LIVE! Illinois football’s 2021 spring game: Orange 65, Blue 15 (FINAL) – Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
Follow along with beat writer Colin Likas — here and on Twitter — throughout the evening as he takes in Illinois football’s 2021 spring game live from Memorial Stadium.
Second half
Peters likely done for the night. Goes 12 of 18 for 291 yards and a touchdown. Also ran for a touchdown. Clean pocket all night.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
And Brown follows a Ford 20-yard reception with a 5-yard touchdown run. Freshman D-lineman Sed McConnell down with an injury during the play and limps off the field.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Elise Menaker, BTN sideline reporter, with a 2-point conversion pass to Barker. And they dance afterward. Good stuff. 52-6 Orange.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Avery with a sack on Spann. Three and out again for Blue.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Navarro has been the big-play threat tonight on the receiving end. Three catches, but all for big yardage — 33 on the latest, 131 yards total
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Three FGs for Caleb Griffin and two for James McCourt. 58-15 Orange.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Ford with the one-handed catch in the front corner of the end zone. Nice pass by Williams, nice reception by Ford, who has five on the night.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Carney sacks Taylor on third down. Might be Blue’s last possession in this one, with about three minutes to play and the clock running.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
FINAL: #Illini Orange 65, #Illini Blue 15. Bielema and Co. get in under the wire for their BTN time block.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
* * *
Second quarter
Nice stop by the Blue defense on that drive. McCourt kicks a 23-yard field goal to increase Orange’s lead to 30-6, 13:33 Q2.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
First three-and-out drive either way, with Blue punting away again.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Brown in from 1 yard out after Hayden served as lead RB most of that possession. Caleb Griffin with his first PAT of the night as well. 37-6 Orange, 8:57 Q2.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
McCourt misses a 53-yard field goal with the wind at his back. Blue remains scoreless beyond the field goal competition.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Reggie Love III breaking all the tackles en route to the end zone. All three #Illini running backs on the Orange team have scored.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
#Illini men’s basketball team on the field. pic.twitter.com/DTVPQWl3BA
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
* * *
First quarter
Chase Brown making it look easy. Running back with gains of 9, 10, 16 and 6 before Peters keeps it for a 1-yard touchdown dash
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Orange forces Blue to give it up despite a pass interference penalty that put Blue in Orange territory. Orange starting its second drive at its own 9, 9:30 Q1.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Khmari Thompson with a fingertip reception while pretty well-covered hitting the pylon. That’s another touchdown for Orange, 29 yards on the pass from Peters to Thompson. 14-0 Orange, 7:16 Q1.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Owen Carney Jr. sacks Williams with a touch (no tackling the QBs). Blue punting away its second possession.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Chase Hayden broke some ankles on that play. 27-yard touchdown run in which he changed directions four or five times.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Isaiah Gay credited with a sack that definitely wouldn’t have been a sack in an actual game. Isaiah Williams would’ve broken free of that one fairly easily, I think. Blue punts again, regardless.
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
Field goals from James McCourt and Caleb Griffin make the score 27-6 Orange over Blue, now. pic.twitter.com/LObekEHyzn
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
* * *
7 p.m. — opening kickoff incoming
#Illini take the field to face the #Illini. pic.twitter.com/zvzRd1Unez
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
#Illini fans are here, socially distanced and ready for some football. pic.twitter.com/6sE36dPxSb
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 20, 2021
* * *
6:25 p.m. — about 40 minutes from kickoff
Are … are those fans? #Illini pic.twitter.com/HxHgoXpUgg
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 19, 2021
More #Illini players streaming onto the field. pic.twitter.com/LVlc8RmbkW
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 19, 2021
Even more #Illini on the field, plus band and spirit members in the stands facing us. pic.twitter.com/RlOLP1RsMx
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 19, 2021
* * *
6 p.m. — about 1 hour from opening kickoff
Beautiful night for some #Illini spring football. pic.twitter.com/Y9AWBZMrrO
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 19, 2021
Memorial Stadium is looking good … and will look even better with fans inside soon. pic.twitter.com/XtXkONirUn
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 19, 2021
We’ve got specialists on the field. pic.twitter.com/WqOqKArjpd
— Colin Likas (@clikasNG) April 19, 2021
* * *
5:30 p.m. — about 1 1/2 hours from opening kickoff
Less than one hour ago, the team released its lineups for the Orange and Blue Spring Game inside Memorial Stadium.
𝙈𝙊𝙉𝘿𝘼𝙔 𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙁𝙊𝙊𝙏𝘽𝘼𝙇𝙇
🏈 » Orange vs. Blue
🏟 » Memorial Stadium
🕖 » 7 p.m. CT
📺 » @BigTenNetwork
📄 » Rosters ↓ pic.twitter.com/Ugx88Kz4g9— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) April 19, 2021
For those not in the business of squinting, here’s a closer look at those lineups:
ORANGE TEAM (NUMBER ONES)
QB: Brandon Peters
RB: Chase Brown, Chase Hayden, Reggie Love III
WR: Khmari Thompson, Carlos Sandy, Brian Hightower, Donny Navarro
TE: Luke Ford, Daniel Barker, Tip Reiman
OL: Julian Pearl, Blake Jeresaty, Doug Kramer, Alex Pihlstrom, Vederian Lowe
DL: Keith Randolph Jr., Calvin Avery, Johnny Newton
OLB: Seth Coleman, Isaiah Gay, Owen Carney Jr.
LB: Calvin Hart Jr., Alec McEachern
DB: Kendall Smith, Quan Martin, Devon Witherspoon
BLUE TEAM (THE WORLD)
QB: Isaiah Williams, Deuce Spann, Coran Taylor, Matt Robinson
RB: Jakari Norwood, Kyron Cumby, Matt Bobak
WR: Caleb Griffin (also PK), Dalevon Campbell, John Bickel, Owen Hickey
TE: Josh Beetham, Michael Marchese, Mike Cerniglia Jr., Preston Engel
OL: Evan Kirts, Josh Plohr, Terry Zapf, Jordyn Slaughter, Brody Wisecarver, Ryan Ingold, Moses Okpala, Thomas Cronin, Phifer Griffin, Blaise Sparks, Brevyn Jones, Kevin Tyler
DL: Tre’Von Riggins, Quinton McCoy, Sed McConnell, Anthony Shipton, Deon Pate
OLB: Ezekiel Holmes, Cooper Davis
LB: Dylan Rosiek, Isaac Darkangelo, Sean Coghlan, Marc Mondesir
DB: Tahveon Nicholson, Prather Hudson, Christian Bobak, Tailon Leitzsey, Ben Schultz, Jaden Jones-Watkins, Marquez Beason
SPECIALISTS
PK: Caleb Griffin, James McCourt
P: Blake Hayes, Hugh Robertson
LS: Reed Reagin, Aidan Hall, Ethan Tabel
WHITE JERSEY (LIMITED)*
RB: Nick Fedanzo, Mike Epstein
WR: Desmond Dan Jr., James Frenchie Jr., Ty Lindemann
TE: Griffin Moore
OL: Alex Palczewski, Josh Gesky
DL: Bryce Barnes, Jamal Woods, Roderick Perry II
LB: Ryan Meed, Jake Hansen, Shammond Cooper, Tarique Barnes, Khalan Tolson
DB: Derrick Smith, Joriell Washington, Dylan Thomas, Sydney Brown
*Quarterbacks also in white jerseys, for non-contact
Perhaps the biggest talking point is sixth-year quarterback Brandon Peters being the Orange Team’s lone quarterback, while redshirt freshman Isaiah Williams plays for the Blue Team.
This will be a good way for Williams to get more true quarterback repetitions, however, while also offering some direct competition between he and Peters.
Great opportunity tonight for guys like Khmari Thompson and Carlos Sandy at receiver, recent scholarship recipient Alec McEachern at linebacker and Tip Reiman at tight end. All four are on the Orange Team despite not receiving significant first-team reps last season.
Other points of interest are Danville product Caleb Griffin being listed at receiver on the Blue Team — though there’s little doubt he’ll also kick tonight — quarterback Josh Beetham being listed as a tight end on the Blue Team and running back Mike Epstein being listed among the white jersey (limited/non-contact) players. Epstein, as far as media members are aware, hasn’t been on campus for the Illini’s spring workouts thus far.
Looking for more pre-spring game coverage? We’ve got that handled.
— Bielema says Illinois will “make (the game) as engaging as we can”