Illini Inquirer’s Jeremy Werner and Joey Wagner are in Charlottesville (Va.) to witness Illinois football’s first road trip of the 2021 season to take on Virginia. Illinois (1-1) is currently a 10.5-point underdog against the Cavaliers (1-0), who have won 18 of their last 20 home games under Bronco Mendenhall.
We will provide frequent updates before and during the game here in our live updates, so refresh frequently.
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FINAL: Virginia 42, Illinois 14
Reminder: Bret Bielema has his work cut out for him.
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Virginia 42, Illinois 14; 4:24 left 4Q: Penalties, more Virginia points, a Sitkowski pick and Virginia players dancing. Almost done here.
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Virginia 35, Illinois 14; 10:40 left 4Q: Three drops (two by Casey Washington, one by Donny Navarro) and one Casey Washington pass interference crushed that drive that ended with a 4th-and-20 incomplete pass short of the sticks. It’s ugly here.
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Virginia 35, Illinois 14; 8:35 left 4Q: Heck of an interception by Kerby Joseph. He just ripped it from big Kayteon Thompson. But the Illini offense punted out of its own end zone, and Virginia is in the red zone after a few Illini penatlies.
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Virginia 35, Illinois 14; 14:17 left 4Q: Well, Illinois finally got its takeaway. Jake Hansen forced a fumble and recovered. Too little too late though.
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Virginia 35, Illinois 14; 4:06 left 3Q: This Illini defense is deplorable right now. Virginia just cruised to its fourth touchdown drive of 74-plus yards in fewer than 10 plays. Brennan Armstrong has 341 passing yards for four touchdowns. Virginia has 467 total yards with 19:06 left.
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Virginia 28, Illinois 14; 9:04 left 3Q: The Illini defense just can’t get a stop. Virginia just had its fifth drive of 60-plus yards and third drive of 75-plus yards, prolonged by two penalties, an Isaiah Gay offsides on third down and a Tony Adams defensive pass interference. The Illini had a couple chances at takeaways on that drive. Jake Hansen forced a fumble out of bounds while Tony Adams got his hand on a few passes, but they came away empty-handed.
Also, Marlee Weird of WCIA reports that Sydney Brown is in a sling on the sideline. Kerby Joseph started the second half at safety.
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Virginia 21, Illinois 14; 12:59 left 3Q: Wow, what a difference halftime apparently made. Illinois just found something in the outside zone rushing attack and Tony Petersen really attacked the edges. The offensive line dominated upfront and Jakari Norwood and Chase Brown combined for 46 rushing yards, including a 21-yard touchdown run for Brown, almost doubling the offense’s first-half rushing total in one drive.
If the defense can get a stop, we got a game.
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HALF: Virginia 21, Illinois 7
That was a bad half of football for Illinois. Here are some quick thoughts:
1. The defense simply looks overmatched. The Illini defensive line has gotten very little pressure and is struggling to disengage from blockers and contain Armstrong on the run. Jelani Woods (3 receptions, 81 yards) and Keytaon Thompson (62 total yards) are difficult matchups for the Illini, and Brennan Armstrong is dicing them up through the air and the run. Talent appears to be a big issue on that side of the ball, and the Illini miss CJ Hart and
2. The Illini are struggling to establish the run. Illini running backs have just 25 yards on nine carries. Virginia, like UTSA, is loading the box and the offensive line is struggling to get a push and the running backs are struggling to find room to run. Tony Petersen started to attack the edges in the passing game with dump offs to running backs. That may be their best way of running the ball until the passing game finds consistency.
3. The vertical passing game is lacking. Outside of Spann, the Illini just don’t have receivers who are getting separation consistently down the field. Isaiah Williams has barely been a factor today (two receptions, 7 yards). The other wideouts are struggling to get separation, and the tight ends have a combined two receptions for 11 yards.
4. The Illini are fortunate to only be down 14. Illinois got into Virginia territory just once in six drives. Virginia got into Illinois territory five times in six drives. But two missed field goals means this is only a two-possession game. But with the way the Illini are playing, two touchdowns still seems a huge deficit.
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Virginia 21, Illinois 7; 1:17 left 2Q: That 3-and-out by the offense is even more significant now after Virginia diced through the Illini for 62 yards on seven plays to take a commanding 21-7 lead. Brennan Armstrong has passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns and run for a team-leading 33 yards. Virginia has 338 yards in the first half and is averaging 9.4 yards per play.
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Virginia 14, Illinois 7; 3:58 left 2Q: And the Illini offense just had its third three-and-out of the half. And a penalty after a 38-yard Blake Hayes put gives UVA the ball at the Illini 38. The Illini defense needs a stop here to feel good going into halftime.
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Virginia 14, Illinois 7; 6:14 left 2Q: Illinois forced a red zone stop at the 10-yard line and Virginia missed its second field goal in as many drives. Instead of a 20-7 Virginia lead, Illinois now has the ball with the chance to tie and have the ball after halftime. Huge, huge drive. The Illini can overcome a horrific start with a good end to the half.
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Virginia 14, Illinois 7; 11:09 left 1Q: The Deuce is loose! Deuce Spann just struck again with a 33-yard touchdown reception (what a grab too) to give the Illini some life and cut Virginia’s lead in half. Spann, a converted QB, has three receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns this season. I’ve never seen such a high hit rate on deep throws for a little-used wideout. The Illini finally found some verticality in the passing game, and Art Sitkowski was a perfect 4-for-4 for 61 yards and the touchdown. He also had a good play-action pass to Chase Brown for a big third-down conversion.
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Virginia 14, Illinois 0, late 1Q: Well, the Illini got a first down, their only first down of the quarter, on an impressive third-and-short hurdle by Josh McCray. But the Illini couldn’t get another one and had to punt for the third time. The Illini defense also forced its first three-and-out. The Illini need to sustain a drive and score some points.
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Virginia 14, Illinois 0; 3:50 left 1Q: Illinois finally forced a few third downs (the first two of the game for Virginia) and finally got off the field without giving up a score with a few key PBUs. But the Illini still aren’t getting any pressure on Brennan Armstrong (7-10, 171 yards, 2 TDs) and Virginia already has 210 yards of offense. A missed 46-yard Virginia field goal though keeps this a two-possession game.
Time for the Illini offense to do something. They have gone 3-and-out twice.
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Virginia 14, Illinois 0; 10:04 left 1Q: This Illini passing defense is atrocious. Brennan Armstrong already has 141 passing yards and two touchdowns on 5-for-6 passing. Devon Witherspoon and Tony Adams just got burned on deep balls. This is an onslaught and an embarrassing one for Illinois. Virginia is averaging 20.0 yards per play and 28.2 yards per completion.
Meanwhile, Illinois’ offense with a three-and-out to start. Two of three plays went for negative yardage, including a Reggie Love attempt on 3rd-and-short. The Illini have struggled in those situations the last two weeks. Team will continue to stack the box against the Illini until the passing game scares them.
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Virginia 7, Illinois 0; 13:44 left 1Q: Well, that was easy. Virginia just went 75 yards in four plays, including two 30-plus yard passes to mondo tight end Jelani Woods. Brennan Armstrong also had a long scramble to avoid contact. Ryan Walters’ defense has not looked good the last two games, and now Artur Sitkowski and the Illini offense face an immediate deficit. The Illini have faced first-half touchdown deficits in all three games so far this season.
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9:55 a.m.: We just had a moment of silence for 9/11, a beautiful rendition of the national anthem and a flyover (insert Dwight Schrute fist pump GIF here), and we’re ready for football. This is a tough task for Illinois football. Virginia is where the Illini want to be in three or four years: consistently making bowls and in the top-half of their conference. But stealing a win from a program like that on the road would be a huge boost to Bret Bielema’s first season and a huge checkpoint in the Illini’s path to a potential bowl bid. Illinois has to play a clean, disciplined game to do so. Let’s go.
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9:30 a.m.: Looks like Julian Pearl will be starting at right guard for Illini. Pearl was my Illinois offensive player in the spotlight entering this game. Also, Jack Badovinac is repping at left guard for the Illini first string. That’s two offensive line starter changes.
Brandon Peters has been cleared for contact and is active, but Artur Sitkowski is taking reps with the first team during warmups.
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9:15 a.m.: Artur Sitkowski just took snaps from starting center Doug Kramer, so he’ll start. Brandon Peters took snaps from backup center Blake Jeresaty and is now throwing passes. No signs of limited motion. He just threw a strike to Reggie Love.
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9 a.m.: Keith Randolph is on the travel roster but still not sure we expect him to play. Brandon Peters, Chase Brown, Chase Hayden, Jafar Armstrong and Brian Hightower did travel. Marquez Beason did not travel, neither did running back Mike Epstein or defensive lineman Deon Pate.
The true freshmen who traveled are: RB Josh McCray, DB Daniel Edwards, WR Patrick Bryant, DB Tyler Strain, OLB DJ Johnson and OL Zach Barlev.
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8:30 a.m: About to hop on the WCIA3 pregame show with Marlee Weirda. Watch here:
Watch the Your #Illini Nation Pregame Show LIVE from Charlottesville coming up in about 10 minutes on the @WCIA3 digital channels. @WCIA3Marlee and @JWerner247 are in Virginia to break it all down leading up to the 10 a.m. kickoff on ACC Network: https://t.co/lwhgrdcc5f pic.twitter.com/bzDUQKdTCe
— Bret Beherns (@WCIA3Bret) September 11, 2021
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8 a.m. – Joey Wagner and I made it to Scott Stadium, which is a bowl in the ground, a bit reminiscent of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They have these things called hills in Charlottesville. A bit tough to navigate for us flat-land Midwesterners. By the way, people in Virginia love their fried chicken. On the highway from the airport, we counted at least six chicken fast-food spots: Bojangle’s, Zaxby’s, Raising Cane’s, Popeye’s, KFC and Chick-fil-A. Roderick Perry has said during the last year that he misses Bojangle’s and Zaxby’s, so we might have to stop at one today. Raising Cane’s was a hopping spot last night with a line out onto the highway.
We haven’t gotten a travel roster yet, but Brandon Peters was expected to travel. Bret Bielema said Thursday that Artur Sitkowski would start at quarterback. The Illini linebackers and a few cornerbacks are on the field.
Whoever plays at quarterback, the Illini would like to get off to a better start. The Illini trailed Nebraska 9-2 and UTSA 14-0 before scoring in their first two games. A first-quarter lead would be welcome for a team that wants to run the ball and run clock.
“Any time you can play from ahead, I would guess that most coaches would say that’s the best position to be in statistically,” Bielema said on Monday. “That’s always going to be in your favor. I told the guys I wouldn’t be surprised at some point early in the game if we faced a little bit of adversity. I don’t think it came as a shock to them. We knew they were going to be amped up and ready to roll. Depending on how the cookie crumbled, there was going to be a chance we played from behind. Weren’t shocked by it. I think they handled the moment. The big thing, I think was frustrating was before the end of the half we had that turnover — that play shouldn’t have even happened, they had two guys in motion — I told the guys, ‘Breaks are going to come our way, you’ve got to be able to handle those breaks when they come.’”
Some final thoughts on #illini vs. Virginia as @mrwagner25 and I enter Scott Stadium pic.twitter.com/cAMznjBdPP
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) September 11, 2021
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7 a.m. — Good morning! Jeremy Werner here in Charlottesville, Virginia. Joey Wagner and I got in last night on a flight on a small airplane, and we met and saw several Illini fans on the same flight. We made our way to the downtown mall, and that’s a fun little strip of nightlife there. Might have to do that again before we leave tomorrow morning.
Before we dive into the game, I have to talk about the date. It’s Sept. 11, 2021. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since the world became a far bigger, far scarier place for a small-town teenager on his first day of high school.
I first heard a plane flew into the World Trade Center while my brother and I were listening to Mancow in the Morning on Chicago’s Q101 while riding into school. For those that don’t know, Mancow was Chicago’s version of Howard Stern, a shock jock, and I distinctly remember him saying a plane had flown into the World Trade Center and he kept repeating that he wasn’t joking. I then heard him and his co-hosts shriek as another plane hit the other tower and he quickly came to realize this was a premeditated attack. I was spooked but really just didn’t know what was going on. I went into school and immediately asked everyone if they had heard anything.
This was my first day of school and we were just entering a brand-new, not-completed new building at Peotone High School, so they didn’t yet have TVs hooked up. During our second hour, the principal came on the monitor and informed everyone of the attack and then played news radio reports over the intercom. I distinctly remember a reporter saying, “The World Trade Center is no longer there,” and I just struggled to believe it. Then we heard about the news at The Pentagon and a crashed plane (Flight 93) in Shanksville.
I was supposed to have a freshman football game that day but it of course was canceled. So I called my mom from the school office — I didn’t get my first cell phone until a year later when I got a car — and I distinctly remember her saying, “Jer, we’re at war.” For a 90s kid who grew up almost entirely in peacetime, that was jarring. When I finally got home, I couldn’t step away from the television — for days. Those images were gutting and made me incredibly sad, angry and scared. That day has shaped our world for a long time, some for good and some for bad. But I do remember that for a few days, weeks and maybe even months, this country did unite and showed so much empathy for each other, something that seems so foreign now.
I traveled to see a friend in New Jersey seven months later and we traveled to New York City to see the sights, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, etc. Those spots had the typical hustle and bustle, but once we got to lower Manhattan, there was an eerie quiet outside of the construction vehicles and power tools whirring as cleanup continued. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of photos of loved ones lost on the fences surrounding Ground Zero and badges of thousands of first responders who had helped with the cleanup. My heart still aches thinking about all the lives lost that day and all the heroes who died trying to help others by climbing all those flights of stairs, into the fire.
I then visited that site again about 15 years later with my wife, and the 9/11 memorial museum is a must-see for everyone who has the chance to visit NYC. They did a phenomenal job to honor those lost.
I will never forget that day and clearly still have vivid memories of that day, and I think the job of all of us who did experience that day to share their stories of that day and to remember the heroes who tried to help others. In the worst, scariest moments, we often can find the best in humanity appear. I think that was true that day.
Illinois football, 2-0 at the time, was scheduled to play Louisville the Saturday after 9/11. That game was postponed but fortunately both teams had an open week the next week and Illinois upset No. 25 Louisville 34-10 at Memorial Stadium, improving to 3-0 to earn a No. 22 ranking. Illinois then lost its Big Ten opener the next week 45-20 at No. 17 Michigan but then rattled off seven straight wins to win the outright Big Ten Championship and earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl (a 47-34 loss to LSU).
“I remember (secretary) Mary Gallagher knocking on our door during a staff meeting,” former Illini head coach Ron Turner told FightingIllini.com. “I said ‘Mary, hold on’ and she said, ‘No, you need to come now.’ After we saw what had happened, we immediately got the team together and talked to them about it and let them voice their thoughts. It was a very emotional time, a very tough time. We just told them that football was taking a back seat right now.”
We’ll be back to talk some football. Here’s some pregame reading material.
