Illinois Kicks Off 2022 Season Saturday at Memorial Stadium

August 22, 2022
0 Comment

CHAMPAIGN, Sick. — The Illinois soccer crew opens is 133rd season of soccer on Saturday at Memorial Stadium with a Week 0 matchup towards Wyoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on Massive Ten Community.

Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Joshua Perry (analyst), and Rick Pizzo (reporter) have the decision on BTN. The Busey Financial institution Illini Sports activities Community may have the radio name that includes Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Martin O’Donnell (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline).

PRESS CONFERENCE

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema will maintain his recreation week press convention on Monday at 1 p.m. CT. Followers can watch the press convention at FightingIllini.com/watch.

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

ILLINOIS, WYOMING KICK OFF COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON

  • Illinois and Wyoming meet in Week 0, the Illini’s second straight season taking part in the primary week of the yr. Final season, Illinois beat Nebraska, 30-22, in Week 0.

  • Illinois and Wyoming meet on the soccer discipline for the primary time in historical past.

  • Illinois is certainly one of 22 FBS groups taking part in Week 0 and certainly one of six Energy-5 groups. Nebraska and Northwestern meet in Dublin, Florida State hosts Duquesne, North Carolina hosts Florida A&M, and Vanderbilt travels to Hawaii.

HOME OPENER

  • Illinois debuts its new turf through the first recreation of the 2022 season. Among the notable adjustments are “Zuppke Discipline” written within the sidelines, “FamILLY” displayed past the south finish zone and the sideline, and orange sidelines contained in the 20-yard strains to imitate these of the Rose Bowl.

  • Illinois is 276-247-14 all-time at Memorial Stadium.

  • Illinois is 84-43-5 in season-openers and 61-28-4 when opening the season at residence.

BIG WINS IN BIELEMA’S YEAR ONE

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

  • Illinois introduced a contract extension for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters on Nov. 14, 2021, after Walters has helped Illinois have probably the greatest defensive turnarounds in school soccer.

  • Illinois’ protection has made a 13.0-point enchancment from final season (34.9 ppg to 21.9 ppg). The 13.0 ppg enchancment is this system’s third-best enchancment since 1950.

  • Illinois’ scoring protection (thirty first from 97th), whole protection (thirty second from 89th), and third-down protection (51st from 114th) have all improved 50 or extra spots within the nationwide rankings.

  • Illinois allowed solely 18.9 factors in Massive Ten video games, the fourth-best within the convention. In 2020, Illinois allowed 34.9 factors allowed per Massive Ten recreation, rating final within the convention.

  • Illinois’ Massive Ten defensive ranks in convention play improved 7+ spots in factors per recreation (4th from 14th), touchdowns allowed (t-Third from 14th), yards per play (4th from thirteenth), yards per recreation (fifth from 14th), rush yards per carry (seventh from 14th), go yards per throw (4th from 14th), and go yards per recreation (1st from tenth).

  • Illinois held 9 of its 12 opponents underneath their season scoring common.

  • Illinois’ whole protection has improved by 101.0 yards per recreation (467.3 to 366.3). The 101.0 ypg enchancment is this system’s fourth-best enchancment since 1950.

  • Illinois’ protection allowed solely 48 factors (12.0) in regulation of its 4 Massive Ten street video games in 2021, together with solely 4 TDs by opposing offenses in Massive Ten street video games.

  • Illinois allowed just one passing landing over its remaining six video games of the season and none within the remaining 19 quarters (4 video games + remaining 3 quarters at Penn State).

  • Illinois allowed solely 2.5 yards per carry in Massive Ten street video games in 2021 (142 carries, 361 yards) and just one.7 yards per carry within the fourth quarter of these video games (31 carries, 52 yards).

  • Illinois had a streak of holding opponents to 24 factors or fewer in seven straight video games.

  • Brown was twenty first within the nation and third within the Massive Ten in dashing yards per recreation (99.2) in 2021.

  • Brown has 1,451 dashing yards for his profession at Illinois, No. 28 on Illinois’ all-time profession dashing checklist. Brown additionally tallied 352 yards as a freshman at Western Michigan for 1,806 for his profession.

CHASE BROWN CHASES HISTORY

  • Chase Brown turned the 14th 1,000-yard rusher in program historical past when he broke the 1,000-yard mark within the season finale towards Northwestern. He completed the season with 1,005 dashing yards on 170 carries (5.9 per carry) and 5 touchdowns.

  • Brown is seeking to be a part of an elite group of working backs if he can attain 1,000 yards once more in 2022. Solely Jim Grabowski and Robert Holcombe have reached 1,000 yards dashing in two seasons for the Combating Illini.

  • Brown was the 14th 1,000-yard rusher coach by Bielema in his 13-year head teaching profession.

  • Brown’s 223-yard dashing recreation at Penn State marked his second recreation of 2021 with 200+ yards (257 vs. Charlotte). He joined Howard Griffith (1990) and Rashard Mendenhall (2007) as the one gamers in Illinois historical past with a number of 200-yard dashing video games in a single season.

  • Brown’s 223 dashing yards at Penn State have been essentially the most ever by an opponent at Beaver Stadium and the fourth-most ever towards Penn State.

  • Brown’s 147 dashing yards at Minnesota have been essentially the most by an opponent at Minnesota since 2017.

  • Brown was the primary Illini in historical past to run for 220+ yards twice in a profession. He did it within the span of three video games through the 2021 season (vs. Charlotte, at Penn State).

  • Brown led the nation in yards after contact in 2021’s Week 8 with 145 at Penn State, based on PFF. He led the nation in yards after contact twice in a four-week span in October 2021 and he was the one working again to steer the nation in yards after contact twice through the 2021 season.

  • Brown had 71 carries final season whereas dealing with not less than 8 defenders within the field, and averaged 5.96 yards per carry with 4.97 of these yards coming after contact.

  • Brown was twenty third within the nation and third within the Massive Ten in dashing yards per recreation (100.5).

  • Brown has 1,563 dashing yards for his profession at Illinois, No. 25 on Illinois’ all-time profession dashing checklist. Brown additionally tallied 352 yards as a freshman at Western Michigan for 1,915 for his profession.

INCOMING TRANSFERS

  • Like most groups in school soccer, Illinois will depend on the assistance of transfers. Here is an inventory of the 12 transfers to hitch the crew for 2022, together with their years of eligibility remaining.

         » OL Isaiah Adams, Backyard Metropolis CC (2 years)

         » WR Kody Case, South Dakota (1 yr)

         » OL Zy Crisler, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (3 years)

         » OL Dylan Davis, Furman (3 years)

         » QB Tommy DeVito, Syracuse (1 yr)

         » DL TeRah Edwards, Northwestern (4 years)

         » DB Terrell Jennings, Minnesota State (1 yr)

         » QB Kirkland Michaux, Blinn JC (4 years)

         » WR Jonah Morris, Northern Colorado (1 yr)

         » Okay/P Fabrizio Pinton, Air Pressure (4 years)

         » DB Solo Turner, Hawaii (3 years)

         » DL Raashaan Wilkins, Vanderbilt (2 years)

GRADUATES

  • Illinois has 20 school graduates on its 2022 roster, 16.9% of its whole roster.

         » Chase Brown:  Strategic Model Communication (Grasp’s)

         » Verdis Brown:  Communication (Second Bachelor’s Diploma)   

         » Kody Case:  Strategic Management & Administration (Certificates Program)

         » Tommy DeVito:  Strategic Model Communication (Grasp’s Program)

         » Preston Engel:  Administration (Grasp’s Program)

         » Caleb Griffin:  Strategic Model Communication (Grasp’s Program)

         » Chase Hayden   Strategic Model Communication (Grasp’s Program)

         » Ezekiel Holmes:  Communication (Second Bachelor’s Diploma)

         » Terrell Jennings:  Strategic Model Communication (Certificates Program)

         » Ryan Johnson:  Strategic Model Communication (Grasp’s Program)

         » Tailon Leitzsey:  Administration (Grasp’s Program)

         » Michael Marchese:  Accountancy (Grasp’s Program)

         » Jartavius Martin:  Strategic Management & Administration (Certificates Program)

         » Jonah Morris:  Strategic Management & Administration (Certificates Program)

         » Alex Palczewski:  Organizational & Group Management (Second Bachelor’s Diploma)

         » Alex Pihlstrom:  Strategic Model Communication (Grasp’s Program)

         » Jordyn Slaughter:  Communication (Second Bachelor’s Diploma)

         » Kendall Smith:  Strategic Model Communication (Certificates Program)

         » Peyton Vining:  Meals Science & Human Vitamin (Grasp’s Program)

         » Raashaan Wilkins:  Strategic Model Communication (Certificates Program)

PALCHO – CAREER STARTS LEADER

  • Illinois senior captain Alex Palczewski is the NCAA’s energetic chief in profession begins with 52 and is 13 away from tying the NCAA document set by App State WR Thomas Hennigan from 2017-21.

  • Palczewski is the energetic chief in snaps, based on PFF.

  • Palczewski began each recreation for the Illini in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The one video games he has not began have been one as a real freshman in 2017 and 4 after a knee damage in 2020.

CAPTAINS

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. WYOMING

  • Sequence: First ever assembly

  • Final: –

  • Streak: –

  • at Champaign: –

  • Bielema vs. Wyoming: 0-0

  • Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller served as Wyoming’s offensive line coach in 2019 and 2020.

See also  Coal, gas lead 2022 products rally; economic crisis concerns welcome New Year

Related Posts