Illini football rushing shots | Game Week: Minnesota, Division III | Contents

Following Wednesday’s practice, No. 24 Illinois’ linebackers were present as preparations continued for Saturday’s home game against Minnesota. Here’s some of what courtesy beat writer Scott Richey had to say:

Great opportunity for Jacas

Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery projects multiple scenarios as a potential late first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 330-pound redshirt senior was an All-Big Ten First Team selection last season and made a streak of 34 consecutive starts on the Gophers’ offensive line. That’s the basis of the challenge Illinois outside linebacker/defensive lineman Gabe Jacas will face on Saturday.

“Of course he is a good player,” Jacas said of Ersery. “Good feet. Big body. Big frame. There’s not a lot of guys moving around him. I’ve got to study his weaknesses and get out of that. I’m excited for this opportunity. Most of the time I get to go up against one of the best tackles in our conference, I know he’s a good player and that’s what he’s doing.” I’m excited to know he’s risen to the occasion.”

To go forward

The 24-hour rule was in effect for Illinois this past weekend. The Illini reconvened at the Smith Center on Sunday and watched film of their 38-9 loss at No. 1 Oregon. It was examined. I learned from him. They later went to dinner and met again, with the focus shifting to Minnesota. Because a repeat of a 7-1 start in 2022 followed by losing three of four regular season games is something Illinois wants to avoid.

“You can think about 2022 when we were 7-1 against Michigan State and got blown away the last few games,” Illinois linebacker TeRah Edwards said. “We’re in the same situation again. How can we learn from this? How can we have the mentality of ‘OK, let’s focus on getting 1-0 this week. Keep piling on the weeks and keep being consistent’? If you take it one week at a time, you can see good things happen.”

We trust young cornerbacks

Xavier Scott was the last man standing among Illinois’ top cornerbacks at the end of last week’s game in Eugene, Ore. Terrance Brooks, Torrie Cox Jr. and Kaleb Patterson left the game before halftime with various injuries. Cox is in concussion protocol, while Brooks and Patterson are handling soft tissue injuries. It is not yet clear whether they will play on Saturday. This could mean a much bigger role for players like Jaheim Clarke and Tyson Rooks.

“They were always ready for their moment,” Scott said. Clarke made five tackles and Rooks tackled Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel. “They didn’t shy away from it at all. When I got to the second half, I could see on their faces that they were ready. I just told them, ‘You’re going to understand this, man. You’re going to be prepared for this moment.’ They stepped up in the second half and were ready to seize the opportunities.”