Gameday preview UAB at Illinois; 8 p.m., Thursday (BTN)
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Sep. 3—Beat writer Scott Richey previews the Illini's season opener against UAB before Thursday's 8 p.m. kickoff at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign:
Three major storylines
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'I hate anything that makes me do things I haven't done'
Illinois won't have to submit injury reports to the Big Ten until it plays its first Big Ten game. That won't be, however, just a single Sept. 26 injury report in the hours before the Illini play at Ohio State. The Big Ten has moved to a system of multiple injury reports throughout the week, starting four days out from kickoff. A change after Big Ten teams' experience in last year's College Football Playoff. A change Bret Bielema isn't thrilled to see implemented.
"I hate anything that makes me do things I haven't done," the Illinois coach said. "There's a lot of times on Wednesday you don't know who's going to play for sure on Saturday. You think they're going to play and nine times out of 10, they do it, but now if you report it and it ends up not being true, you kind of give that kid a bad (reputation). These kids are trying to play in the NFL. If they think they're always dealing with an injury that limits them on Wednesdays or Thursday but they play on Saturdays and now it's public knowledge, I don't see the benefit of that."
Houser confident, in control of offense
The 2025 season was Katin Houser's first as a full-time starting quarterback.
The Anaheim, Calif., native played in just two games and attempted just two passes as a freshman at Michigan State in 2022, split time with Noah Kim for the Spartans in 2023 and started the 2024 season at East Carolina behind Jake Garcia.
What Houser accomplished last fall — 3,300 passing yards and 19 touchdowns — and the time he's spent with Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. since he signed with Illinois in January have him primed as the program's new QB1 as he gets ready to make his Illini debut under the lights on Thursday night.
"I understand why he's calling these plays in what situations and then understanding what players are running certain plays and where the ball is supposed to be," Houser said. "With that total understanding, I feel confidence going out there and operating the offense. I feel like I'm confident enough to go out there and operate and not really think too much."
Leaning on a 3-3-5 insider as new Illini defense is unveiled
Matthew Bailey spent Illinois' spring practices on the sideline recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The veteran safety also donned the green "no contact" jersey occasionally during the Illini's training camp the past month.
But Bailey, one of six Illinois captains, is full go for Thursday's season opener against UAB — anchoring the defense at the new "Chief" position — thanks to help from someone else who played it under new Illini defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck. That person? New Illinois assistant defensive backs coach Robby Hauck, Bobby's son who played that position for his dad at Montana.
"I was meeting with him, and we were meeting often," Bailey said. "The way he has been in the defense and understands everything, the ins and outs of it, having that experience helps someone like me. Being able to pick his brain on some things that I see or looks we get in practice helps me understand what my responsibility is in the defense."
Two key matchups
Illinois run defense vs. UAB running backs
How effective Illinois is in stopping the run is a clear question heading into the 2026 season given the number of newcomers on the defensive line and how the Illini's pivot in scheme led to a smaller defensive front. Their first challenge will be an entirely brand new UAB backfield boasting a trio of transfers in Ja'Vin Simpkins (Coastal Carolina), Bam McReynolds (Louisiana Monroe) and Roderick Robinson II (Georgia).
Illinois quarterback Katin Houser vs. UAB defense
Houser spent two seasons in the American, but never faced UAB during his time at East Carolina. Not that it would have mattered. The Blazers have a new defensive coordinator in Todd Grantham and 33 newcomers on that side of the ball in their own 3-3-5 scheme. UAB's secondary is mostly untested at the FBS level and could give the new Illini quarterback a chance to make a seriously positive impression in his orange and blue debut.
One stat that matters
Defensive success can be measured by yards and points allowed, but both come down to a singular principle. Can a defense get off the field? Illinois let its opponents stay on the field too much in 2025. The Illini ranked 121st nationally — 14th from last — in opponents' third-down conversion rate last fall, allowing teams to pick up those first-down opportunities 45 percent of the time. A revamped Illinois defense is aiming for a lower number this season.
Illinois will win if ...
They can avoid the three items Bielema constantly points out are the costliest mistakes — mental errors, penalties and turnovers. The latter is the most important, as the quickest way to get upset at home is to give an underdog the momentum of a turnover. Anything other than a vanilla offense and basic defense shouldn't be necessary against the team picked 13th in the 14-team American Conference.
UAB will win if ...
Alex Mortensen can channel some of the upset magic he had when he replaced Trent Dilfer as UAB coach last October. The Blazers were 2-4 when Dilfer was fired, and the first look at a Mortensen-led team was a 31-24 victory against then-No. 22 Memphis. Just ignore the fact UAB went 1-4 the rest of the 2025 season and Mortensen had to add 41 transfers in the offseason. The Blazers are 1-0 in games Mortensen's not supposed to win.