The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: Sept. 27, 2024

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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:

Three reasons we love sports today

➜ 1. Illinois volleyball coach Chris Tamas is set to be our guest for ‘Monday Night SportsTalk,’ on WDWS 1400-AM and 93.9-FM to start next week at the Esquire Lounge in downtown Champaign.

➜ 2. The Illini, who opened Big Ten play late Friday night at Oregon and continue the road trip with a 9 p.m. first serve at Washington on Saturday, return to Huff Hall in Champaign for the first time in a month next Thursday night.

➜ 3. Their opponent? Reigning national runner-up and perennial power Nebraska . Illinois will try to snap a nine-match losing streak against the Cornhuskers.

Numbers game: 7.4

yards per carry second-year Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has so far this season. The former Illini standout, though, only has 14 carries for the winless Bengals. Maybe his production will increase on Sunday when Brown and the rest of the Bengals kick off at noon against the lackluster Panthers in Charlotte, N.C.

Crowd control

Three events I’m paying attention to

➜ 1. Illinois at Penn State football . If Illinois earns a road win Saturday night, it’ll achieve another milestone: taking a 5-0 record into October for the first time in program history.

➜ 2. Nebraska at Purdue football . Purdue is the next on the Illini’s schedule when Ryan Walters and the struggling Boilermakers, who host the Cornhuskers on Saturday and then play at Wisconsin on Oct. 5, visit Champaign on Oct. 12.

➜ 3 . Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears . Next chance for Caleb Williams to impress is at noon Sunday at Soldier Field.

Coach’s corner

Three questions with Prairie Central boys’ track and field coach Joe Sieving:

➜ 1. My favorite sports team is ... the Illini.

➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are ... Lovie Smith, Tony Dungy and Dean Smith.

➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is ... when people dwell in and hang on to pet peeves.