Football

Illinois sold Tommy DeVito on a run game and offensive protection and kept its promise Saturday in a 38-6 season-opening win. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 28, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Tommy DeVito is living in a brand new world. 

The new Illinois starting quarterback was sold on the program by head coach Bret Bielema this past winter mostly on the ability to have two things to help him succeed: a running game and a huge offensive line capable of protecting him. 

Bielema and the Illini coaching staff certainly lived up to their word after a 38-6 victory over an overmatched Wyoming squad in the 2022 season opener. 

In 2020, Syracuse’s offense boasted the worst rushing attack in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the sixth-worst rushing average among 127 Football Bowl Subdivision programs across the nation. The Orange only supplemented their four-star savior quarterback prospect with 92 yards per game on the ground and five rushing touchdowns in 11 games.

y Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 27. 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- With any other player, it would’ve seemed like Bret Bielema took an enormous gamble with a preseason strategy. 

Bielema elected to not have his returning leading rusher, Chase Brown, receive any physical contact through the month-long process that is training camp. No tackling, no thudding and the Illini’s second-year head coach didn’t want any defensive players breathing too heavily on his 205-pound, All-Big Ten selection tailback. 

“I’ve had a lot of good running backs in my career, right? I’ve been very blessed but I told (Brown) last spring that the last hit you took in that Northwestern game would be the last time you were going to get tackled until the opener so you’ll need to prepare that way,” Bielema said after the Illini head coach won his second consecutive season opener at Memorial Stadium. “He had a great spring. He had a great fall (camp) and we didn’t let anybody tackle him. I was a little nervous in seeing how explosive he’d be but he’s got a really great understanding of how to play behind his pads.” 

Following a season opener performance where the senior tailback recorded 151 yards and found the end zone three times in a dominating 38-6 victory, Bielema’s August plan for his star was proven to be a no-brainer. 

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CHAMPAIGN — Let me start off by saying that this isn’t a post for everyone.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- At 52 years old, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema sometimes wishes his younger self was a lot more like Tip Reiman. 

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By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 25, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The most production loss from last season to one position group at Illinois is where this coaching staff sees the most potential for talent depth. 

After the loss at Purdue in late September, Owen Carney Jr. and Isaiah Gay participated in a majority of the snaps at the outside linebacker position and were key cogs in allowing Illinois to maintain a pass rush in defensive coordinator Ryan Walters’ 3-4 scheme. 

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