The old saying goes: "Nobody is more popular than the backup quarterback."
To me, the quote doesn't quite hit the mark. You need some "ifs."
"Nobody is more popular than the backup quarterback if the starter stinks." Or "if the backup has a clue."
M.J. Rivers II had a clue in replacing an injured AJ Bush Jr. during Saturday's 34-14 Illini win against Western Illinois.
And in my 30 years covering Illinois, backup Illini quarterbacks have had different degrees of success. And failure.
The first one I saw, way back in 1989, was Jason Verduzco.