Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
SCORE CARD FOOTBALL SEPTEMBER 5 NORTHWESTERN....................................................TBA 12 at Indiana..............................................................TBA 19 at Michigan........................................................... TBA 26 MICHIGAN STATE....................................................TBA OCTOBER 3 at Rutgers............................................................. TBA 17 MARYLAND............................................................ TBA 24 IOWA.....................................................................TBA 31 at Nebraska...........................................................TBA NOVEMBER 7 OHIO STATE........................................................... TBA 21 at Illinois............................................................... TBA 2021 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2022 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2023 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2024* AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2025* SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER FUTURE NONCONFERENCE GAMES 2026 2027 FUTURE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES year, and their 28 total takeaways con- stituted the fourth-highest total in the Football Bowl Subdivision. A concern heading into the coming season is that that sort of good fortune has a way of evening out. Another concern: The de- fensive line has to be entirely rebuilt. SPECIAL TEAMS This area should be a major strength. Kicker James McCourt hit 13 of 19 3eld goal attempts last sea- son with a long kick of 57 yards. Mean- while, punter Blake James averaged a Big Ten-best 44.6 yards per attempt. OUTLOOK Last year's loss to Cal in the Redbox Bowl marked Illinois' 3rst post- season appearance in four seasons under Smith. The Illini had seemed capable of building on that accomplishment in 2020, but the elimination of the noncon- ference season is really going to hurt. Illinois had been set to play Illinois State, Connecticut and Bowling Green in Sep- tember, and a5er a bye week, its Big Ten opener was going to be at Rutgers. That slate gave it a realistic shot to go 4-0 to open the season and put itself on track for another bowl bid. That's not going to happen now. If Illinois is going to keep trending up, it's going to have to beat a lot of Big Ten teams. And that's going to be hard. Thanks largely to an in4ux of transfers, the Illini are certainly getting better, but so are West Division teams like Minnesota and Purdue – teams they'll have to jump if they're going to take another step forward. ■ ILLINOIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 104