Beat writer Scott Richey breaks down Illinois and Northwestern:
Offense
Getting shut out against Iowa marked the least productive game of the season for Illinois. The Illini managed just 216 total yards of offense and fell below the 200-yard rushing mark for the first time all year without the services of Reggie Corbin, Mike Epstein and Dre Brown. Even a late stat correction turned Ra'Von Bonner's first 100-yard rushing performance of his career into just a 96-yard effort. Northwestern isn't the same without Justin Jackson at running back and quarterback Clayton Thorson has probably regressed again, but if the Wildcats are able to dictate tempo and turn today's game into a grinder, their 23.