Game Preview
The Toledo Rockets and the Illinois Fighting Illini will face each other for the first match of their 2023 season on September 9 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
The Rockets’ Big Ten opposition one year prior was Ohio State, therefore we aren’t making a direct comparison in advance of the Rockets’ initial meeting with Illinois. Bret Bielema’s side ought to be among the few groups capable of stopping the Toledo attack this fall, despite the Illini losing key members of their imposing defense to the NFL.
Since Northern Illinois achieved it in 2011–12, no one has ever captured the MAC in consecutive seasons. Toledo might be able to end that run. In 2022, the Rockets dropped the final 2 matches of the regular season, but they recovered to beat Ohio for the MAC Championship and Liberty for the Boca Raton Bowl. Toledo is in an excellent spot to enjoy an even greater 2023 because of all of the program’s talent and experience returning. Perhaps the strongest positional category in the conference is the Rocket secondary. It’s not crazy to believe that the defensive backs may produce five All-MAC men. Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback, is an expert at intercepting passes, while the safety trio of Maxen Hook, Nate Bauer, and Zachary Ford engages in every play.
The previous fall, Illinois enjoyed its most successful season since 2011, going 8-5 overall and taking 5 Big Ten contests. But it isn’t going to be too simple for Bret Bielema’s side to surpass that victory total. A stellar defense has to cope with an abundance of secondary turnover after coordinator Ryan Walters left to become the head coach at Purdue. Tommy DeVito’s position at quarterback has been filled by Ole Miss recruit Luke Altmyer, but the team’s offense will additionally be without running back Chase Brown. Bielema led Illinois to their first winning campaign in eleven years. The staff’s straightforward objective is to continue. Illinois boasts the defense to challenge for the institution’s first-ever Big Ten West championship if the quarterback performance is good.
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Toledo Rockets vs Illinois Fighting Illini Game Information
- Date: 09/02/2023
- Time: 07:30 PM ET
- Location: Memorial Stadium Champaign.
- How to Watch Toledo vs Illinois: ESPN
- Live Stream: fubo.tv
