Illinois Football: 5 observations from the Illini win over Wisconsin

4. Secondary changed the momentum

The Illinois defensive line has gotten a lot of credit for the success of that side of the ball this season, and they should. They have been playing amazingly. But let’s not look past the impact the Illinois secondary has on the program.

Illinois’ secondary has been amazing in 2022. We don’t have the high four-star or five-star recruits that some of the teams have in the country, but we have dogs who are getting the job done. And I believe we have a few NFL Draft picks waiting in the wings.

The Illini entered Saturday night giving up 180 yards per game through the air, which ranked No. 21 in the nation. It is hard to give up fewer passing yards than that, but we were around there with allowing just 206 yards to Graham Mertz. The thing that impressed me the most wasn’t allowing just 206 yards to Mertz or the fact he had a 53% completion rate.

I was most impressed with the Illinois secondary’s ability to change the momentum of the game with big plays.

Let’s remember, Wisconsin drove down the field on their first drive and scored a touchdown. Illinois would then punt on their first drive. The Badgers could have come down on their second drive and made this a 14-0 game and put Illinois in a hole.

But that didn’t happen because of our secondary. On that second Wisconsin drive, a defensive back tipped a pass and Kendall Smith came away with a huge interception. This not only ended Wisconsin’s drive but also put Illinois in the red zone, which would lead to a touchdown. It could have been a 14-point swing.

After that score, the Badgers would snag a field goal to take a 10-7 lead. Illinois would then punt, so the Badgers had a chance to drive back down the field and go up 17-7. This would have been a big hole to climb out of, but Illinois’ secondary once again came up huge.

Pressure on Mertz forced him out of the pocket and to his left. He had to throw across his body and would overthrow his intended target. Tahveon Nicholson would make a great diving catch for the interception. Again, that stopped a Wisconsin drive to go up double-digit points. Instead, Illinois would drive down and score a touchdown. Another potential 14-point swing.

The momentum-changing plays that the Illinois secondary made were huge in the win. If we didn’t have those plays, I am not sure how this game would have turned out. This was an impressive showing.