CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Under the lights at Memorial Stadium, Illinois fans had their first opportunity to watch the 2021 Fighting Illini football team under first-year head coach Bret Bielema as Team Orange dominated Team Blue in a 65-15 win in the annual Orange and Blue Spring Game.
Brandon Peters shined for Team Orange, completing 12 of 18 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown. Luke Ford caught five passes for 88 yards, while Donny Navarro III added 131 yards on three catches. Â
Team Orange ran for 396 yards while scoring four touchdowns on the ground. Chase Brown rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns, while Reggie Love III and Chase Hayden also ran for 63 and 52 yards, respectively, and one touchdown each.
Defensively, Owen Carney Jr., and Jer'Zhan Newton led with five tackles each, with Carney, Jr., adding two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. For Team Blue, Deon Pate and Jaden Jones-Watkins each notched six tackles to lead the way.
The Orange team - made up first team players - jumped out to an early 21-0 advantage behind a one-yard touchdown run from Peters on the opening drive, followed by a 29-yard pass from Peters to Khmari Thompson after 44-yard run from Navarro earlier in the drive. A Hayden 27-yard run rounded out the opening quarter scoring.
After both teams went 2-for-3 in the field goal shootout at the end of the first quarter, Orange added to its lead with a 22-yard field by James McCourt, followed by a one-yard Brown touchdown rush and a 12-yard scoring run from Reggie Love III for the 44-6 lead entering halftime. Â
In a shortened second half with a running clock and a 12-minute third quarter and an eight-minute fourth period, Orange continued its dominance with a Brown five-yard touchdown run, capped by a two-point conversion that was converted by Big Ten Network sideline reporter Elise Menaker on the toss to Daniel Barker.
At the third quarter break, Team Blue's Caleb Griffin went 3-for-3 in the field goal shootout, with Team Orange also converting a pair to enter the fourth quarter leading 58-15. Luke Ford then sealed the Orange 65-15 win with a 16-yard touchdown reception from Deuce Spann.
Opening
I wrote some things before the game that I'd like to see today and take care of the football and make good decisions. Have good balls security, really wanted to see how we caught it in these windy conditions. Defensively I wanted to see how we tackled and we had some opportunities to see that.
On Brandon Peters...
BPÂ has exceptional arm talent and very very accurate guy with the ball. Been able to show that repeatedly now through 13 practices. Definitely parts of the game where we just have to keep pushing at him but tonight I thought he had good ball placement and thought our tight ends caught the ball well. (Luke) Ford continues to be impressive.
On Luke Ford...
I appreciate Luke's effort and I have his maturity level and in everything that he's doing take a big step forward. I really like his demeanor, his work ethic, and he's still going to have a big personality and do certain things but he's concentrating on what's important now, which is taking care of the academic world and concentrating on being a good football player.Â
On quarterbacks...
Not making any decisions now, Brandon has continued to be impressive and a good guy. He had a little dip in week two and he and Tony (Petersen) have been able to communicate very well. I was impressed with Isaiah (Williams). And after 15 practices we will take some deep breaths to see where we are at.Â
On the Orange team...
I just thought, as a new staff, we needed to be around and play next to each other. I wanted the right guard and the right tackle to play next to each other. I wanted the center and the quarterback to play together. I really like how all the guys efficiently operated on the orange unit, but I do think we rolled some guys in there in the second half to show the ability of some depth.Â
On wide receivers...
Carlos (Sandy) has been a guy that has jumped out to me here as of late, last two weeks for him have been very productive. George McDonald, very aggressive coach and Carlos has grown every practice. Khmari (Thompson), other than put the ball on the ground in the fourth quarter, he's a good guy that has been very diligent about his work. There some times when I'm leaving at night around 8 or 10 at night, he's still here watching a film with the coaches.
