In the preseason, Illinois quarterback Katin Houser said that he once received a Joe Burrow comparison. He’ll need to be that level if the Fighting Illini are to have a winning season in 2026. That’s because the other side of the ball is well, the phrase “optional defending” is pretty much sums it up. However, at least the team has found a true go-to receiver, a bonafide WR1 in Collin Dixon.
At halftime, this had all the makings of “Welcome to The Collin Dixon Game,” as he 8 catches, 119 yards, 3 TDs by the break. Had he hauled in that first half missed connection with Houser on a deep fade, it would have been 9 catches 159 yards, 4 TDs in the first half.
On the bright side of things, the top flight receiver torch has now been passed from Pat Bryant to Hank Beatty to Collin Dixon.
Overall, however, it just wasn’t enough as Dixon can’t do it all by himself. He added three more catches and 47 more yards in the second half.
But with the Illini ground game being so mediocre, averaging only 3.5 yards per carry on the afternoon, the Duke defense didn’t have to worry about the Illini rushing attack too much.
And thus, the Blue Devils were able to key in on Collin Dixon more in the second half.
“I think we did enough things to cause us to fail,” Illini head coach Bret Bielema said in postgame.
“I got to clean up the details, the way we execute in critical moments. Just a shame. Apologize to sellout crowd. Winning is addictive, and when it doesn’t happen, you’re pissed, you’re made, you’re angry.”
On the other side of the ball, well, the run defense has just been brutal through the first two games.
Nate Sheppard ran wild, with close to 150 yards rushing, and Duke quarterback Walker Eget was more efficient and perhaps even played a better all around game than Houser.
Overall, the Illini 3-3-5 defense is very much a work-in-progress, and week two saw more regress than progress.
It doesn’t help that the Illinois coaching staff made a lot of poor decisions in play-calling today as well.
There is a lot of bad to cover, and that can be vivisected at another time. For now, let’s focus on the one positive takeaway, the emergence of Collin Dixon.
“Super-competitive kid, extremely intelligent,” Bielema said of his top flight wideout in postgame.
“He’s the same guy every day, his approach, his demeanor, his work ethic, and consistency is one of the most important things that you can bring to a program.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.