The countdown to Illinois’ 2022 soccer season opener now stands at 20 days, and odds are overwhelming that yet one more switch quarterback will begin behind heart for the orange and blue towards Wyoming.
The present streak for Illini quarterbacks who initially attended different faculties stands at 16 in a row.
Since and together with the 2018 season, a quarterback who has transferred to Illinois has began 37 of the Illini’s final 45 soccer video games. Moreover, courting again to 2014, when Rochester native Wes Lunt moved to Illinois after spending his freshman season Oklahoma State however excluding the 2017 season when authentic Illini quarterbacks Cam Thomas, Jeff George Jr. and Chayce Crouch shared beginning obligation, a switch quarterback has been a starter in 63 of the Illini’s final 82 video games coming into the 2022 season.
Present Illini quarterback Tommy DeVito, who celebrates his twenty fourth birthday on Sunday, performed for Syracuse every of the final 5 years. Both he or Rutgers switch Artwork Sitkowski seems to be the front-runner for the beginning obligation versus Wyoming on Aug. 27.
DeVito had 15 whole begins in 24 appearances at Syracuse, finishing 305 of 520 passes for 3,478 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Stretching all the best way again to Dave Wilson in 1980, switch quartebacks have drastically affected Illinois’ soccer fortunes. Wilson, imported from California’s Fullerton Junior School, was adopted at Illinois by transfers Tony Eason (American River JC), Jeff George (Purdue), Jon Beutjer (Iowa), Lunt, A.J. Bush (Virginia Tech/Iowa Western/Nebraska), Brandon Peters (Michigan) and Sitkowski.
Right here’s a take a look at the switch quarterbacks who’ve made begins at Illinois since 2014:
➜ 2014: Wes Lunt began seven of UI’s 13 video games
➜ 2015: Lunt began all 12 video games
➜ 2016: Lunt began seven of 12 video games
➜ 2017: Solely authentic Illini gamers began at quarterback
➜ 2018: A.J. Bush began 9 of 12 video games
➜ 2019: Brandon Peters began 11 of 13 video games
➜ 2020: Peters began 5 of eight video games
➜ 2021: Peters began 9 video games, Artwork Sitkowski began three video games
Illini Birthdays
Sunday: Jordyn Slaughter, soccer (22)
Monday: Antonio Mason, soccer (40)
Tuesday: Kate Riley Smith, basketball
Wednesday: Moe Gardner, soccer (54)
Thursday: Kyle Tate, soccer (50)
Friday: Warren Hood, administrator
Saturday: Blake Hayes, soccer (24)
By Mike Pearson, creator of Illini Legends, Lists & Lore (Third Version now stocked in shops). Get extra Illini birthdays, trivia and historic tidbits day by day on Twitter @IlliniLegends and @Spartifacts2022. His web site is www.SportsLLL.com.