Illinois football might end up having to limp to the finish line against Michigan State without Katin Houser.
With the time winding down in the third quarter, the Illinois quarterback scrambled out and overthrew Collin Dixon in the middle of the field. This pass led to an interception that was run back into Illinois territory, where Houser made the tackle.
This tackle ended up hurting Houser. After the touchdown-saving tackle, Houser was seen heading to the locker room.
There isn’t a report on what is going on with Houser just yet, but he didn’t come out on the very next Illinois drive. It was true freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II.
The injury looks to be Houser's hand after the tackle was made.
UPDATE: Katin Houser is on the sidelines in regular clothes with a brace on his wrist.
Houser’s injury comes at a bad time. Illinois was up 13 points at the time, and the Spartans would score on the possession right after the interception.
Illinois needed to get momentum back, but it looks like we might be riding the rest of the game without Houser behind center. For the game, Houser is 20-of-29 for 194 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Michael Clatyon II has a golden opportunity to show his worth to Illinois football for next season
Clayton now steps in, and on his first pass, he throws a 14-yard completion to Dixon. It was a good start for the first-time passer in the Orange and Blue.
This is an interesting decision for the Illinois coaching staff. Bret Bielema always said the backup job was between Carson Boyd and Clayton. It looks like the decision was made, and this is a big one now that he has to lead Illinois to a win.
Boyd would later get in the game with more running schemes. This was a great decision, and Boyd's run got Illinois deeper into Michigan State territory. Clayton then finished off his first college drive with a touchdown pass to Dixon.
We will continue updating the Houser injury as news comes in. For now, the Illini are looking to just secure the win and head back home to Champaign .500. Let’s see how the freshman can perform in a crucial situation.
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