CHAMPAIGN — Katin Houser threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score in his Illinois debut, leading the Illini to a 42-23 win Thursday night in their season opener.
Houser, who transferred from East Carolina, completed 13 of 17 passes for 182 yards. Collin Dixon caught six passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns, and Ca’Lil Valentine rushed 11 times for 88 yards and a score.
UAB’s Ryder Burton completed 18 of 33 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a score. Jonah Delange kicked three field goals for the Blazers.
Illinois scored two touchdowns on its first six plays and led 21-13 at halftime.
A 65-yard punt return by Mac Resetich set up the first TD — an 18-yard pass from Houser to Dixon. Valentine then scored on a 51-yard run.
The Illini scored on the final play of the half, a 54-yard Hail Mary pass from Houser to Ty Robinson, who caught the ball after it was bobbled in the end zone by a UAB player. It was the first successful Hail Mary by Illinois in seven years.
“I thought Katin had a 50-yard arm,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “I think he surprised some people there.”
UAB coach Alex Mortensen said he didn’t want the Hail Mary to affect his team emotionally, and it avoided that for the most part.
“My message was OK, it happened,” he said. “There’s a half of football left.”
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Ismael Kante scored on a 59-yard interception return for Illinois in the fourth quarter.
The takeaway
It was difficult to judge the success of Illinois’ new 3-5-5 defense, brought to Champaign by defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck. The Illini were hurt by several missed tackles, not a lack of familiarity of the new scheme.
Despite the 19-point loss, UAB didn’t look like a team that went 4-8 a year ago, fired coach Trent Dilfer at midseason after the Super Bowl-winning QB had lost 21 of 30 games in two-plus seasons and finally ended a four-year, 42-game road losing streak in its final game last season.
The Blazers outgained Illinois 413-333, and if wasn’t for the pass at the end of the first half that changed the game’s momentum, they would have made Illinois sweat a little more on the warm, muggy night.
Bright lights
It was opening night for the Illini and their new 17,315-square-foot video board on the south side of Gies Memorial Stadium, billed the largest in college football. Auburn’s videoboard is next at 10,690 square feet.
Mort’s son
Mortensen is the son of the late Chris Mortensen, a longtime NFL analyst for ESPN who died from throat cancer in 2024 at age 72. Alex Mortensen was named interim coach at UAB after Dilfer was fired and went 2-4. He had been the team’s offensive coordinator since 2023. He was named coach in December.
Up next
Illinois: vs. Duke on Sept. 12.
UAB: vs. Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 12.