Austin Illini Club     

 2006

The improved results from Illinois' 2006 football season were the following:

Click on the following Links to jump to the Austin Illini recap of that game:

2006 Preview

Rutgers crushes Illini, but expect improvement over last year.

Illini lose close games against Syracuse and Iowa; don't despair yet

Illinois beats Michigan State on the road!!

    ESPN.com feature article on Juice Williams and an improved Illini football team.

Tough Homecoming loss to Indiana; Special Teams Gaffs

Illini lose to Ohio; Penn State Next

Illini almost beat Penn State on the road; Football is Back at Illinois!!

Story getting old... loss to Wisconsin due to Special Teams gaffs.

Illini play #1 OSU tough, but fall again

Illini lose another to Purdue.

Season Wrap-up; much improved, but still not there yet.

2 Starting Football Players Dismissed from Team During Spring Semester

2006 Preview

August 28, 2006

Football season is just around the corner, with the first game against Eastern Illinois at home on September 2 at 6:00 Central time. So far, the game is not scheduled for television, but that might change in the next week. The Illini then play Rutgers in New Jersey at 11:00 on ESPN2 on September 9, which is great news not only because ESPN2 is picking the game up, but also because the game was originally scheduled for 7:00, which would have conflicted with the Texas-Ohio State game at 8:00 that night--so no conflict, now, apparently thanks to ESPN2. A brief Football preview is below.

After a thrilling start last year, Illinois fell into a tough but familiar pattern last year and ended the season again in the cellar of the Big Ten. And frankly, in Big Ten games last year, the Illini were not even good enough to deserve to be in the cellar. However, last year was a transition year, and Zook now has not only several returning players who now know his system, but also some new studs in a shockingly strong recruiting class considering Illinois' performance the past several years.

All eyes will be on incoming quarterback Isaiah "Juice" Williams, a game-changing Michael-Vick type of quarterback with amazing speed and strength, a strong arm, and good judgment. All signs are that "Juice" will not start immediately and that Tim Brasic will maintain the starting role. Recent interviews with "Juice" have revealed a very patient, mature young man who is eager to learn his role and support Brasic as the starter before he is ordained as the starter. So good news all around.

Chief Update. There apparently has not been any official news regarding whether the Chief will perform during the home opener on September 2. So far, it appears that he is scheduled to do so. There are also rumors that the Board of Trustees is seriously contemplating specifically approving the Chief to continue to dance until they reach a final resolution with the NCAA. We shall see in the coming weeks.

Keep in mind that the University has already stuck to its guns despite exhausting its internal NCAA appeals, which required the men's tennis team last year to lose its home-court advantage in the NCAA Tennis Tournament last year. Of course, the result was that an overwhelming number of Illini fans traveled to support the tennis team in its away venues, many of whom would not have attended the tennis match if they were in Champaign, but who traveled purely to support the Chief. The NCAA also is not wholly unified, itself, and the possibility remains that internal political resolution might occur and the NCAA might simply reverse its rule. Finally, Illinois is contemplating bringing several different legal actions, including antitrust and contractual breach actions against the NCAA. So the issue is by no means resolved simply because Illinois exhausted its internal NCAA appeals.

Rutgers crushes Illini, but expect improvement over last year.

September 9, 2006

Illinois is 1-1 so far, and play the Orangemen of Syracuse in Champaign this Saturday at 11:00. The game will be on ESPNU, and we will gather at Legends to watch the game. 

Now for the bad news... my synopsis of the season so far and the prospects for this year. "Bad" in that I can be a windbag and sometimes just can't shut up. Read on, I just might surprise you with some good news.

Years ago, whilst sitting at the Old World Café on Daniel Street in Champaign with a good friend, the two of us began righteously observing the obvious. It was a nice day. What a gorgeous woman over there: smokin’ hot. Good coffee. Hey, wouldn’t it be great if they really did make an inexpensive beer… like Keystone… that really did taste great!

We thus conceived and founded our own, original, non-academic fraternal order: the Righteous Observers of the Obvious. Ever since, we have continued our fond hobby and even taken it to the level of a veritable vocation: to observe the obvious… and do so righteously.

Years later, it is now 2006. College football season is again upon us, and Illini fans in the first two weeks have again ridden the roller coaster we experienced last year, albeit somewhat differently. Illinois looked very promising as it crushed Eastern Illinois in its home opener, 41-17, and even amassed 348 yards rushing, the 4th best in the NCAA that week. However, the promise of Spring in the Autumn fell victim to payback for last year’s Spring of optimism in the Autumn: the amazing overtime, come-from-behind win over Rutgers last year. This year, last weekend, Rutgers laid a crushing 33-0 smattering of Illinois, and it wasn’t nearly that close.

Now, granted, last week was a disaster. Last season ended up a disaster, capped by the merciful drubbing at our own homecoming at the hands of Penn State: one of the worst games I have EVER seen by an Illini football team.

Righteously Observed.

Zook also has not yet shown any promise in strategically developing a game plan to win or at least compete despite a lack of talent, and Zook seems to be biding his time until more talent mythically arrives to do the hard work for him. I agree completely (and have said from the start) that Zook's myopic emphasis on recruiting (going back to when was at Florida) addresses only about 15% of what makes a program successful. Strategy and preparation (physically and mentally) comprise the other 85%, and that’s where you REALLY need to exhibit true leadership.

Nonetheless, having expressed some justifiable concerns and acknowledging that I am not ignoring the righteously obvious, please take heed: the sky is not falling, nor should we pull it down on ourselves. It is still too soon to give up; and now is the time to step up support for the program instead of give up hope.

Jumping to conclusions about Zook like Florida fans did three to four years ago will ultimately leave us empty-handed for another five years or so. Zook will last another year or two at the very least: probably two years even in a worst-case scenario. Then the next coach--who will not be as well known due to our recent history--will get several years before we call for his head. Add that to what we have already experienced with Turner and Tepper, and our program is in the shytter for two decades. Tradition be damned, we will end up like Harvard or Navy: once a powerhouse in the age-old past; then demoted to mid-tier/occasional competitors; now irrelevant.

Moreover, making a final judgment about the program right now would commit us to the same in-fighting that plagued Florida. I submit that the “FireRonZook.com” controversy in Florida was not incidental to Zook's performance, but instead certainly influenced and affected his performance and ability to muster up the confidence to lead an entire program, no less coach a team on game-day.

Finally, don't assume that Zook, himself, cannot learn from his mistakes. Leading Florida to its first win at Florida State since the 80s as a lame-duck coach (something Spurrier never could do) speaks volumes about Zook’s ability to lead. It also ironically came after the pressure was off because he already knew his fate at the end of the season. Again, I suspect many of his problems stemmed from internal criticism undermining his confidence and ability. Despite the fans turning on him, the team at Florida stayed with Zook and believed in him to the very end. He has also managed to convince top-25 talent to come to a Bottom-10 team.

What matters now is how things play out for the rest of the season. We need to support Zook and let his program air itself out a bit before we pass final judgment. Otherwise, we are just being quick to admit we were fools to hire him. In other words, if we are going to give up on Zook after a year and one game (not including Eastern because that went well), we might as well have never hired him. Then we're the idiots, not Zook.

Despite the deflated optimism from last year, and despite an awful showing last weekend, there are signs that things will improve for Illinois football this year.

The primary factor is the arrival of Zook’s recruiting class. Despite Illinois shoddy play and “bottom-ten” ranking the past four years, Zook somehow managed to bring in a top-25 recruiting class. The strength of the recruiting class comes from… well, its physical strength: the offensive and defensive lines.

Despite all the hype that position players receive—quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, safeties, and Linebackers—I have always emphasized how football is still and will always be a game that is won and lost in the trenches. The unsung heroes on either line can make ordinary quarterbacks look like Joe Montana, and fantastic quarterbacks look like… well, Tim Brasic. In turn, a good defensive line can also make the difference between stopping runs at the line of scrimmage or having a team’s safeties being the lead-tacklers on the defense: which is the most telltale-sign of a weak defense, and which has been the case with Illinois the past few years. As opposed to last year, where Illinois played rather ordinary-sized linemen who were not much bigger than I am, Illinois’ average lineman this year weighs close to 300 pounds. (I no longer feel quite so fat.)

And, in an effort to give a name to the unsung heroes, the name to remember this year is Oklahoma-transfer Akim Millingham, a giant 310-pound offensive tackle. Millingham arrived talking a confident game, and his blocking in practice to back that talk up has opened the eager eyes of our running backs in particular, who couldn’t find a hole with a microscope last year but plan to follow Millingham to the promised land this year.

The improvement of the line led to the 4th-best rushing performance in the NCAA in week 1. Even though that was against lowly Eastern Illinois, last year's team couldn't boast about being in the top five in any category except perhaps punting.

Building up the lines is the best way to build a program from scratch, which is what Zook needs to do. They are still inexperienced and can crumble under pressure, but give them some time. Things are still getting better.

Also, Zook has brought in one of the most promising physical talents at quarterback to ever play for Illinois: Isaiah "Juice" Williams. Juice (an unfortunate nickname for those who remember the original "Juice") received some playing time last Saturday, but he will need some time to learn the offense and adapt to college level football. But the zip on his passes last weekend were amazing: like rockets. He also has amazing speed and size to see over lines. Granted, Juice has a long way to go to become the best quarterback at Illinois. A great quarterback requires far more than just physical ability: namely poise, intelligence, and leadership. But in terms of physical talent and positive attitude, he is well on his way.

Think positive. Don't be ignorant and quick-to-judgment. Join us at Legend's on Saturday.

Illinois plays Michigan State tomorrow at 11:00. We will gather at Legend's to watch the game, which is only available through ESPN Gameplan (premium package).

Illini lose close games against Syracuse and Iowa; don't despair yet

September 23, 2006

Even though the Illini have a 1-3 record, there is reason to hope this season.

Granted, we will not contend for a National Championship, the Big Ten Championship, and probably not even make it to even a pre-Christmas bowl game.

However, in contrast to last year, this year's team does show signs of improvement. ESPN commentators have dismissed Illinois as "just plain awful" mostly because they have seen nothing but the score and have not watched the games. Not that I blame them or that *I* would eagerly watch an Illinois game right now if I weren't an alum, but the seeds of promise do exist this year.

Last year, our Rutgers comeback was thrilling but also incredibly lucky. The most impressive thing to see was the effort, not the ability. This year, the Rutgers game was a disaster, created by a solid, revenge-minded bowl-bound team that might actually contend for a BCS spot as the Big East representative. And after that game, I anticipated another fruitless season of despair.

However, the other two losses so far came down to a few plays here and there or to one aspect of the game needing improvement where our young team just was not good enough to dig out of a huge hole. Not so last year. Last year, when we lost, we were pretty much completely dominated. And when we won, we were just lucky.

Against Syracuse, the special teams and a lucky-bounce, fumble-forward-for-a-touchdown play essentially left Illinois in a 14-0 hole early in the first quarter that this young, inexperienced team was not good enough to get out of.

Against Iowa, Isaiah Williams had an admittedly poor debut as a starting quarterback by completing only 9 of 32 passes for only 161 yards. However, most of his passes hit the receivers in the hands or the numbers: they just plainly dropped the ball. The offense created open passing opportunities, the offensive line held the rush well, and Juice delivered the ball on target, albeit a bit too strong for our receivers to handle after becoming too accustomed to Brasic's lily-boy arm. And the running game was solid, averaging 6-plus yards per carry. But when they drop the ball on third down, the drive ends.

(And Juice's arm was an amazing thing to watch. He effortlessly puts so much "juice" on his passes that I finally realized that his nickname was not an unfortunate throwback to football hero who has fallen far from grace. He also showed some amazing moves while escaping Iowa's rush last week.)

Toward the end of the Iowa game, Juice showed tremendous touch in marching the Illini down the field twice in a row, only to run out of time on the final drive before scoring another touchdown. And Iowa hadn't conceded--they still had their starters in. The difference was that our receivers actually caught the ball.

Our defense also kept a potent Iowa offense to only 24 points: and that only because Iowa scored three quick touchdowns in the final five minutes of the second quarter.

The score was 0-0 for most of the first half. Stalemate. Looked like it would remain stalemate going into halftime.

Then, at 0-0 with about 5 minutes left, Illinois tried that ridiculous Rugby-style punt that wobbled like a dead duck to the Illinois 31. A 12-yard punt. Iowa quickly scored, and then held us to 3-and-out, getting the ball back right near the 50-yard line. Iowa then put its only impressive drive of the game together to score again, 14-0. And even that most impressive drive resulted in a score because they had a short field. Then Brasic comes in to relieve Juice and throws an interception on his second play from scrimmage to give Iowa the ball on our 35. Easy touchdown, 21-0.

Apart from that 5 minute complete collapse at the end of the first half, Illinois out-scored Iowa 7-3, and came close to outscoring them 14-3, all while handicapped because our receivers couldn't catch the ball until the 4th quarter.

Here's the upshot. There is a huge difference between 1) our team not being competitive in any aspect of the game besides punting, and 2) our needing to tighten up a few aspects to be competitive and even impressive. Our Freshmen and Sophomore linemen are also going up against Juniors and Seniors with more experience and body mass. They are not going to be able to dig out of a hole quite yet.

However, mark my words, this Illini team has the ability to have a break-through season next year and suddenly skyrocket to the top of the Big Ten, as if out of nowhere, like we did in 2001. If so, watching that improvement will be a treat in the meantime. We also have the ability to deflate and lose out... but contrary to the past three years, it is not a foregone conclusion. I expect we will open some eyes by winning a few games we are not supposed to win this year, and winning a few more that--by that time--we "should" win. Four or five wins is not out of the question.

It starts this week against a snake-bit Michigan State team in East Lansing that collapsed against Notre Dame last week. Tough luck, but not impossible.

Illinois beats Michigan State on the road!!

September 30, 2006

"However, mark my words, this Illini team has the ability * * * * I expect we will open some eyes by winning a few games we are not supposed to win this year, and winning a few more that--by that time--we "should" win."

                                                            -Lawrence Page

                                                            Austin Illini

                                                            9/29/06

I've preluded some of my updates over the past few years with salient quotes from opposing coaches, Illini players, sometimes even Bruce Weber, but I NEVER thought I would arrogantly open with a quote from my own e-mail written the day before! But we did it: we won a game we weren't supposed to win by upsetting Michigan State in East Lansing, 23-20.

Illinois was 26-point underdogs. In effect, we were supposed to lose by four touchdowns.

One more prelude note: Illinois' last Big Ten road win was in 2002... when we were the defending Big Ten Champions.

Last year, Michigan State came to Champaign to start the Big Ten season and feed us some serious humble pie, crushing us 61-14. Whatever optimism we held at the dawn of the Ron Zook Era became clouded over with pessimistic reality. Whatever hopes we held from the thrilling come-from-behind win over Rutgers and holding our own against a highly-ranked California team came crashing down before our eyes.

This year, Illinois played Michigan State in East Lansing one week after Notre Dame carried out an improbable 16-point 4th quarter comeback. It was also Michigan State's homecoming. From Sparty's perspective, there is no better medicine to get over a disappointing, snake-bite loss to Notre Dame at home than to face the recent Big Ten cellar-dwellers before a homecoming crowd.

Not so fast. After MSU started the scoring with a field goal at the end of the first quarter, Illinois responded with a 70-yard touchdown to take the lead. A one-play drive that made me stand up and proudly sing and shout to the Wisconsin fans at the other end of Legend's: "WOOOO!!! We're winning at some point in the game!!!"

We added a field goal to into the half up 10-3, and--with fresh memories in my mind of the 21-point collapse against Iowa in the final five minutes of the first half last week--I shouted, "We made it to halftime, and we're still winning!!!" I quietly admitted to the Michigan State fans sitting next to us that it was too soon to really think we would win, but the amused Wisconsin fans on the other side of the bar kept shouting back "Go Illini!!"

Juice opened the second half with a crushing interception returned for a touchdown (where the refs missed a blatant block-in-the-back on Juice). But Illinois responded with another touchdown and field goal, up 20-10. By then, the Wisconsin fans at the other end of the bar had lost interest in their blowout over Indiana and were cheering for us!!

MSU responded with its only offensive touchdown of the game. Illinois sputtered 3-and-out on the ensuing drive, and the weak punt and poor coverage gave the ball to Michigan State on the 36 yard-line. They drove to the 7. Not good. But the defense tightened up and held them to a field goal.

Then, with 2 minutes left, Juice then led the Illini downfield for a game-winning field goal to cap off Illinois' first Big Ten win since 2004, and first road win since 2002.

The best part is that we deserved to win. No fancy thrilling multi-score fourth quarter comeback. No tricky lucky bounce plays. No taking advantage of the other team's big play self-destructions. Just solid, run-oriented, grind-em-out, fundamental football, with a few trick plays for fun.

First, in his second start, "Juice" showed some touch on his short passes, and the third down drops that ended drives last week became solid third down plays to keep impressive drives going.

Second, instead of picking a favorite receiver, Juice distributed the ball well among four receivers (Willis, Hudson, Thomas, and some new guy "Morgan"), plus two more (Mendenhall and McPhearson) on screen passes or reverses that count as runs.

Third, Juice and Thomas both ran for over 100 yards, as Illinois rushing game provided a solid foundation for Illinois offense: the foundation for a 70-yard touchdown pass to take the lead 7-3, and a trick-play flea flicker where E.B. Halsey hit Jacob Willis wide open in the end-zone to take a 17-10 lead in the third quarter.

Fourth, the Offensive line played well, both in pass protection and run-blocking. Juice was barely tested in the pocket. Moreover, Illinois ran the same run play about fifteen times with different variations: a delayed run where Juice would hand the ball off to a cutting back in front of Juice or fake and keep it. Not only did the misdirection often work, but the line created the perfect seam each time for the actual ball carrier (Williams or Thomas) to squirt through the line and not get touched until they reached the safeties, usually ten yards downfield.

On the other end of the ball, Illinois' defense not only played solidly, but dominantly. They held the vaunted Michigan State passing attack to no touchdowns (much stiffer than Notre Dame did). They sacked Drew Stanton 5 times, compared to no sacks given up by Illinois' Offensive line. They stripped the ball from MSU on a first-quarter goal-line stand at our one-yard line.

The defense also came to the rescue of that fourth-quarter special teams gaff. After MSU scored its only offensive touchdown in the 4th quarter, Illinois' offense sputtered 3-and-out. The ensuing punt wobbled poorly, and a 17-yard return gave Michigan State the ball on the Illinois 36. Michigan State drove a short field down to the 7 yard line. But instead of crumbling, the defense tightened up, actually pushed MSU back a couple of yards, and held Michigan State to a field goal to tie the game, setting up our game-winning field goal on the ensuing drive. Without that stop, Illinois would have needed a touchdown to win.

The defense knocked screen passes down, contained the run, and generally played incredibly well. Without the interception for a touchdown, we would have held Michigan State to a touchdown and two field goals.

And, finally, Illinois actually recovered and overcame at least three of those bad-luck gaffs that put them in a hole the past few games and made the difference. One such gaff mentioned above was the punt that gave Michigan State the ball on the Illinois 36 yard line in the 4th quarter immediately after Michigan State had scored its first offensive touchdown.

Another came earlier in the second half. With Illinois up 10-3 early in the second half and driving, Juice naively telegraphed his sideline pass on an out-route, and the defensive end jumped at it, returning it 65 yards for a touchdown.

A third came when Illinois stripped Staton just before he passed the ball, but the replay booth reversed the call as an incomplete pass. Most commentators agree it was a bad call. MSU scored a touchdown on that drive.

Instead of crumbling, Illinois played solid enough to overcome these big plays for MSU.

And all the above goes to prove the best part: Illinois truly deserved to win. Michigan State did not crumble. Illinois won, and won on the road against a solid team. It's first Big Ten victory in two years (since 2004 over Indiana), and its first Big Ten road win since 2002.

With homecoming next week against Indiana, and the following week against Ohio at home (two of those games that "we should win"), Illinois realistically could be 4-3 in two weeks. See you next week at Legends.

Tough Homecoming loss to Indiana; Special Teams Gaffs

October 7, 2006

Illinois football rebounds against its heartbreaking last-second loss to Indiana by playing the University of Ohio in Champaign tomorrow at 6:00. The Illini are prime-time, baby! The game is only available in Austin through ESPN Game Plan.

Unfortunately, being in prime time means that the game will conflict with the Texas-Baylor game also at 6:00, the Michigan-Penn State game at 7:00, and the Florida-Auburn game at 6:45 (Florida has a HUGE fan club at Legends), so Legend's will be packed, but the manager has assured me that if we show up in good numbers, we will get the front plasma in the triangle with the sound.

So we will gather at Legend's at 6:00 to watch the game. A map is on the football page of the Austin Illini website. WE NEED YOU TO JOIN US TO WATCH THE GAME SO WE CAN ALL SEE IT ON THE PLASMA T.V. WITH SOUND.

What happened against Indiana? Three things. Illinois' defense loosened its focus and didn't play nearly as well as it did against Michigan State, Iowa, Syracuse, or Eastern Illinois. The secondary, especially, did not play well. Second, Indiana's run defense is much better than its record indicated. Indiana simply stifled the run that neither Iowa nor Michigan State could completely control. Third, with a young team, inconsistency is going to happen.

So Illinois won a game it was supposed to lose and lost a game it was supposed to win. But they still get to regain a fighting chance against Ohio, which played Rutgers closer than Illinois did, losing only 24-7 instead of 33-0.

Rutgers, meanwhile, has turned into the Cinderella story of the season, breaking into both polls at 23 & 24 last week and staying at 24 in both this week. Rutgers has a good chance of winning the Big East this year and playing in a BCS bowl this year, making its demolition of Illinois a bit more bearable than it was a few weeks ago.

Illini lose to Ohio; Penn State Next

October 14, 2006

Illinois travels to Penn State this weekend to avenge the brutal abuse-of-hospitality that Penn State wreaked upon in us last year's homecoming game in Champaign. The game is available on ESPN2HD. Because the game is available in Hi-Def, we will gather at Ringers at 11:00 to watch the game and savor the tangy taste of sweet revenge.

The Texas game is also scheduled for 11:00, , which you can also watch at Ringers during commercials of the intense battle that will be afoot in the Illinois-Penn State game.

O.k., so I jest. The Penn State game last year was the absolute low-point of Illinois football. Not just last year; the entire history of Illinois football. Rock bottom. Absolutely dominated, at home, at homecoming.

However, all is not lost. First, Penn State is a shadow of what they were last year. Last year, they were one play from an undefeated season, spoiled only by a Michigan touchdown pass that was worse than "last-second:" there was literally no time on the clock when the pass was thrown. However, Penn State graduated several key players on both sides of the ball, which left them subject to lose already to highly-overrated Notre Dame, not-so-overrated Ohio State, and to Michigan last week.

Second, Illinois is a lot better, albeit inconsistently so. Illinois lost again last week on a last-second field goal after Ohio recovered a fumble deep in our territory to interrupt what otherwise would have been the winning drive for US. However, apart from the Rutgers game, we have been competitive and have improved in every game. I'm not going to go on a limb and sacrifice my credibility by predicting a win, but it is not as foregone as you might suspect.

Also, what we thought was a sign of our season when Rutgers shut us out proved only to be the beginning of Rutgers' elevation into a potential BCS team this year. They lead all college in scoring defense. Their defense has allowed 50 points... all season long. Many in the media are leaping onto their bandwagon.

Illini almost beat Penn State on the road; Football is Back at Illinois!!

October 21, 2006

Those who did not see the Penn State game and just saw the 26-12 score might feel something like "At least we didn't get blown out." However, those who did watch the game know not just how close the game really was, but how much we actually should have won the game. Moreover, this loss showed that football is back at Illinois, even if our record might not improve much over previous years. Moral victories are extremely important given how bad we have been the past four years.

Despite certain questions that still remain, I am clearly beginning to believe in Ron Zook because he has turned this team around and has headed it in the right direction. More details are below, but he has recruited some phenomenal players so far, has developed a defensive and offensive scheme that plays to our strengths, has worked to improve the strength and aggressiveness of all our players, and has, in general, taken this team out of the toilet. We're still wringing the toilet water out, but it won't be long before we again contend for the Big Ten Title.

Illinois has four games left this year, and two of them are very winnable: against Purdue and Northwestern. But we don't get there until we play Wisconsin in Madison this weekend, and Ohio State in Champaign the following weekend. These next two games will be tough, but I wouldn't be shocked if we pull off an upset in either game.

The Penn State Loss

Illinois should not play another home game all year. They have played their best on the road, by far. And they almost came up with another shock-the-world upset on the road.

Despite playing one of its best games of the year, Illinois fell short against Penn State, losing 26-12. Already leading 17-12, Penn State got 9 additional points in the final minute of the game from a safety and from returning the ensuing on-side kick 30 yards for a touchdown (kicked from the 20 on a safety). They would not have scored those points if we were not taking unusual risks to try to win the game. Combined with special teams gaffs (discussed below) that gave Penn State two other touchdowns, we should have beaten Penn State by 9 points, but instead lost by 14.

To keep perspective, many would consider that outcome as bad news because it describes how badly we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory: 23 point swings don't happen to winning teams. However, given our recent history, and especially given the recent results against Penn State, I consider it a sign of how much progress we have made since last year.

Last year, after the 63-10 Penn State blow-out in Champaign on homecoming weekend, I noted that I didn't care if we lost so much as how we lost. The Penn State loss "wasn't as close" as the 63-10 score might indicate. Penn State scored a touchdown on all but one of its first half drives--many times quickly and easily--to go into the first half up 56-3. Penn State could have scored over 100 points on us that night, but Patero showed incredible mercy and didn't call a single pass play the entire second half, killing the clock with all runs. Penn State scored only one touchdown in the second half--almost by mistake--on an interception return.

Losing while being competitive is not nearly as bad as losing a total blowout where we are completely dominated in all facets of the game. Not only is it embarrassing, but it more significantly bodes poorly for the future. Last year's Penn State loss was most discouraging because it showed how far we were from enjoying a winning program.

Well, I got what I asked for, and it turns out we are not as far as we feared. This year, the story was much, much different. The old saw, "and it wasn't that close," this year means that the game was much, much closer. Playing on the road in one of the more loud and hostile stadiums in the Big Ten, Illinois played tough against Penn State the entire game, going into the half up 9-3, and leading 12-3 until 10 minutes left in the third half. Although the offense couldn't capitalize on several opportunities, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns, the defense played fantastically the entire game.

Unfortunately, two main things let us down to cause the loss.

First and foremost, special teams was awful, yet again, effectively giving Penn State three touchdowns, a safety, and the win, even though special teams was actually only on the filed for one of those touchdowns.

Early in the second half, Penn State's special teams pinned the Illini deep against their own goal line twice in a row: one off a punt, and the other off a kickoff after Penn State's first touchdown. Both resulted ultimately in Penn State touchdowns.

The first time, Illinois' offense went 3-and-out, punted to mid-field, and our awful punt coverage led to a return that gave Penn State the ball at the Illinois 35. Given that short a field, Penn State punched it in: it is too much to expect the defense to shut them down with that short a field. The second time, the kick return came back on a personal foul for clipping, giving us the ball again inside the five. Two plays later, while Juice scrambled at the 3 yard line carrying the ball dangerously in one hand, the ball knocked loose, and a Penn State defender picked it up and quickly ran it in three yards for a touchdown.

14 quick points, proving to be the difference in the game.

Special teams was not on the field when the two touchdowns were scored: the defense technically gave up the first and the offense technically gave up the second on the fumble for a touchdown. However, both were clearly special teams' fault. Without those first two touchdowns, we would not have taken the risks in the fourth quarter that led to Penn State's final 9 points. And, come to think of it, those final nine points were also the special team's fault, as well. First, the special teams again allowed Penn State to pin us against our own goal line for our final drive, leading to the safety. Not only did that gaff lead to the ensuing on-side kick from the 20, but special teams also let Penn State return that onside kick 30 yards... untouched... for the final touchdown. The point of an on-side kick is to recover the ball: kick it ten yards so we can recover the ball. Not only did they fail to recover... or even TOUCH... the ball, they failed to even touch the ball carrier!!

The good news is that the past three years, special teams was the only thing that worked. This year, with Steve Weatherford now playing in the NFL, it's the only thing that really stinks. Better to have that single flaw than a flawed team in every other aspect of the game.

The bad news is that bad special teams can have a disproportionate impact on the game considering the short amount of time they are on the field. They impact the field position game the most, giving the ball to the other team on a short field and not giving our offense a short field. And through this season, Illinois statistically has the worst special teams in college football. Most notably, Illinois is dead last in the NCAA in punt differential.

The second huge and obvious problem was that our receivers kept dropping perfect passes. One such drop on a third down can cause the difference between a win and a loss by killing drives that could have otherwise resulted in scores. Our receivers dropped at least 4 easy passes that either bounced off their hands or the numbers on their chest. All of the drops killed a drive.

Moreover, in contrast to early games where Juice simply threw the ball too hard, this time only one of the dropped passes were full-velocity bullets.

Given that Illinois is not good enough to overcome these two serious problems, Illinois lost. But there is good news.

The Good News

There were many encouraging signs from this game. The first is simply the score and how close we kept it. With last year's drubbing in Champaign, most expected another blowout, especially in Happy Valley this year. However, we led for most of the game, and remained within one score until the final minute, where Penn State essentially scored 9 points off risky plays that would not have happened if the special teams had not dug us into a 5-point deficit. We should have won this game by 9 points, but instead lost it by 14.

The most of the remaining good news stems from the factors that kept the score that close, most notably the defense. The defense only gave up one touchdown, and then only when the special teams gave Penn State the ball at our 35 yard line.

Statistically, even the very best defenses can only be expected to hold the other team to two or three first downs per drive; sometimes less, sometimes more, but on average two or three first downs. Even the best defenses cannot sustain 3-and-out on every drive. Consequently, it makes sense that when the other team gets the ball at their 20, they will not score with a defense that holds them to two or three first downs. But when the other team gets the ball on our 35 yard line, don't be surprised if they come up with a touchdown.

And that is exactly how our defense has performed all year. Other than that lone touchdown, the defense held Penn State to only 40 yards rushing, and generally kept the game under control. The Indiana game also came down to poor special teams losing the field position game. The Iowa loss, especially, resulted from poor field position all game long.

Even though they gave up too many third down completions, the secondary also hit the receivers hard, causing some incompletions and generally showing some spunk that has been missing the past four to five years. Indeed, the entire team looks stronger and hits harder than ever before.

As for offense, the rushing game--the textbook foundation of any great offense--has run the ball well all year long. Thomas has repeatedly carried a pack of defenders three or four yards after initial contact to turn small gains into solid gains. Rashad Mendenhall has clearly beefed up from last year. His twig-boy arms from last year have turned into powerful pipes, and he, too, has shown an ability to routinely push for extra yards after the initial hit.

The only thing that killed our offense against Penn State were dropped passes. As for our passing offense, as noted earlier this season, dropped passes are one of the easiest things to fix on an offense. It means that everything is working well in the passing game, and there is only one thing to fix. The line is holding the pass rush, the offensive scheme is creating open pass opportunities, and the quarterback is not only finding those open opportunities, but delivering the ball into them. One small improvement can create a huge impact.

In general, Illinois's offense out-gained Penn State almost 2-to-1 in total yards--363 to 184 yards--and out gained Penn State more than 5-to-1 in rushing yards: 207 to 40 yards. Rashad Mendenhall, alone, carried the ball for a career-high 161 yards. Our passing game also out-gained Penn State's passing, 156-144. Illinois also earned 19 first downs to Penn State's 11. Usually, those offensive numbers would support a blow-out in favor of Illinois. Of course, the most common explanation for a team losing despite significantly outgaining the other team's offense is that special teams (or turnovers) made it so the other team didn't need much offense to score.

The final great news is that Juice is maturing into a solid quarterback. He threw the ball too hard early on, causing incompletions on wide-open passes that hit the receivers in the hands or chest. Lesson learned, and he has developed good touch on his throws ever since. He lost a fumble this past week through poor ball-handling fundamentals: carrying the ball with one hand away from his body while scrambling instead of clutching it next to his ear with both hands until he passes it so the ball is safe and ready to fire at any moment. Lesson learned. He already shows the fighting instincts necessary to evade a rush and never give up a sack without a fight, and is gaining more and more poise beyond that good starting point. He has amazing mobility, and can run and pass like no other quarterback in Illinois history.

Football is back at Illinois, even though this year's record might not reflect that fact, yet. We could very well come out of nowhere next year to be bowl eligible, and could contend for the Big Ten Title in two years.

Story getting old... loss to Wisconsin due to Special Teams gaffs.

October 28, 2006

Illinois plays Ohio State tomorrow at 2:30 on ESPN2. We will gather at Legends to watch the game.

But why should we bother. Ohio State is #1 in the country and we... are not close.

O.K. I know this storyline is getting old, but we really are much, much better than our record indicates. We are a few special teams gaffs from being 8-1, not 2-7. Every single loss except the Rutgers game has come down to two or three special teams gaffs: muffed punts, poor kick coverage, fumbles, and horrible, awful, atrocious punting.

We had Wisconsin on the ropes, up 21- in the second quarter, and 24-20 deep in the third quarter. Illinois also had the ball to drive for a winning touchdown at the end of the game, but came up short. And, again, special teams pinning us against our goalline, and then punting a huge, pop-up punt for a whopping 23 yards from our own endzone didn't make it difficult for Wisconsin to pull out the win.

Granted, losing teams find ways to lose because of their mistakes, whereas winning teams find ways to win despite their mistakes. But we really are playing good football, hitting hard, playing tough, regrouping, and then playing better.

Thus, I'm calling it. If Illinois can keep the special teams mistakes to a minimum, Illinois will shock the world and upset #1 Ohio State tomorrow in Champaign. It will require Illinois to bring its best performance yet, and Ohio State to overlook Illinois and play under its abilities. But Ohio State has coasted to its past four easy wins, and play Northwestern next week before facing Michigan in the finale.

But by then, they will be knocked from #1 after they lose to Illinois.

Remember Michigan in 1999, which announced the coming of the 2002 Big Ten Championship. And that was in Ann Arbor.

Illini play #1 OSU tough, but fall again

November 4, 2006

After playing the #1 football team in the country closer than anyone so far (yes, that means even closer than Texas did), Illinois closes out its season with two rather winnable games against Purdue this Saturday at 11:00 in Champaign, and Northwestern next Saturday in Evanston at noon.

We will gather at Legends at 11:00 to watch the Purdue game, which is only available via ESPN Gameplan. Our numbers have been waning recently (probably because the games have been nationally televised), but I hope that will change this weekend.

Also, for the Northwestern game next week--the final football game of the season--we will have our "Paint the Pub Orange" football event for the year at Legends. If you make any football gamewatch this year, please make this one, and please come dressed in Orange.

Like I said, Illinois is MUCH better than its record, and is poised to bust out next year with a bit more experience and another great recruiting class. Without our special teams losing the field position game or giving up touchdowns, we would be at least 7-3 and bowl-eligible so far this year. Lots of close losses in a rebuilding year with mostly freshman and sophomore starters is the best predictor of a "come-from-nowhere" turnaround in the subsequent year. See it and enjoy it before the bandwagon starts rolling.

Illini lose another to Purdue.

November 11, 2006

(*Big Dejected Sigh*) 

Illinois let another one slip away against Purdue last week. We had the game under control in the first half but, this time, turnovers added to the special teams problems and led to the loss.

This weekend, Illinois closes its season out against Northwestern tomorrow at noon. We will gather at Legends at noon tomorrow for our "Paint the Pub Orange" football watching party, hopefully to watch Illinois beat Northwestern and end the season on a positive note going into next year. "Paint the Pub Orange" is our once a season (at least) event for each sport that we designate for everyone to come out and join us. If you haven't come out yet (or even if you have), please join us at Legend's tomorrow.

To add to the encouraging news of how good our team has looked all season despite its record, Illinois football just signed the top wide receiver recruit in the country last week. Despite my concerns last year when Zook could not adjust to the talent he had, which resulted in several complete blowouts, Zook has adjusted this year to make our team very competitive. Helped by a great recruiting class, the Illini have not been blown out once, and took the best team in the country to the final minutes, playing them closer than anyone else so far, including Texas.

With the addition of another stellar recruiting class (including some receivers who can actually catch Juice's passes), and with a reversal of the awful luck the Illini have seen this year each week, we might be one of those coveted "worst to first" stories. To some, we will come out of nowhere; but those who have paid attention know that Illinois is MUCH better than its record this year. Please come out and join us at Legend's tomorrow.

Pathetic correction: Unbeknownst to me, ESPN apparently pulled the Illini v Northwestern game from the Gameplan television schedule earlier today. With egg on my face, I'm sad to say that the game will only be available on the web via ESPN360. (BTW, thanks to Tony Tanzer for pointing that out.)

Therefore, our "Paint the Pub Orange" gamewatch would be... quite lame... if we actually tried to have it. I actually contemplated bringing my laptop with a widescreen on which everyone could still watch the game at Legends... but that frankly wouldn't make it much less lame. Because the game will no longer be televised, we're canceling the "Paint the Pub Orange" football gamewatch party at Legends tomorrow.

I apologize for the mix-up. It was beyond my control. I do plan to write a rather... strongly... worded... letter... to ESPN, though to detail my justifiable frustration in rather terse and tense terms. I'm sure that the fear that I strike in the hearts of ESPN's programmers will ensure that such misfortune never happen again.

But, as I write this, Illinois is crushing Georgia Southern 61-32 in basketball. So not all is lost....

Chief tidbit. For those who watched the Bears beat the Giants, you might have seen the one thing that made me like the Giants more than I otherwise would. (Even though I still thoroughly enjoyed the Bears dominant comeback in the second half). Former Illini David Diehl (from the 2001 Big Ten Champ team) plays on the offensive line for the Giants. In the introduction video clips of the players at the beginning of the game, each player says his name and where he went to school. Instead of "University of Illinois," Dietz firmly declared his loyalty to his alma mater: "The University of Chief Illiniwek."

Season Wrap-Up: Much Improved, but Still Not There Yet

November 18, 2006

2 Football Starters dismissed from Team

March 3, 2007

Now for some bad news, buried at the end for the three or four people who actually read this far because we really don't need any more bad news this year. Two of our better football players--starting wide receivers Ellis and McPhearson--were arrested last Friday in Champaign when they were found with dozens of stolen laptops, I-Pods, and other goods that they stole from student apartments on the "Unofficial" St. Patrick's Day celebration that U of I celebrates to keep the festivities out of the weekdays. Their m.o. was to enter an apartment as if looking for a party, and if someone was there, naively say that they had the wrong apartment, and if no one was there, they would take what they could snatch. (The somewhat-inappropriate joke is that they are both Illinois wide receivers, and many were thus surprised that they were actually able to hold onto and carry the stolen goods.)

Ron Zook summarily suspended them immediately upon receiving the news, and later that same day kicked them off the team for good: very swift, stiff, and appropriate punishment.

Many people on the bulletin boards and elsewhere are making inappropriate comparisons to the comparatively lenient treatment of Jamar Smith so far (no suspension or summary dismissal), but there is a huge difference between a single unintentional-but-stupid act with horrible, unintended consequences, and multiple intentional robberies by two large football players with completely intended consequences.

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