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Illinois Football: 4 observations from the Illini win over Northwestern

By Rees Woodcock

Nov 27, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema (right) is congratulated after a 47-14 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema (right) is congratulated after a 47-14 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Chase Brown (2) runs with the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Chase Brown (2) runs with the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The future of the running game is bright

I mentioned how Isaiah Williams was great against Northwestern and how he is going to be a star. While that is going to be true, I believe the Illinois running game is going to free up Williams and the passing game.

The Illini were able to run the ball better this season than I have seen in the past. It wasn’t just a pound the rock running game either. Our running backs were gaining huge chunks of yards at a time.

Chase Brown led the Illini in rushing for the 2021 campaign. He finished the year with 170 carries for 1,005 yards and five touchdowns. His 5.9 yards per carry is a great number and one of the best rushing averages in recent memory.

Brown wasn’t the only running back for the Illinois football team who ran loose this season. True freshman Josh McCray also showed flashes of greatness. He managed 112 carries for 545 yards and two touchdowns. For McCray’s size, his 4.9 yards per carry is tremendous.

On Saturday against Northwestern, the Illini duo had another great game to cap off the year. Brown had 12 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown while McCray had 12 carries for 42 yards and one touchdown. As a team, the Illini had 38 carries for 217 yards and four touchdowns on the day.

This Illinois rushing attack has such a bright future. Brown is going to be returning, and he is technically still a redshirt junior. So, he has two years of eligibility left for the Illini. McCray will obviously be back, as he is only going to be a sophomore next season. This one-two punch has a chance to be something special in program history.

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