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Tommy DeVito connects with a wide open Michael Marchese for TD on flawless trick play for Illinois

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Michael Marchese has his second touchdown catch of the year for Illinois, and this one could not have been an easier pitch-and-catch for Marchese and quarterback Tommy DeVito. The ultimate success of the play came due to some trickery.

The play was a flea-flicker from the edge of the red zone, but the full play was a bit more complex. It started with a handoff to the right side but was then reversed by a wide receiver.

After the reverse, the ball was pitched back to DeVito. The pocket was clean and the secondary had frozen on the action in the backfield, setting up Marchese wide open down the sideline.

The catch made it 17-0, Illinois:

That touchdown provided a huge swing for Illinois after Chattanooga had a great shot to make it 10-7 just a few minutes earlier. The drive by the Illini started after an interception in the end zone put a stop to a strong drive by the opposition.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.