NCAAF Can't Wait For Saturday | Reader likes Illini against Toledo, with run game, defense dominating
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Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmusssen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves.
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The picks continue to come in for the "playing for pride and attention" contest I've started.
I will reveal whoever is closest after Saturday's Illinois-Toledo game. And you are likely to see some of the guesses published ahead of time. Like today's entry from Garry VanDenBerg, a UI alum who lives in Walker, Minn.
His pick? Illini 31, Toledo 13.
How and why?
"Luke Altmyer throws for a modest 200 yards. Two picks will have the fans panicking. (Josh) McCray starts out the game and punishes the Rockets with a plus 100 game. (Reggie) Love breaks open the game with some big runs in the second half after the Rocket D was tenderized by McCray.
"The Illini D-line looks awesome and doesn't let the Rocket QB get comfortable at any time. The score doesn't reflect the Illini's overall dominance."
He takes issue with the assessment from some during the 2022 season about the value of quarterback Tommy DeVito, who appears likely to stick with the New York Giants as either the third quarterback or on the practice squad.
"What I saw was a kid with an extremely quick release, an accurate eye, and the ability to scramble,"VanDenBerg wrote. "He kept Illini drives moving along with his quick 6 1/2-yard passes over and over, again."
Totally agree. And DeVito was great to deal with, too.
