Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck didn’t mince words when describing how to defend Ohio State’s multi-faceted offense.
“You’re picking your poison,” he said.
He’s right because the No. 1 Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) rolled to a 42-3 win over Minnesota last Saturday.
Now, No. 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1) will try to stop quarterback Julian Sayin, receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, and running back Bo Jackson in a conference game Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.
“It’s a very explosive offense, got some guys on the perimeter,” Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema said. “Very, very good up front, the offensive line, good tight-end package and wide receivers, obviously. “They have good athletes, and they execute very well all over the field. It’s a tremendous challenge. They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason.”
Minnesota tried to contain Smith, but that left Tate to set career highs in catches (nine) and yards (183) and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Smith was “limited” to seven receptions for 67 yards and two TDs as Sayin completed 23 of 27 passes for 326 yards.
“You have to take what the defense gives you,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
In Tate’s case, five of his catches came on the first play of drives in the opening half.
The Buckeyes average 37.4 points a game while the Illini are not far behind at 37, with quarterback Luke Altmyer leading the way with a 73.6 percent completion rate. He has 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season.
Altmyer will face an Ohio State defense that has allowed an average of 5 points per game to lead the nation and has yielded just two touchdowns.
Altmyer threw for a career-high 390 yards on 19 of 22 completions with a 62-yard TD pass to Hank Beatty, who had five catches for a career-best 186 yards in a 43-27 win at Purdue last Saturday.
The game, coupled with a 34-32 win against then-No. 21 Southern California on Sept. 27, showed that Illinois has bounced back from a humiliating 63-10 loss at then-No. 19 Indiana on Sept. 20.
“Bret is one of the better coaches in the country. He’s a resilient guy, and they’re a resilient team,” Day said Tuesday. “I think it says a lot about them to rebound the way they did, get a win against USC and then go play the way they did last week. We all know that going through a tough loss can bring a bunch of people together. I think they’ve done that. We know we’re going to get their best shot here on Saturday.”
The Illini may be bolstered by the return from injuries of center Josh Kreutz and running back Aidan Laughery.
“I like our guys. I like our attitude. I like our demeanor,” Bielema said Monday. “I don’t know if we’ve ever played a game yet where we put it all together for four quarters and there would be no better time than this week. This is a team you need your best from the opening snap to the last snap.
“When you play Ohio State, it’s a really good opportunity to see where you stand in college football. They’ve held up their end of the bargain, and hopefully we’re starting to hold up ours.”