Illinois football: Prediction for week eight vs. Penn State

The Illinois football team has a massive opportunity to knock off one of the nation’s premier teams when visiting the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

After taking a 24-0 homecoming loss in their previous outing vs. Wisconsin, the Fighting Illini are desperate for a win coming into week eight.  Could the Orange and Blue pull off a miraculous upset, potentially eliminating Penn State from College Football Playoff contention?

A look at the Nittany Lions’ defensive unit

The Penn State defense has performed at a dominating level this season, holding opposing offenses to just 13.8 points per contest, ranking fourth in the nation among all NCAA DI defenses.

This unit is led by senior standout linebacker Ellis Brooks, who leads the team in tackles with 44 on the year – 27 of those being solo tackles.  Brooks has also recorded a sack netting for a loss of 18 yards this season.

The Nittany Lions’ ability to intercept the football has also played a key role in their defensive success, intercepting eight passes on the year, tying for the nation’s sixth-most.

Senior defensive back Ji’Ayir Brown leads the team in this feat with three interceptions of his own on the season.  Brown’s three interceptions are tied for No. 7 among all NCAA DI players.

Senior edge-rusher Arnold Ebiketie is another player to look out for on this unit.  Ebiketie leads the team with four sacks on the year, netting for 32 total lost yards.  In addition, his four sacks rank among the nation’s top 50 in total sacks on the season.

If the Illini offense hopes to see success against this Penn State defense, it will need to be through the run game, as the Nittany Lions have proven to be a dangerous pass-rushing team that is more than capable of forcing interceptions.

Looking at the Penn State offense

The Penn State offense sees much of its success through the passing game, as the run game is the weak spot of the team.

The Nittany Lions’ pass game is led by senior quarterback Sean Clifford, who has earned a quarterback rating of 82.6 which ranks No. 9 overall nationally.  Additionally, the senior QB has thrown for 1,482 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just five interceptions through Penn State’s six games this season.

Clifford’s favorite target is senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who leads the team with 43 receptions on the year, going for 494 total yards.  Dotson has tallied six touchdowns as well.

Right behind Dotson in the receiving category for the Nittany Lions is sophomore receiver Parker Washington.  Washington has recorded 357 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 28 receptions this season.

Given that the Illini secondary will likely have its hands full trying to contain Dotson and Washington, the Orange and Blue will need to get a lot of help from the front-seven in the pass-rush.

The Prediction

The only way the Orange and Blue could see any success this weekend is if they are able to force Penn State to rely on the weak spot of its team – the run game.

However, I don’t see the Illini being able to contain the Nittany Lions either offensively or defensively.  Penn State defeats the Illini 56-10, dominating all phases of the game.

The Orange and Blue fall to 2-6 on the year.