CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In front of their first sell-out crowd of the season, the No. 9 Illini fought their way to a big-time 38 to 0 win over the Western Michigan Broncos.
A game that had all the makings of being a potential blowout turned out to be a tighter contest than expected in the first half, as Illinois was only able to build up to a 10-0 lead.
Out of the gates, the Illini offense struggled to build up momentum and was held to three-and-outs on three of their first five drives.
With the team desperately
looking for a spark to get them going, it would be the defense that turned things around, as Kenenna Odelunga came up huge.
The senior linebacker stood up Western Michigan’s Michael Brescia one yard shy of the endzone just before the clock hit zeroes in the second quarter, cementing a momentum-shifting goal line stand.
And from that moment on, the script was reversed and the Illinois offense started to pour it on.
Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer led the way to four second-half scoring drives, throwing two touchdowns and taking one in himself on the ground.
He did so without the help of standout wide receiver Justin Bowick, who suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and never returned to the game.
A key component in the offense’s resurgence was the dominance the Illini showed in the run game.
Running back Kaden Feagin had a handful of angry runs, breaking tackles and eclipsing the 100-yard mark, while Ca’Lil Valentine beat defenders with his speed and agility. Both backs scored touchdowns.
On the other hand, Hank Beatty continued his red-hot start to the season through the air, finishing with 53 receiving yards and scoring his third touchdown of the year.
The bigger story of the game was on the defensive side of the ball, where the Illini stifled the Broncos en route to their first shutout of the season.
Star cornerback Xavier Scott shone bright, notching 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Gabe Jacas was a key contributor as well, making things difficult up front for the Western Michigan offense.
Closing out the non-conference schedule with a statement win like this could mean a lot for the Illini ahead of their first few Big Ten challenges, where opponents get tougher and competition gets feisty.
Their next test: hitting the road for a ranked match-up under the lights against the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, a game that will almost certainly attract attention from the national media, and just as importantly, AP Poll voters.
STAT STUFFERS:
ILL Luke Altmyer: 196 passing yards, three total touchdowns
WMU Broc Lowry: 78 passing yards, 40 rushing yards
ILL Kaden Feagin: 100 rushing yards, one touchdown
UP NEXT:
The Illini travel to Bloomington for the first game of their Big Ten schedule against the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be on NBC.
