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Illini punter Blake Hayes breaks down memorable 1st down run against Nebraska with Pat McAfee
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After beginning their 2020 campaign with three consecutive losses, the Illinois Fighting Illini have now won two-straight games, most recently a 41-23 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln on November 21.
One of the most memorable plays in this one came early in the third quarter, when senior punter Blake Hayes kept the football on fourth-down-and-eight and moved the sticks by picking up 14 yards.
On Tuesday, Hayes joined the Pat McAfee Show to break down his run. The discussion about the fake punt begins at the 2:05 mark of the 3:59 video.
Good morning beautiful people.. today’s a great day 2 remember that the road 2 your desired destination isn’t going to be a smooth 1. There’s gonna be bumps, & potholes, & unexpected detours..that’s what makes it even sweeter.
Keep your head down, & keep it movin like @HayesBla1 pic.twitter.com/tGwdj1PoN3
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 24, 2020
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Hayes has served as Illinois’ starting punter since his freshman year. Receiving All-B1G honorable mention from the media in 2017, he improved this to third-team honors from the media in 2018.
Earning first-team recognition from both the coaches and media as a junior, he was named the 2019 Big Ten Punter of the Year. His punt yardage total of 3,437 last fall was a Fighting Illini record.
Hayes and Illinois have their work cut out for them on Saturday, as the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) will visit Memorial Stadium at 12 p.m. ET on FS1.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.