Illinois Football: Illini MVP against the Purdue Boilermakers

The Illinois football team is 0-2 after losing to the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, but there was one player who stood out to me.

Going into the game, Illinois was without key pieces such as Brandon Peters, Doug Kramer, and James Mccourt. That led to Illinois having to plug in some inexperienced backups into starting roles. One of those players earned my game MVP. Who is that player?

Coran Taylor.

Coming into this game, Taylor was the second-string quarterback behind Matt Robinson. After Robinson got hurt on the first possession of the game, Coran came in and provided a huge spark.

Even though Illinois fell to Purdue, Taylor was a bright spot in this game. His stats consisted of 273 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and 2 interceptions on 17-for-29 on passing attempts. He also had 32 rushing yards.

I thought Taylor played well for a player getting his first start in three years. Taylor looked like he fit the Rod Smith offense just right. He stayed calm when he was in the pocket and was able to extend plays.

Some other players who could have received this MVP honor are Jake Hansen and Brian Hightower who both had good games. But Taylor’s boost was the main reason he got this game MVP.

With Peters being out until November 21 and Isaiah Williams pontentially being out that long a well, Taylor probably will start next week against Minnesota. I can’t wait to see what he and this Illinois football team can do next week.