Illini open conference play against No. 10 Penn State
Illinois hosts No. 10 Penn State Friday night to open its Big Ten season after suffering a 25-19 defeat at the hands of South Florida in a de facto home game at Soldier Field in Chicago last Saturday.
The Illini looked hot out of the gate, jumping out to a 13-7 halftime lead and eventually taking a 19-7 lead in the third quarter before surrendering 18 unanswered points, including a 50-yard touchdown pass with 2:24 minutes remaining.
Despite the loss, Illinois coach Lovie Smith liked what he saw from his team against South Florida.
“We got better in a lot of ways,” Smith said. “All different positions. Offense, defense, special teams. I think there were things that we liked, there were things that we can build on, and things that will springboard us to more success in the future.”
Penn State will not be an easy bounce-back game.
The Nittany Lions narrowly escaped disaster in a thrilling 45-38 overtime victory against Appalachian State in their opener, but have looked dominant since, amassing more than 1,000 yards of offense in blowout victories over Pitt and Kent State.
Quarterback Trace McSorley has accounted for 11 touchdowns in three games, completing 45-of-87 passes for 603 yards and five touchdowns while rushing 26 times for 143 yards and six scores.
“The opponent, of course, that gets your attention just in itself,” Smith said of Penn State. “McSorley is a heck of a player. He’s mobile, he’s accurate throwing the ball, he’s a good athlete, and he plays with a defensive mentality … These are the kinds of games, where we are with our program, we look forward to this challenge.”
Smith thinks that playing such a difficult opponent on a short week of preparation following a loss will determine a lot about the character of his team.
“When you’re playing an opponent like this, you want to play them at home,” Smith said. “We’re going to show up excited about seeing exactly how much improvement we can make, and how we come back from adversity.”
