Three matchups to watch against Illinois

This Thanksgiving, Northwestern can be thankful that this Saturday’s game will not be the last of the year — the ‘Cats will be playing in a bowl game. For now, they take on Illinois for rivalry week, holding a chance to end their bowl aspirations with a big win. Here are three matchups to track as you watch Northwestern’s last regular season game of the 2023 season.

Illini interior defensive linemen Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph — dubbed the “law firm” by Illinois head coach Bret Bielema last season — will play one last game together against Northwestern on Saturday. Both members of the powerful defensive duo will declare for the upcoming NFL draft (Newton a projected first round pick), leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Illini defense.

In 2022, the Illini were No. 3 in total defense, and No. 1 in scoring defense, much thanks to the commanding presence of Newton & Randolph. Newton was the star of the show, finishing the year with 59 pressures and 13 tackles for no gain or a loss, but Randolph brought his own flair, finishing eighth among Power Five defensive tackles in run-defense grade.

The Illinois defense hasn’t been quite the same this year, but opponents have still felt the law firm’s presence. The two have combined for almost 100 tackles and 7 sacks on the season, and have given opposing coordinators game-planning nightmares all year long. On Saturday, it will be intriguing to watch how Northwestern Offensive Coordinator Mike Bajakian handles the law firm. Will he try to bounce Wildcat running backs to the outside? Will he utilize extra blockers, potentially sacrificing the advantage in athleticism Northwestern has displayed in recent weeks? Will he just abandon the run game altogether, putting further emphasis on Ben Bryant and the air attack? We’ll just have to wait and see.

There is one thing for certain: the Northwestern offense will have their hands full with Newton and Randolph on Saturday. Through their years together at Illinois, they’ve earned themselves a catchy nickname and a legacy of excellence. In their final effort against the Wildcats on Saturday, the law firm will look to go to court one last time.

The discussion surrounding Northwestern’s victory over Purdue was almost exclusively positive — exactly as it should’ve been. In what was now officially the last game at the old Ryan Field, the ‘Cats achieved a feat little thought possible at the beginning of the year — bowl eligibility. It was a great moment for Head Coach David Braun, a great moment for the team, and an incredible moment for the fans. In all of the well-deserved positive energy, a troubling narrative from the game was overlooked, Northwestern’s defense surrendered over 300 rushing yards, their highest allowed total of the season.

Last week, Northwestern’s defensive line was dominated by Purdue the entire game. The Boilermakers were having their way, paving massive holes for the running backs to exploit. Purdue had 11 carries for 10+ yards, and it stuck with it all game, running the ball 53 times. The ‘Boilermakers’ control of the ground game kept them close to the ‘Cats despite lackluster QB play and four untimely turnovers.

Coming off of multiple weeks of improvement, the defensive front’s regression against Purdue is a bit concerning. This week, the Wildcats face running back Reggie Love, who has been very solid for the Illini. Although he hasn’t played enough games to be eligible for the Big Ten leaderboards (due to an October ankle injury), his 5.0 yards per carry would put him tied for 6th in the conference. He has shown the potential to take over games as well — contributing 140 yards and 2 TDs in their overtime win against Indiana.

The Illini have been relying on Love a lot the past few weeks, giving him 42 carries in just his last two games. The Wildcats should expect them to do the same on Saturday, but they have to be ready for it. They were able to get their win in spite of the poor defense against Purdue, but they may not have that same luxury against Illinois.

Where Northwestern may’ve lacked in run defense against Purdue, they made up for in almost every other facet of the game. Particularly, it was the playmakers on offense that shined. Cam Johnson made multiple highlight reel plays, one of them going for 52 yards to the house. A.J. Henning had another nice outing, and Bryce Kirtz had a few big gainers of his own, proving once again to be one of Northwestern’s most dependable weapons.

What has turned out to be a solid receiving corps for Northwestern goes up against an Illinois secondary that has not lived up to last year’s group. Last year, the Illini lost three defensive backs to the first three rounds of the NFL draft, most notably Devon Witherspoon, who went 5th overall to the Seattle Seahawks.

With a much younger group taking the reins, Illinois just hasn’t been the same this year, ranking ninth in the Big Ten with 6.8 passing yards allowed per play. Northwestern needs to capitalize on this fact and use their WR talent to create some big plays.