Though it wasn't a performance that will move Illinois up in the Big Ten power rankings or give fans a warm and fuzzy feeling headed into the conference slate in two weeks, the Illini hung on to drop UConn 31-23.

Junior quarter back Brandon Peters completed 22-33 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns. The Illini defense held the Huskies to just 0.3 yards per rush, including just 27 yards for UConn running back Kevin Mensah.

Slow starts have been a staple of the Lovie Smith era. Illinois was sleep walking in the first quarter and fell behind UConn 13-0 before getting bouncing back with 24 unanswered points. The Illini appeared on their way to the predicted blowout, but against came out of the locker room in lackluster fashion after the halftime break. If Illinois is a cluster at the start vs. legit Power 5 teams, games are going to get away from them early. Lovie Smith has to figure out why this keeps happening. It's his job to get the team prepared.

The Illinois offense just isn't the same without Reggie Corbin, who is the perfect fit for zone heavy scheme. Even with Jakari Norwood breaking loose for a 53-yard run, the Illini averaged just 4.2 yards per carry. That's shocking, considering they were one of the top rushing teams in the Big Ten a year ago, and four starters returned on the offensive line. Corbin is great at finding the cutback lane and turning on the juice. Dre Brown, Ra'Von Bonner, and Norwood all struggled with their vision. Redshirt freshman Kenyon Sims may be a better option.

Josh Imatorbhbeh and Ricky Smalling may not be the kind of track star wide receivers who run away from defenders, but they are both physical specimens with the strength to win battles for the football in a crowd. Imatorbhebhe, the big transfer from USC, is a red zone weapons who knows how to position his body and use his strength to create space and make plays. Smalling has improved immensely as a route runner, and has shown none of the issues with his hands that plagued him as a sophomore a year ago. Imatorbhbehe and Smalling combined for nine catchs for 96 yards. Imatorbhebhe had two touchdowns, including one of the highlights of the game on a jump ball in the back of the end zone.

We talked all offseason about the need to find a role for former Rivals100 prospect Isaiah Williams if he didn't win the starting quarterback job. Williams is likely the most elusive player on the roster with the ball in his hands. Now we're two games into the season and Williams hasn't seen the field. Felloow St. Louis Trinity graduate Shammond Cooper, a linebacker, had five tackles in limited playing time against Akron. With the Illini linebacker corps not putting on a clinic, it looked like a good time to see if Cooper is for real. But it wasn't to be. Wide receiver Kyron Cumby, another quick-twitch freshman athlete, didn't get in the game. And former Rivals250 defensive tackle Calvin Avery didn't even make the travel squad. Bad optics for recruiters trying to sell early playing time to four-star players. RB Reggie Love and WR Jaden Thompson are both impact type of players. Will they play next year?

UConnn didn't pound Mensah up the middle, instead leaning heavily on true freshman quarterback Jack Zergiotis (21-31, 275 yards, 2 interceptions). Illinois stuffed Mensah and the UConn running game, yielding just 0.3 yards per carry. Tackling was an issue at times, but the stats don't lie. Still, it's the pass defense and the Cover-2 scheme that worries me. Zergiotis was much too effective in his first ever start, and there was space for the UConn wide receivers, particularly in the middle of the field and the deep outside. The coverage calls by Lovie Smith seemed to be predictable and easy to read, and the corners gave a lot of cushion. With two physical guys in Quan Martin and Nate Hobbs, you would think we would see more press coverage and less soft zone. What happens when Illinois faces Big Ten quarterbacks like Nate Stanley, Shea Patterson, and Elijah Sindelar? They get Nebraksa and Adrian Peters in week 3.

llinois won a nonconference road game for the first time since Sept. 15, 2007 at Syracuse (41-20), a span of seven straight losses.

Illinois had 12.0 TFLs for the second straight game. It is the first time since at least 2000 that Illinois had 24+ TFLs in the first two games of the season. Illinois also recorded 5 sacks.

Junior James McCourt's 53-yard field goal to end the first half tied for the longest field goal on the road in Illinois history (Mike Bass at Syracuse 9/18/1982; Dave Finzer at Purdue 10/15/1977).

Junior DL Oluwole Betiku, Jr. had 3.5 sacks, tied for the fifth-most sacks in a game in Illinois history. Betiku is the first Illini with 3.0+ sacks in a game since Whitney Mercilus (3.0) at Indiana 10/8/2011. He has 5.0 sacks already in 2019, more than or equal to Illinois' season leader in nine of the last 20 seasons.