College bowl games are a chance for very different teams to compete against each other and showcase their momentum after the regular season. Though both No. 20 Illinois and No. 15 South Carolina enter the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl with a 9-3 record, their playstyles and journeys to this point have been quite different. There are a handful of matchups to look for during this Big Ten-SEC competition.
Quarterback matchup
Nineteen-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers will lead the charge for the Gamecocks. On the other side, 22-year-old junior quarterback Luke Altmyer will take snaps for the Illini.
Sellers hasn’t lost a game in over two months, and he doesn’t intend to break his win streak now. The young leader of the Gamecocks’ offense is extraordinary. He’s incredibly smart on the field and unafraid to run when he has space for it. His linemen block well to give him time in the pocket to make smart passes. When that doesn’t work out, he can pick up a first-down conversion on his feet with agility and speed. Standing at 6-foot-3, he’s got the height to see his options on the field and the legs to go far. He will be difficult to stop.
As for Altmyer, he won’t have his main man, senior wide receiver Pat Bryant. However, he has other assets on the field he can utilize. Altmyer doesn’t have the motor on his feet that Sellers does, but he can run the ball when necessary. Fortunately for him, he’s got a strong arm that can throw bombs to senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and make swift handoffs to his rushers for extra yards. Altmyer has a little more experience than Sellers. If he can apply his extra college ball knowledge to this game, he could have a pretty solid performance.
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Wide receivers, defensive backs
The Illini must watch out for another 19-year-old — sophomore wide receiver Nyck Harbor. Harbor is another insane weapon on the field with absurd speed. He has even competed with South Carolina’s track and field team. While he doesn’t have a ton of stats to his name, he’s still a threat to Illinois’ secondary.
He will likely go man-to-man with sophomore defensive back Kaleb Patterson or junior defensive back Torrie Cox Jr. These Illini are much shorter than the 6-foot-5 Harbor, but they can be sneaky with their takeaways, especially Cox. If Illinois can keep up with South Carolina’s pace and finish its tackles, then the odds might turn in its favor.
Additionally, the Gamecocks have strong suits in their backfield. Junior safety Nick Emmanwori has two pass breakups on the season and four interceptions. This is another guy with height and athleticism that the Illini cannot overlook, and Altmyer needs to be sharp with his passes to avoid takeaways.
Edge rushers, running backs
Illinois’ running backs have talent, but two guys should split most of the carries. Junior Josh McCray will spend lots of time on the field, but sophomore Aidan Laughery could get plenty of snaps as well. When they get the ball, they must be aware of freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart.
South Carolina loves its young guys, and Stewart isn’t afraid to get physical. He’s got 9.5 tackles for losses on the season and three forced fumbles. Laughery and McCray must be extra secure with the football when it’s in their hands.
South Carolina may not have senior running back Raheim Sanders for the Citrus Bowl, but it’s got plenty of experience from other athletes like sixth-year Oscar Adaway III. Illinois has attackers of its own, especially in junior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas. He’s strong and creeps up on running backs and quarterbacks, so with him on the field, South Carolina will need to be cautious of his energy.
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