The first weekend of the college football season includes a not-to-be-overlooked non-conference game between the Wyoming Cowboys and the Illinois Fighting Illini. This will be the first all-time meeting between these teams. At home, Illinois is currently listed as an 11-point favorite with the over/under set at 44 points.
For the Illini, this game kicks off the second year of the Bret Bielema era. Illinois finished last season 5-7, falling one win short of going to a bowl game. But four of those seven losses came by seven points or less, so with some improvement this season, the Illini could be in contention for a bowl game in 2022.
Meanwhile, Craig Bohl has quietly built Wyoming into a consistent program. Outside of the shortened 2020 season, the Cowboys have won at least six games in five straight seasons under Bohl, going to a bowl game four times in those five years. Of course, Wyoming is just 1-19 all-time in games against Big Ten schools.
Round ‘Em Up
A strong defense has become Wyoming’s identifying feature during Bohl’s tenure, as the Cowboys allowed just 22.5 points per game last season, which ranked top-40 in the country. The problem is that Wyoming ranked near the bottom of the Mountain West in defending the run and has now lost star linebacker Chad Muma to the NFL. However, there are over half a dozen upperclassmen among Wyoming’s defensive starters, including Ole Miss transfer Jakorey Hawkins, who will lead the secondary.
Of course, both quarterbacks who played last season are gone, so the Cowboys will have a new signal caller. Utah State transfer Andrew Peasley is the likely starter, although he has just 130 career pass attempts. Meanwhile, leading rusher Xazavian Valladay was lost to the transfer portal, and the Cowboys return just one starter on the offensive line, which could create further problems for the Wyoming offense.
A Jump Start
Illinois scored just 20.3 points per game last season and had the worst passing attack in the Big Ten, so there is a lot of room for improvement. Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito is expected to be the new starting quarterback and potentially provide a spark to a lackluster passing attack. But Beilema’s teams are always run-heavy, which is why the Illini has brought in two junior college transfers along the offensive line to complement three returning starters.
Defensively, the Illini made huge strides from 2020 to 2021, holding teams to just 21.9 points per game last season. Naturally, Illinois lost some key players from that unit who will be tough to replace, especially sack-leader Owen Carney. But the defensive line and secondary will both feature plenty of experienced players, which should help the Illinois defense get off to a fast start.
Falling Off the Horse
As mentioned, Wyoming doesn’t have a good track record against Big Ten teams, and questions about their offensive line and quarterback aren’t helping. However, Illinois is still facing plenty of questions on offense, including the quarterback position. Bet on the Illini to hold serve at home and win the game, but the Illinois offense may not have the firepower to cover 11 points.
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