For the first time in program history, Illinois will take the field Saturday against Florida Atlantic, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. With both teams entering the contest on two-game skids, the contest has major implications for the trajectories of the rest of the programs' respective 2023 campaigns.
The Owls are in their first year as a member of the American Athletic Conference after spending the previous 10 seasons in Conference USA. Under first-year head coach Tom Herman, FAU is 1-2, with the lone win coming in the team's opener against Monmouth.
While Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Fighting Illini and Owls, Illinois has a couple coaching connections with the Boca Raton-based school. Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Terrance Jamison and offensive line coach Bart Miller both spent time with FAU, including two years together from 2014-15, while offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. coached against the Owls during his time at UTSA from 2020-21, when both teams competed in Conference USA. Florida Atlantic's Ed Warinner, who serves as the team's associate head coach/run game coordinator/offensive line coach, coached at Illinois from 2005-06, when he was the team's offensive line coach/run game coordinator.
Illinois looks to right the ship in its final nonconference game of the season before playing eight straight regular-season games against Big Ten opponents. Ahead of kickoff on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, here are a few storylines to look out for as the Fighting Illini take on the Owls for the first time.
Offense: Illinois looks to establish offensive identity, take care of the ball against FAU
The Illinois offense is eager to take a step forward against Florida Atlantic on Saturday. That all starts with taking care of the football after committing five turnovers against the Nittany Lions.
Lunney is confident the group will turn the page and improve this week given recent struggles, especially after a week of reflection and practices. With eight giveaways through three weeks, the Illini will look to establish themselves on the ground and through the air in a bounce-back effort against the Owls.
"We have to be more effective with running the football and be more balanced. We have to take care of the ball, have early-down success," Lunney said. "That doesn't mean we have to be more conservative, but we have to establish our identity just a little bit clearer. It's been in bits and pieces and in flashes, but we have yet to put a game together that looks like and feels like the game that we want it to look like, as far as playing with a good amount of pace but also injecting shifts, movements, and motions and being balanced in our run and our pass concepts."
One of the biggest positives from the Illini's loss to the Nittany Lions was the underclassmen who made big plays for the Orange and Blue. Thirteen different players caught a pass, including a 30-yard completion to Ashton Hollins, three catches for Kenari Wilcher, and the first-career touchdown for Malik Elzy, while Kaden Feagin and Aidan Laughery also got involved in the offensive scheme.
"Adversity is gonna strike, and you learn more about yourself during moments of adversity than you do in moments of success," said head coach Bret Bielema. "One positive that came out of a negative situation was some guys got some reps and continued to be pretty impressive."
Defense: Henry emphasizes need for turnovers, big stops
In 2022, the Illinois defense led the nation in interceptions (24) and total takeaways (32), both of which set new single-season program records. The Illini currently have only two interceptions – including a pick-6 – and one fumble recovery in 2023.Â
"Obviously, you have to emphasize that. We emphasize it every practice, but every game is a tad bit different," Henry said. "You would like a takeaway or multiple takeaways every game. I think it also depends on some young men are a little more wired to it than others. Obviously, last year, we had a bunch of them. We'll just continue to emphasize that. We've probably turned up our tackling and takeaways circuits a lot more this year than we ever have."
Florida Atlantic currently has the second-most turnovers in the AAC with eight through three games, including two fumbles and six interceptions. The Illini will aim to get into the backfield and put pressure on the Owl offense as they look to continue to improve defensively in their final non-conference game of the regular season.
"It's always back to the lab every single day," Henry said. "Everything we want is still ahead of us. Although there's been a lot of growth these three games, the goal is to continue to grow as we start off and play FAU this week."
Opponent: FAU brings speed, twitchiness on both sides of the ball
Picked fifth in the AAC preseason media poll, Florida Atlantic has playmakers on both offense and defense, and the Owls will be hungry for an upset despite losing their opening-day starting quarterback to a season-ending injury last week. Central Michigan transfer Daniel Richardson came in in relief against Clemson last week, throwing for 120 yards while completing 56% of his passes, though FAU has not definitively named their Week 4 starter.
The Owls are also dealing with injuries at running back. Leading rusher Larry McCammon III missed last week's game, though he has reportedly been dressed at practice ahead of Saturday's game. McCammon III was named to the preseason Maxwell Award Watch List, given annually to the most outstanding player in college football, and is the top returning rusher in the AAC.
Wide receiver LaJohntay Wester plays a central role in the Owl offense, racking up 264 yards through three games this season, a mark that ranks second in the AAC and 33rd in the FBS. Wester, who is FAU's all-time leader in receptions, heads to Champaign following back-to-back outings with over 100 receiving yards, including 108 against Clemson.
"They have some very, very, very dynamic skill guys, and they do a really good job of getting the ball to them on the perimeter," Henry said. "They have a running back who's hard-nosed and runs downhill. It goes without saying, but they have Florida speed on that roster. They have dudes who, in open space, can make you miss. They have players on that roster who can change the game with the ball in their hands. I think they do a really good job offensively by getting their playmakers the ball."
Defensively, Florida Atlantic has playmakers all over the field, including 2022 all-conference players safety Armani-Eli Adams and defensive lineman Evan Anderson. Albany transfer linebacker Jackson Ambush currently leads the Owls in tackles, while Texas State transfer Jarron Morris has a team-high four pass breakups and a 72-yard pick-6.
Though FAU features a new coaching staff in 2023, Lunney is familiar with the AAC foe from his time at UTSA, and he is eager for his offense to make a statement against the Owls on Saturday. In fact, Lunney says the Florida Atlantic defense was the "fastest and twitchiest" unit he faced during his time in Conference USA.
"This is a very good football team, one that has a lot of speed on the field and very well-coached," Bielema said. "This is Week 4 of 12. It's the last game we have before we enter into eight games straight of Big Ten play, so our guys will respect all, fear none, and get excited to play them."
Television Coverage
Big Ten Network has two games at 2:30 p.m. CT, Illinois-FAU and Nebraska-Louisiana Tech, therefore coverage will be regionalized. Fans can use BTN Game Finder to find coverage options in their area.
Parking Update
All pre-purchase parking lots for Saturday's Illinois vs. FAU football game are sold out.Â
Two parking lots will be available for purchase on gameday (Map):
• Research Park (entrances off First Street and St. Mary's Road)Â
• Vet Med (off Lincoln Avenue)
