Depth Dossier: Illinois Fighting Illini (Week 10)

Show Notes

Illinois Wins Without Its Legs, Thanks to a Punter Who Can Apparently Also Play Receiver The Depth Dossier breaks down what Illinois's Week 10 game against Nebraska changed on the depth chart: injuries, snap shares and who is moving up or down.

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This is the Depth Dossier: the Illinois Fighting Illini, Week 10.

Illinois found a way to win without really winning the game on paper, and the headline here is that a punter basically moonlighted as a wide receiver to make it happen.

The Illini beat Nebraska 24 to 13 on Saturday despite getting outgained by 50 yards, and they did it behind a career day from one receiver and one of the gutsiest fourth-down calls you'll see all year.

Illinois fell behind 7 to nothing early, then answered with four straight scoring drives and shut Nebraska out after halftime. Quarterback Katin Houser was outstanding, going 22 of 36 for 292 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His favorite target, wide receiver Collin Dixon, caught eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, setting Illinois' single season record for touchdown catches. Linebacker Matthew Bailey led the defense with 11 tackles, and the Illini kept Nebraska off the scoreboard for a quarter and a half when it mattered most.

Now here's the strange part. Nebraska actually won the box score. The Huskers had more total yards, 426 to 376, more time of possession, more first downs, and over 50 more rushing yards than Illinois. But they never led after the second quarter.

So where did the game actually get decided? In the margins. Illinois scored on all four of its trips into the red zone. Nebraska only got there once, and also missed field goals from 54 and 45 yards in the first half, points that would have mattered in what was a tied game at the break. Penalties cut both ways, Nebraska was flagged 11 times for 82 yards to Illinois' six for 55, though one of those penalties actually helped set up Nebraska's own opening touchdown drive. And neither team turned the ball over, so this wasn't decided by luck. Illinois just made more of its chances.

Then there's the play everyone will be talking about. Facing fourth and twelve from Nebraska's 32 early in the third quarter, Illinois' punter and holder, Lars Rau, took off running instead of kicking, and picked up 29 yards. Three plays later, Illinois had the go-ahead touchdown. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said afterward his team was actually prepared for that fake. Illinois ran it anyway, and it worked.

One quiet concern for Illinois, their own running game. They managed just 84 yards on 29 carries, under three yards a carry. Against a Nebraska defense that gave up over 400 total yards, that was livable. It won't be against tougher competition.

Turning to the injury and depth chart picture, there's actually good news across the board. No injuries were reported. Houser, playing without issue following a broken hand that cost him time earlier in the year, turned in his cleanest outing since coming back, three touchdowns, no picks, and no visible effects from the injury. That settles a question that had been lingering for weeks.

Dixon's big day wasn't just a one-off performance either. His two touchdowns gave him 12 on the season, a program record, and it's more proof he's Houser's clear first read no matter the coverage. Running back Jordan Anderson also scored his first career touchdown, the one that gave Illinois its first lead of the game, and that gives this offense another option who can finish drives instead of just extending them.

On special teams, keep an eye on Rau going forward. A punter who can break off a 29 yard scramble on fourth and twelve is the kind of weapon that can earn a bigger role in short yardage or trick play situations if similar fourth down math comes up again.

The one lingering question is still the ground game. Illinois leaned on Houser and Dixon through the air to the tune of 292 yards, with only 84 on the ground. How that run game looks next week will say a lot about whether this offense can hold up once it faces a defense that isn't Nebraska's.

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