Illinois vs Duke Run Game Showdown | Illinois Fighting Illini Football News

Illinois rolls into their home opener against Duke with high hopes, aiming to make an early statement after a strong season-opening win. Last year’s 45-19 blowout? Don’t expect that repeat — both teams are starting new quarterbacks, shifting focus to the run game. Duke’s Nate Sheppard torched Illinois for over 200 yards and two TDs in his debut, and the Illini’s shaky run defense last week makes him a major threat. If Champaign’s revamped stadium buzzes with energy and Illinois can contain Sheppard, they could start 2-0 for the third straight year — but it’ll take a disciplined defensive effort to pull it off. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6ed693e92372be16