Illinois Football: Who should start at QB for Illini vs. Nebraska?

Illinois football head coach Lovie Smith has a huge decision to make regarding the quarterback position heading into Saturday’s game vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Illinois senior quarterback Brandon Peters is finally eligible again after missing three weeks due to a positive COVID-19 test.  Does Lovie hand the keys back to Peters or continue to start freshman Isaiah Williams following a record-breaking performance in his first career start?

Here is the case for both of the Illini quarterbacks.

Brandon Peters’ case

The senior quarterback’s lone performance on the year vs. Wisconsin was not a pretty one, as he finished the game completing 8-of-17 passes and throwing for a total of 87 yards.  Peters finished the game with a QB-rating of 69.1.

However, when Isaiah Williams came in for relief, he did not play much better, as he finished the game 0-for-3 with an interception.

Peters’ experience and past success are what could possibly push Coach Smith to hand him the keys to the offense on Saturday.  During the 2019 season, Peters led the Illini to six wins as a starter, including the notable upset vs. then-No. 4 Wisconsin.  As a junior, he threw for 1,884 yards with 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.  Peters finished the season with an impressive quarterback rating of 128.6

Peters is considered an NFL draft prospect, which could also factor into the coaches’ decision.

Isaiah Williams’ case

Williams led the Fighting Illini to their first win on the season during his first career start. Additionally, the young quarterback was named as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after breaking the University of Illinois’ school record of rushing yards in a game by a quarterback with 192 yards in Saturday’s win vs. the Scarlet Knights.  ESPN college football analyst Jesse Palmer gave Williams’ performance some national recognition by giving him a helmet sticker.

Along with his record-breaking 192 rushing yards, Williams also had a five-yard rushing touchdown.

Prediction

I believe Lovie Smith will hand the keys to the offense back to Peters.  Williams had an exceptional record-breaking performance, but that came at the cost of rushing 31 times.  It is probably not realistic to have your starting quarterback run that many times every game.

Additionally, Williams struggled to throw the ball as he finished the Rutgers game completing only seven passes off 19 attempts with 104 total passing yards.  However, I do believe the coaching staff will still give Williams playing time, as he’s shown to be more than dangerous with his legs.

Ultimately, I see Peters getting the bulk of the snaps throughout the remainder of the season starting this Saturday.