College Football News shares Iowa-Illinois game prediction
Week 12 sees the Big Ten West crown on the title in this matchup. The Iowa Hawkeyes can advance to 9-2 and clinch their trip to Indianapolis with a win. Their opponent, the Illinois Fighting Illini sit at 5-5 and with a win, can clinch a postseason bowl berth.
The emotions will be high as it is Senior Day inside Kinnick Stadium on a day that is supposed to be pristine weather for tailgating and packing the stands. The environment is set up to be electric and a buzz in the air.
Despite losing Cooper DeJean for the rest of the regular season, the Hawkeyes are going to play their game relying on defense and special teams to get one more key victory. Illinois is going to roll with Luke Altymer at quarterback as he returns from injury.
As we near kickoff, College Football News’ Pete Fiutak offered his breakdown and prediction for this late-season Big Ten West showdown. Here is how he thinks this one shakes out with a prediction.
Why the Illinois Fighting Illini can win
Just don’t turn it over. Iowa doesn’t just make turnovers hurt. They make them lethal.
It’s great in the red zone, Caleb Griffin hit all three field goal attempts last week, and if the offense can avoid turnovers and mistakes, it should be fine.
Defensively, just stop the run. Illinois is 3-0 when keeping teams under 100 yards, and it’ll force Iowa to have to win through the air. – Fiutak, College Football News
The recipe is simple against Iowa. Don’t beat yourself and make them do what is uncomfortable. Much easier said than done, though. Iowa doesn’t blink on defense and the offense is okay playing the field position game as long as possible.
Why the Iowa Hawkeyes can win
Iowa’s defense is opportunistic and gets an offense prone to some turnovers. That recipe bodes well for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa does the tight game thing better.
In theory the Illini should be great at grinding it out, but it couldn’t come through against the Iowa Lite style of Nebraska, and they have one giant problem you can’t have against this team …
Turnovers, so …. – Fiutak, College Football News
Iowa’s defense is confident and makes teams pay when they make mistakes. The Hawkeyes suffocate offenses when they commit penalties and make it nearly impossible to move the ball. If Iowa gets a team in an obvious passing situation, it feeds right into Phil Parker’s plan.
What swings this Big Ten game?
Turnovers. It is simple. Win the turnover battle and you win the game.
Iowa is 7-0 when forcing a takeaway, and 1-2 when it doesn’t.
Star Hawkeye corner Cooper DeJean might be out, but the Hawkeyes will still generate at least two takeaways and stuff Illini drives time and again in the second half to do what it does with this much-maligned style.
Win. – Fiutak, College Football News
While the loss of DeJean does hurt, Phil Parker’s unit has never been about one man. It is based on all 11 players doing their job and stopping everything. That continues. DeJean’s absence has this defense playing hard for him on Saturday.
College Football News' prediction
Prediction: Iowa 20, Illinois 13
Fiutak must believe in the Iowa offense putting together back-to-back strong weeks, turnovers setting up short fields, or a defensive score. Based on the prior analysis, the last two seem the most likely.
Once again, this game isn’t going to light up the scoreboard. No one expects that with this Iowa team. But Fiutak thinks it will be just enough to get Iowa across the finish line.
Takeaways
This game has the chance to be Phil Parker’s finest act in a season full of incredible performances. Without his top defensive back, he knows the Illini are going to test his secondary. The silver lining is that Parker will have had nearly an entire week to prep for this.
The Hawkeyes have every reason to be inspired this week. It is Senior Day. The defense can play for Cooper DeJean. The Big Ten West crown is on the line. Iowa has everything to play for and with Kirk Ferentz being a mastermind of motivation, Iowa gets it done.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Riley on Twitter: @rileydonald7
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
