Illinois Football: Illini will continue to rise with quarterback stability

The Illinois football quarterback position has been a sore subject for most of my life.

Yes, there have been some bright spots in the mix. Kurt Kittner was sensational in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He helped lead us to the Sugar Bowl in what was a disappointing result against a tough LSU team.

But, for most of my life, the quarterback position hasn’t been on-point. In recent years, this statement has really rung true with some of the worst quarterback play in program history. Thankfully, Illinois has brought in a nice stable of quarterbacks who have stabilized the position.

I broke down the numbers from the last decade when it comes to Illinois quarterbacks. Honestly, it is kind of depressing. But the position is on an upward trajectory. In 2019, Illinois quarterbacks, led by Brandon Peters, threw for 2,409 yards, 19 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 6.6 yards per completion and a 54.1-percent completion rate.

Now how does that compare to years past? Well, the 19 touchdowns thrown by Illinois quarterbacks last season were more than the 2017 and 2018 campaigns combined. In those two years, the Illini only threw for 18 total touchdowns. Their 19 touchdowns are the third-highest total for the program over the last decade as well.

The 2019 campaign was exciting because we were able to win games. A lot of the wining had to do with solid quarterback play. If you look back over the past decade, you will see that the better the quarterback play, the more wins we have as a program.

When Illinois quarterbacks threw for 13 touchdowns or fewer, the team averages 2.75 wins per season. That is a horrific number. But, on the other hand, if we throw for 14 touchdowns or more for the season, then the team averages 5.8 wins per season. That means we are pretty much bowl eligible when we have competent quarterbacks behind center.

The numbers above are another reason why I am thankful we have Peters coming back for the 2020 campaign. I have faith this kid is going to be able to fling the ball all over the field. He threw for 18 touchdowns in 2019, so getting to that number or even higher this upcoming campaign shouldn’t be a difficult feat.

Having solid depth is always comforting too. The experience that Isaiah Williams and Matt Robinson built up last season should prove to be valuable in the near future. It is always nice to have an insurance policy like those two behind center.

Numbers show that having a solid quarterback will equate to more victories. Making a bowl game in 2019 wasn’t a fluke. Peters helped lead us to the postseason last year, and I believe he will do it again in 2020. The future is bright.