Western Michigan Broncos

Illinois Football: Opening Thoughts Against Western Michigan

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Illinois football team welcomes in the Western Michigan Broncos this weekend.

While the Illinois Fighting Illini fell to the North Carolina Tar Heels this past Saturday, they now have a chance to rebound nicely against a MAC program.

But, Western Michigan isn’t a normal MAC program. They are actually pretty good this season.

Illinois needs a win here to make sure this season doesn’t get off the tracks. They put up a fight last week against the Tar Heels but I hope they aren’t too down.

Lovie Smith has to change his game plan up against the Broncos. This week they need to focus on sticking to the running game and going from there.

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There is no question how good the Illinois backfield is this year. Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Kendrick Foster are arguably the best duos in the Big Ten.

I would love to see each of these backs to get double-digit carries this game and into the future.

The ball needs to be managed more with quarterback Wes Lunt until his confidence rises. He had a really bad game against North Carolina and taking pressure off him with the run will enable him to play better.

As far as the Illini defense goes, though, they have their hands full with the Western Michigan offense.

Quarterback Zach Terrell is extremely talented and will cause fits for the Illini. He threw for 3,522 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only 9 interceptions last season.

This season has started off even better for Terrell. He has 473 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions in 2016. He also has a 70.7-percent completion rate as well.

The Illinois defense backs will be tested this weekend. Along with the linebackers, the Illini defense backs need to keep the wide receivers in front of them so they don’t get burnt.

I think this upcoming game is going to make or break the season for the Illini. If they win a bowl could be in their future.

If Illinois loses, though, things could be looking bleak for a postseason berth.

There is a lot riding on the game against Western Michigan. Hopefully, the Illini can pull this one out and move forward with a 2-1 record.