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LIVE BLOG: FINAL - Minnesota 41, Illinois 14; Illini Fall to 0-3

Feel free to log in and join the in-game discussion as for the Illini Gameday Live Blog as Illinois hosts Minnesota for a 2: 30 p.m. kickoff.
Matthew Stevens|
LIVE BLOG: FINAL - Minnesota 41, Illinois 14; Illini Fall to 0-3
LIVE BLOG: FINAL - Minnesota 41, Illinois 14; Illini Fall to 0-3

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Good morning from the campus of the University of Illinois at Memorial Stadium as Illinois (0-2) hosts Minnesota (0-2) for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Illinois is a 7-point home underdog. We're a few hours away from game time with weather conditions via Weather.com in Champaign is calling for temperatures in the low 70s to upper 60s but also wind gusts of 8-12 miles per hour.

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Minnesota at Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Saturday Nov. 7, 2020: 2:30 p.m. CST, Memorial Stadium.

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: N/A (No fans allowed for Big Ten games in 2020)

Records: Illinois 0-2; 6-7 (4-5 in Big Ten) in 2019; Minnesota 0-2; 11-2 (7-2 in Big Ten) in 2019.

Line: Minnesota by 7. The last time Minnesota visited Memorial Stadium the Illini defeated the Gophers 55-31 on Nov. 3, 2018 and the Gophers fired its defensive coordinator by the following Monday.

Series notes: Minnesota leads the all-time series 39-30-3 but Illinois is 19-15-1 against the Gophers in Champaign. Last season, Illinois scored two defensive touchdowns but was outscored 24-7 in the second half of a 40-17 loss. Dele Harding had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown to give Illinois a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and Milo Eifler had a seven-yard fumble return for a touchdown after a Jake Hansen strip sack in the third quarter.

TV: BTN; Mark Followill (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), and Elise Menaker (sideline).

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

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Injury Update: Illinois senior quarterback Brandon Peters and redshirt freshman tight end Griffin Moore are both sidelined following positive COVID-19 test results on Oct. 29. Per Big Ten Conference protocol, following recovery both players will be eligible to return for the Nov. 21 game at Nebraska.

Contact tracing also sidelined several other players (at least 10) for the game vs. Purdue last week and today's game against Minnesota. 

BREAKING NEWS: Yahoo! Sports reporter Pete Thamel reported via unnamed sources Saturday morning that Minnesota starting defensive tackle Keonte Schad will miss the game for the Gophers. 

According to Thamel, Minnesota is already down three projected starters on the offensive line and starting a walk-on at left guard today vs. Illinois. They’ll rotate seven freshmen on defense and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is out after testing positive for COVID-19 as well.

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Uniform Update: Illinois will be in the white helmets with the orange 'I' logo, blue jerseys with orange numbers and white pants today. 

Minnesota will likely be in white jerseys but after going with gold helmets and gold pants last week at Maryland, could revert back to its gold helmets and maroon pants for this week at Illinois. 

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1:30 p.m. UPDATE - Illinois wide receiver Trevon Sidney has come onto the field and isn't dressed so the Southern California transfer is likely out again this week. The backup kicker today for Illinois is freshman wide receiver Owen Hickey. 

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1:35 p.m. UPDATE - Illinois has announced its list of inactives for this game. 

DB Marquez Beason (possible backup CB)

DB Christian Bobak

LB Shammond Cooper

DB Nate Hobbs (projected starting CB)

OL Doug Kramer (out last week but projected starting center)

DB Michael Marchese

K James McCourt (out last week but projected kicker)

TE Griffin Moore (Oct. 29 COVID +)

QB Brandon Peters (Oct. 29 COVID +) (projected starting QB)

DL Keith Randolph (projected starting DE)

QB Matt Robinson (projected No. 3 QB)

WR Trevon Sidney (projected slot WR)

OL Jordan Slaughter (projected backup OG)

QB Isaiah Williams (projected backup QB)

DL Jamal Woods (projected starting DT)

Analysis: Maybe one of the worst position groups for Illinois to be thin in terms of talent and depth is cornerback. And that is exactly what has occurred. Illinois will be without Nate Hobbs (who struggled in coverage last week versus Purdue's David Bell) and without Marquez Beason as well. The Illini will likely have to turn to Devon Witherspoon and possible have to move Tony Adams back to cornerback for this game. The nickel cornerback will likely be junior Jartavius Martin. This problem of depth in the secondary will also likely force more playing time to Derrick Smith. 

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2 p.m. Analysis: This development also means Coran Taylor will get his first career collegiate start and freshman Gregory "Deuce" Spann will be the backup. 

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2:15 p.m. UPDATE: 247Sports.com has reported Missouri transfer wide receiver Khmari Thompson is taking warmup reps at safety today because of the Illini's depth issues in the secondary. 

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2:38 p.m. UPDATE - Illinois won the toss and deferred. Minnesota will get the ball first today. Kickoff is slated for a few minutes from now. 

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12:37 Left in 1st - Illinois 0, Minnesota 0 - Two dropped passes and some solid third-down pass defense allows the Illini defense to get a stop after the Gophers crossed midfield. 

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11:01 Left in 1st - Illinois 0, Minnesota 0 - Illinois goes three-and-out after Coran Taylor fails to feel the backside rush and Minnesota gets a 3rd-down sack. 

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10:00 left in 1st - Illinois 0, Minnesota 0 - First turnover of the game goes to Illinois. Hansen with the strip and Gay with the recovery. Illinois will have it on its own 43-yard-line. 

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7:53 left in 1st - Illinois 0, Minnesota 0 - Illinois crosses midfield but the running game stalls and a holding penalty negates a possible big fourth-down decision for Lovie Smith. 

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3:32 left in 1st - Illinois 0, Minnesota 0 - Minnesota finding all kinds of ways to get the football to Ibrahim. He has 60 all-purpose yards. Gophers have it 1st-and-goal. 

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3:29 left in 1st - Minnesota 7, Illinois 0 - MINNESOTA TD - Gophers go 93 yards in 11 plays and cap the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run by Treyson Potts. Gophers have outgained Illini 147-21. 

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0:21 left in 1st - Minnesota 7, Illinois 0 - Illinois offense starting to unravel here as penalties doom another drive for the Illini offense. 

End of 1st: Minnesota 7, Illinois 0 - Beyond a fumble recovery by the defense on a promising Gophers drive, not much going right for Illinois. Total yards are being dominated by Minnesota 154-46 and Illinois has only three first downs and one was by penalty.  

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13:23 left in 2nd - Minnesota 14, Illinois 0 - MINNESOTA TD PASS - A 5-yard fade route to Bateman from Morgan ends the Gophers 61-yard drive. Bateman already has 78 yards on five catches today and we've only played 17 1/2 minutes of football. 

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12:23 left in 2nd - Minnesota 14, Illinois 0 - Here's a summary of the Illini drive: A promising 1st-down carry by Chase Brown for 12 yards. And then...incomplete pass (on a RPO where Taylor pulled it from Brown), a dropped pass and a sack. Chase Brown currently has 30 yards on three carries. 

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10:00 left in 2nd - Minnesota 14, Illinois 0 - Illinois safety Derrick Smith has been ejected for targeting (on a play where he was also flagged for a late hit out of bounds) and the Illini secondary depth continues to decrease. 

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8:09 left in 2nd - Minnesota 21, Illinois 0 - GOPHERS TD RUN - Minnesota goes 77 yards in just eight plays thanks to a soft Illinois defense and penalties. Ibrahim dives in from 1 yard out for his seventh score of the season. Illini in deep trouble of this turning into a huge blowout early here in Champaign. 

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7:49 left in 2nd - Minnesota 21, Illinois 0 - Illini show some offensive life after a 63-yard carry by Mike Epstein. Illinois is averaging eight yards per rush today. 

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5:32 left in 2nd - Minnesota 21, Illinois 7 - ILLINI TD RUN - A 1-yard touchdown run by Epstein caps a drive where his 63-yard run that started the drive gives Illini offense much-needed life. Illinois has 119 yards on the ground and Coran Taylor is 3 of 7 through the air. Rod Smith may stick to ground attack in second half. 

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0:24 left in 2nd - Minnesota 28, Illinois 7 - GOPHERS TD RUN - Gophers answer Illini's scoring drive with one of their own. Ibrahim goes through practically the pushing of the entire Illini front seven for a 2-yard touchdown score, his eighth this season. 

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HALFTIME - Minnesota 28, Illinois 7 - TOTAL YARDS: Gophers 340, Illini 141 - Gophers are on pace to gain 680 yards on a Illinois defense that has only one starter out (and that's not a COVID-19 protocol). Minnesota with three rushing touchdowns and 7.4 yards per rush. Morgan is averaging 12.7 yards per completion. 

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13:00 left in 3rd - Minnesota 28, Illinois 7 - Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith has decided to limit the playbook and is refusing to put the ball in the air and nobody can possibly blame him. Illinois has become essentially a Single-Wing offense. 

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9:54 Left in 3rd - Minnesota 28, Illinois 7 - Illinois has 1st-and-10 from the 10-yard-line and then after penalties and a backwards pass going awry, the Illini punt from the 48-yard-line. WOW. 

UPDATE: Illinois quarterback Coran Taylor has reportedly injured his throwing hand and freshman quarterback Gregory "Deuce" Spann is preparing to go in the game on the next series. 

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0:21 Left in 3rd - Minnesota 35, Illinois 7 - GOPHERS RUSHING TD - Ibrahim finds the end zone on a 28-yard touchdown run, his third today. The play is under further review. 

The play is reversed but Ibrahim takes it in from the 1-yard-line for the score. 

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12:24 Left - Minnesota 35, Illinois 7 - ILLINI INT - Minnesota tries a deep pass and it is picked off by Devon Witherspoon. The lone bright spot on this defense has been the two turnovers. 

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11:30 Left - Minnesota 35, Illinois 14 - ILLINI TD PASS - Illini immediately turn the turnover into points as Taylor finds Josh Imatorbhebhe down the sideline for a 52-yard touchdown pass. 

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8:27 Left - Minnesota 41, Illinois 14 - MINNESOTA TD RUN - Ibrahim breaks a 53-yard run and then scores on a Wildcat run from four yards out. He had four touchdown games in back-to-back weeks. Minnesota currently has 275 yards on the ground. 

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Matthew Stevens
MATTHEW STEVENS

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