IOWA (-20.5) at ILLINOIS -- Plenty of reasons to look toward the sounder Hawkeyes, for sure. Drew Tate should be healthier as he's recovering from his abdominal strain. He led Iowa to a confidence-building, come-from-behind win over rival Iowa State last week. Illinois has covered just one of its last 10 games, and just six of its last 24 in the Big Ten. The Illini is committing fatal mistakes, including 21 penalties and an interception, fumble and blocked punt returned for scores in the first two games against Division 1-A opposition. But if we can assume those tragedies won't continue happening, and Illinois can somehow avoid catastrophic miscues, they can play from scrimmage with a lot of people. The defense has not been overly generous, and Pierre Thomas ( 6.5 ypc) can help them move the chains on the ground. Plus, if freshman QB Juice Williams gets some playing time, the backdoor is wide open. Williams, an athletic, highly-touted high school recruit, passed for 227 yards and two touchdowns in just one quarter against Syracuse, and can run the ball, too. Fans have called for him to start the game; that probably won't happen, but one can't keep Williams down for long.
JAY'S PLAY: ILLINOIS
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