College Football

Illinois Football: Preview of the Michigan Wolverines Offense

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:16 p.m. ET

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Oct 1, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Wilton Speight (3) drops back to pass in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 14-7. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois football team has a lot to worry about this weekend when they take on the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan is 6-0 this season and ranked as the No. 3 team in the nation. They have a really good offense that is led by their stable of running backs and smart play-calling by Jim Harbaugh.

Here is what the Illinois defense will be looking at on Saturday.

Quarterback

The starter for the Michigan Wolverines this season has been quarterback, Wilton Speight.

Speight is a 6-foot-6, 243-pound, monster of a quarterback who has had some success this season. He has thrown for 1,194 yards, 11 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Michigan doesn’t rely on the play of Speight, though. He is more of a solid game manager that doesn’t make too many mistakes and keeps the Wolverines on the field.

As far as the passing game is concerned, Speight is more of a short to intermediate passer but the Illini need to watch out for the deep threat too.

Just about every touchdown that Speight has thrown this season has been over 30-yards. The defensive backs for the Illini need to be aware of this threat.

But, a plus for the Illinois defense is that Speight is not mobile.

Speight is built like Peyton Manning. He is big and tall but can’t really move around too well. This will help the Illinois pass rush and hopefully, they can get to him a few times on Saturday.

Oct 8, 2016; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Chris Evans (12) runs with the ball while avoiding a tackle attempt by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back K.J. Gray (17) during the second half at High Points Solutions Stadium. Michigan defeated Rutgers 78-0. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Running Backs

The running back situation is pretty solid up in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have a stable of good running backs that Illinois will need to stop on Saturday.

De’Veon Smith is the lead running back in Michigan’s backfield. He has 61 carries for 336 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season.

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Smith is a bigger back that is more north to south. He puts his head down to draw contact and punishes the defender.

Ty Issac is the number two man in the backfield for Michigan. He has 53 carries for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.

Issac’s running style is similar to Smiths but he brings a different element to the football field. He is bigger, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 230-pounds.

This weekend is going to be a true test to see how good this Illinois defensive line truly is. The combination of Smith and Issac is so dangerous.

But, Michigan is not done with these two running backs. They have also started to pepper in freshman Chris Evans into the mix.

Evans actually leads the Wolverines in yards on the ground this season. He has rushed the ball 48 times for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns.

There isn’t a ton of speed with Smith and Issac, but that is where Evans comes into play. He brings the speed element to the Michigan backfield.

The best part of the Michigan offense is their running game. They are No. 15 in the nation averaging 255 yards per game.

If Illinois want’s a shot at upsetting the Wolverines, they have to start with stopping the running game.

Oct 8, 2016; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Amara Darboh (82) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half during their game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers

Michigan is loaded at running back and they don’t slack at wide receiver either. They have a nice stable at the wide receiver position that is one of the best in the Big Ten.

Amara Darboh leads the Wolverines in receiving. He has 25 catches for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year.

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I can’t imagine the numbers Darboh would be putting up if he had a great quarterback behind center. This guy is extremely talented and a player that the Illini cornerbacks need to watch out for.

Darboh has great catching ability, but his size and speed are what gets teams. He is 6-foot-2, 215-pounds, and he can run like the wind. He is a big threat to the Illini.

Michigan’s second-leading wide receiver is actually tight end Jake Butt.

Butt has caught 23 passes this season for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is that big body, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 250-pounds, that is a red zone threat.

All of Butt’s touchdowns have come from inside the red zone. That means if Michigan gets down inside the 20-yard line then watch out for Speight to go to Butt.

The final wide receiver in the Michigan trio is Jehu Chesson.

Chesson is your big target standing at 6-foot-3. He is going to be tough to defend because it is hard to match-up a cornerback on a wide receiver that tall.

Illinois has a lot to worry about when it comes to the Michigan offense. If they can stop the run and get to Speight then they might have a chance at keeping this game close.

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