When you play a Big Ten West opponent, the Big Ten West envelops you. It’s not just a college football division, it’s an all-consuming force of nature.
A BTW style low-scoring, defensive slugfest is exactly what Illinois wanted in the Reliaquest Bowl against #22 Mississippi State. Their opponents, of course, wanted an all out aerial assault, the kind of fast-paced and high-scoring game that befits the moniker of their offensive system- the Air Raid.
However, the lone 100 yard receiver today was on the Illinois side, not Mississippi State. That’s sophomore Isaiah Williams, who turned in a major MVP performance, albeit in a 19-10 loss. He had nine receptions for 114 yards, with a long of 41. There were no 100 yard rushers or 300 yard passers in the Reliaquest Bowl either, making Williams’ performance all the more special.
St. Louis native talked about what worked so well for him today.
“Not just being used as gadget, but also being able to run routes, and get open and show that I can create separation,” the converted quarterback said.
“I wasn’t one dimensional. I wasn’t just a gadget today. I felt great being used in different situations, to go down the field; felt good to get some deep shots.”
Isaiah Williams certainly sent a message with his play today, and that message is- I can do this, so let’s do more of it next year.
“I feel good knowing that he (first year offensive coordinator Barry Lunney) has confidence in using me to go downfield.”
He discussed his career day (his 114 was a career high in receiving yards) in more detail.
“To do it against an SEC opponent, they had six interceptions, three pick-sixes, to show what I can do against some of the best in the nation, was huge for me.”
Williams almost had more statistical production and points on top of what he already had too.
He had a second quarter touchdown called back, due to a false start penalty on an Illinois offensive lineman. It was a major momentum changing play too, as it would have opened the scoring in the game.
Watching the body language of Isaiah Williams, it was clear that he knew the TD was gonna be waived off, well before the official confirmed it.
“When he (Illini QB Tommy DeVito) was throwing the ball, I heard the whistle, I’m like ‘man, they’re calling the play dead.’ Honestly, that’s the worst feeling,” the Trinity Catholic graduate said.
“When you have a big play and it comes back for a penalty, but I was like ‘c’mon let’s go! We can still score,’ but man when stuff like that happens it just sucks, because it’s hard to score in college football, I was trying my hardest not to let my energy (disappointment from having the scoring play waived off) affect the team.
You probably saw that on field melee at the end of the game. A major fight broke out between the two teams, and Williams described what he witnessed:
“I just saw five players on Casey (Washington), and I tried to get them off the pile and from there, there was just too much going on.”
Added Illini coach Bret Bielema:
“We were running a desperado play (the multiple laterals, on the final play which MSU took possession of and ran back for a touchdown to window dress the final score), and thew ball bounced back from that player. And then I saw something happened at midfield. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed there in short fashion.”
Looking ahead to next year, with Chase Brown no longer with the program, Illinois will need a new offensive identity, and it is very likely that Isaiah Williams will be a big part of formulating that identity.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.
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