By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst
September 27, 2022
(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)
I was fearful of the threat Chattanooga represented to the Illini in week 4 because it looked to me that they were the equivalent of a mid-level MAC team and we can all think of the times that a team like that snuck up on the Illini and gave the Illini a tough game in Champaign or even a loss. So, when the Illini took control of the game early and generally held serve over the Mocs all night long, I was impressed. After re-watching for purposes of the Trench Report, I'm even more impressed.
This first clip is an example of Illinois' overall domination on the defensive line on Thursday. With the Mocs playing two tight ends you'd figure they would be in good position for a run up the middle with their 215 pound running back. However, Avery, Randolph and Newton all win their individual reps, Seth Coleman easily sheds his blocker to take part in the tackle and Gabe Jacas quickly recognizes the play to crash down and take part in the tackle. The inside linebackers also do their job by crashing into the middle, but the truth is there isn't much for them to do because the front three have all easily beaten their opponents. We haven't seen such consistently good play from an Illinois front four (or five) in a long time, so I hope everyone is enjoying this. Chattanooga totaled six pass completions on the day against four Illinois sacks. That's pretty incredible.
