ILLINI GAMEDAY Open Thread/Live Blog: FINAL - Minnesota 40, Illinois 17

After an off weekend, Illinois returns to action today with a trip to undefeated Minnesota for a 2:30 p.m. CST on Big Ten Network. Illinois won last year’s meeting with the Gophers, 55-31, in Champaign behind 430 rushing yards, including 213 yards from Reggie Corbin on just 13 carries.

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We're a few hours away from game time with weather conditions via Weather.com in Minneapolis calling for a constant 10-15 mph wind after a consistent morning rain drizzle.

NOTE: We're live from the Illini Maven home office today but please join us as we live-blog and discuss the Illini vs. Gophers game here in our weekly Illini Gameday Open Thread. Dive into the conversation — it's easy — by simply going to the top of the site and in the bottom right-hand corner of the Illini Maven logo and click the follow button.

You can log in with Facebook or Google and either way, it's free. That's right...IT'S FREE. From there, sound off in the comment section and share your reactions and observations with our staff, subscribers and fellow members of the Illini Maven community as we react to the game in real-time.

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Illinois at Minnesota

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CST, TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 50,805

Records: Illinois 2-2, 0-1 in Big Ten Conference, 4-8, 2-7 in 2018; Minnesota 4-0, 1-0 in 2019, 7-6, 3-6 in 2018

Line: Minnesota by 14. The last time Illinois has pulled off the upset as a double-digit was the 2007 win at then-No. 1 Ohio State. The Illini have lost its last 29 games in this position.

Series notes: Minnesota holds a 38-30-3 lead in series. The Gophers had won three in a row until last year’s 55-31 win for the Illini in Champaign that resulted in Minnesota P.J. Fleck firing his defensive coordinator and conducting major staff changes in the following week.

TV: BTN; Kevin Kugler (PBP), Matt Millen (analyst) & Rick Pizzo (sidelines).

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Wes Lunt (analysis) & Steve Kelly (Pre/HT/Post) » The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, Sirius (134) / XM (210) satellite radio & SiriusXM Internet (968), and at FightingIllini.com.

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Arrived. 🔶🔷 pic.twitter.com/UTb7ojeLxo
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 5, 2019

According to Jeremy Warner of IlliniInquirer.com/247Sports.com, here are some Illinois players who didn't make the trip to Minnesota this weekend:

RB Jakari Norwood (injury) - 12 att., 85 yards in 2019

DE Isaiah Gay (injury) - four tackles in first three games of 2019

DB Stanley Green (injury) - four tackles in first two games of 2019

QB Isaiah Williams (injury) - Made college debut vs. Nebraska (Sept. 21) on two designed quarterback runs.

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Pre-game stat of the game: The first 15 minutes will be huge to the momentum and direction of this game. Why? Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck is 13-1 all-time with the Gophers when leading after one quarter of play. He's 0-11 all-time when his Gophers team is behind after one quarter.

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Uniform update: According to field photos from Scott Richey of the Champaign News-Gazette, Illinois will be in blue helmet with a orange block 'I', white jerseys with orange numbers and blue pants. Minnesota will be in yellow helmets with a maroon block 'M', maroon jerseys with white numbers and yellow pants.

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Early results from future Illinois opponents:

No. 8 Wisconsin 48, Kent State 0 - Badgers (5-0, 1-0) travel to Champaign for Homecoming on Oct. 19.
No. 12 Penn State 35, Purdue 7 - Boilermakers (1-4, 0-2) will host Illinois on Oct. 26.
No. 19 Michigan 10, No. 14 Iowa 3 - Illini will host Michigan (3-1, 1-1) next week and Iowa (4-0, 1-1) will host Illinois on Nov. 23.

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NOTE: Big Ten Network pre-game report includes both tailbacks Mohamed Ibrahim and Shannon Brooks are limited today with injuries.

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FIRST QUARTER

Kickoff goes out of bounds so Illini start with great field position.

Illini going tempo early with inside carries to Corbin.

Peters completes his first pass, a 3rd-and-short crossing route, to move the chains.

Illini drive stalls with a fourth-and-2 and Lovie Smith conservatively elects to punt and play the field position game. Punt results in a fair catch at the 10-yard-line.

After getting a first down on two runs, Illinois' Cover-2 defense played that Tanner Morgan RPO much better than Purdue did last week resulting into an incompletion.

10:25 left in 1st: No Score - On a third-and-3, Lovie Smith's defense shows a blitz but drops in coverage to force an overthrow by Morgan. Good stop for the Illini.

Illinois goes three-and-out after the interior blocking by the Fighting Illini offensive line was horrid. BTN analyst Matt Millen says QB Brandon Peters had time to step up for that third-and-5 throw but I didn't see that at all. If he stepped up, he would've been further in Carter Coughlin's arms.

8:54 left in 1st: No Score - Illini tailback Reggie Corbin held to just 12 yards on four early carriers.

I didn't see any physical limitations for Minnesota Shannon Brooks (knee) on his first carry that went 11 yards.

6:58 left in 1st: Illinois 7, Minnesota 0 - ILLINI TOUCHDOWN - Dele Harding steps right in front of a badly misjudged Tanner Morgan pass and returns it 40 yards for a score. Lovie Smith's defense gets the first turnover of the game and immediately turns it into points.

I don't honestly know if Morgan overthrew the tight end in the flat or just didn't see Harding while trying to hit a crossing route but I'll look into it further in Sunday's film review piece.

Dele Harding with a giant 🤫🤫🤫 to the Homecoming crowd.

It's an @IlliniFootball pick six to start us off on BTN: pic.twitter.com/2HluMHNBer
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 5, 2019

Illini injury: junior DB Nate Hobbs is on the ground and needs help from the Illinois training staff. He is helped off the field and goes into the injury tent.

4:52 left in 1st: Illinois 7, Minnesota 0 - On this drive, Illinois defense has had trouble with lining up correctly and getting personnel on the field so they burn a timeout.

3:25 left in 1st: Illinois 7, Minnesota 0 - Illinois defense holds as Lovie Smith's defense does an excellent job of mixing up blitzes. Minnesota downs punt at 4-yard-line.

2:19 left in 1st: Illinois 7, Minnesota 0 - MINNESOTA INT - Peters had Dominic Stampley wide open on a crossing route and he threw it behind him and it's picked off. Minnesota with the ball inside the red zone.

0:52 left in 1st: Illinois 7, Minnesota 3 - MINNESOTA FG - Only fourth red zone possession for the Gophers in 2019 that didn't result in a touchdown.

End of 1st quarter: Illinois 7, Minnesota 3 - Illini are going to need more consistent play from its offensive line and quarterback in this game. Lovie Smith's defense has been solid and inventive after the bye week.

We have a fight here after one.#ILLINI pic.twitter.com/YhME0TNGfM
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 5, 2019

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SECOND QUARTER

Remember folks, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck is 0-11 all-time when his Gophers team is behind after one quarter.

13:35 left in 2nd: Illinois 7, Minnesota 3 - Illinois drive stalls around midfield as Smalling drops key third-and-8 throw. Good protection and confident throws by Peters on that drive.

Rodney Smith runs over an Illinois linebacker and then breaks containment on a second-down run to get Minnesota in the red zone after 64-yard run.

11:23 left in 2nd: Minnesota 10, Illinois 7 - MINNESOTA TD - Morgan finds Tyler Johnson on a 12-yard touchdown. Four Illinois defenders were in the area on that throw but Johnson tips it over one Illini defensive back and catches it in the end zone on the rebound.

11:00 left in 2nd: Minnesota 10, Illinois 7 - Brandon Peters takes a QB draw play and needs help to the sideline and then to the locker room. Matt Robinson is forced to come into the game.

Robinson's inexperience is noticeable and the weather conditions aren't helping either. Robinson forgets about the play clock and then drops a snap. On the flip side, Robinson brings a running dimension to the quarterback spot.

8:50 left in 2nd: Minnesota 10, Illinois 7 - Another Illini drive stalls as Ricky Smalling drops another pass that to quote BTN analyst Matt Millen "hit him right in the hands".

For the fourth time in his Minnesota career, Rodney Smith has surpassed the 100-yard mark against Illinois.

7:21 left in 2nd: Minnesota 10, Illinois 7 - Minnesota drive stalls after the third drop by Tyler Johnson. The field conditions in Minneapolis causing a lot of sloppy play especially in the timely pitch-and-catch game today.

Illinois adds a pair of tight ends and shrinks the formation for Illini's zone-read run game and he gets 36 yards on three straight carries.

4:40 left in 2nd: Minnesota 10, Illinois 7 - Illini drive stalls after third-down throw slips out of Robinson's hand. McCourt misses 43-yard FG wide right.

1:32 left in 2nd: Minnesota 16, Illinois 7 - MINNESOTA TD Minnesota's inside run game dominating as Rodney Smith gets big gains and Shannon Brooks, who was a game-time decision today, gets a 21-yard touchdown scamper. The snap on the extra point is dropped.

Illinois showing some urgency as Robinson completes back-to-back throws to Navarro and the Fighting Illini are close to field goal range.

Another confusing time-management issue for Illinois at the end of a half. After not getting a third-down conversion, Illinois immediately calls a timeout with 17 seconds left.

0:13 left in 2nd: Minnesota 16, Illinois 10 - ILLINOIS FG - Some questionable coaching moves at the end of this half. Illinois fails to convert a third-down situation but calls a timeout with 17 seconds left. James McCourt misses from 46 yards out but P.J. Fleck calls a timeout before the snap. McCourt nails his second attempt at the 46-yard attempt. Big Ten Network cameras caught Fleck yelling at his field goal block unit "my bad, my bad".

HALFTIME: Minnesota 16, Illinois 10 - Minnesota injury update: Big Ten Network cameras caught Rodney Smith, who has 147 yards on 12 carries already, limping off the field on the final kickoff return and needing help from the training staff.

According to Jeremy Warner of IlliniInquirer.com/247Sports.com, Illinois has not released a media update on the health status of Illini quarterback Brandon Peters.

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THIRD QUARTER

12:53 left in 3rd: Minnesota 23, Illinois 10 - MINNESOTA TD - A completely different Tanner Morgan comes out of the tunnel for the second half. Morgan was 3-of-3 on this opening drive of second half including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Autman-Bell.

12:53 left in 3rd: Minnesota 23, Illinois 10 - Illinois goes three-and-out as offensive line and perimeter blocking struggles. Illini drives so far: PUNT, PUNT, INT, PUNT, PUNT, MISS FG, FG, PUNT.

Illinois Cover-2 defense is allowing the middle of the field open for Tanner Morgan and the Gophers running game. The Illini are no longer getting any push up the field at all. Minnesota already inside the Illinois 40-yard-line again.

7:52 left in 3rd: Minnesota 30, Illinois 10 - MINNESOTA TD - After gashing the Illinois defense with interior runs again, Morgan finds tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford for a 12-yard touchdown. Spann-Ford's first catch of his career is a score. This game is quickly getting out of hand.

Minnesota relying today on a run game that ranked 110th in FBS (2.63 yards-per-carry) and has 236 yards today.

2:27 left in 3rd: Minnesota 30, Illinois 17 - ILLINOIS TD - The Illinois defense scores its second touchdown today. Jake Hansen hits Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan causing a fumble and Milo Eifler returns it to the end zone. Illinois defense 14, Illinois offense 3 so far.

.@Juggs35 with the sack and forced fumble. @_miloeifler scoops and scores! pic.twitter.com/KfPnxaDfM2
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 5, 2019

End of 3rd quarter: Minnesota 30, Illinois 17 - Minnesota, which averaged just 115.75 rushing yards total in its first four games, has two running backs over the 100-yard mark today.

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FOURTH QUARTER

12:48 left: Minnesota 37, Illinois 17 - MINNESOTA TD - Rodney Smith bounces outside and is untouched for an 8-yard touchdown run. Illini defensive ends have done a really poor job all day at setting the edge.

Illinois injury update: After a reception by Trevon Sidney, he gets bent awkwardly and is taken off the field.

5:41 left: Minnesota 37, Illinois 17 - Illinois can't convert on a fourth down (lack of separation by wide receivers again) and this will likely be our final score.

Minnesota, up 20 with four minutes to go, going with a wildcat quarterback system and sitting Tanner Morgan. So, we're in the Illinois opponents working on stuff in real-time action part of the game.

0:52 left: Minnesota 40, Illinois 17 - MINNESOTA FG - Minnesota adds on a field goal after a nine-play drive.

FINAL at TCF Bank Stadium: Minnesota 40, Illinois 17 - Minnesota physically dominates Illinois on the ground with 332 rushing yards as Illini offense never enters red zone and scores just three points.