The Illinois Fighting Illini have improved to 2-0 on the season despite a tough challenge against the 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.
On paper, the Jayhawks should have defeated the Fighting Illini by at least a touchdown, with most sports books generating a line close to that outcome. However, the Fighting Illini would win by six-points against a strong team that is led by one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Jalon Daniels. The Illinois defense shutdown Daniels and forced the quarterback to turn the ball over four times, resulting in the Fighting Illini win.
Illinois Fighting Illini Force Four Turnovers During 23-17 Win Over Kansas Jayhawks
The Illinois Fighting Illini are off to a 2-0 start to the season after winning perhaps one of their toughest early tests against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Fighting Illini scored 23-points with the help of a defense touchdown en route to upsetting the 19th-ranked school in the country. Illinois will play Central Michigan next before visiting the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer recorded 192-yards passing for the Illinois Fighting Illini and had some deep connections against a solid defense. On the ground, Illinois struggled to get much going against a stout front and recorded 79-yards total rushing. Running back Kaden Feagin had 16 carries for 40-yards and a touchdown leading the way on the ground.
The Illinois Fighting Illini defense was the star of the show for the team, generating four turnovers and even returning an interception for a touchdown. Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels threw three interceptions and struggled to generate anything significant against the Fighting Illini defense through the air. Running back Devin Neal led the Jayhawks offense with 101-yards rushing on just 14 carries.
What did the Illinois Football Team do Right Against the Jayhawks?
What Illinois did perfectly, and what led to their best defensive performance in the young season, was coverage everything downfield. Daniels is a big time thrower, and while he may not have the best accuracy, he has a strong arm and is not afraid to test a defense down the field. 2022 was the last time Daniels really got to play since the quarterback was injured much of the 2023 season.
During the 2022 season, Daniels recorded a big time throw rate of 6.6% but also recorded nine turnover worthy passes. Daniels was only intercepted four times, but had five other balls nearly picked off thus showing his willingness to test coverage with limited accuracy. The Fighting Illini did their homework and understood this, performing their gameplay excellently against the Jayhawks.
Daniels threw three interceptions against the Fighting Illini and did not have a chance at completing the pass to his intended target in any of them. The Illinois football staff made sure their defense applied the clamps to the Jayhawks offense. One of the interceptions resulted in a return touchdown for the Fighting Illini by defensive back Xavier Scott.
Another thing the Illinois football team did well against the Jayhawks was hold strong on defense despite being on the field quite a lot. The Illinois offense had three drives last longer than three minutes while Kansas ran an up-tempo offense. Illinois took advantage of the weaknesses the Jayhawks presented and ultimately earned a great win.
Get More NFL and College Football Content
For more news and trends in the college football world, follow me on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera