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On the heels of a disappointing loss to the Duke Blue Devils, the Illinois Fighting Illini responded in a big way. Bret Bielema's team used a well-rounded effort to take down Southern Illinois at home on Saturday, 48-10.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the game as Illinois improved to 2-1 on the season.

Illini Offense Starts Hot

It didn't take long for Illinois to find the end zone. The Fighting Illini scored touchdowns on each of their first four drives of the game, with three of those coming on explosive plays. Aidan Laughery ripped off a 77-yard run and Katin Houser found Collin Dixon for 45-yard and 27-yard touchdowns to put the Illini ahead through 20 minutes, 28-7.

Houser found his intended target on 16 of his 18 first-half pass attempts for 199 yards. Even though Illinois' offense stalled in the second half, the Fighting Illini's early offensive success gave them a large enough lead to secure the victory.

Houser and Dixon Continue Strong Connection

Through two weeks, Dixon's 236 receiving yards ranked 15th in the FBS, while his five receiving touchdowns led the nation. The senior wideout was once again stellar on Saturday, hauling in eight catches for 131 yards and a pair of scores against Southern Illinois. There is still 75% of the college football season remaining, but Dixon is on pace to break several of Illinois' single-season receiving records.

Meanwhile, Houser was accurate for the third week in a row. The East Carolina transfer completed 76.5% of his passes against UAB and 68.6% of his throws against Duke, then went 23-for-29 with 305 passing yards in the win over the Salukis. He and Dixon will look to carry their momentum into a Saturday morning contest at No. 6 Ohio State next week.

Defense Bounces Back

The main story of Illini football through two weeks has been its poor defensive performances. Against the UAB Blazers, Illinois surrendered 413 yards of total offense, including 194 on the ground. The Illini then allowed 170 rushing yards to Duke, which allowed the Blue Devils to come away with the 31-27 win. Illinois' average of 182 rushing yards allowed per game ranked the fourth-worst among Power Four schools entering Week 3.

Bobby Hauck's unit was much better on Saturday against Southern Illinois. After giving up an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on SIU's second possession, the Illini held the Salukis to 10 points and forced six punts, two turnovers on downs and a pick-six. Most importantly, Illinois' tackling — which has posted the FBS' second-worst Pro Football Focus grade — was much improved. While it's true that the FCS Salukis are not on the same level of competition as the Blazers and Blue Devils, the difference in tackling from Illinois' defenders was night and day compared to before.

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