The Illinois Fighting Illini play host to the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday afternoon from Memorial Stadium in a crucial Big Ten showdown. The Boilermakers are coming in off of back-to-back losses and know that they need a win in this one if they want any hope of securing the Big Ten West crown. For Illinois, a loss in its own right has them searching for ways to get things back down the right path. Purdue has won two in a row between the two sides, as well as five of the last six, though going on the road in this one is likely to provide a much tougher challenge than previous seasons.
Coming into this season, many viewed Purdue as one of the top teams in the Big Ten West and while the division as a whole has been ugly this season, the Boilermakers remain right in the thick of a divisional title race. A win in this one would put the Boilermakers even with the Illini from a record standpoint while giving them a leg up with the tiebreaker as well. The concern is that coming away with the win appears to be easier said than done. The Boilermakers have been trending in the wrong direction and with two losses in a row, have a tough road game ahead of them in order to turn things around. Given their recent success against Illinois, that could be enough, though it remains to be seen.
The Boilermakers do carry a few injuries into this one as well, which could be a concern on both sides of the ball. The offensive absences seem to be simply concerning when it comes to depth. On the defensive end, Chris Jeffers on (personal) has already been ruled out, which will be a massive blow to the secondary, while Tee Denson (abdominal) will be out as well at cornerback.
Charlie Jones making it look easy. ??@BoilerFootball x @B1Gfootball pic.twitter.com/XUJ3MgHAmh
— Purdue On BTN (@PurdueOnBTN) November 5, 2022
Purdue's offense had high expectations for the season and while the passing game has lived up to expectations, the lack of a solid ground game has caused reason for concern. The Boilermakers rank 16th nationally in passing, though ranking 98th and an inability to finish drives in the endzone, could only cause even more issues against one of the country's best defenses. Aidan O'Connell (15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country, though he'll need to be sharp when it comes to taking care of the ball in this one. Charlie Jones remains explosive on the outside as well, though he hasn't seen a secondary like Illinois' before.
Defensively, Purdue shouldn't be daunted trying to stack up against Illinois, with turnovers being the focus for this group. Illinois has struggled all season to take care of the ball, which is an area where Purdue has consistently found succe ss. Without Jefferson (2 interceptions) in the secondary, there is certain to be questions as to how they'll hold up against Illinois in this one.