Bret Bielema’s Illinois Fighting Illini are 4-1, and their shocking 34-32 upset over USC has the entire FBS taking notice. After a crushing 63-10 loss to Indiana, few expected Illinois to rebound against a USC team favored by 6.5 points. Most analysts doubted the Fighting Illini’s offensive line could handle USC’s aggressive defensive front, tied for the nation’s most sacks (16). But Champaign saw a completely different Illinois.

Unlike the other games, the Fighting Illini led the charge from 7-0 in the first quarter to 31-17 at the start of the fourth quarter. Although Makai Lemon’s back-to-back TDs helped USC take a one-point lead (31-32). A 41-yard field goal at the final moment helped the Fighting Illini win by 34-32 and reinstated their playoff contention. Thanks to their offensive coordinator, Barry Lunney, who allowed Illinois to thrive on their own strengths.

On Big Ten Football, Fox Sports’ lead game analyst, Joel Klatt, joined Dave Revsine to get a recap of the Big Ten games that happened last Saturday. During the discussion, Joel Klatt said that Barry Lunney met him on Friday and admitted, “We are not good side-to-side to do that too much, we’re gonna feature direct runs, because that’s what our guys can do.” He came to know that Lunny does not look at the side RPO system, QB counter, and other factors. Instead, they found what their players can do best, and allowed them to do the same.

“The offensive line did play its best game, by a factor of 10… Did they change something? Did they practice something different?” Klatt revealed the secret, “No. The play caller allowed the players to do what they could do best; that was it, and it was remarkable.” Fox Analyst then gave a big shout-out to Illinois’ coaches Bret Bielema, Barry Lunney Jr., and Aaron Henry for their mastermind.

Comparing the last two games, Illinois had a total of 161 yards, where they only rushed 2 yards, allowing 7 sacks. However, in the game against the Trojans, they had 171 yards rushing and 502 total yards, allowing only one sack. Their total number of plays has increased from 45 to 77, which is 71% more than their previous game. The starting QB, Luke Altmyer, who passed for 146 yards against Indiana, tripled his passing game against the Trojans, completing 328 passing yards for two touchdowns and 28 rushing yards for a touchdown. This is the second-best passing of his career.

What’s Next for Bret Bielema’s Fighting Illini?

Illinois (4-1) will have its next game against its rival, Purdue Boilermakers (2-2), this Saturday, October 4, at the Ross-Ade Stadium. In the last four head-to-head match-ups, Boilmakers hold the upper hand with a 3-1 record. Based on the odds, the Fighting Illini are 8.5 favorites against the Boilermakers. Illini now has a 77.6% chance of winning the game, as the money line suggests. It seems like the impressive win over the Trojans has kept Illinois as the favorite, despite the Boilermakers having the head-to-head lead.

Some of the key players Illinois needs to watch out for from the Purdue side include their QB, Ryan Browne, who rushed 1,036 yards for 6 TDs and intercepted 5 times. He also rushed 77 yards for two TDs, with an average of 19.3 yards. Other offensive players to look forward to are Devin Mockbee (RB). 

Some of the key players to watch out for from the Fighting Illinois roster are Kaden Faegin and Ca’Lil Valentine, who are making incredible plays in receiving and rushing the ball. Will Illinois sustain the winning momentum in the upcoming game? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.