Illinois football could have easily had a letdown game on Thursday night, but the coaching staff had this team prepared.
The Illini went up against a top 10 FCS team in the Chattanooga Mocs, but this game was not competitive from the first snap. Illinois looked like the clear favorite early and often.
Illinois was bigger, faster, and stronger than Chattanooga, and we wielded that advantage all night long. The defense was incredible, the offense moved the ball, and our special teams were flawless. This was a great all-around win.
Here are five observations from the Illinois football win over Chattanooga.
1. Tommy DeVito was on-point
Coming into the game on Thursday night, there were a few questions about the Illinois offense. One of those questions was would Tommy DeVito be able to start getting into a better rhythm with the Illini wide receivers.
Through the first three games, I was happy with what we saw from DeVito. He was able to move the ball down the field with some success, but there would be the occasional overthrow that would hurt the team. I believe this had some to do with timing and there was a little rust sprinkled in there as well.
In the Chattanooga game, DeVito helped put any worries to rest, as he had his best game with the Illini. There was not a moment in the game where I was concerned about the passing ability of the Syracuse transfer.
DeVito would finish the game with 329 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Each pass he thew was zipped into his pass catcher. He would have had an even better game if some of his passes weren’t dropped throughout the game.
I love what I saw from DeVito. This was the first time this season where I felt he played a crisp game. If we can get this DeVito the rest of the season, then we are going to win a lot of games.
2. Illinois defense was suffocating
I can get excited about the Illinois offense all I want, but we all know that the defense is the bread and butter of this program.
There was only one time this season when the defense didn’t look great, and that was the final drive in the Indiana game where they scored a touchdown. That is literally the only time I have been disappointed with the Illini defense.
On Thursday night, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters had his crew firing on all cylinders once again. From the first snap, Illinois was playing with a ferocity and intensity that I haven’t seen all year. They were attacking the Chattanooga offensive line.
Illinois’ defense gave up zero points against the Mocs, but honestly, that wasn’t the most impressive number. The Illini only gave up 49 yards through the air. Just think about that. The Chattanooga quarterbacks were 6-of-19 for 49 yards and two interceptions.
The Mocs couldn’t get going on the ground, either. As a team, they finished with 33 carries for 93 yards. This was dominating performance all around.
For the season, Illinois has now given up just 29 points in four games. That is an insane stat. This defense is playing well, and I would argue it is the best defense I have seen in over a decade.
3. The emergence of Pat Bryant is exciting
Illinois’ spring game seemed like years ago, but this was the big introduction for the Illini fans to wide receiver, Pat Bryant. He looked good in the spring game, but that was just a scrimmage. Who knew what was going to happen come the fall?
But what ended up happening was the spring game was just a sample size of what was going to happen in August and beyond. Bryant didn’t just shine in the scrimmage, his game translated to the regular season.
On Thursday, Bryant put up some big numbers in a solid win for the Illini over Chattanooga. He would finish the game with six receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown. He is a nice big target for Tommy DeVito, and I would argue he is the go-to target when Illinois needs a deep ball.
Bryant has been amazing for the Illini. For the year, he is second on the team in receptions with 13 catches, and he is one yard shy of tying Isaiah Williams for the most receiving yards for the Orange and Blue. He currently has 259 yards on the season.
Despite Bryant being second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards, he has actually led Illinois in receiving yards in three out of the four games this season.
I think Bryant has an extremely bright future with the Orange and Blue. His gameplay and abilities remind me a lot of former Illini legend, Brandon Lloyd. I can’t wait to see what the rest of his career holds.
4. Isaiah Williams is electric
I love what Pat Bryant is doing for the Illinois football program. Having a big body like his out wide gives the Illini so many options on offense. One thing that helps Bryant perform well is the fact Illinois also has a playmaker like Isaiah Williams lined up next to him.
Williams was a quarterback when he first joined the Illini. I always thought he could be a dynamic playmaker behind center, but his move to wide receiver was probably the best thing he could have done for his career.
Against Chattanooga on Thursday night, Williams proved once again that his decision to move to wide receiver was a good one. He would finish the game with nine receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story about the impact Williams has on the program.
Williams isn’t someone who you just bomb the ball to 60 yards down the field. He is the type of player that you give the ball to anywhere on the field, and then he goes and makes a play. An example of that is his touchdown against the Mocs. Williams caught a 10-ish-yard pass and took it to the house for a 63-yard touchdown.
The electricity that Williams brings to the football field is exciting. This kid is something I have never seen before in Champaign. He is a one-of-a-kind special talent. Let’s enjoy what we are watching.
5. We are finally utilizing our tight ends
I would argue that Illinois has one of the most dynamic offenses we have had in the past decade. Not only came we run the football, but our passing game is actually a threat.
Led by Tommy DeVito, the Illini can actually move the ball down the field by throwing the ball. There isn’t just one main target either. DeVito shares the ball with all of his playmakers. One shocking revelation for the Illinois offense is the fact we can indeed use our tight ends.
The Thursday night win over Chattanooga proved again that the tight end position can be an asset to this program. Michael Marchese would finish the game with one reception for 25 yards and a touchdown. Luke Ford and Tim Reiman both had a reception in the game as well. These tight ends add an extra layer to our offense.
For the season, Illinois tight ends have now combined for 16 receptions for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Through four games, that is more than the Illinois tight ends had for the entirety of the 2018 campaign. They finished that season with 12 receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown.
If you project that tight end production out over 12 games, they are on pace for 48 receptions for 453 yards and nine touchdowns this season. That would be the most receptions, yards, and touchdowns by the Illini tight end group over the prior five seasons.
Finally, Illinois is using their tight ends. It is impressive what this unit is doing, and I can’t wait to see them progress throughout the year.