Indiana @ Illinois preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2009 ) Illinois 14, Indiana 27

Illinois has emerged from the brutal stretch of its schedule with an open road to bowl eligibility.

To get there, the Fighting Illini (3-3, 1-2) have to take care of teams like Indiana (3-3, 1-2). Illinois will be a big home favorite when it hosts the Hoosiers Saturday; the home team has won 11 of the past 14 in the series.

Indiana has won three of the last five against Illinois, including last year’s 27-14 win, the Hoosiers' only Big Ten victory of the season. But Illinois looks like one of the best .500 teams in the country when you consider that its losses came to teams with a combined record of 19-1.

The Hoosiers have struggled defensively, and their chances lie with a high-powered offense led by fifth-year senior quarterback Ben Chappell. In last Saturday's 36-34 victory over Arkansas State, he completed 26 of 42 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions.

For the season, he ranks in the top 10 nationally in passing yards (fourth, 309.7 ypg), completions (fifth, 26.3 cpg), touchdown-interception ratio (sixth, 16 TDs, 3 INT), total passing yards (eighth, 1,858), touchdowns (T-eighth, 16), completion percentage (10th, 68.7) and fewest interceptions (T-10th, 3).

Indiana ranks fifth nationally in passing offense (319.3) and is allowing just one sack per game.

Receivers Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher and runner Trea Burgess each went off against Arkansas State. Doss, Belcher and Terrance Turner form one of the top receiving trios in the nation, together averaging nearly 19 catches a game. Doss is also a kickoff return threat, averaging 27.8 yards.

Senior linebacker Tyler Replogle missed one game but still leads the Hoosiers with 41 tackles. He has averaged 8.2 tackles and has an interception and a fumble recovery.

The Fighting Illini lost 26-6 loss at Michigan State last Saturday after leading 6-3 at halftime. Four turnovers stalled the Illini against the team now ranked No. 8 in the coaches’ poll.

Illinois should be able to move the ball against an Indiana defense that gave up 80 points to its first two Big Ten opponents, Ohio State and Michigan. The Hoosiers are allowing 29 points and more than 400 yards per game.

As usual, Illinois' offense relies heavily on the running game. The Fighting Illini are averaging 200.3 rushing yards and just 136.3 passing yards. Mikel Leshoure ranks 14th in the nation with 113.3 rushing yards per game (5.4 average) but has only three touchdowns. Dual-threat redshirt freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has accounted for six touchdowns, but thrown seven interceptions.

Illinois' improving defense has allowed 18.5 points (24th nationally) and 303 total yards per game (20th). Junior linebacker Martez Wilson leads the team with 52 tackles, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten.