5 massive observations from the Illinois football win over Nebraska

3. Welcome back, Kaden Feagin

Entering the 2024 campaign, I had high hopes for Kaden Feagin. He was entering his sophomore season after showing sparks of greatness as a true freshman.

I believe Feagin was one of the reasons former starter Reggie Love III departed. This was going to be his backfield, and Love saw the writing on the wall. But through the first three games, I was underwhelmed by Feagin’s output.

Sure, Feagin had 16 carries for 108 yards and a score in the Eastern Illinois game. That is an FCS program, though. I think Feagin could have hobbled out there in a potato sack and still hit 100 yards.

In the following two games, I was disappointed with how Feagin looked. He didn’t have much of a burst out of the backfield, and he wasn’t able to get much in the way of yards. Against Kansas, Feagin finished with 16 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. The Central Michigan matchup was about the same, as he had 10 carries for 25 yards and a score.

Averaging 2.5 yards per carry in the previous two games was well below expectations. But on Friday night, Feagin reemerged as his dominant self again.

Feagin finished the Nebraska game with 12 carries for 69 yards. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry, and those were some big runs, especially toward the end of the game.

Illinois was down 24-17 and the fourth quarter just started. Feagin started the drive off with an 11-yard carry. Two plays later, he had a 16-yard run. That drive ended in a touchdown and tied the game, and Feagin ran for 28 yards.

In overtime, Feagin came up big again. On the first play in the overtime period, Feagin got the rock and ran off the left side. He broke free for a 21-yard gain down to the four-yard line. This set up a touchdown pass, and ultimately the victory over Nebraska.

It was nice to see Feagin get his mojo back. This kid is a special talent, and if he starts going, Illinois’ offense is going to be extremely hard to stop.