Illini Excel at Short Field Game in Win at Ross Aide

Illini Win Field Position Game

by Steven Stremming

Photo by: Rex Crabtree/Excel Sports Publications

The Illini performed well every time they were in a short field position and in fact, every time they had Purdue in a long field situation facing them.  That led them to a convincing win over the Purdue Boilermakers inside of a rain soaked Ross Aide Stadium in front of nearly 30,000 paying fans.

Photo by: Rex Crabtree/Excel Sports Publications

The Illini under Head Coach Lovie Smith has now won two in a row (Wisconsin and Purdue) to move to four and four on the season with a legitimate shot at a bowl game with Rutgers and a incredibly injured Northwestern team at home and road games at Michigan State and Iowa.

Sometimes kickers and punters are taken for granted and their impact on a game is over-looked but not Saturday, again in fact, the BiG Ten Special teams award for this past weekend should go to the Illini punter, Melbourne, Australia Junior Blake Hayes as he pinned Purdue twice at the one yard line.

For the game Hayes would punt four  times averaging 50.3 yards per punt.

Top players for the Illini  were DeKalb, Illinois  Senior Dre Brown who rushed for over 120 yards amd London, Ontario Sophomore Sydney Brown.

Photo by: Rex Crabtree/Excel Sports Publications

Avon, Indiana’s Brandon Peters, (Peters was a Goal Post Football Cover photo player as a Senior) didn’t have to throw many passes as the Illini struck quickly in short field situations and key defensive turnovers, including a 13 yard pick six from Tony Adams to open up a 10 to 0 lead they would never surrender.

Photo by: Rex Crabtree/Excel Sports Publications

Photo by: Rex Crabtree/Excel Sports Publications

 

 

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