Preview: No. 23 Illinois Football at Washington in Week 9

Odds and ends

lllinois vs. Washington all time: 4-7Streak: Washington has won four in a rowLast meeting: Washington 44, Illinois 19, Sept. 13, 2014

By the numbers

The statistics paint a pretty accurate picture of this matchup: two high-powered offenses will attempt to outdo one another, but only one defense that will be in the building has shown any ability to consistently get off the field against quality competition. If the numbers hold up, Illinois' best – and perhaps only – realistic shot against the Huskies is to win the turnover battle. That hardly means all is lost. (In fact, this week's X-factor would seem to give the Illini some leverage.) But there is little room for error: Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry's unit must create a handful of takeaways to make the work of quarterback Luke Altmyer and the offense stick.

Pick to click

Against Ohio State last week, Illinois produced no sacks and zero quarterback hurries, and the Buckeyes chewed up the Illini D. Maybe it's unfair to expect a great deal more against college football's No. 1 team and defending national champs, but if Illinois wants to compete with the big boys, it needs to start winning more of the mano-a-mano battles – especially if Henry isn't going to take more chances with the blitz. Aside from fellow edge Gabe Jacas, Leon Lowery Jr. has been the only consistent pass-rush force for the Illini. Given Washington's raft of injuries at tight end and offensive line (Huskies left tackle Carver Willis is questionable for Saturday), Lowery will need to take advantage and provide Illinois with another source of heat on quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to give his team a shot at the road upset.

Illinois on SI preview

Huskies quarterback Williams has quietly put up some of the best numbers in the league, and his only hiccups have come against opponents who can dial up pressure to speed him up or put him down. He and running back Jonah Coleman may be the best offensive 1-2 punch in the Big Ten, which means Illinois must shake things up, throw some odd coverage looks and more than straight four-man pressure at Williams to create a bit of chaos and turn Washington over. Henry, however, doesn't seem inclined. The Illini might gamble, give up a couple big plays and lose – but if they play it straight, they are almost certain to lose. Williams, Coleman and the meat grinder of Husky Stadium will simply be too much for Illinois to overcome.

Illinois on SI prediction: Washington 34, Illinois 30