Illinois handled Southern Illinois the way a Power Four team is supposed to, and once the early wobble passed, Saturday turned into a pretty clean 48-10 win for the Illini.
The Salukis struck first, which made the opening minutes a little uneasy, but Illinois settled in quickly. The offense started heating up, the defense found its footing, and from there it was mostly smooth sailing. Bret Bielema had to like what he saw with Ohio State looming next.
One of the biggest reasons this game mattered was the state of the offensive line. Illinois has been dealing with a patchwork front for what feels like forever, and this one featured Casey Thomann and Champ Smith at the guard spots. Neither had ever taken a college snap before, so Saturday was a crash course at a tough position.
Still, the line held up well enough. There were a few breakdowns, especially after halftime, but given the injury mess up front, it was a respectable showing.
Thomann and Smith are both true freshmen, which makes the whole thing even more encouraging. Thomann came in as a player knocking on the door of the top 700 nationally, while Smith was a great four-star flip from UCLA, and both are already giving Illinois something to work with.
Katin Houser was the other headline. He is simply fun to watch in the pocket.
He gets the ball downfield, he trusts his arm, and he does not spend much time wondering whether a throw is there. Illinois has had quarterbacks with strong arms before - Luke Altmyer and Kurt Kittner included - but Houser brings a different kind of confidence.
That showed up again Saturday. He threw for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
The pick came on the first drive of the second half when he tried to force a ball to Collin Dixon into a crowded area with five Southern Illinois defenders around him. It was the kind of decision you live with when your quarterback plays with that kind of edge.
Through three games, Houser has been impressive, and the bigger picture is easy to see: Illinois is going to move the ball with him.
The defense, though, still has some work to do. Yes, Southern Illinois only scored 10 points, and the second half was scoreless for the Salukis.
Illinois also got a pick-six, which was a welcome sight. But the early issues were real.
The biggest problem was contain. DJ Williams gave Illinois trouble early with the run-pass option game, and the edge defenders kept biting on play-action.
That opened the door for Williams to run and then helped create space for passing plays behind it. The tackling was shaky too, especially in the secondary.
Mac Resetich stood out for the wrong reasons, with at least three tackles where he seemed to go in with his shoulder pads instead of wrapping up. Those are the kinds of mistakes that can turn into a much bigger problem fast, especially against Ohio State.
Southern Illinois also didn’t help itself on the ground. Illinois has been soft in the middle at times, but the Salukis didn’t press that advantage.
Chandler Chapman was shut down, and Southern Illinois leaned too heavily on predictable first-down runs. They tried to go A-gap a lot, which made things easier for Illinois to stop.
The run game never really threatened the edge, and that is where Illinois can be exposed.
The brightest part of the day might have been the receiver group. Collin Dixon kept rolling, going for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Brayden Trimble got involved early and often, and that matters because Illinois has been waiting for him to break out. He finished with five catches for 57 yards.
Hudson Clement also had a strong day and looks like Illinois’ No. 2 option, putting up five receptions for 69 yards.
Together, Dixon, Clement, and Trimble combined for 257 yards and two touchdowns. That kind of trio gives Illinois real juice on offense, and on a day when the line held together and Houser kept pushing the ball, it was enough to make the 48-10 win feel like exactly what Illinois needed.
In Other News...
Illinois May Have A New Offensive Star Before Big Ten Play
Illinois rolled past Southern Illinois 48-10, and the biggest sign of what might be coming for the Illini offense came from Collin Dixon. Katin Houser found him for two second-quarter touchdown passes, and Dixon finished with eight catches for 131 yards while adding another entry to the record book at Gies Memorial Stadium with a single-season touchdown reception mark.
Bret Bielema had plenty of reason to praise Dixon after the game, especially with Big Ten play looming and Illinois looking for reliable playmakers who can tilt the field. Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill was left to absorb the loss and turn the page toward conference play of his own, while Illinois gets a clearer picture of how dangerous this passing game can be when Dixon is involved. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]