If you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a team, and Illinois football knows this best.
Prior to Bret Bielema, Illinois couldn’t find a quarterback. We had to deal with some of the worst talent behind center that I can remember.
Bielema changed the whole outlook. Illinois got Tommy DeVito in year two. Luke Altmyer took over for three seasons of the most successful run in program history. Now, we are on to Katin Houser.
There were questions about Houser, as he hadn’t played big-boy football in a while. I think he started to answer some of those questions against UAB. In fact, I think Houser flashed what could be his best trait for the Orange and Blue.
Consistency.
Houser was the gold standard of consistency on Thursday night. Illinois didn’t throw him to the wolves early on, and this helped him ease into the new role of leader for the program.
For the game, Houser was 13-of-17 for 182 yards and three touchdowns. The breakdown of his success makes you appreciate the outing even more.
In the first quarter, Houser was 2-for-2 for 23 yards and a touchdown. Heading into the final seconds of the second quarter, Houser was 3-for-5 for 23 yards. On the final play, he elevated his numbers greatly, finishing the second quarter going 4-for-6 for 77 yards and a touchdown.
So, in the first half, Houser completed 75% of his passes. He got even more efficient while throwing more passes in the second half.
Houser came out of the halftime locker room with great precision. He was 3-for-4 for 38 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. This great play helped expand the lead over UAB to double digits.
The fourth quarter of Houser going 4-for-5 for 44 yards is what officially sealed the game. He didn’t make mistakes. Houser looked great in the second half against the Blazers, finishing with a completion percentage of 77.8%.
Illinois football is going to need that great consistency in some massive games to come
You need quality quarterback play to have any chance at making the College Football Playoff. Houser gives that to the Illinois offense.
We are going to need him to continue being consistent, as there are some key games coming up in the next month or so.
Duke is on the slate for next weekend. The Blue Devils struggled against Tulane, taking a double-digit lead late in the game to get the win. That Duke offense isn’t very good, but their defense is elite. Houser will need to find his rhythm to pick apart the Blue Devils.
Illinois then gets Ohio State on September 26. They just put up a 56-spot on Ball State and only allowed three points. Houser will have to sling the ball all over the field to keep up with the Buckeyes.
And then in late October, Illinois has Oregon in Champaign. The Ducks didn’t look good on Saturday, as they struggled against Boise State. This matchup feels more manageable now, but Oregon is going to put up a lot of points. That means Houser will need to be consistent to get Illinois in contention for an upset.
Add us as a preferred source on Google