Dillon Gabriel expecting Oregon to have its ‘hands full’ with matchup vs. Illinois defense

Dillon Gabriel has been viciously efficient in guiding Oregon to a 7-0 record and a tie atop the Big Ten standings. Now, the Ducks are gearing up for another ranked opponent with a visit from Illinois on Saturday.

So far this year, Gabriel has thrown for a B1G-leading 15 touchdowns and is leading the country while completing 77% of his passes. However, Gabriel’s interceptions have ticked up with at least one pick in 3 of his last 4 games.

That’s something the star QB and Heisman candidate knows will get a test when the Illini come to town. Bret Bielema’s squad was +3 in turnover margin while shutting down Michigan in Week 8, and Gabriel referenced facing that defense on Tuesday.

“Their whole front, they’ve done a really good job at winning their one-on-one matchups. I think you look all season, the way they create turnovers, swarm the football, extremely physical at the point of attack,” described Gabriel. “You see that all and it jumps out on tape. We’ll have our hands full and this is a team that has played really well.”

Entering Week 9, Illinois is tied for 2nd in the B1G with a +7 turnover margin, including 8 interceptions on the season. On the other hand, Oregon has slipped a bit and is currently middle of the road in the conference with a +2 turnover margin.

The Ducks are likely to still be able to move the ball offensively, so winning the turnover battle and keeping the Illini offense in check will be key. We’ll see how the latest No. 1 team in the country fares with the mantle this Saturday.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.