CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Katin Houser threw two second-quarter touchdown passes to Collin Dixon to lead Illinois past Southern Illinois 48-10 on Saturday.
Dixon caught eight passes for 131 yards for the Illini (2-1), who opened the season with three home games. Dixon has seven TD catches, already the single-season record at Gies Memorial Stadium with four home games remaining.
“Collin’s start is incredible,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema. “He’s extremely talented, so humble, and he works his absolute (backside) off every day. He’s really special.”
Hudson Clement had five catches for 69 yards for Illinois. He’s caught a pass in 30 straight games, the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
Houser was 23-of-29 passing for 305 yards. He was intercepted once.
Aiden Laughery ran for 93 yards on four carries and scored a TD for Illinois.
One play after Houser was sacked for the first time this season, Laughery ran 77 yards down the Illinois sideline for a TD that put the Illini ahead for good 14-7 late in the first quarter. It was the longest run for the Illini in five years.
D.J. Williams was 20-of-38 passing for Southern Illinois (2-2). He was in the running last season for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the best player in the Championship Subdivision.
Matthew Bailey picked off an overthrown Williams pass and ran 88 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter.
Williams was held to 7 yards rushing on seven attempts after running for four TDs last week in a win over Southeast Missouri. The Salukis had just 29 yards on the ground against Illinois.
“There were some good moments, but the bottom line is we just got beat 48-10, so it should be a quiet locker room,” said Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill. “Now it’s time for (Missouri Valley Football Conference) play and they all matter.”
The Takeaway
Illinois did a better job tackling and running the ball than it did in its first two games, but has it improved enough in those areas as it heads into Big Ten play? It was difficult to tell facing an FCS opponent, but encouraging nonetheless.
After forcing just a dozen turnovers last season, Southern Illinois had eight going into the Illinois game including four interceptions last week against Southeast Missouri. The Salukis had to add a few more to their turnover total if they were going to have a shot to beat the Illini and they came up with just one, an end zone interception by Sebastian Vargas in the third quarter.
FCS domination
Illinois is now 21-0 vs. FCS teams since the division was formed in 1978. Bielema is 4-0, with the Illini outscoring those teams 176-13. Southern Illinois received a reported $525,000 to play in Champaign.
Road warriors
Southern Illinois plays four of its first five games and seven of its 12 games on the road this season, but the Salukis are normally no slouches away from Carbondale. They were at least .500 in road games four times in the last five years.
8 TDs vs. Southern Illinois
Former Illinois star and two-time Super Bowl champion Howard Griffith ran for an NCAA record eight touchdowns in the Illini’s 56-21 win over Southern Illinois in 1990.
Up next
Illinois: At No. 6 Ohio State next Saturday.
Southern Illinois: At Murray State next Saturday.
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