Illini QB Brandon Peters to start vs. Wisconsin

Brandon Peters (concussion) has been cleared to play vs. No. 6 Wisconsin after missing last week's game.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Brandon Peters is back behind center.

Illinois head coach Lovie Smith announced the news on his pregame radio show interview on WDWS 1400 AM.

🔶 @LovieSmith announces that QB Brandon Peters will start vs. Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/fB1muDF3i8

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 19, 2019

Peters, a graduate transfer from Michigan, who sat out last weekend vs. Michigan due to concussion issues, has been fully cleared by the Illinois medical staff and will be making his fifth start of the 2019 season.

With Peters ruled out last weekend vs. Michigan, Matt Robinson made his first career collegiate start where the redshirt freshman went 16 of 25 for 192 yards and two total touchdowns against the Wolverines.

Smith made clear Monday that if Peters, who won the starting job in fall camp on Aug. 20, was healthy enough to play that he’d start and get all of the snaps against No. 6 Wisconsin (6-0, 3-0 in Big Ten) for the 11 a.m. Homecoming game. The Illini (2-4, 0-3) are looking for its first win against the Badgers since 2007 and only its third Big Ten home win of the four-year Lovie Smith era.

“No, Brandon Peters is our starting quarterback,” Smith said Monday. “Our backup quarterback played well for parts of the last game but when our starting quarterback is ready to go, he’ll go.”

Despite missing most of the Minnesota game two weeks ago and all of the Michigan game, Peters still ranks 31st in FBS in points responsible for (14.4 per game) and 41st in touchdown passes (10) this season. Peters already has surpassed the Illinois season passing touchdown leader for each of the past three seasons (2018 - AJ Bush Jr. with six, 2017 - Jeff George Jr. with seven, 2016 - Wes Lunt with eight). Peters’ four touchdown passes in the 31-23 win at Connecticut tied for seventh-most in Illinois history and the most since Lunt threw for four scores vs. Kent State on Sept. 5, 2015.

Peters, who was the 2015 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and U.S. Army All-America Game selection out of high school, has completed 58.3 percent of his passes (74 of 127) for 797 yards with 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Illinois officials also confirmed hours before kickoff Saturday that freshman Isaiah Williams is out against No. 6 Wisconsin due to an unspecified injury suffered last week in the 42-25 loss to Michigan.