Saturday, Sept. 10

4 p.m., ESPNU

Illinois Fighting Illini

Head Coach: Brett Bielema

Conference: B1G

2022 Record: 1-1 (Week 0 W over Wyoming 38-6, Week 1 L at Indiana 23-20)

The Illinois Fighting Illini will play host to the Virginia Cavaliers, a week after a tough loss for Bielema and his ball club. The Illini went into Bloomington and came home with their first loss of the season against a tough Indiana Hoosiers squad. Tony Elliott and Co. will be facing a team looking for some “get back” not just for last week, but also for 2021. UVa handled Illinois 42-14 at Scott Stadium a year ago, where Brennan Armstrong tossed five touchdowns and UVa amassed 556 yards of offense.

This season brings about many changes, mainly for UVa, as Elliott has replaced Bronco Mendenhall as head coach. With him have come a different set of coordinators and a new identity on both sides of the ball. Bielema in previewing the matchup has called it “a little bit unique,” adding “They’re kind of completely different from where they were at a year ago.”

Offensively, the differences were on full display as the Wahoos cranked out 505 total yards last week but there was balance: UVa ran for 259 yards and passed for 246 yards in a 34-17 defeat of the Richmond Spiders.

The Illini bring a balanced offense to the table as well. Through two games, they’re averaging 461.5 yards per game: 237 rushing, 224.5 passing. Bielema wants to control the game and run the ball, the old fashioned B1G way. In the win over Wyoming, Illinois ran for 258 yards on 41 carries (6.3 yards per carry), led by Chase Brown. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound junior tailback rushed for 151 yards on 19 carries and tallied two touchdowns. Last Saturday at Indiana, Brown added 199 yards (36 carries) to his season total. To date, he is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and is the bell cow for this offense.

Syracuse transfer Tommy Devito will start at quarterback for Illinois. Offensive Coordinator Barry Lunney, Jr. has asked Devito to be efficient in the pass game and distribute the rock to his stable of playmakers. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior signal caller is completing 67 percent of his passes through the first two games and has thrown four touchdowns against one interception. Against Wyoming, he completed 27 of 37 passes for an efficient 194 yards with two touchdowns. Last week, he completed 60 percent of his passes against the Hoosiers and tossed two more touchdowns. Four different pass catchers have caught touchdowns this season for the Illini. Brown, Brian Hightower, Pat Bryant, and Isaiah Williams have all scored this season. Williams is the No. 1 receiving target and athlete for Illinois. The redshirt sophomore is Illinois’ best returning target at wideout and has already caught 16 balls this season. Against Indiana, he stood out with nine catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Look for him to be big in the quick game for Devito. Williams, the former RB, will be used in screens, jets, etc.

Defensively, Illinois brings physicality and will be a test for UVa’s new-look offense. Through two games, the Illini have been especially stingy against the run, giving up 107 yards rushing per game (3.8 yards per attempt). Against the Hoosiers, they gave up 32 yards rushing on 26 attempts. Through the air, Indiana was able to produce 330 yards of offense; however, Illinois generated an interception as well.

Mainly employing a three-man front with man coverage on the back end, the Illini throw a lot of bodies into stopping the run. Jer’Zhan Newton is their big body up front. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound nose tackle commands attention with 11 tackles this season and the Illini’ only sack. Senior Sydney Brown is a physical box safety who garnered Honorable All B1G honors in 2021. Defensive Back Jartavius Martin (6-foot, 195 pounds) was the Bednarik Award National Player of the Week after seven tackles and three pass breakups against Wyoming.

1. UVa must stay balanced and run the football.

Illinois has been stout against the run this season, especially last week against Indiana. Elliott and Offensive Coordinator Des Kitchings have preached balance since the spring. In their first true road game, UVa must show some sort of run game. The Hoos will need the entire stable of backs ready to contribute. Perris Jones may lead the bunch right now, but with Cody Brown being available and Ronnie Walker practicing this week, look for UVa to incorporate some different looks to get the ground game on track against Illinois. Illinois will dedicate bodies to stopping the run, which should give us some vertical, down-the-field throws against their man coverage.

2. UVa’s defense must show up and limit the yardage on the ground.

Illinois wants to control the clock and run the football, something Richmond was able to do somewhat effectively against the Cavaliers. However, DC John Rudzinski employed a fairly vanilla defensive scheme and threw all his resources into stopping the Air Raid passing game. This Saturday, UVa must be better up front. Look for linebacker Josh Ahern to start this game after his second half performance against the Spiders. Jahmeer Carter and the crew up front need to win the line of scrimmage and force Illinois out of their comfort zone.

3. Elliott and his UVa football team must step on the gas.

The Cavaliers were able to do what they needed to do last week against Richmond and get out of the game in a good place. However, there were some issues. Turnovers, dropped balls, and untimely penalties made the game closer than what it should have been. UVa needs to play a cleaner game and take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Championship teams go on the road and win games like this versus Illinois. If the Wahoos are who we think they are, they’ll take care of business and come home with a much-valued road victory.

Illinois seems to be a better football team than last season. Bielema seems to have his identity stamped. They will want to control the ball and clock and play physical defense against the run.

On paper, UVa has a clear advantage in athletic playmakers, which means the game will be decided in the trenches. The Hoos took a step forward last week in a balanced offensive attack against Richmond but some questions about the defense remain. Look for Armstrong and the offense to move the ball against the Illini and be able to put up some points. UVa’s receivers will have to beat man coverage and I think it will result in some big plays down the field. The UVa defense will make a couple of key second half stops to give UVa some breathing room and its second win in the 2022 campaign. Mike Hollins ices the game with a four-quarter touchdown burst and the Hoos leave Champaign with a win over Illinois.

UVa 31

Illinois 21