Illinois football came through in a big way on Saturday with a victory over the Virginia Cavaliers.
Coming into this game, I was nervous for the Illini. We were thrashed by this Virginia squad last season, and they returned most of that talent from that team. But Illinois was ready this time around.
The Illini started the game off in the worst way with four turnovers in the first half, including a turnover in each of the first two drives. But the defense kept us in the game. Illinois would take a 21-3 lead into halftime.
It was a boring second half, though. Illinois’ defense continued to dominate and the offense would tack on three points. The Illini would end up winning the game, 24-3.
Here are five observations from the Illinois football win over Virginia.
1. Defense was incredible
I am sitting here typing this article thinking how ugly the game against Virginia could have been on Saturday. This should have been a blowout in favor of the Cavaliers, but it wasn’t because of the Illinois defense.
Throughout my time as an Illini fan, I have seen some pretty good defenses in Champaign, but the 2022 unit that has been on display the last couple of weeks might be one of the best in the past 32 years.
Against Virginia, the Illini defense was dominant. Despite our offense turning the ball over four times, the defense only allowed three total points the entire game. That is an incredible feat.
Illinois’ front seven were impressive the entire night, and the wealth was spread throughout. Four Illini had a sack with freshman Gabe Jacas checking in with two sacks of his own late in the contest. In addition to the sack total, Illinois was able to get to Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong all game long. He couldn’t get comfortable, and that was a big reason why they only scored three points.
Beyond the sacks, Armstrong also had a bad game overall. He torched the Illini for five touchdowns in 2021 but would only finish with 180 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions on Saturday. He also only completed 40% of his passes.
The secondary for the Illini was great too. Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks is projected as a top three-round NFL Draft pick in 2023, and Illinois was able to hold him to just two catches for 23 yards. Kendall Smith and Matthew Bailey each had an interception in the secondary as well.
It was a complete game by the Illinois defense. I haven’t seen this unit play this well in a long time, if ever. Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters has the Illini playing at a high level. If our defense can play like this the rest of the season, then we could end up with 7-8 wins.