5 stressful observations from the Illinois football win over Purdue

At one point, I thought Illinois football was going to cruise to an easy win, but then we came back down to Earth.

Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Luke Zardzin (42) recovers a fumble in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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3. Josh McCray have a day

I touched on Josh McCray a bit in the previous slide. He had a nice catch and run late in the game to help Illinois get to overtime and win the game. But that wasn’t the best of McCray on Saturday.

McCray was vital in every single way. On the ground, he had 16 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He was nearly unstoppable. Purdue didn’t seem to have an answer for McCray. Illinois’ offensive line opened up huge holes, and McCray looked as good and healthy as I have ever seen him.

Through the air, McCray was special too. Not only did he have the huge catch late in the game, but he finished with three receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.

In the absence of Kaden Feagin, McCray stepped up and was a safety blanket for the Illinois offense. What I like most about McCray and his game is that he doesn’t waste movement. He knows what he is as a running back. He isn’t going to juke a defender east to west. McCray puts his head down and goes.

I have been hard on McCray throughout the past couple of seasons. Honestly, due to injuries, he has looked pretty bad. But this is the McCray I saw as a freshman. He looks good and could end up being a contender for a lot more snaps moving forward. McCray, have a day.

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