#2. Shaun Shivers rushes for 100+ yards and a touchdown
As one of the key players identified by Hoosier State of Mind for Friday night’s matchup, Shaun Shivers is going to make a big impact in the ground game as a player that has the big-game experience. Though he hasn’t rushed for 100+ yards in a college football game since September 2019, Shivers is going to come out strong for the Hoosiers and create more room in the passing game for likely starting quarterback, Connor Bazelak.
The Illini defense allowed the sixth most rushing yards per game (150.3) in the Big Ten last season and in its Week 0 matchup against Wyoming, allowed Titus Swen to rush for 98 yards on 17 attempts. Shivers has a bit more talent than Swen in the running department, so it’s a good bet that if Shivers gets the touches, he will finish the Week 1 game with 100+ rushing yards and at least one touchdown.