Illinois vs. UConn Prediction, Game Preview

By: Pete Fiutak | September 3, 2019 7:53 pm

Illinois vs. UConn fearless prediction and game preview.

Illinois vs. UConn Broadcast

Date: Saturday, September 7
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Venue: Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
Network: CBS Sports Network

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Illinois (1-0) vs. UConn (1-0) Game Preview

Why UConn Will Win

Does UConn have a defense now? It’s not like beating Wagner was that big a deal – especially in the 24-21 fight – but considering the Huskies had one of the all-time worst defenses last season, holding anyone to 185 yards of total offense is terrific.

There was a real, live pass rush, the team was more physical, and the offense got a huge 144-yard day out of Kevin Mensah. While Illinois was great in its opener against Akron, it still has a whole slew of flaws and issues. If the Huskies can establish the ground game early, control the clock a bit, and win the turnover battle, it could be plucky.

But …

Why Illinois Will Win

UConn wasn’t that great, and it took way too much to put the Seahawks away.

The offensive line was okay, but now it has to deal with an Illinois pass rush that cranked up six sacks and lived in the Akron backfield.

Yeah, the Huskies might have looked and played better defensively, but now it has to deal with a suddenly balanced attack that appears to have found its guy.

Michigan transfer Brandon Peters threw three touchdown passes without a pick, RB Reggie Corbin didn’t have to work too much – he’ll have to do more with Mike Epstein out for the year with a knee injury – and the offense was consistently terrific.

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What’s Going To Happen

The UConn defense isn’t going to revert to last year’s form, but it’ll look more like that 2018 version than the one that showed up against Wagner.

The Illini will dominate against the run – they’ll bottle up Mensah an Art Thompkins – and they’ll be +2 in turnover margin. Best of all, the offense will work again with another strong game from Peters – expect him to be sharper, even on the road.

Illinois will look the part again as it builds up a nice base of wins to tune up for when the schedule really starts in a few weeks.
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