Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/93594
Opponent Preview BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com BY BRIAN NEUBERT Last year, Purdue started Illi- lini to start the six-game losing streak that got Ron Zook fired. Now, the Boilermakers nois' misery, beating the Il- will look to kick the Illini while they're down. This season has been a trainwreck for Illinois under new coach Tim Beckman. Illinois is 2-8 and has lost all six of its Big Ten games, each of them by at least two touchdowns. Its defense has been run Whitney Mercilus ILLINOIS STRUGGLING MIGHTILY IN YEAR 1 UNDER NEW COACH Game 11: Illinois Fighting Illini 3:30 p.m. ET • Memorial Stadium • TV: Big Ten Network over and its offense is one of the most impotent in all of col- lege football. "What's shocking is how bad the Illinois defense is, and also the failure to at least be competitive in the Big Ten," said Doug Bucshon, publisher of OrangeandBlueNews.com. "Illi- nois isn't just losing, it's getting embarrassed. was coming off a 2011 season when they were one top 10 units in the na- tion. Most fans ex- pected some bumps in the road with the transition to a new coaching staff, new schemes, etc. What they didn't expect was a disaster of a season that has seen the Illini go winless in Big Ten play and cemented at the bottom in al- most all conference statistics. Equally, last year's 7-6 re- cord with a minor bowl appearance was an attainable goal for this Illinois team. Even though they lost All-Amer- ica defensive end "The defense away from Toledo to replace Zook, has come under scrutiny for his program's aggressive on- campus recruitment of Penn State's players in August; his use of tobacco on the side- line during games; and for a seemingly convoluted staffing arrangement that sees play-calling responsi- bilities handed from coach to coach based on situations. But all that will draft, there is enough talent on defense to have carried the team to a .500 record." Meanwhile, Beckman, hired to the NFL matter Saturday in Memorial Stadium will be what happens on the field, not off of it. Purdue has every- It's been a rocky first season at Illinois for first-year Fighting Illini coach Tim Beckman. Illinois Nathan Scheelhaase primarily guides an Illinois offense that has been dismal this season. Illinois thing to play for now, needing to win its final two games to be eligi- ble for the postseason; Illinois can maintain no such ambitions. It's the only Big Ten team already mathemati- cally eliminated for bowl qualification. That's been a bit GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 23, EXPRESS 11 • 7