Game Preview: Indiana vs. Illinois - storylines, key players, how to watch - TheHoosier: Indiana Hoosiers Football & Basketball Recruiting

After a long offseason of being told what they cannot do, head coach Tom Allen and his Indiana football program are ready to turn the page and start fresh in 2022. On the heels of one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory that saw lofty expectations be torn to shreds by a bevy of injuries and lackluster accommodating performances, an influx of talent and a new coaching staff hopes to help right the ship for the Hoosiers.

The first chance to do so comes in the form of a Friday night opener, a conference matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0, 0-0 in B1G) under the lights at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The matchup marks the third straight season Indiana has led off with a conference opponent, taking into account the 2020 conference-only schedule's leadoff vs. Penn State and last year's dreadful performance at Iowa.

The Illini come into the contest having already notched a win this season, a week zero dismantling of Wyoming in Champaign, 38-6. Having vastly improved in a short period of time under head coach Bret Bielema, the first task for the Hoosiers is a tall one.

Catch up to speed on everything you need to know before the matchup on Friday here:

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SEE ALSO:

Early Look: Illinois

3 keys to an Indiana win over Illinois

Behind Enemy Lines: Illinois

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Last Time They Played:

You have to go back to 2017 to find the last time Indiana and Illinois met on the gridiron, a game in which IU won 24-14 in Champaign. Richard Lagow completed 32 of 48 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, while Morgan Ellison added a score in the ground game. Simmie Cobbs and Ian Thomas were the scoring receivers for the Hoosiers on the November afternoon.

Illinois has not defeated Indiana since 2011, and an IU win on Friday would make it four straight in the series with the Illini.

Injury Updates:

Illinois will be without RB Josh McCray (knee) and WR Shawn Miller (not disclosed) for Friday's contest.

Miller did not see action during the Illini's week one victory, but McCray had carved out a nice role for himself alongside stud tailback Chase Brown, perhaps Illinois' most prolific playmaker. He rushed for 33 yards on eight attempts and added seven receiving yards before leaving the game with a knee injury.

Key Storylines, Matchups, and Players to Watch:

Limiting Chase Brown's Impact

Brown ran the ball extremely well last week vs Wyoming, causing fits for the Cowboy defense and earning himself the honor of Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. With McCray not available, Brown's touches should see an increase from the already impressive workload he shouldered last weekend. His availability in the passing game as well makes him that much more of a dynamic threat on the offensive side. Stopping Brown, or at least hoping to contain him, will be high on Indiana's list of priorities Friday night.

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Indiana's QB1

In what has emerged to be one of the more peculiar trends to surround college football preseason this year, IU is one of the team's that has not publicly named who their starting quarterback is. They've also not released a two-deep, which goes to show the lengths Indiana is going to in order to prevent the Illini from gaining any sort of advantage before Friday.

Whether it's a plot to prevent Illinois from being able to prepare given their advantage of coming in high off a big victory or what have you, the point remains that whoever has won the job will be relied upon to make plays with the weapons at their disposal.

So, all eyes will be fixated on the first huddle to see if Connor Bazelak or Jack Tuttle won the job out of fall camp. Both guys have similar skillsets, but shine individually in their own ways. How conservative or explosive will Indiana want to be out of the gates, and will that factor into the decision? Or is it a matter of who takes command of the offense and makes the safer, more secure plays. We shall see.

Indiana Playmakers vs. Stout Illini Defense

35 new faces help to characterize and comprise a roster that sees opportunities for new contributors at each position for the Hoosiers this year.

Among those groups that has seen the most turnover are the receivers and halfbacks, as transfers and freshmen both have made valuable cases for themselves throughout fall camp to earn playing time. Ultimately, while having depth is nice, Indiana will also hope to focus on having the right guys on the field when a play is needed to be made.

Thus, the challenge that facing a tough opposing defense poses also bears an opportunity to separate from the pack and breakthrough as an impactful weapon on offense. Depending on the performance of the offensive line and the quality of defense seen from the Illini on Friday, Indiana may be forced to get the ball out quick and make a play in open field.

Creating separation and giving the offense a chance for a chunk play should be something to look out for with Walt Bell's new offensive scheme, which seemingly relies on the run game to create holes in the defensive secondary.

Indiana Defense vs. Tommy DeVito:

DeVito led a passing attack on Wyoming that was serviceable, but nothing special. Yet, you could say he didn't really have to make a whole lot of plays due to the result of the game being decided pretty handily from an early stage in the game.

DeVito threw for 194 yards on 27-37 attempts, amounting to just 5.2 yards per completion. He did throw for two touchdowns in the matchup and completed 73 percent of his passes, but his QBR of 45.0 leaves something to be desired in the air attack for the Illini.

So, as Indiana's secondary is one of their better strengths amongst the team, they will be looking to make their presence felt and cause havoc when on the field. Working in conjunction with the front seven and their attempt to push through and create a disrupting pass rush, a key turnover or getting off the field in a third down situation could very well be the difference in the result.

Crop of New Faces with Opportunity to Impress

Possibly a new quarterback, new receivers, and new tailbacks. New D-lineman, linebackers, and defensive backs. New coaches in some new roles, and some old coaches in old roles. The amount of turnover from a season ago is a lot to take in at once, and building unity had to be of high importance for the sake of the team.

However, there's few ways to better introduce yourself to your teammates and opponents than showing up in big moments when the bright lights are on. Of course, the veterans will be relied on to make plays, but so too will the program's newcomers, all the way from JUCO transfers and migrants from other Power 5 programs to players who's first college football game takes place this weekend.

If Indiana wants to take care of business and produce a result, it will need to be a complete team effort. There will be times when a name is called, and it then becomes up to that guy to do what is trusted of him to do and perform well. If they do so, they very well could be on their way toward successful careers at IU.

But first, you have to make a name for yourself. The first chance to do so is nearly upon us.