Illinois Football: 5 observations from the win over Kent State

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 01: AJ Bush #1 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs the ball during the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. Illinois defeated Kent State 31-24. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

1. AJ Bush makes our offense dynamic

Okay, I realize how bad the first half of football was for the Illini. They only scored three points in the first two quarters. But, let’s call it like it is. This was AJ Bush’s first start as a college quarterback. You can’t expect him to instantly be amazing. In addition to that, there were three deep balls in the first half, two of which were dropped, and one was a bad pass.

The second half was a different story for Bush. He played really well and showed why he was named the starting quarterback of this team. Bush finished the day with 190 yards passing and 139 yards rushing. These were solid numbers and, according to @BTNStatsGuys on Twitter, the last time a Big Ten player had at least 190 yards passing and 139 yards rushing in a game was JT Barrett back 2014.

There is no question that Bush makes this Illinois offense dynamic. We haven’t seen a quarterback who can play like him since Nathan Scheelhaase. His running ability is amazing, but I really liked his passing ability. I know he was only 13-of-23, but most of his incompletions came in the first half. He really settled down in the second half and showed us what he could do.

I am excited to have a playmaker at the quarterback position. For the first time in a long time, Illinois has someone back there who can run the ball and throw the deep ball with some accuracy. This Illini offense is going to put up some points this season and it is because Bush is behind center.

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