| Coach Tim Beckman said he isn't sure whether quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase will play on Saturday. (US Presswire) |
Illinois (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at Arizona State (1-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
Kickoff: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Spread: Arizona State by 2
Watchability: Arizona State RB Marion Grice racked up 107 rushing yards last weekend vs. Northern Arizona but he’ll face a much stiffer test in Illinois’ front seven. The Fighting Illini allowed minus-6 rushing yards last week to Western Michigan. The last time they held a team to negative rushing yards was Sept. 12, 1998 vs. Middle Tennessee.
Shining Stars: Illinois: Defensive end Michael Buchanan stole the show last weekend vs. Western Michigan as he had two tackles for loss, including one sack and one interception. The Sun Devils rushed for 305 yards against Northern Arizona, 175 more than they averaged last season. Buchanan had 7.5 sacks last year and 13.5 tackles. Expect him to wreak havoc in the Sun Devil backfield. Arizona State: Marion Grice was unanimously listed as the top junior college running back and in his first game at Arizona State, the junior didn’t disappoint. His three touchdowns spearheaded the Sun Devil’s offense last week vs. Northern Arizona but Saturday will be his first test against an FBS opponent. Illinois was ranked 26th in the country last season in rush defense, allowing just 123 yards a game.
Who could steal the show: Illinois: Tight end Jon Davis, a 6-3, 240-pound sophomore, is one of the leading breakout candidates in the entire conference. Saturday vs. Western Michigan, Davis led the team in rushing with six carries for 54 yards, including a long run of 17. If QB Nathan Scheelhaase (ankle) isn’t 100 percent, the Fighting Illinois could ride Davis to a win in Tempe. Coach Tim Beckman has said their QB is getting “better and better” but declined to say whether he would play. Arizona State: Sophomore QB Taylor Kelly had an excellent game in his first start under center, completing 15-of-19 passes for 247 yards. Kelly found five different wide receivers, including freshman Richard Smith, who caught five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Both Illinois and Arizona State made Princeton Review’s top-20 party schools and given that kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET, it’s a given that Tempe will be rocking throughout the day.
Magic Number Illinois: 35. The number of games it’s been since Illinois allowed 300 rushing yards to a team. The Sun Devils rushed for 305 last Saturday vs. Northern Arizona.
Magic Number Arizona State: 6. The number of combined turnovers in last year’s 17-13 Illinois victory over ASU in Champaign.
The game comes down to: Whether Arizona State can move the ball against Illinois. The Sun Devils are extremely young with sophomore QB Taylor Kelly and Illinois returned seven players on defense this year, including All-Big Ten candidates Buchanan and LB Jonathan Brown. The junior linebacker had 19.5 tackles for loss last season.
Prediction: Illinois 20, Arizona State 10
For more Big Ten coverage, follow Mike Singer and Dave Carey @CBSSportsBigTen.