CHAMPAIGN — Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters had only played 13 snaps all year due to a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury he sustained in the season opener against Nebraska.
The sixth-year senior finally returned to his starting role Friday against Maryland and struggled all night. He was just 10-of-26 passing for 185 yards with one monumental interception.
After Illini linebacker Seth Coleman forced and recovered a fumble in the third quarter, Peters gave the ball right back to the Terrapins on the next play with an errant throw that sailed over the head of tight end Luke Ford and into the hands of defensive back Nick Cross. Illinois offensive coordinator Tony Petersen said Peters made the right read but obviously wasn't satisfied with that pass and his overall performance in the 20-17 home loss.
"It's his first full game with (the new coaching staff). He did some really good stuff, and he missed a couple reads. And by missing a couple reads, we left a couple big plays out on the table that could have made a difference right there," Petersen said Monday. "He's pissed at himself and that's what I love about him. He's a competitor, he wants to succeed at every play and make the right decisions, and we gotta learn from that because that game's behind us now."
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Following the defeat, Illini coach Bret Bielema said he contemplated putting backup quarterback Artur Sitkowski in on the team's final drive with just over two minutes to play before ultimately sticking with Peters. Sitkowski, a Rutgers transfer, threw six touchdowns and one pick in three games while Peters was sidelined.
Bielema and Petersen confirmed Monday that Peters is still Illinois' QB1 ahead of Saturday's game at Purdue.
"There was a lot of learning moments for him, a lot of teaching moments," Bielema said. "A lot of things he did well, some things he's gonna definitely improve upon, some things as coaches we can (do to) put him in a better position."
Injury update
One of the reasons why Peters may have struggled is because he was competing without starting center Doug Kramer Jr., who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Wofford transfer Blake Jeresaty slid over from left guard and took the snaps against Maryland, but Bielema said Kramer will be ready to go Saturday.
The 6-foot-2, 305-pound super senior is one of six team captains.
"He's very good at what he does," Bielema said. "I've been around a lot of very good centers and he's as good as I've been around. He really reminds me of a guy that I played with (at Iowa), Mike Devlin, who played in the league a long time. (He) was undersized, not that Doug's undersized but he's shorter. He's not a 6-4 guy, but he's a guy that plays really good to his length."
Running backs Josh McCray and Chase Brown, and offensive lineman Julian Pearl all left Friday's game with undisclosed injuries. McCray was taken to the hospital for a "precautionary evaluation," but Bielema said all three will be available for the team's upcoming game.
Defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr.'s status isn't as certain, though Bielema is hopeful he will be back on the field against the Boilermakers. The redshirt freshman has missed the last two games with a leg injury.
Season low
Despite the loss, Maryland's 20 points were a season low for an Illinois opponent this year. Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said he made some schematic and personnel changes, including starting redshirt freshman Tahveon Nicholson over sixth-year senior Tony Adams Jr. at cornerback.
Walters said Adams handled the situation with class and still contributed when he entered the game.
"Tony's great. He's a team captain, he's all about what's best for the team, and that week that's what was best for us at that time and it showed," Walters said. "Taz did a great job while he was in there and then when Tony was in there he did a great job as well, and (it was) just an overall improved performance in the secondary specifically."