by The Illinois Fighting Illini have blown expectations out of the water. The Penn State Nittany Lions looked like a juggernaut. It all comes to a head on Saturday evening.
No. No. 19 Illinois (4-0, 1-0 B1G) will take on No. 9 Penn State (3-0, 0-0 B1G) in one of the most highly anticipated games of the young season.
The Nittany Lions are the third ranked team the Illini have played in four weeks, while the Illini are the first ranked opponent Penn State will face. In the most competitive Big Ten conference we’ve ever seen, this Week 5 matchup has the potential to be one of the best games of the season.
Illinois battles Illini
The Illini, riding high after a win over then-No. 22 Nebraska, are 4-0 for the second time since 1951. Head coach Bret Bielema’s squad is also tied for the most ranked wins in college football with two: against Nebraska on the road last week and a 23-17 win over Kansas in Week 2.
Much of their success comes from the emergence of junior quarterback Luke Altmyer, the only QB in college football with 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
“I felt confident there,” Altmyer said. “I’m looking forward to growing from one week to the next and I’m looking forward to getting back to work and showing some other things as well.”
The juniors’ play in Week 4 against the Cornhuskers was good enough to be named co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, with four touchdown passes in the win.
Two of those passes were caught by senior wide receiver Pat Bryant. Bryant has six touchdown catches in four games, including the game winner against Nebraska.
Illinois’ Bryant and Franklin, an “electric” WR duo
Connor Rogers analyzes game film on Illinois wide receivers Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, explaining how the two playmakers compliment each other in an impressive Illini offense.
On the other side of the ball is a ball-hawking secondary defender, led by junior defenseman Xavier Scott and his roommate (not brother) junior defenseman Miles Scott. The pair have combined for half of the Illini defense’s 10 forced turnovers this season, which is tied for third in the country.
“I thought Miles Scott and Xavier Scott – the new ‘Scott & Scott Law Firm,’ or whatever we want to call them – were very productive, opportunistic, intelligent and very impressive guys,” Bielema said.
Forcing turnovers is key to defensive coordinator Aaron Henry’s approach, and the Scotts practice what their coach preaches.
“That’s what he harps on all the time,” Miles Scott said. “If he hadn’t told us to take the ball, I honestly believe this wouldn’t happen.”
Bielema will rely on his second-year DC, whose unit has recorded just 16.5 points in Illinois’ last two games, as a strong performance will be necessary for road success.
The fourth-year head coach has emphasized complementary football and hopes an aggressive defense and controlled offense will continue to lead to success for his boys in orange and blue.
Penn State Nittany Lions
On the other hand, the Nittany Lions are also undefeated, with convincing wins over West Virginia and Kent State.
Led by second-year quarterback Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions have been able to move the ball down the field efficiently. Complemented by a strong running back room, including junior backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Penn State can put points on the board quickly.
The strong run bodes well for Penn State, as Illinois has struggled to stop the run at times this season. The Nittany Lions have tried to establish the passing game through the run game and have been successful in that tactic this season.
Players with the biggest impact: Illinois vs. Penn State
Pro Football Focus previews the Big Ten tilt between No. 19 Illinois and No. 9 Penn State in Happy Valley and explains why Nittany Lions TE Tyler Warren and Fighting Illini QB Luke Altmyer are the players to watch.
Allar works best without pressure, and Illinois’ ability to turn up the pressure at any point in the game works to the Illini’s advantage. If the junior is able to lean on the run game, it will take Illinois’ talented secondary out of the game, shifting the tide toward Penn State.
The Nittany Lions also have a talented secondary, with senior safety Jaylen Reed leading the team with 22 tackles.
The best option for the Illini this season has been Bryant, but with the Nittany Lions’ eyes on him, Illinois receiver Zakhari Franklin will look to step up. Penn State hasn’t had to deal with two No. 1-caliber receivers on the same team this season, giving the Orange and Blue a huge advantage offensively.
Head coach James Franklin’s team is still in the process of finding its footing, with two new coordinators joining the staff this season. At the end of the bye week, Franklin calls for “White Out energy,” referring to the need for a buzz from the home crowd.
Last time out
These two teams faced off in Champaign in 2023, and Penn State destroyed the Illini. Allar and the Penn State offense started slow, but that didn’t matter. The defense had Altmyer’s number and picked him off four times before benching him for a 30-13 win.
A year later, Bielema is excited to see his team learn from that experience as they confront Beaver Stadium’s legendary cauldron of noise.
“I’m super excited to see these guys continue to grow.” Bielema said. “Incredible environment, opportunity to get into Penn State and see where we are.”
Illinois faces PSU in an “intense” environment
Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge preview the top 20 showdown between Illinois and Penn State, where Fighting Illini QB Luke Altmyer will rise to the occasion in front of an energetic crowd at Beaver Stadium.
The last time these two teams faced off at Beaver Stadium was in 2021, where the unranked Illini came in and upset the No. 7 Nittany Lions 20-18 in a college football record nine overtimes.
Running back Josh McCray played a role in the victory as a freshman and spoke about the confidence he has in his head coach.
“He was the one who endorsed me since he first got the job. So just trust Coach and his process,” McCray said. “And I still believe in him now, and I’m not going to stop because he’s a great coach.”
The 2021 setback is an important victory in the Bielema era, and another victory of the same caliber won’t come until 2024 thanks to the players’ belief in Bielema and his staff.
The keys to victory
Penn State and Illinois are two teams that don’t turn the ball over. Time of possession and controlling the tempo of the game will be the keys to success.
Quarterbacks Allar and Altmyer have combined for 18 touchdowns to one interception this season. Defenses have struggled to stop the two signal calls this season, but there are ways to slow them down.
Illinois will try to put pressure on Allar. Against Nebraska, the Illini had six sacks, three of which came in the final overtime period. It hasn’t been consistent, but Henry has shown the ability to ramp up pressure and exotic blitz looks to confuse opposing quarterbacks.
Another advantage Illinois has is its positionless defensive backroom. The Scotts can line up on a receiver, on a boundary or roam freely in the secondary. With pressure from the line, the Illini hope to force turnovers through the air and set up their offense in manageable situations.
Why Georgia-Alabama still means so much, plus a quarterback change at Oklahoma and other storylines to follow this weekend.
Altmyer isn’t the same quarterback he was last year, but Penn State upset him in 2023. Like the Illinois defense, they will try to pressure Altmyer and move him outside the pocket.
Sometimes Altmyer can get jumpy on his feet, and if his first read isn’t open, he will try to take off. Penn State will look to take advantage of Altmyer’s fear in the pocket and force him to the ground.
In a game based on field position and time of possession, both teams’ running backs could see big loads of carries. See if both sides can ground and pound the ball until the passing lanes open up, then shoot across the field. All in all, Saturday night has the hallmarks of a classic hard-nosed Big Ten game.
How to watch Illinois vs. Penn State can view
- Date: Saturday September 28
- Time: 7:30 PM ET (Pregame coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET)
- Location: Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania
- Watch: NBC, Peacock
About the author
Andrew Burkey is a senior at the University of Illinois and has been on the UI7 Student Newsroom staff since arriving at the university. In the student newsroom, Andrew hosted Illini Sports Night and sports anchor for UI7 Live for all Illini sports. Andrew has also called games for Big Ten Plus, including basketball, baseball, tennis and other sports.
