Northwestern is looking to finish the season strong after winning its last six games. In two days, the Wildcats travel to Champaign in a bid to get 9 wins. Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game between Northwestern and Illinois.
If Illinois is going to hurt Northwestern, it will likely come from the passing attack. Most of Illinois’s offensive yards have come through the air this season, with 1,959 of their total yards coming from receptions and just 1,167 on the ground. Individually, Ricky Smalling and Malik Turner are two of the receivers most targeted for those receptions; however, it’s not like the offense is good.