Doug Bucshon is the Publisher with Rivals' Illinois site: OrangeandBlueNews.com. He joined us to answer a few questions about the upcoming bowl matchup.
1. What would you attribute Illinois' best season under Bret Bielema to?
The story of the season was pulling out close games, with the Illini posting a 4-1 record in one-score games, including overtime wins over Nebraska and Purdue. Illinois made clutch plays at crunch time and the nation with four fourth-quarter comeback wins this season.
A big part of that was the breakout season for quarterback Luke Altmyer. He was one of only four quarterbacks in Power-4 with 20+ touchdown passes and five or fewer interceptions. Altmyer found a go-to target in senior wide receiver Pat Bryant, who’s 40-yard touchdown to beat Rutgers with :04 remaining was the play of the year for Illinois.
2. Who should Gamecock fans be familiar with if they haven't watched many Illini games this year?
Bryant opted out of the bowl game, so second-leading receiver Jakhari Franklin will be Altmyer’s top target. He’s a crafty, veteran receiver with great hands and is a polished route runner.
Illinois has rotated three running backs in Josh McCray, Aidan Laughery, and freshman Cal’il Valentine. McCray is a power back at 240-pound pounds, while the other two bring more speed and quickness. Laughery had a career game in the season finale against Northwestern, rushing for
Outside linebacker Gabe Jacas is the Illini’s top edge rusher. He ranks in the top 25 nationally in sacks (t-25th, 8.0) and has a knack for forcing fumbles. Illinois moves him around, so the Gamecocks will need to be aware of him.
Defensive back Xavier Scott was an All-Big Ten First Team selection and one of 15 semifinalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. He lines up the hybrid nickel / “STAR” position and is the lead of the defense. Scott was second in the Big Ten with four interceptions.
3. Are there any major opt outs or reasons this Illinois team will look vastly different than the regular season?
Bryant is the only opt out. He declared for the NFL Draft and is already back in his home state of Florida working out. Other than that, Illinois will be at full strength for the Citrus Bowl. Jacas and Scott were two other thought to be candidates to opt out and enter their names in the Draft.
4. What would you say are your keys to the game for Illinois to pull out the win?
First and foremost, the offensive line must give Altmyer a clean pocket. He had a great season, but there were times when he was shaky when under pressure. Pass pro has been the Achilles heel, with the Illini yielding 31 sacks in 12 games.
Defensively, Illinois will need to have a plan for defending South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Dual-threat quarterbacks have given the Illin trouble, and Sellers can make play with both his arm and his feet. The Illini will want to keep him in the pocket.
Illinois is the underdog, and they will likely need to win the turnover battle to pull off an upset. They’ve done pretty well forcing turnovers this season, ranking fourth in the Big Ten in takeaways.
5. What do you expect will happen? Got a score prediction?
South Carolina is on a roll, winning its final six games. It enters the Citrus Bowl as a 9.5-point favorite. The opt outs even out, with the Gamecocks missing All-American edge rusher Kyle Kennard and Bryant sitting out for Illinois.
I think Illinois covers the spread, but South Carolina has a bit too much overall team speed on both sides of the ball. Norris has a big game to lead South Carolina to a win, and the defense gets key stops late
South Carolina 34 Illinois 27
