Collin Dixon kept stacking highlights, and Illinois kept rolling.
Katin Houser found Dixon for two second-quarter touchdowns, Aiden Laughery broke loose for a 77-yard score, and Illinois cruised past Southern Illinois 48-10 on Saturday in Champaign, Ill. Dixon finished with eight catches for 131 yards for the Illini, who moved to 2-1.
Dixon’s production has already pushed him into the record book. He now has seven touchdown catches, the single-season mark at Gies Memorial Stadium, and Illinois still has four home games left.
“Collin's start is incredible,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema. “He's extremely talented, so humble, and he works his absolute (backside) off every day. He's really special.”
Houser was sharp throughout, completing 23 of 29 passes for 305 yards with one interception. Hudson Clement added five receptions for 69 yards, extending his streak with a catch to 30 straight games, the sixth-longest active run in the nation.
The game tilted for good late in the first quarter. On the play after Houser was sacked for the first time this season, Laughery ripped off a 77-yard touchdown down the Illinois sideline to make it 14-7.
That was the longest run for the Illini in five years. Laughery finished with 93 yards on just four carries and also scored a touchdown.
Illinois got another spark on defense in the fourth quarter when Matthew Bailey jumped an overthrown D.J. Williams pass and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown.
Southern Illinois, now 2-2, never found much room to operate. Williams finished 20 of 38 passing and was limited to 7 rushing yards on seven attempts after running for four touchdowns last week against Southeast Missouri. The Salukis managed only 29 yards on the ground against Illinois.
“There were some good moments, but the bottom line is we just got beat 48-10, so it should be a quiet locker room,” said Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill. “Now it's time for (Missouri Valley Football Conference) play and they all matter.”
Sebastian Vargas provided Southern Illinois’ lone takeaway with an end zone interception in the third quarter, but the Salukis couldn’t generate enough of a turnover edge to stay in the game. They entered the matchup with eight turnovers this season, including four interceptions against Southeast Missouri, and needed more than one takeaway to threaten Illinois.
The Illini have now beaten FCS opponents in all 21 meetings since the division was formed in 1978. Bret Bielema is 4-0 in those games, and Illinois has outscored those opponents 176-13 under him. Southern Illinois was reportedly paid $525,000 for the trip to Champaign.
Illinois has shown better tackling and a stronger run game than it did in its first two contests, though it’s hard to know exactly how much of that carries over against a Big Ten opponent. Still, it was a cleaner performance in the areas the Illini wanted to sharpen.
Next up for Illinois is a trip to No. 6 Ohio State next Saturday. Southern Illinois heads to Murray State next Saturday.
In Other News...
Collin Dixon Is Forcing Illinois Fans To Rethink The Record Book
Collin Dixon has turned the first three games into a conversation piece for Illinois fans, and not just because of how quickly he has piled up yards and touchdowns. The wide receiver has seven receiving scores and 369 yards so far, enough to put his name on top of the record at Gies Memorial Stadium and to start drawing a fresh look at what the Illinois passing game can produce when one target keeps finding the end zone.
What makes it even more intriguing is how much history he is already chasing this early in the season. Dixon is close to tying and possibly breaking the Illinois single-season receiving touchdown mark, and he is already halfway to the career record as well, which says plenty about the pace he has set. The bigger question now is whether he can keep this kind of scoring run going long enough to turn a hot start into something that rewrites the record book. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Win Eases One Concern But Raises Another For Fans
Illinois opened the season with a comfortable 48-10 win over Southern Illinois, and the kind of result fans wanted to see after a summer of questions. The offense had stretches that looked sharp, with the line doing its part and Katin Houser putting together a productive day through the air, which at least gave Illinois something to build on heading into a tougher stretch.
Still, the final margin did not hide everything. Even with Southern Illinois limited to 10 points, there were defensive issues that showed up enough to keep the staff's attention, and the performance left a mixed feeling for fans who wanted a cleaner all-around start. One concern may have eased, but the next one is already waiting. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Defense Finally Gave Fans A Reason To Feel Better
After a rocky stretch on defense, Illinois finally had a Saturday it could feel good about. In the 48-10 win over Southern Illinois, the Illini limited the Salukis to 257 yards and just 10 points, a showing that looked much more like the unit the staff had been looking for. The defense also finished with six tackles for loss and a sack, small but meaningful signs of disruption after earlier issues had left plenty to clean up.
The response did not happen by accident. Illinois defensive leaders had met to sort through the communication and tackling problems that had shown up in previous games, and the work showed in a sharper, more connected performance. Now the bigger question is whether this was a one-game reset or the first real sign that the Illini have started to solve the issues that were hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]