Quarterback
EDGE: ASU
Junior quarterback Brock Osweiler was nothing short of impressive in the ASU football team’s 37-30 win over then-No. 21 Missouri.
He marched his team down field in ASU’s first offensive possession and never looked back. Osweiler completed 24 of 32 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers. In the second quarter, he unloaded a 60-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Aaron Pflugrad for a score. Osweiler struck again with the score knotted at 30-30 in overtime when he found junior wide receiver Jamal Miles for an 11-yard touchdown.
By leading the Sun Devils to a statement win over Missouri, Osweiler proved that he is capable of winning marquee games for ASU.
For Illinois, sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is off to a strong start this season. The 2011 season marks his second as the starter, and he’s thrown for 369 yards and two touchdowns in two games.
Scheelhaase has yet to throw an interception this season, and owns a 192.25 passing efficiency rating, which places him eighth in the nation. He’s also 15 yards shy of the 1,000-career yard mark.
Running Back
EDGE: Illinois
Junior running back Cameron Marshall is off to a decent start through the season’s first two games. Marshall ran for 61 yards against the Tigers to boost his career total to 1,165.
However, the ASU running game extends far beyond Marshall. Sophomore running back Kyle Middlebrooks and Miles are both capable of making things happen on the ground.
The Illini have been atop the conference in rushing yards in three of the previous five seasons. It’s no different this year, as Illinois has averaged 283 yards on the ground per game. The Illini have now racked up 200 yards rushing in seven straight games.
Senior running back Jason Ford replaces former All-American running back Mikel Leshoure this season. He’s bolted for 134 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s first two games. Ford’s 1,496 career-rushing yards place him 23rd on the Illini all-time rushing list.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
EDGE: ASU
The Sun Devils featured a plethora of talented receiving options versus UM, but none were more influential than Pflugrad. The 5’8” wide out enjoyed a career performance as he corralled eight passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
Many of Pflugrad’s eight catches came at a time when the ASU offense needed a first down, big play, or even six points.
Senior wide receivers Gerell Robinson and Mike Willie are both intriguing offensive targets for ASU, but were kept relatively quiet in week two.
For Illinois, senior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins established a new career-high with 11 catches for 148 yards in the season opener. He’s leads the Big Ten in catches per game and receiving yards per game through the season’s first two games.
Jenkins’ 12 career touchdown receptions place him sixth all-time in Illini history while he also ranks eighth in career 100-yard receiving games with four.
Offensive Line
EDGE: ASU
ASU entered the season with no shortage of depth on the offensive line, and that experience has already proven valuable.
Redshirt senior Aderious Simmons sat out the Missouri game due to an ankle sprain, and could be forced to miss this week’s action as well.
Despite Simmons’ absence, Osweiler praised the offensive line’s work against Mizzou. Senior center Garth Gerhart and company allowed just one sack, and helped the offense produce 388 receiving yards and 104 yards on the ground.
Like ASU, a talented senior in tackle Jeff Allen anchors the Illinois offensive line. He’s started 36 consecutive games, which dates back to his freshman season. He was named to the All-Big Ten second team a season ago.
Defensive Line
EDGE: Even
The Sun Devils’ pass rush will be thoroughly tested against the Illini. Sophomore defensive end and reigning Pac-10 Defensive Freshman of the Year Junior Onyeali is a force to be reckoned with, as noted by the 13 1/2 tackles for loss in his career.
The Illinois defense has been dominant to this point in 2011. Its opponent last week, South Dakota State, was limited to a measly three points and 96 total yards.
The Illini rank third in the Big-Ten conference with 2.5 sacks per game. Sophomore defensive tackle Akeem Spence was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy Watch lists prior to the season. Spence started all of Illinois’ 13 games in 2010 and notched 45 tackles.
Linebacker
EDGE: ASU
The play of senior linebacker Colin Parker has been nothing short of outstanding so far this season. The team captain led the Sun Devil defense with 10 solo tackles against the Tigers and has been an invaluable leadership presence.
Junior linebacker Vontaze Burfict recorded three sacks against UC Davis and another versus UM. Parker, Burfict, as well as senior linebacker Shelly Lyons will be tasked with holding the Illini running game in check.
Illinois boasts valuable experience at linebacker in the form of two seniors.
Senior linebacker Trulon Henry leads his team with 13 tackles and two interceptions this season. Meanwhile, senior linebacker Ian Thomas has returned to the middle slot this season and already collected nine tackles, two of which were for a loss, and a sack.
Secondary
EDGE: Even
ASU’s secondary and the defense as a whole didn’t play particularly well in the fourth quarter of the Missouri game. The Tigers passed for 104 yards and tallied 14 points on the board during that time.
Nonetheless, the Sun Devils still own talent throughout their secondary unit. Senior safety Eddie Elder and junior cornerback Deveron Carr combined for eight tackles and two pass breakups last week.
The Illinois secondary is one that’s seen several new faces in recent years. Both junior cornerback Justin Green and sophomore safety Steve Hull moved to the secondary just two weeks before the 2010 season opener. Also, junior safety Supo Sanni returns this year after missing all of 2010 with a ruptured Achilles.
Senior cornerback Tavon Wilson is the experienced leader of the group, and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection a season ago. He’s made nine tackles in two games this year.
Special Teams
EDGE: Even
Saturday’s matchup at Memorial Stadium will mark redshirt freshman kicker Alex Garoutte’s third career game. The former Brophy Prep star went one for two in field goal attempts last week. Garoutte missed a 42-yard attempt to end ASU’s first offensive drive in the first quarter before nailing a 47-yard kick in the second.
Garoutte also split the uprights on four of his five PAT’s.
Senior kicker Derek Dimke has established himself as one of the Big Ten’s most reliable kickers during his time at Illinois. He owns a 31-of-36 career mark for a .861 career field goal percentage. After assuming the kicker’s role in 2009, Dimke has made all 66 of his extra point attempts.
The ASU return game, which is lead by Miles, is a legitimate threat every time an opponent kicks off or punts. The Sun Devils have returned six kickoffs for a touchdown since coach Dennis Erickson took over in 2007.
Overall
ASU is riding plenty of momentum into Saturday’s contest after knocking off the Tigers last week. On the other hand, the Illini have been untested so far this season with wins over Arkansas State and South Dakota State. Osweiler and the powerful offense give ASU the slight edge in this one. However, the Sun Devils must improve their tackling and significantly reduce penalties in order to escape Champaign with a win.
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
