Illinois Football: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Purdue

4. Chase Brown still had a magical season

Even with Illinois struggling the past couple of weeks, there has always been one constant and that is the greatness of running back, Chase Brown.

Brown has had one of the most magical seasons in Illinois football history. Coming into Saturday, he led the nation in rushing and still had an outside shot of getting invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

The Heisman is out of the question completely now, and the Illini are losing, but Brown is still going strong. He would finish the Purdue game with 23 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. He was also second on the team in receiving with 32 yards.

Toward the end of the game, Brown was tackled and had his leg rolled up on. He never reentered the game, and his status moving forward is in question. Bret Bielema didn’t have any updates on Brown’s situation after the game.

I am hoping it is just a rolled ankle and nothing more. I would hate for Brown’s season to end like that. As we are now through the Purdue game, Illini fans need to appreciate what we have seen this season.

Brown has now rushed for 1,442 yards this year. Even if he doesn’t play in the final two regular season games and the bowl game, he would still finish No. 3 on the Illinois single-season rushing record. Only Mikel Leshoure (1,697 yards) and Rashard Mendenhall (1,681 yards) would finish ahead of Brown.

The 3,005 yards Brown had accumulated with the Illinois football program is another special number. His game against Purdue moved Brown to No. 2 on the Illinois all-time rushing record list, right behind Robert Holcombe (4,105 yards).

No matter what happens for the rest of the 2022 campaign, Brown has been special for the Illini, and we have witnessed one of the greatest seasons in Illinois history. Thank you for everything, Chase.