Iowa can’t overlook Illinois with Northwestern looming for Big Ten West showdown

By Barry Leonard Jr. | Oct 7, 2015

Undefeated and tied with Northwestern for the lead in the Big Ten West, Iowa needs to be on upset alert this week. The Hawkeyes could get caught looking past Illinois this week in anticipation of the huge matchup at Northwestern next week.

The Iowa Hawkeyes sit tied atop the Big Ten West division with a record of 5-0. The team the Hawkeyes are tied with, the Northwestern Wildcats, is on the schedule for next week. However, before that huge matchup, the Hawkeyes must avoid looking ahead this week when they take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.

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Iowa has played great to start the season, getting solid production from quarterback C.J. Beathard, who’s already thrown for 1,039 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Wide receiver Matt VandeBerg has been his favorite target with 31 receptions, 303 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jordan Canzeri has found all sorts of success on the ground, rushing for 441 yards and eight touchdowns thus far.

The main key to Iowa’s success this year however has been the defense. The Hawkeyes rank 19th in total defense, allowing just under 300 yards-a-game and that adds up to Vegas liking Iowa by 10 over the Illini.

While the game against Illinois this week looks good on paper for Iowa, the Hawkeyes will need to take the Illini seriously to avoid a huge letdown heading into next week’s showdown at Northwestern.

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Illinois began the season in about the worst way possible when head coach Tim Beckman was fired just a week before the opening game. However, interim coach Bill Cubit has the team playing well. Illinois has four wins with the only blemish coming against North Carolina.

Wins over Kent State, Western Illinois and Middle Tennessee State won’t open many eyes but the Illini were able to come up with an upset last week in the conference-opener versus Nebraska. The Illini haven’t put up blistering numbers on offense, but its been enough to get the job done. Heading into this week they rank 68th in total offense.

Quarterback Wes Lunt, yes, the former Oklahoma State Wes Lunt, has thrown for 1,107 yards and eight touchdowns to just two interceptions. The majority of his passes have gone in the direction of wide receiver Geronimo Allison, who already has 32 receptions on the year. He’s racked up 453 yards and two touchdowns. Marchie Murdock has also been a key contributor, grabbing three touchdown receptions.

Though Lunt has a big arm and the ability to throw downfield, the Illinois offense is dependent on the ground game to fuel its success. Josh Ferguson and Ke’Shawn Vaughn have shared carries this year, combining for five touchdowns and more than 700 rushing yards.

Like Iowa, Illinois has been very tough on defense to start the year. The Illini rank 21st in total defense and allow just 303 yards per game.

Anything can happen in college football, especially in the Big Ten. Both Illinois and Iowa are off to good starts, but Iowa feels like the better team with quality wins over Pittsburgh and Wisconsin. With a date with the undefeated Wildcats coming up next week, it may be difficult for Iowa to focus on the task at hand this week.

Don’t sleep on Illinois. The Illini have a lot of confidence and would like nothing more than to spoil Iowa’s season a week before what could be one of the biggest games in the Big Ten this season.

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