Illinois Football: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Iowa

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 04: John Paddock #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks to pass against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Fighting Illini defeated the Golden Gophers 27-26. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /

2. John Paddock continued to look good for Illinois

I believe you can point to multiple reasons why Illinois ended up falling to Iowa. One of the reasons for this brutal defeat was not John Paddock, though.

Paddock played well enough to come away with the victory against a tough Hawkeyes defense. The last time Iowa gave up 200 yards to a quarterback was in the Wisconsin game over a month ago. They hadn’t allowed a 100-yard passer in the past two games. Meanwhile, Paddock was able to throw for 215 yards on the day.

The lack of mistakes was something that I loved about Paddock too. He didn’t make any backbreaking mistakes. Paddock was accurate, for the most part, with his throws, and he didn’t have any bad fumbles. That is a nice change of pace.

When it comes down to his actual passes, I think Paddock is perfect for this Illinois offense. With a terrible offensive line, we need someone who can get the ball out quickly and accurately. That is Paddock. He trusts what he sees and lets it zip.

There is potentially one game left of the 2023 season, and I hope Illinois sticks with Paddock. He gives this program the best chance to beat Northwestern. Let’s ride Paddock’s arm and see if he can get us to a bowl game.

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