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Illinois Football: Preview of the Western Michigan Offense
This week will be tough for the Illinois football team as they try to move to 2-1 against the Western Michigan Broncos.
The Illinois Fighting Illini need a win on Saturday to prevent moving under .500 and to show the doubters that things are turning around in Champaign.
Illinois will be facing a pretty tough Broncos offense this weekend. They have a lot of talent and the Illini need to be prepared.
Here is what the Illinois defense will be up against on Saturday.
Quarterback: Zach Terrell
What can you say about this kid? Zach Terrell is probably the best non-power five conference quarterback. He could start for many of the power-five conference teams as well.
Terrell has had a great career with Western Michigan thus far. He started out throwing for 1,602 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions as a freshman.
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The sophomore campaign was even better for Terrell. He threw for 3,443 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions that season.
Last year was the pinnacle for Terrell so far in his career. He threw for 3,522 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions as a junior.
This season has already started off well for Terrell. Through just two games he has thrown for 473 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Illinois will have to be prepared for a lot of read-option plays this weekend. They can’t bite too hard on these plays and the must keep contain.
Western Michigan has a lot of weapons on the offensive side of the ball and Terrell is probably the most dangerous.
Running Back: Jarvion Franklin and Jamauri Bogan
Western Michigan really has a two-headed monster at the running back position. They have Jarvion Franklin who was the opening day starter and then Jamauri Bogan spells minutes.
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Franklin is a dangerous running back that has had a solid career with the Broncos. He rushed for 1,551 yards and 24 touchdowns in year one and followed that up with 735 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.
Right now Franklin is averaging 4.6 yards per carry which is an okay number. That isn’t anything you need to write home about, though.
The biggest impact running back so far for Western Michigan has been Bogan.
Bogan has rushed the ball 39 times for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns already this season. He is also coming off a 1,051 yard and 16 touchdown season the year before.
These two backs have speed and power. This is something Illinois needs to keep an eye on or they could get burnt a few times this weekend.
Wide Receiver: Corey Davis
There is no question who the best wide receiver is on the team. Corey Davis has been dominant for the Broncos for years now.
Davis started his Western Michigan career with 67 catches for 941 yards and 6 touchdowns. He then had 1,408 yards and 15 touchdowns his sophomore campaign and 1,436 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior season.
In 2016 Davis already has 220 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. He is a great wide receiver that will probably be a big-time draft pick in the NFL.
Coming off the read-option, Terrell can be a threat and Davis is usually the recipient of those passes. This combination is one of the best in the nation.
Illinois defensive backs need to be aware of Davis. Julian Hylton will be an important part of the secondary this weekend.
The Illini will have their hands full this weekend with Western Michigan. This is a great Broncos offense and Illinois can’t fall asleep on this MAC program.
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