Wow, I was trying to be generous with the number!
Let's make it Memorial-Southeast then!
Pregame: Illinois at Duke, Saturday, September 6th, 11:00am CT, ESPN
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Let's make it Memorial-Southeast then!
I absolutely 
me some Hank Beatty! My youngest at St. Teresa HS in Decatur played him 2x. Both in scrimmages, when we were loaded with JaCardia Wright and then Denim Cook. As ALWAYS Rochester/ super GOOD! He is a flat out super football player. Just a BALLER! If a team has, 11 Hanks on both offensive and defensive. They are winning by the way they showed up to a JV scrimmage. Game with varsity, against our JV. We split, 1-1. ANd yes Hank was on the field. Both high scoring knock down drag out games/ woops.I mean scrimmages. We have got to get him 10 touches Every game. Hank is that good and ready.
me some Hank Beatty! My youngest at St. Teresa HS in Decatur played him 2x. Both in scrimmages, when we were loaded with JaCardia Wright and then Denim Cook. As ALWAYS Rochester/ super GOOD! He is a flat out super football player. Just a BALLER! If a team has, 11 Hanks on both offensive and defensive. They are winning by the way they showed up to a JV scrimmage. Game with varsity, against our JV. We split, 1-1. ANd yes Hank was on the field. Both high scoring knock down drag out games/ woops.I mean scrimmages. We have got to get him 10 touches Every game. Hank is that good and ready.Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Lol, guess not…
TheFlyingIllini1317
- Chicago, IL
Huge game and a must win to give us space to split the IU/USC games. Better o-line play and and a clean game I think gets the job done. Duke has some good wideouts but I think we can pressure Mensah with 4.
I'd guess Duke had a vanilla gameplan too, they'll no doubt be pumped for a ~top 10 team coming to town, and we all know how we trend in our first versus-power-conference road games.
This game scares me a lot.
This game scares me a lot.
Maybe it's wishful thinking, but my heart feels that BB has gotten this group past that.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
I get the fear, and have felt it myself, but I think it's time for fans to start to adapt to the same mentality the team has: we deserve to be on the field with pretty much anyone.
BB and his staff have us in a place where I know the team will be prepped and ready to compete. Doesn't mean we'll win every game, but we won't be embarrassed.
I don't think a win is guaranteed next week by any means, but Duke took on a school that their athletes should have been able to manhandle easily, even with a vanilla game plan, and let them stay in it. Whether it's mental or physical prep that was lacking on Duke's part, it's hard for me to not think we'd have an advantage on both fronts next Saturday.
It'll be a good game. I may not love the result in the end, but I trust the staff to have the team ready to go. I couldn't say that with the same confidence 10 years ago, and for me that knocks out any fear.
BB and his staff have us in a place where I know the team will be prepped and ready to compete. Doesn't mean we'll win every game, but we won't be embarrassed.
I don't think a win is guaranteed next week by any means, but Duke took on a school that their athletes should have been able to manhandle easily, even with a vanilla game plan, and let them stay in it. Whether it's mental or physical prep that was lacking on Duke's part, it's hard for me to not think we'd have an advantage on both fronts next Saturday.
It'll be a good game. I may not love the result in the end, but I trust the staff to have the team ready to go. I couldn't say that with the same confidence 10 years ago, and for me that knocks out any fear.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
DraftKings --- ILL -3
I'll take it. And I think we cover.
I'll take it. And I think we cover.
Is there an Illini preferred section for this game? Plenty of good seats remain, might look at section 7/50 yard line.
Ryllini
- Lombard
41-13 Illinois
We need more Bielevers.
One of our problems on def has been a running qb. Let's hope the def is prepared for a mobile qb. They put the clamps on South Carolina qb in the bowl game. Do it to Dooks qb.
Elon ran for 163 yards against Duke. We need to expose this and pound the rock and wear their D down. We are a far superior team and will prove that we are a top 10 team
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
One of those games where an alt line is probably best for both sides. I could see Duke winning. I could see Illinois winning by 10+.
Knock on wood here, but Mensah isn't all that mobile, at least in the sense of running for big gains. Luke had more rushing yards last year, and Mensah only had more than 17 yards rushing against Army and Navy. Likewise, his longest rush against Elon was for 3 yards.
band camp
- STL City
41-13 Illinois
We need more Bielevers.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Really is kind of surprising they went with Texas’ home game for ABC. I know some of you will respond with some matter-of-fact statement about how Texas is just this huge brand by itself, and I agree, but … then why have the hold anyway??
In other words, ESPN could have tapped Texas for ABC and Illini/Duke for ESPN on day one, but they chose not to. I would be curious what could have possibly changed their decision, haha. Illini and Duke both won, with our boys winning in particularly dominant fashion. Texas lost, admittedly to a great OSU team on the road, but still. If OSU stomped them, would that have tipped the scales?
I’d love to be a fly on the wall during these conversations, lol. My total guess is perhaps the anticipated atmosphere at Duke might not have been up to par with what ESPN wanted on a broadcast.
Arch Manning
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
Only item I can think of is Duke had receiving votes in the polls (albeit small). Not sure how an Elon win would have moved them up but maybe on the off chance that became a top 25 matchup. Looks like there won’t be too much movement in the polls this week without a ton of large upsets.
I think we'll win this one, but expecting a nail biter. Illini by 3 feels ab right.
Indiana didn't look great.
Indiana didn't look great.
All about eyeballs. Manning. They figure they will get more eyeballs from the national brand and keep pimping that Manning story.
His first game sure dispersed the Heisman attention. If he has an underwhelming second game, the Heisman talk will quickly fade. He needs a very strong performance to begin to offset his terrible start. By “terrible”, I mean with respect to expectations —- it’s so much better to be underestimated than overhyped. Meanwhile, the media loves the drama and suspense. Will he flame out, for 2025 anyway?
Arch Manning’s Heisman Odds Nosedive After Disappointing Performance Against Ohio State
The hype surrounding Arch Manning proved overblown in Week 1 of college football, and after a disastrous performance in Texas’ loss at Ohio State, Manning’s odd
www.si.com
Manning didn't show me much. I realize he was playing against an elite defense, but still.....As for the Buckeyes, they behave as though Jeremiah is the only receiver on the team; too many forced passes that would have needed a circus catch. Meanwhile, other receivers were open. I thought the game was blah.
Duke didn't do any favors by a selling 15k to their home opener. Don't think many networks want to use their flex to showcase a half-full stadium.
Chris Simms part 2
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