Illinois could be getting some key bodies back up front just in time for Purdue.
Starting guards Maika Matelau and Brandon Henderson were both listed as probable on Wednesday’s initial injury report for Saturday’s 3:15 p.m. kickoff, a strong sign after each has missed the last three games with leg injuries. Illinois is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play heading into the matchup with Purdue, which is 1-3 and also 0-1 in the league.
The timing matters because Illinois has been patching together its offensive line for weeks. Freshman lineman Champ Smith, who started the previous two games, was listed as doubtful last week after getting hurt at No.
5 Ohio State. Reserve lineman Dezmond Schuster is questionable after sitting out last week.
If Henderson, a three-year starter, and Matelau, the No. 1 JUCO interior offensive lineman, both make it back, Illinois would have its first-string offensive line fully available and healthy for only the second time this season - and for the first time against a Power Four opponent.
There’s also a chance the Illini get another receiver back in the mix. Fifth-year wideout Jayshon Platt was listed as questionable after being doubtful all of last week.
The FAU transfer has missed the first four games after a “soft tissue” injury in training camp, even though he had a strong offseason and was expected to be a starter with a major role. Platt traveled to Ohio State but did not play.
A few other names on the report are worth watching. Tight end Kaden Feagin is questionable with an unspecified injury after playing 20 snaps at Ohio State.
Defensive lineman Darrell Prater is probable after having no injury designation last week. Defensive back Tanner Heckel is probable after leaving the Ohio State game with an injury and being limited to 13 snaps.
Linebacker Jack Paris is out after missing last week as well.
Illinois and Purdue will both update their injury reports again at 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m.
Friday and 2:15 p.m. Saturday.
On the volleyball side, Chris Tamas saw exactly what he wanted from his team last weekend.
Illinois opened Big Ten play with back-to-back home wins over ranked opponents, beating Minnesota 3-1 and USC 3-0, and Tamas said those performances reinforced what he had been seeing from the group behind the scenes. The Illini are 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, and now they head into another difficult stretch with two more ranked matches on the West Coast.
“Heading into two big matches this weekend here at Huff was really good to see the team come together, play well over the weekend, and it's what we've been seeing in practice kind of day in and day out and through the non-con season. So for our fans to get to see that and to be a part of that, I think was a big deal.”
The weekend carried real weight for Illinois. It was the first time the program had won consecutive matches over ranked opponents since 2019, when it beat Tennessee in back-to-back matches. It also marked the first back-to-back wins over ranked Big Ten opponents since Illinois knocked off Purdue and Wisconsin in the 2018 NCAA Tournament on the way to a Final Four run.
Tamas pointed to resilience as the biggest takeaway.
“I think the thing I'm probably most impressed with is being resilient. …I thought we did a really nice job of just limiting the other team's runs and then of course making runs of our own.
Or if we were up in a set, maybe the other team hits their good rotation, makes us go down a couple points, we fought back, and we were able to close out sets over the weekend. You're going to need that heading into these matches.”
At the very least, last weekend gave Illinois something it has needed more often over the last four seasons: proof that it can stack quality wins. The program has gone 62-57 overall and 39-41 in Big Ten play over that span, missing the NCAA Tournament in three of four seasons.
Now the Illini have a solid résumé base with a No. 39 RPI and a couple of wins that show they can handle middle-tier Big Ten competition.
Tamas also said the difference starts with the people in the room.
“Just the overall personnel. Our team culture has been great for a while in my opinion and it's always just about getting the right personnel in and just giving the freedom to go play.
Jordyn Poulter was here a couple weeks ago at the Hall of Fame, and we had her come back and talk to the team. And I've asked her before, I say, 'What's the thing that we helped you do that's the reason why Jordan's doing as well as she does?
You just gave us the freedom to play.' And she was really adamant to the team about, 'This is your guys' journey, and you get to write that journey.'
She obviously had a great one here at Illinois and then beyond with the national team, continuing with the national team and a professional career. So I had her talk to the team and she kind of talked about that, and the team really took that to heart and they're really just taking ownership of what they're doing and how they're going about their business right now.”
Illinois is ranked No. 27 in this week’s coaches poll and now faces No. 22 Washington at 9 p.m.
CT Friday before a 3 p.m. CT Sunday match at No.
17 Oregon.
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