The Illinois Fighting Illini are worried heading into the Texas Bowl. The daunting task of stopping explosive Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III would keep any fan, or defensive coordinator, up at night ahead of Wednesday match-up in Houston. Over at Hail To The Orange, SB Nation’s Illinois blog, the authors are worried about the prospect of facing Griffin after seeing plenty of dual-threat quarterbacks shred their defense in 2010.
Texas Bowl, Baylor Vs. Illinois: Illini Face Tough Task Of Stopping Robert Griffin III
What I do fear is what I have seen dual threat QB’s do to this team. NIU’s Harnish had a ton of yards on the ground, Terrelle Pryor went for over 100 on the ground, just when we thought we had it figured out, Denard Robinson throws for 300! We have been at a disadvantage whenever we neutralize our defensive line by asking it to try and contain a running QB, but by the same token, our aggression on the d-line has led to some runners making big plays. It is unfortunate and I don’t see that aspect at least changing.
On the other side of the ball, SB Nation Dallas focused on the Illinois running game. With a non-existent passing game, Illinois is a one-dimensional offense, leaving Baylor just one aspect to shut down.
Baylor heads into the Texas Bowl as marginal favorites- the Bears are anywhere between one- and two-point favorites, which means the game should be a close contest. Baylor will have to slow down the Illinois running game if they want to win. The Illini ranked 13th in the FBS in rushing yards per game with 242.3. Luckily for Baylor, the Illinois offense is one-dimensional. The Illini ranked 115th in the FBS in passing yards per game with a meager 143.4.
For more on Wednesday’s Texas Bowl participants, visit Hail To The Orange, SB Nation Dallas and SB Nation Chicago.
The 2010 Texas Bowl kicks off at 6:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, December 29. The game will be televised on ESPN. For a complete list of bowls, browse our 2010 college football postseason schedule.
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