Does Bob Chesney have plot armour? It’s felt that way since Chesney took over as head coach of the UCLA Bruins, leading the Bruins to a 9-0 start to the season. A new challenger heads to the Rose Bowl Friday night, with Illinois looking to give Chesney his first loss of the season.
Illinois’ offense is about a league-average unit, ranking 10th in the Big Ten Conference in points per game with 28.4 points per game. The 6-3 Fighting Illini have put up 20-or-more points in each of their last four games, including the group scoring 38 points in a win over Michigan State.
UCLA will be battling against senior Illinois quarterback Katin Houser. Houser is an Anaheim native, meaning Friday’s game will be a chance for the quarterback to return home. This
is Houser’s first year with Illinois, spending two years with Michigan State and then two more with Eastern Carolina before transferring back to the Big Ten.
So far this season, Houser has put up 1,955 yards with 16 touchdowns to five interceptions through the air. On the ground, Houser added 128 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Illinois’ passing offense ranks No. 9 this season in the Big Ten and the group will be facing UCLA’s No. 3 passing defense, who has allowed just 177 passing yards per game this year. The Illinois rushing offense led by running back Aidan Laughery, ranks No. 6 at 155.3 yards per game but the Fighting Illini will be forced to try and collect yardage against UCLA’s rushing attack that ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten, who have allowed just 87.7 yards per game on the ground.
Houser, the St. John Bosco alum, and the rest of the Illinois offense will have plenty of motivation on Friday, having the chance to knock off the undefeated Bruins on national television but they’ll be matched up against a very dangerous UCLA defense that ranks No. 1 in the NCAA with 27 forced turnovers this season.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: SoCal native Katin Houser returns as Illinois' starting quarterback
