Indiana will test Illinois' pass defense
Illinois proved it can stuff the Big Ten's better running games last week at Michigan State.
With defensive tackle Corey Liuget dominating the interior and middle linebacker Martez Wilson roaming everywhere, the Illini held the Spartans to less than half their season average with 93 rushing yards.
It's going to be at least as difficult to slow down the Big Ten's best passing attack when the Illini welcome Indiana on Saturday for homecoming (11 a.m., Big Ten Network).
The Hoosiers lead the league and rank fifth nationally with 319.3 passing yards per game.
Fifth-year senior Ben Chappell set Indiana's single-game records Oct. 2 when he connected on 45 of 64 passes for 480 yards against Michigan. Junior wideouts Damarlo Belcher and Tandon Doss have teamed up for 73 catches, 948 yards and 6 touchdowns.
To put those numbers into perspective, Illinois' entire team has combined for 76 catches, 818 yards and 5 scores.
Here's another stat the Illini need to heed: Chappell has thrown for 13 touchdowns and no interceptions in Indiana's 4 wins. He owns 3 scores and 3 interceptions in the Hoosiers' 2 losses.
This reiterates the importance of forcing turnovers, but the Illini haven't been big on interceptions in recent years. Illinois owns just 3 this year and 14 in the 30 games since the Rose Bowl.
More to the point, Illinois has surrendered long touchdown passes in each of the last two games.
Penn State used play-action to burn cornerback Justin Green for an 80-yard score, while Michigan State took advantage of a busted coverage for last week's game-changing 48-yard touchdown.
“Big plays are something that I think we've gotten better at, Illinois coach Ron Zook said. “It's been a big stress. If you remember last year, it was kind of our Achilles' heel. That's something you can't have, and we have to get it corrected.
Trivia time:
Ron Zook has a losing record against eight Big Ten teams. Can you guess the two teams against which he owns winning records?
Hint: Don't pick Indiana.
Though the Hoosiers and Illini have been the Big Ten's losingest teams in the “modern era defined as since Penn State joined the league, Zook is painfully aware he's 2-3 against IU.
That's why he doesn't want to hear anything about Illinois capitalizing on a relatively weak second-half schedule.
“I'm talking about one game: Indiana, Zook said. “It does us no good to talk about what's happened or what's ahead. I've been here five years and they've won three. I don't think there's any question we better be ready to play.
Ready for the answer? Illinois is 2-1 against both Michigan and Minnesota in the Zook era.
Purdue, which hits Memorial Stadium next week, is the only team Zook hasn't beaten.
Injury update:
Junior Zach Becker, who was slated to be the team's starting tight end, made his 2010 debut with six plays against Michigan State.
Becker missed the first five games with a stress fracture in his right foot. He has been susceptible to foot problems his entire career, so the Illini plan to take it slow with their best blocker.
Cornerback Terry Hawthorne, who played a good chunk of the Michigan State game after overcoming his own stress fracture, has been catching punts this week in practice and could handle the job Saturday.