Bielema & Co. may have turned the corner for Illinois

Well, it finally happened, guys. Illinois football won a game of high import in 2023. After a successful season winning these types of games almost regularly, it seemed like this team was incapable of winning a game of any consequence.

Now, go back and think about that Nebraska game a few Friday nights ago. Illinois and head coach Bret Bielema should be, at minimum, 4-3 heading into this weekend’s homecoming game against hated Wisconsin.

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If quarterback Luke Altmyer doesn’t sail an easy TD early in the Purdue game, it is likely that would have been a tremendously different game altogether. See where I’m going here?

It looked like this team was only capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The road win at Maryland signifies two major landmarks for this team, and this coaching staff. I’ll detail them in a bit.

YOU GUYS, ISAIAH WILLIAMS SCORED A TOUCHDOWN.

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This has been one of the top points of contention for me since about Week 2. Williams should be a regular in the endzone. This should not even be a thing worth mentioning. Maybe now, after 20 games with Williams on his roster, OC Barry Lunney, Jr. has been able to figure out how to use him to the highest effect.

Only time will tell.

Freshman running back Kaden Feagin was featured on the road. He’s definitely not as polished as the injured Reggie Love III, but the injury to RL3 could be a blessing in disguise.

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Feagin had 19 carries for 84 yards (4.4 YPC) and a touchdown. It’s one yard off of his career-high at Purdue earlier in the season. Feagin is now averaging a respectable 5.4 YPC in his freshman campaign.

Lunney seemed to change from zone scheme to gap scheme in the run game against Maryland. Wisconsin will likely be better prepared.

Lunney has taken more heat on this site than any Illini coach since Bruce was loose in Assembly Hall. Not even John Groce endured this much bad publicity.

Lunney has a chance to change that overall narrative if he can push Illinois past 25 points and across the finish line with a victory.

Here is J Leman on Illini Inquirer with Jeremy Werner. He details the changes made by BLJ and the offensive staff for Maryland. This is GREAT stuff.

Leman details the change to a gap scheme, rather than a zone scheme for the offensive line. The difference is this: Zone scheme blocks “an area,” whereas the gap scheme allows for a different playbook in the run game.

The gap scheme features pulling guards and counters, and the plays are more slow-developing, in a sense. The extra large athlete thrives in these conditions.

If Illinois and Bielema are to pull off the minor upset this weekend, the run game is a necessity and priority, not a luxury.

Mihir Chavan with a great look at the offensive production. He has great charts and analysis.

Aaron Henry and the defense are improving. Holding Maryland to 24 points is no small feat. That will probably need to be nearly cut in half on Saturday.

Look, I know what I just said. Lunney has a chance to get past 25 points again if the run game can get going against Wisconsin. That’s a big if.

With the Wisconsin quarterback injured, I wouldn’t be surprised if Luke Fickell and the Badgers pound the hell out of the ball and run screen after screen. The Illinois defense will need to clean that area up, if they envision keeping the point total low for homecoming.

Keith Randolph did not play last week. His status for Wisconsin has not been determined.

He is obviously a tremendous difference-maker up front. Without Randolph in College Park, the Terps literally double-teamed Mr. All World Johnny Newton, even adding a running back to chip on him.

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Newton was largely not a statistical factor, but there’s a reason some of the Illinois defensive players had their best games of the season.

Seth Coleman had 3.0 sacks. This is case and point as to how valuable the occupation of multiple offensive players remains for Newton.

The Maryland victory is definitely a huge step for the 2023 season.

Please take my scientific poll.

This is a step in the right direction. This is a chance to get back to .500. This is the team we thought we had.

This is Illinois football.