Oct. 24—Beat writer Scott Richey previews the Illini's return home to face Oregon in a Big Ten matchup at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, as coach Bret Bielema and Co. look to establish their first winning streak:
Illinois boasts a 7-2 record in games played immediately after a bye week in Bret Bielema's tenure as coach. The only losses came last year at Washington and in 2021 at Iowa when Bielema was quarantined in Champaign and didn't coach after testing positive for COVID-19. The Illini went 2-0 after byes in both 2022 and 2024, and their seven post-bye wins also includes the nine-overtime victory at No. 7 Penn State in 2021. They'll try to add to the positive side of that record Saturday against Oregon.
"I'd like to think there's a method to our madness," Bielema said. "I'm not a process guy, but we are a process team. It's not what you believe at the end. It's what you do while you're in between. One of the things we talk about all year is we've got 12 guaranteed games, but if you try to jump to No. 12, you'll never get to four. It's just the way our guys work. I do know we prepare very well. ... We've got more players healthy now than ever before. All three phases (offense, defense and special teams) had some transition, and I thought our guys handled it well."
Illinois moved Tanner Heckel to free safety in place of Mac Resetich for some snaps two weeks ago at Michigan State. It was another new position for the 5-foot-11, 195-pound defensive back, who filled in at nickel back last season after Xavier Scott's season-ending foot injury and has been part of the rotation at the cornerback position opposite Juice Clarke this season. The Illini junior out of Lyndon, Kan., has 15 tackles, two tackles for loss and one pass breakup this season, including a career-high seven tackles in Illinois' overtime win against the Spartans.
"He's such a good cover guy," Illinois defensive play-caller Roger Cooper said. "You're trying to see how people are trying to attack you. If you're seeing the same things over and over and over, it makes you look in the mirror a little bit. If that's an issue, you'd like to take that away and make (the opponent) play left-handed. Having a lot of cover guys on the field at one time benefits you if they're trying to throw the ball. We're just trying to get guys out there that are cover guys."
James Kreutz made 15 tackles to go with one sack when the Illini escaped with the 38-37 victory against Michigan State on Oct. 10 in East Lansing, Mich. It was triple the fifth-year linebacker's previous season-high — five tackles apiece in home losses to Duke and Purdue — and topped his previous career-high of 12 tackles set in a Nov. 23, 2024, win at Rutgers. Kreutz's 15 tackles came on a good day for the Illini linebackers, with Ismael Kante making eight tackles of his own as Illinois picked up its first Big Ten win after an 0-2 start to league play after losses at Ohio State and against Purdue in Champaign.
"Defense is all just about effort and violence," Kreutz said. "That's what you want to put on film. That was the main point two weeks ago — running to the ball, effort, getting off blocks and making tackles. That was a big point for us. We've just got to execute the calls that are called. That's the most important thing. No matter what call is called, we've just got to do our job — do our one-eleventh — and just execute and make the tackle."
Saturday will mark Clayton's first career start after he filled in two weeks ago when Katin Houser broke his right hand at Michigan State. The pressure Clayton might face off the edge could be intense. Oregon outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, a potential early second-round NFL draft pick, leads the Ducks with six sacks and 61/2 tackles for loss. His counterpart Teitum Tuioti has three sacks and 51/2 tackles for loss this season. Those two have been freed up by the combination of Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington at defensive tackle.
This is based on the assumption Ducks coach Dan Lanning will, in fact, start Raiola instead of third-stringer Brock Thomas with Dante Moore ruled out again this week. Lanning tried the reverse last week but needed Raiola to spark a comeback in Oregon's 17-14 home win against Nebraska. Raiola, of course, has a history against Illinois. The former Nebraska quarterback is 0-1 facing the Illini and took a massive sack in overtime from former Illinois linebacker Dylan Rosiek on the final play of the Cornhuskers' 2024 loss in Lincoln, Neb.
Illinois ranks 79th nationally in rushing offense at the midway point of its season, with its 150.8 yards per game also checking in at ninth in the Big Ten. Facing an Oregon defense that ranks eighth in the conference and 34th nationally in rushing defense will require a concerted effort on Saturday from veteran running back Aidan Laughery and Co. More snaps for 6-1, 235-pound freshman Javari Barnett (three carries for 22 yards at Michigan State) seems like a good place to start to pump up the Illini run game.
Clayton can pick up where he left off two weeks ago in East Lansing, Mich. The 6-4, 205-pound true freshman quarterback stood up to the pressure in leading Illinois to an overtime win at Michigan State. Now, the challenge becomes doing that across four quarters after having nothing but this first career start to occupy his preparation the past two weeks. Clayton, of course, will certainly benefit from his defensive counterparts reining in a potentially dynamic Oregon offense and giving the new QB1 more opportunities.
someone reminds the now unranked Ducks they were picked as the No. 2 team in the country heading into the season. Moore's prolonged absence after the vicious hit he took against Southern Cal has obviously hurt, and Raiola won't have leading wide receiver Evan Stewart, who was ruled out for Saturday's game after being arrested this past weekend for allegedly driving under the influence. But the talent on the Oregon roster runs deep even with some of its top players sidelined. Now would seem like a good time to start capitalizing on said talent.