Illini need to be Purdue to stay in race

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Illinois’ dreams for a Big Ten title could evaporate quickly if it fails to outplay Purdue this weekend.

Just two weeks ago, the Fighting Illini were undefeated and looked like a solid contender that might hang with Wisconsin and Penn State in the Big Ten Leaders Division. Then, they suffered a mistake-filled 17-7 home loss to Ohio State. Now, the Fighting Illini (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) will need to get back on track Saturday at Purdue or risk falling out of the race for the Big Ten title.

Illinois coach Ron Zook said his team has responded well since the loss.

“I can’t ask for any more than what they’ve done up to this point,” he said. “I really like how the locker room is, I like how they’re acting, I like how they’re responding.”

The Fighting Illini felt they let one slip away against Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat them despite throwing just four passes — and completing just one.

“We’re not really content with how we played,” Illinois defensive end Michael Buchanan said. “We let them make some really big running plays and we didn’t get a turnover to help the offense out.”

Bouncing back might not be so easy.

Purdue (3-3, 1-1) is playing with confidence. The Boilermakers hit a low with a 38-10 loss to Notre Dame, but rallied with a 45-17 win over Minnesota the next week and a spirited effort in a 23-18 loss at Penn State. They’ll likely need similar play, plus some breaks, to pull the upset and push toward their goal of claiming a bowl bid.

“We have to execute a little bit better because the competition is really strong,” Purdue coach Danny Hope said. “We don’t have a lot of margin for error as far as mistakes go. If we can minimize our mistakes and everyone keeps playing hard and wide open and playing to win and playing with a lot of emotion and enthusiasm and with a lot of determination, we’re going to keep getting better and win some games.”

Purdue features a running game that ranks 24th nationally with 206.5 yards per game. Its tandem of Ralph Bolden and Akeem Shavers has combined for 666 yards, and both average more than five yards per carry. Bolden had 97 yards on 13 carries against Penn State last week.

Bolden and Shavers have helped quarterback Caleb TerBush. The junior has completed 61 percent of his passes for 949 yards and six touchdowns in six games.

“A big kid that has really kind of come into his own,” Zook said.

The combination of the run game, TerBush’s improvement and the skill of receivers O.J. Ross, Antavian Edison and Justin Siller have gotten Zook’s attention.

“Purdue offensively, they’re really tough to defend,” he said. “And the skill of their wide receivers in matchup situations is really going to create issues for us.”

TerBush will have to deal with Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus, who leads the nation with 10 sacks and is tied for the national lead with five forced fumbles. He’s the star of a defense that ranks 12th nationally in yards allowed per game.

“He has a really good motor,” Hope said. “They have him on the move all the time. It’s hard to stay in front of him. They bring a lot of pressure, and he’s part of it. He breaks through there and makes plays.”

Illinois’ offense features A.J. Jenkins, the national leader with 895 yards receiving and dual threat Nathan Scheelhaase at quarterback.

Scheelhaase ranks second in the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 158.8 rating, and he leads the Fighting Illini with 396 yards rushing.

“Scheelhaase is outstanding,” Hope said. “He’s an excellent runner with the ball. They throw it very well. The receiver is a big time receiver. Makes very good plays, has great speed.”

Illinois averages 424 yards per game on offense, but was held to 285 against Ohio State. The Buckeyes “held” Jenkins to 80 yards on eight catches against Ohio State after he had 18 receptions for 450 yards and five touchdowns the previous two games. The Buckeyes prevented Jenkins from gaining yards after the catch. Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino still believes in the system and his playmakers, he just feels they need to hold onto the ball and finish plays.

“You’ve still got to have confidence,” he said. “You can’t panic. We’re going to run the same offense, we’re going to get better.”