Altmeyer. He’s got 11 touchdowns, no interceptions since you go back to the start of last year. I can count on one hand the times he’s made a throw where you go: “Oh, he shouldn’t have thrown that one.” He’s just been so good. He is so smart with the football, he knows when to pull it down and run with it. (OC) Barry Lunney is the longest tenured offensive coordinator in the Big Ten. He’s in his fourth year. And it’s three years now Luke Altmeyer.

It starts with running the ball. They’ve got a handful of tailbacks. Kaden Feagin weighs 255 pounds. He is really fast in open space. He was a quarterback in high school. He just kind of bullied his way past people. He was so much bigger. So, he’s still kind of learning how to be inside between the tackles, how to run effectively … he’s amazing. Aidan Laughery is more of a scat back. He’s really fast. He’s been banged up a little bit this year. And then Ca’Lil Valentine is kind of in between. He’s a younger back, very shifty. They got a pretty good 1-2-3 punch.

The question from last year was: Could somebody replaced Pat Bryant, who was a go to target for Illinois in key spots? Could somebody replace Zakari Franklin, who was another big receiver? Those two guys are gone.

At receiver, Hank Beatty has returned a punt for a touchdown, he’s caught a pass for a touchdown, he’s thrown a pass for a touchdown. Did that last week. He’s rushed one in from 25 yards. So, he’s really versatile. He makes it go. Collin Dixon is another guy you’ll see a lot of, and they’ll throw some to Hudson Clement, a transfer from West Virginia. Those are probably their top three targets.

It’s a fun offense to watch. Is it flashy? No, but is it pretty steady and consistent with a really good quarterback? Yes.

GoldandBlack.com: What can we expect from the Illini defense?

Barnhart: They’re missing a key guy in the secondary: Xavier Scott got injured late in the Western Michigan game, and so they miss him. He’s kind of the glue that held everything together. Matt Bailey is an excellent safety. Tanner Heckel played eight-man football in the state of Kansas. He is a good, athletic player. Kaleb Patterson has a lot of experience at corner. They like Jaheim Clarke. So, they are very deep. They had a lot of guys with experience, but injuries have nibbled a little bit away at some of the depth they’ve had.

Gabe Jacas is a force up front. Curt Neal and James Thompson transferred in from Wisconsin. Those are two really good, solid guys up the middle. Alec Bryant plays a lot at outside linebacker. So, they’ve been pretty good, pretty solid up front. That was a question mark going into the year: Could those guys come in and and be solid linebackers? Dylan Rosiek is back. He’s kind of like a J Leman or Brit Miller.

So, defensively, they’ve probably given up more points than you would like. They started out winning some games they should win. They really struggled with the RPO vs. Indiana. But, in one week, they tightened up quite a bit and did pretty well (vs. USC). It’s a good defense. Probably could be better if they were healthier, but certainly a good complement to the offense.

GoldandBlack.com: How do you see this game unfolding?

Barnhart: Illinois is not a flashy team, but they’re very solid. They’re a lot like their coach. They’re very solid. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. What was jarring about the Indiana game, you just haven’t seen that from a Bielema team. They just don’t do the things that get you beat. Usually, if you’re going to beat Illinois, you got to take it from them and or just clearly be better.

If Illinois takes care of business, no turnovers, they should be in good shape, shape against Purdue. But just watching Purdue, they look more competitive. They look better. Barry Odom is trying to figure out what he’s got. Illinois fans are not overlooking this game because they’ve seen too many games with Purdue that have given them headaches over time, and nobody’s taking this one for granted.

I’m sure Illinois is the pick for most people, but I’ve seen too many Illinois-Purdue games over the years to know that it’s really hard to predict, and Purdue always seems to play as well no matter where they play.

MORE: First Look: Illinois | First and 10: Illinois | Purdue aims to turn four-game lessons into results after bye | The 3-2-1: Maturation of a QB, October possibilities, respect for Bret and more | Full circle moment comes for Purdue’s Ryan Browne against Illinois