Illinois is trying not to be a victim of an FCS upset like its in-state rival Northwestern.
www.stltoday.com
By Anderson Kimball Decatur (Ill.) Herald & Review
CHAMPAIGN — If the
Illini haven’t yet gotten a warning about “buy games” against FCS opponents, then they got one last weekend.
Northwestern paid Southern Illinois $550,000 to play last weekend as a cupcake out-of-conference game. The only problem was the Salukis upset the Wildcats 31-24.
Illinois (2-1) hosts Chattanooga (3-0) on Thursday in a similar matchup.
“Obviously, that’s an easy one to kind of serve up that it happens, but I don’t coach Northwestern and don’t worry about Northwestern except one game out of the year,” Illinois coach
Bret Bielema said. “It is a constant reminder, and not just FCS, anybody can get anybody on any given football (game) right now in the world that we’re living in with (the) portal and guys playing at a higher level.”
Nonconference college football often puts up these kinds of upsets in buy games. Appalachian State earned $1.5 million to come and upset ranked Texas A&M this season as well.
Illinois paid a little over $1 million to play UTSA last season, and it got an introduction to its offensive coordinator
Barry Lunney Jr. and a 37-30 loss for its financial contribution to the Roadrunners athletics department.
Safe to say the Illini are on high alert for their final nonconference game. The Mocs are the 10th-ranked team in FCS and have put up at least 30 points in each contest. Chattanooga also gave Illinois all it could handle on the basketball court last March in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with the fourth-seeded Illini avoiding an upset to the 13-seed Mocs with late free throws.
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I think the duo of Chase Brown's running skills , along with a borderline Illini elite defense win's out against the moc's..................I hope Chase gets his 140 + rushing yards and the defense gets some sacks and a couple interceptions to propel them to victory and such a positive feeling throughout the team as they then prepare for wisky on 10/1..................................
Illini 34
moc's 10
Go Illini !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!