Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema was looking for answers in the Week 2 rematch of last year’s contest against Virginia. The Illini were comprehensively beaten in Charlottesville early last season.
Bielema’s defense answered any question that the Virginia offense asked of it. The final score of 24-3 in favor of Illinois did not tell the entire story.
“For us to be where we are now coming out of this Virginia game compared to last year, especially defensively, tells me a lot about where we are as a program,” Bielema said.
The visiting Cavaliers were 0-for-16 on third downs and averaged only 1.