Any loss is bad, but a loss that results in a handful of your players being injured is bad news.
Wide receiver Malik Elzy was banged up, falling to the ground following a huddle, but did return to action in the second half.
Defensive back Tyler Strain suffered what looked to be a left ankle injury and was replaced by Jaheim Clarke. Strain had two tackles in the game, one being solo. He suffered an oblique injury earlier in the season, which caused him to miss the season opener against Eastern Illinois.
Defensive back Kaleb Patterson suffered what appeared to be a right shin injury, and did not return to action. Patterson had four tackles, two solo ones, in the game before exiting. Tackling was one of the biggest issues on Saturday for the Illini.
“We just gotta leverage the ball and get the ball down,” Bielema said. “We knew 15 was an explosive player. We had to know where he was on every formation and I think he was the guy that got the first score, right? He came all the way across from one sideline to the next.”
The 15 that Bielema refers to is receiver Tez Johnson, who had six receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. And here’s that play, a pylon-tipping effort that broke the deadlock on the Ducks’ first drive:
Tez Johnson is ridiculous after the catch
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 26, 2024
Bielema and his staff had to rely on depth after losing two defensive backs who sit toward the top of his depth chart. Tyson Rooks, who is listed on the team’s roster as a wide receiver, got reps in as a defensive back, even picking off Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Wide receiver Pat Bryant was the subject of a targeting call in the 4th quarter, a call that officials eventually overturned. You’d think that two shots to the head on one play (once by a forearm and again by a shoulder) would be enough.
Was it targeting? You decide.
Pat Bryant shaken up after this play pic.twitter.com/QuDDFqNKSD
— Illinois Football Focus (@IlliniFB) October 26, 2024
If Bryant is determined to have suffered a concussion, he could be sidelined for about ten days, meaning he would miss the team’s home game against Minnesota.
“I don’t know. . . I do know this: I’ve never had a player get a head injury that was not targeting,” Bielema mentioned. “It looked like the hit was significant, and his helmet struck the ground as a result. We’ll see where things stand; I’m sure we’ll get a thorough explanation.”
Bielema, a member of the NCAA Player Safety Committee that approved the targeting rule, believes there was contact to Bryant’s head that could qualify as targeting.
Regarding the hit, Bielema said: “The goal is to protect our players; I know it wasn’t malicious, and I commend Oregon for their play, but it felt like there were forearms to the head that were tough for Bryant to absorb.”
For what it’s worth, CBS’s rules analyst and former referee Gene Steratore concurred that it was indeed targeting.
Illinois’ injury report is brief, with running back Kaden Feagin—who was hurt in practice before the Purdue game—out for the remainder of the season. Initially sustaining a hyperextension, his injury led to complications with his hip, necessitating surgery.
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