SB Nation - Rashard Mendenhall

The Final Word on the 2009 Fighting Illini football Season

Joe Kutsunis — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:47:49 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

I really did not want to write this post. This season was so bad that we have known for many weeks that there would be very little positive that could be taken from it. It was a season that will be defined by let downs, unmet expectations and uncertainty.

Like I did at the end of last year's basketball season, I have assess to what expectations I wish to hold this team. At the beginning of the season, after reading my Phil Steele and feeling about as confident as I ever have about this team, I said that this season would probably be an 8-4 year, with losses to Penn State, Ohio State, Cincinnati and one team we should not lose to. That's a bowl, a solid season and in a situation that gives you a good feeling about the future.

Phil Steele said we would finish 3rd in the conference, and that there was an outside chance we would go undefeated. If there is anyone more upset with Ron Zook right now than Phil Steele, I would like to meet him, because this 3-9 season has got to hurt his credibility.

You know what might be the worst thing about this year? That the defense by the final three weeks was completely unable to make a stop and the offense was putting up sick numbers on otherwise good teams. The polar opposite of the beginning of the year where the defense would hang tough for 3 quarters before folding from exhaustion at the end, and got no support from the vaunted offense.

That offense that finally got its feet under it in the second half of the year put Illini fans through some awfully difficult to watch games early in the year. It would move the ball down the field and then lose the ball in one disastrous way after another. Fumbles and penalties and interceptions, groan. The offense at times was literally tripping over its own feet and keeping itself from success. There were lots of problems from receivers like Fayson and Cumberland who disappointed in their production, to Arrelious Benn who just plain was not thrown to enough. (double standard maybe, but which of these 3 is getting first round money?) One of the weapons I was looking forward to seeing better used this year was Uh-oh who outside of a catch here or there was either not thrown to or was sidelined with injury.

The running game would eventually prove to be one of the bright spots of the team, but early on it too was inconsistent, and underused more than likely due to all of the talent we perceived ourselves to have a wide receiver. Mikel Leshoure needs to get the ball more next year than any of the other backs, I don't care what playing time has been promised to the others. He is your go-to back, no excuses.

As for Juice, I still feel bad the way his final season as an Illini ended up. When he is allowed to play his game, the game he excels at, the game that got him to the Rose Bowl, it can be plainly seen how much of a threat he can be to defenses. He is as classy as football players get, even through being pulled earlier this season and then being put back in without any fanfare. He is your all time offensive yards leader, he will go down as one of the most important players to this school, and I for one wish things would have gone better for him. Maybe I am biased, going to school at Illinois during the Rose Bowl run will probably tend to do that.

As for the defense many of the problems that plagued it at the beginning of the season still plagued it at the end, but to a greater degree. There are some spots on defense of real strength, most notably defensive tackle, but the weak points were never fully shored up. I suppose some of this can be blamed on injury the losses of Martez Wilson, Miami Thomas and intermittently Donsay Hardeman combined with youth and inexperience in other areas to create at best an inconsistent defense.

The season just never really got off to the start it was supposed to. The loss to Missouri I really think sent this team into a tailspin and had it under perform its own ability from then on. I believe to some degree it was not as good as advertised, but its talent level is not as bad as its record. Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State did just as some predicted and put the Illini in a hole that they were never really fully able to pull themselves out of. If the Illini take one of those three games, I don't believe they lose to either Purdue or Indiana. This team should have been at least a 6-6 team. You can blame the coaches for panicking maybe, or the players for despairing, or the AD for giving the team a schedule that seems hell bent against going to a bowl. Whatever the reason this team was not put into a position to succeed, and underperformed.

There are still some bright spots to look forward to, somewhat at least. Terry Hawthorne, whatever position he is going to play, on whatever side of the ball, is going to be one of the better players for this team. He ended up being the best defensive back after being converted to the position halfway through the season. Jacob Charest emerged as the probable starting QB for next year, with Eddie McGee moving to receiver, a position he proved better at than many established players.

For all the problems this team has had it still has talent. Right now both Jon Asamoah and Arrelious Benn are projected first round draft picks. Along with Rashard Mendenhall from two years ago and Vontae Davis last year that will make three years in a row with a first rounder. Thats not something that usually happens to consistently bad teams. But to us, it has.

I don't know what next year really holds. There are a lot of rumors of firings and transfers that will be decided in the next several week, so I could not really tell you in what direction the team will ultimately go. The two indicators we do have though are next year's schedule and recruiting, and both of those point to another losing season. See you this summer football, I hope under better circumstances.

The TDG consensus on the 2009 schedule

GopherNation — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:30:12 -0000

Now that we have completed the way too early / almost timely previews of the 2009 schedule I want to run through the entire schedule with the TDG staff and put out our official predictions. This is kind of like we are the American Idol judges (I'm Simon, Buck is Randy and JG is clearly Paula if anyone is curious) and we are going to determine if the Gophers are "going to Hollywood baby!" And by Hollywood, I mean Pasadena or Orlando or anywhere as long as it's in January. So we'll go game-by-game and each of us will give our thumbs up or thumbs down, two out of three thumbs up means a TDG predicted win (be sure to bookmark this post and come back to praise/ridicule us in November).

@ Syracuse - Sept. 5

GN -The Gophers and Gopher fans have been looking forward to getting to see football outdoors, so we begin the season by heading back into a Dome. This one will have a slightly different result than our last game under a roof. Syracuse is not as bad as they were last year, but Paulus will still be adjusting to game speed and the team will struggle early. Gophers win by double digits.

BB - Paulus was an excellent quarterback prospect coming out of high school, but he's now a few years removed. Remember, Syracuse defeated a very talented but poorly coached Notre Dame team last year. Fortunately for Minnesota, the Syracuse program is in disarray. Adjusting to a new offensive scheme and new defensive coordinators will cause a few hiccups for Minnesota, and this game will be closer than many predict. Beware the ESPN footage of Greg Paulus' triumphant return to football. The betting line has the Gophers at about 7 point favorites over the Orangemen, and I think Syracuse will beat the spread but lose the game. Gophers win 28-24. (1-0 record)

JG - If I'm Paula, do I still get to work here? In a segue, a rule of thumb in football is generally this: it's probably not a good thing if a point guard can transfer in and take over your starting QB position. I get the feeling it'll take about one quarter for the Gophers to figure out Paulus and this offense. By the fourth quarter, Paulus will probably be wishing he was back on the Duke bench. Minnesota will win this game by at least 25 points. (1-0).

Air Force - Sept. 12

GN - TRAP GAME, TRAP GAME! The Gophers cannot overlook Air Force. This isn't a MAC team, the Mountain West has a history of beating BCS teams and Air Force is fully capable of beating the Gophers. This team will be very disciplined and will take advantage of us if we get out of position and do not play fundamentally sound. This game scares me but at this point I am nothing but optimistic. Gopher wins a close one (2-0).

BB - Air Force is a tough running, well disciplined team. Last year, they nearly defeated Utah early in the season. A young defense may become frustrated by repetitive running plays, and make a few mistakes. However, Air Force was scheduled as the new stadium home opener for a reason. Gophers win 17-10. (2-0 record)

JG - This is the kind of team the Gophers traditionally has problems with: tough, disciplined, hard-nosed. The team returns about 2/3 of their starters and rushes the ball 77% of the time. Still, it's not their stadium that's opening on September 12th. The game will be low-scoring, but the Gophers will win. (2-0).

California - Sept. 19

GN - I'm on board the Cal bandwagon this year. They are experienced, have some big time players on both sides of the ball and I think they have a great shot at winning the Pac-10 title. This is a home game so it may not be our toughest game on the schedule but this may very well be the best team we face all year. Gophers lose and hopefully the time change and home field advantage (?) will help us to keep it close. (2-1)

BB - California is a great football team, with one of the best running backs in the country. Jahvid Best will run wild against the Gophers. I'll predict 300+ all purpose yards. Let's hope that this game doesn't start a cascade of lost confidence that carries into the next week. California wins 42-10. (2-1 record)

JG - And, thud. This is undoubtedly a trap game for Cal - the equivalent of a 9am start for these guys, with Oregon and USC, on the road, as the next two games on the schedule. Remember as well that we all saw what happened last year against Maryland. Unfortunately, we all saw what happened last year against Maryland and I'm pretty sure Jeff Tedford has circled this game for full attention. Reports out of Cal practice are: speed and power. I'm not sure Minnesota can keep up with these guys. Cal will win by 7. (2-1).

@ Northwestern - Sept. 26

GN - Northwestern is in the same boat as Minnesota. Both should be better than they were a year ago but nobody is sure what exactly that will translate to. This is the type of game we have to win if Brewster wants to demonstrate that his team is truly improved. Northwestern is no slouch and their defense is much better than most people give them credit for. But I do believe the Gophers are better and barring a crazy hail-mary, pick-6 or miracle 4th qtr comeback (seriously how many lives do they have?), I'm going to break from my cohorts below and this one is a W. (3-1)

BB - The Gophers could very well suffer from a post-California defeat hangover versus Northwestern. Northwestern has one of the best coaches in the Big Ten with Pat Fitzgerald, and they will be prepared for a battle in Chicago. Minnesota will keep this one close against a Northwestern team with lesser talent, but the moral defeat of the California game will prevent them from playing their best football. Due to the home field advantage and a California hangover, Northwestern will win 24-21. (2-2 record)

JG - First Big Ten road game against one of Minnesota's bogey teams. Supposedly, Mike Kafka knows how to throw the ball pretty well, which scares me given what we saw out of his running. I trust Pat Fitzgerald more than I trust Tim Brewster. Minnesota loses on a last-minute safety. (2-2).

Wisconsin - Oct. 3

GN - Home game, rivalry game and this is the game that will secure Brewster's job. Year three and he has to win one of the rivalry trophies. Wisconsin isn't a guarantee by any stretch but this is the game circled on the calendar of many on the roster. I was there, I saw their faces last year in Madison and that one hurt bad. This game is played with some serious emotion (on both sides) but the Gophers get back the Axe! (4-1)

BB - The Gophers will recover at home versus a Wisconsin team that has been headed in the wrong direction the last few years. The TCF Bank Stadium home field advantage will bring the axe back to Minnesota, and may increase the heat to the seat of Bret Bielema. Adam Weber and/or Marqueis Gray will exploit the Badgers' secondary. Gophers win a close one with a defensive stand on the final drive by a score of 20-18. (3-2 record)

JG - This will be the first time in 20 years that the Badgers don't travel 20,000 to Minneeapolis for a football game. They'll feel it. Also, Bret Bielema is their coach and I trust him about as far as I can throw John Clay. Gophers win by 3. Axe me. (3-2).

Purdue - Oct. 10

GN -Hammer and Rails thinks this will be a unified team that will be greater than the sum of their parts. But at home this game cannot be a loss. There may be some looking past the Boilermakers, but if this Gopher team thinks they are good enough to look past anybody then this season will be lost before we get to week 6. Ultimately too many freshmen and sophomores playing for Purdue. They may be building for the future, but the Gophers are more talented and better win. (5-1)

BB - Purdue will be adjusting to the loss of Joe Tiller, and will visit TCF Bank Stadium with a team featuring mediocre talent. Minnesota will have a strong showing versus the Boilermakers for Homecoming. Gophers win 32-21. (4-2 record)

JG - Now THIS is the Gophers' trap game. Homecoming against a supposed doormat, but we know little about what Danny Hope is building in West LaFayette. While I have trepidation, I predict a 14-point victory for Minnesota (4-2).

@ Penn State - Oct. 17

GN - Two losses are coming. If the Gophers are in fact 5-1 coming into this game, then there will be higher expectations. But this will be a loss. It pains me to say it but remaining competitive is progress. At some point I don't want to have to say that but this year, that is the case. I think Gophers lose this one fairly big. (5-2)

BB - Penn State is loaded with talent, and Happy Valley is a tough place to play on the road. No one is giving the Gophers much of a chance in this game, including me. Penn State features talented 5th year seniors and accomplished future NFL talent. Also, Dan Nystrom graduated a few years ago and won't be eligible to kick the winning field goal. Nittany Lions win big 35-14. (4-3 record)

JG - I predicted a victory in my preview and I'm not shying away now. Penn State travels to the workout monsters in Ann Arbor the week after this game. Penn State is young at the wideout and defensive secondary positions. They should be exploited - this is the game where Jedd Fisch makes his money. Gophers by 4. (5-2).

@ Ohio State - Oct. 24

GN - Another loss and don't try to pursued yourself otherwise. I think this one is relatively close. After getting stomped by Penn State I think the Gophers refocus and come out ready to be road warriors this week. It won't be enough but this one will be closer than expected. (5-3)

BB - Visting Ohio State after playing in Happy Valley? Why not run a marathon the day after finishing a triathlon? The Gophers could very well be facing two Heisman candidates this season in California's Jahvid Best and Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor. Pryor will put on a Heisman-caliber show for the highlight reels. Jim Tressel doesn't usually run up the score, so the Buckeyes' second team plays most of the second half and Ohio State wins 32-20. (4-4 record)

JG - And the thud begins for the Gophers. The last time the Buckeyes had this many starters to replace they played for the national title. I'm not picking against them here. Ohio State by 21. (5-3).

Michigan State - Oct. 31

GN - This is the one game on the schedule with which I have no idea what to do. The Gophers return home after a brutal road stretch and I Michigan State is tough but they aren't going to win the league or anything. Or maybe the Spartans have the pieces to be the third best team in the league and this is one of the road games they have to win to achieve that status. Since I'm the optimist around here I'm going to say they never get comfortable with a QB and their lack of studs on the defensive line allows the Gophers to generate some offense. Gophers win one they shouldn't. (6-3)

BB - This home-field battle will be between two coaches that were hired to rebuild their respective programs in 2007. Mark Dantonio has done a great job of recruiting at Michigan State, as has Tim Brewster at Minnesota. Unfortunately for Gopher fans, Dantonio has better upperclassmen from the previous regime. Michigan State wins a close one 34-30. (4-5 record)

JG - For Michigan State, see Air Force. Mark Dantonio will scowl his way into town on the back of owning recruiting in the state of Michigan. Freshman running backs Caper and Baker will run wild, and this game will be won by MSU by 3 with a bunch of zombies in the stands. Literally. It's Halloween you know (no, the BTN didn't know.) (5-4).

Illinois - Nov. 7

GN - Originally I had this as a win. I think Juice is vastly overrated as a quarterback, but I greatly underrate him as s football player. The guy is dangerous and can generate a ton of offense (he's just not a very good passer). We won this on the road a year ago and I feel like it left a bad taste in the mouths of the Illini. They should roll into TCF with a three-game win streak and enough confidence to take care of the Gophers. (6-4)

BB - Illinois will be out for blood after being upset by the Gophers last year at home. Ron Zook is a relentless coach, and he'll have his team in top form for this matchup. Minnesota will keep this one close in a back-and-forth game, but Illinois will still be able to field more mature and developed talent for the game. Illinois wins 31-24. (4-6 record)

JG - I gave my tickets to this game in 2007 to my sister in law and her husband. They reported back that they had crushes on Rashard Mendenhall. I believe that game Illinois rushed for 870 yards. Something close. While I think their defense is porous, they have an axe to grind over 2008. They'll win here by 10. (5-5).

South Dakota State- Nov. 14

GN - seriously, if we lose this game I will exclusively cover Gopher volleyball until basketball season starts. I'm not kidding, if we lose this game no more football coverage until the2010 season (even that may be in doubt). Gophers win by 28 and we get to see a lot of the underclassmen. (7-4)

BB - South Dakota State will not be able to match up versus the Gophers. Marqueis Gray should be seeing a significant number of touches by this point in the season, and Minnesota should have an outstanding offensive performance. Gophers win big 42-17. (5-6 record)

JG - GN, we have to cover football in 2010 because the Song Girls, Joe Paterno's glasses, Terrelle Pryor's Porsche, and the Pig currently in Iowa (along with Floyd of Rosedale) come to the BANKVAULT. Minnesota by 50, by the way. (6-5).

@ Iowa- Nov. 21

GN - Way too many reasons to pick Iowa here. 55-0, on the road, very good offensive line, very good defense and 55-0. Iowa was not 55 points better than Minnesota last year and I'll be shocked if we get destroyed like that again this year, but I'll be equally as shocked if we win. (7-5)

BB - First, Shonn Greene was an above average running back who was playing college ball at the age of 23 years old. Why was he a Heisman candidate? Iowa had, and still has, an outstanding offensive line to run behind. Iowa also had the second best recruiting class in the entire Big Ten in 2005, and many of these players are now 5th year seniors. While the Gophers did play flat against Iowa, the 55-0 loss was no fluke. Iowa followed up that game by trouncing South Carolina. Iowa has a good coach in Kirk Ferentz who isn't afraid to run up the score. Expect Iowa to compete with Ohio State and Penn State for the Big Ten title. Hawkeyes win 38-17. (5-7 record)

JG - I don't care if Itali O'Seamus is running the ball, I will never bet against Kirk Ferentz after 55-0. At least, until I'm given reason to. Iowa by 14. (6-6).

The Consensus?

GN predicts 7-5 - I guess someone had to be even a little optimistic here. 7-5 with a 4-4 conference record will be solid improvement. Alamo Bowl (or Champps Sports depending on BCS situation) is the destination in my world. I think 7-5 is optimistic but not crazy. This team could finish anywhere from 8-4 down to 4-8, so I'm on the upper side of what could happen. Ultimately we are an experienced team. The defense should be tough up the middle against the run. Our corners should be solid against the pass while our safeties and DEs are areas of some concern. Offensively we have some playmakers that we aren't used to seeing. But the season will hinge on our offensive line. If they struggle similar to how they struggled last year then the thought of 7-5 will be laughable in a few months. If the line is able to create some running lanes and give Weber time to find Decker or Stoudermire or Green or Carpenter then this offense will be better than everyone is expecting. Points will flow like milk and honey :). I'm optimistic they'll be a minor surprise and this team will finish with a respectable 7-5 record.

BB predicts 5-7 - Based upon the strength of schedule and the youth of the Gopher squad, 5-7 is a reasonable expectation for Minnesota. If the Gophers are to finish the season better than 5-7 with one of the toughest schedules in college football, not only will several young players need to step up and play beyond their years but the coaching staff will deserve credit for defeating teams with more talented rosters. From an unbiased perspective, anything better than 4-8 should be considered a respectable season given the lack of depth on the Gopher roster (the running backs, offensive line, and defensive backs) and a grueling schedule against several well coached, mature, experienced, and talented teams. While 7-5 is a remote possibility, 3-9 could be just two or three injuries away from becoming a reality.

JG predicts 6-6 - Boy, I realize that I waffled here. But I think 6-6 is the upside this year. The key for Minnesota is to avoid bad losses. The worst case I see is the Gophers lose all the games I predicted, as well as Air Force, Purdue and Penn State. That, and they aren't even competitive. If that happens, or if a losing record is followed by a USC special (see Nebraska 2007), Brewster may get the Golden Parachute out of here back to Mack Brown's staff (given that Tuberville, Fulmer, Dungy, Gruden, Shanahan and Schottenheimer are unemployed, Brewster's got to prove it now). However, mediocrity will do for now, with a Pizza Pizza Bowl berth against Western Michigan as this year's "reward."

Time for you all to make your predictions. Please put your predictions in the comments so we can make fun of you in December.

Fall Camp Is Over, Game Week Begins

Beergut — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:19:53 -0000

It is now Sunday, game week for our first game of the season on September 5 against New Mexico. The football team had a good, early workout Friday at 6:30 a.m. They now have two days off before they begin preparations for the New Mexico game on Monday.

With two-a-days over, the players are probably ready for this much needed break, just so they can relax and refresh before the real fun of the season begins. Practices during the season are never as long as practices during two-a-days, so the longest practices are over; they've made it.

New Mexico does present an interesting test, as they have a new coaching staff headed up by former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. If what he did at Illinois is any indication, we can expect New Mexico to run a spread option attack similar to what Wake Forest runs. It won't be the zone read-option we ran under Fran, because it doesn't use 21 and 22 personnel as much; it is more of a 10 or 11 personnel attack, with the triple option being created by a motioning wide receiver. Wake Forest calls this back the Orbit Back, because he goes into orbit motion around the QB and TB to get to the pitch relationship. To stop this running game, you need to play disciplined, assignemtn football. Illinois was able to be successful with this attack in 2007 because they had Juice Williams at QB, Arrelious Benn at WR, and Rashard Mendenhall at TB. It looks like this New Mexico team will start Donovan Porterie at QB, and possibly Roland Bruno and Bryant Williams at WR. They should be a little easier to stop than the Benn/Williams/Mendenhall triumvirate. I also expect New Mexico to spread the ball around in their passing game, and try to create space in the defense for them to open up the running game.

The Lobos have already begun preparing for the A&M game, and putting in their gameplan, so our coaching staff has their work cut out for them.

The Aggies should have the speed and (hopefully) the depth on defense to stop New Mexico's offense. If we struggle in any large part during our opening game, it will not be a positive sign for this season.

It is a new season, and right now the Aggies are undefeated. Time to get your game face on, and get ready to support the Aggies as they try to progress as a team, improve on last year's record, have a winning season, and make a bowl game.

The 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Preview

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:57:25 -0000

The 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Conference college football preview is coming from the Mountain West Connection, Utah blog BlockU, BYU blog Vanquish The Foe, and Mid Major Madness. The Mountain West is trying to put on an encore presentation from the unparalleled success from 2008 which featured Utah winning its second BCS bowl in four years by defeating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finishing with a number two ranking in the AP poll.

Then there was TCU who also finished the season in the top 10 with an impressive 11-2 record, and then BYU who completed its third straight 10 wins season and finished the 2009 season in the top 25.

This year the preseason polls are still in love with the Mountain West with the three usual suspects --BYU, Utah, and TCU-- being represented in both top 25 polls. The obvious big question for the league is what team, if any, will make it to a BCS bowl game.

The Mountain West over the summer desperately tried to force the hand by waiting until the elevnth hour to sign the BCS agreement and presenting a playoff proposal to possibly bring on change. None of those seemed to work, so all the Mountain West can do is keep winning games and hope it is enough to garner BCS inclusion when the four year evaluation cycle ends after the 2011 season.

The league also has new coaches with Mike Locksley taking over at New Mexico after serving as offensive coordinator at Illionois, Dave Christensen coming from the offensive coordinator post from Missouri to take over for 'Cowboy' Joe Glenn at Wyoming, and finally Brady Hoke left Ball State after a great season to become the head man at San Diego State.

The league has scheduled big again by facing 14 teams from four of the six BCS leagues with only the SEC and Big 10 off the schedule this year.

So go ahead and enjoy the 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Conference college football preview again being provided by Mountain West Connection,Mid Major Madness, BlockU, and Vanquish The Foe.

The projected order of finish is voted using 9 points for first place through 1 point for ninth place.

2009 Projections

1.TCU 34 (2 first place votes)

2.BYU 33 (2 first place votes)

3.Utah 29

4.Air Force 22

5.UNLV 20

6.Colorado State 14

7.New Mexico 13

7.San Diego State 13

9.Wyoming 4

1. What team will be the biggest surprise in 2009?

BlockU:
The most likely option would have to be San Diego State or New Mexico, since they bring in new coaches. While I have both finishing with a losing conference record, I don't think it's impossible one of them climbs high enough to break even and receive a bowl bid.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

UNLV. Mike Sanford’s club returns 8 starters on defense – including Preseason All-Conference selection Jason Beauchamp at OLB. The Rebels won 5 games in 2008, including the upset of then 15^th ranked Arizona State in Tempe. The offense also returns 6 starters – including WR Ryan Wolfe, an All-Conference 1^st Team selection last season. With Brian Johnson (Utah) graduated, junior Omar Clayton could be the most versatile quarterback in the conference. UNLV has a real chance of a win at Texas A&M and could very well improve upon last season and become bowl eligible in 2009.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

San Diego State is my surprise team.

Mountain West Connection:

Has to be UNLV and it is not even close. If not for a monumental letdown against San Diego State 41-21 which would have made the Rebels bowl eligible. The Rebels are my super-extreme darkhorse to win the Mountain West, but do not have the guts to put in the preseason rankings. There is rationale behind that and it comes is in their schedule because they get two of the big three at home in Utah and BYU.

Plus remember when UNLV shutout Utah in 2007 at Sam Boyd Stadium, and in 2008 the BYU game at LaVell Edwards stadium came down to the wire with backup quarterback Mark Clausen getting significant snaps while starter Omar Clayton was out with an injury.

Their tough road conference games are at Air Force and TCU. It all starts with QB Omar Clayton who is finally a fit for Mike Sanford's spread attack and toss in potential All-American WR Ryan Wolfe and the Rebels should be much improved, all they need is to find a serviceable running back to replace Frank Summers who went to the NFL.

2. What player if lost will impact their team the most?

BlockU:
I think you have to go with quarterback Max Hall at BYU. If he's taken out for even a few games, it could cost them any hope of a decent season. I just don't see their defense carrying the team without Hall and I'm not sold on backup Riley Nelson.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

The conventional answer would appear to be Max Hall, BYU’s QB. But I’m going to actually go with a pair of DE’s: BYU’s Jan Jorgensen and TCU’s Jerry Hughes. Without Jorgensen the Cougar’s pass-rush is dramatically reduced, and with an inexperienced secondary and no standout linebacker like Bryan Kehl and David Nixon of previous years, Bronco Mendenhall will be relying heavily on last year’s all-conference first team selection. In fact, without Jorgensen I think BYU finishes behind both TCU and Utah, again.

Jerry Hughes is quite simply the best defensive player in the conference and an excellent NFL prospect. He anchors TCU’s defensive line, but at least Hughes has Daryl Washington behind him at linebacker to create plays. Still, if Gary Patterson’s team wants to reach the BCS they’ll need Hughes healthy – especially for games at Clemson and BYU.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

Quarterback Max Hall at BYU if he goes down, then BYU is looking at 6-6.

Mountain West Connection:

Hard to argue anyone but BYU quarterback Max Hall, the only othe player that might cause his team failuer is Utah running back Matt Asiata just because of the inexperience at quarterback. Back to Hall, who is a senior quarterback and if you back into BYU history they typically win conference titles with senior quarterbacks.

Rile Nelson has not played in two years since he was on a Mormon mission,and prior to that he was the starting quarterback at Utah State, so Nelson just does not have the reps or real experience in the offense to lead the team if Hall goes down for a significant amount of time. Max Hall has been in this system for years and knows the offense so well, and with the Cougars breaking in a new line he an experienced quarterback is necessary for their success.

3. Does a team from the MWC make a BCS game?

BlockU:

No, I see a real logjam at the top of the conference this season. TCU has a very tough test on the road against Clemson and BYU (both losses in my book), while I think the Cougars drop games to Oklahoma and Utah, with Florida State acting as another potential loss.

With the Utes, they'll lose to Oregon and TCU, though I think they have a higher chance of dropping another conference game than either the Frogs or Cougars, especially with the final season showdown coming at LaVell Edwards Stadium. If that scenario happens, I don't see any MWC team busting the BCS this year.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

No. I think TCU and BYU have about an even shot at reaching the BCS but I think they’ll each stumble somewhere, and the conference doesn’t appear as deep as 2008. BYU’s non-conference schedule against Oklahoma and Florida State will not allow them to lose a MWC game if they want to reach the BCS.

I’m not saying Max Hall and Co. have no chance against the Sooners, but with that banged up offensive line it is extremely unlikely. Injuries (Matt Reynolds, Jason Speredon, and Houston Reynolds) could also potentially be a big factor and prevent the Cougars from getting what would be a major win against the Seminoles in Provo. TCU’s non-conference opponents aren’t as tough - but they could have a tough time with Clemson in South Carolina.

I think Utah has a remote possibility, coming off of last season’s success – but don’t expect them to beat Oregon, TCU and BYU all on the road without some of those key players who’ve since graduated.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

With BYU's schedule they can make the BCS. Even if they lose a close game to Oklahoma the first week of September, they can then win out and still go to the BCS. Any other loss, and the MWC has no team in the BCS. Utah won't because they plat at TCU and BYU. And TCU plays at BYU which hasn't lost in 18 games in Provo. That leaves BYU as the lone dog at the top.

Mountain West Connection:

TCU will be making their first ever BCS bowl game. It could be that I am high on the MWC but their schedule sets up the best for a BCS run (sorry BYU fans when a loss is nearly certain the schedule is not set up for you this year) with their toughest game at BYU in late October.

Clemson is tricky but they always seem to underachive each year, Virigina is nothing special, and the rest of the non-conference is Texas State and SMU. The toughest conference game is at BYU who have won 18 straight entering the season, but last year the biggest problem for BYU was their offensive line stopping TCU's defensive line. TCU does only return four starters on defense, but Gary Patterson always has players in the wings to step up, plus this is the year the offense finally steps it up to the same level as the defense.

Team Capsules

Air Force by BlockU:

The poor Falcons seem destined to be overshadowed by Utah, TCU and BYU every single year. Even though Troy Calhoun has put together two solid seasons in Colorado Springs, they are again not getting much mention for a spot at the top of the league. Is this the year Air Force positions itself for a title run? I don't see it. That isn't to say the Falcons are bad, but the top-three of the Mountain West is just that good. There really isn't enough room at the table and I think Air Force needs to get comfortable being the 4th-best team in the conference, because it's likely they are going to be there for a while.

With that said, they are going to be a scary team because there is the potential to beat the top-three at any point this season. Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Tim Jefferson returns at quarterback after a solid freshman campaign and it appears he's distanced himself in fall camp to reclaim the starting role. The fact there is some stability there is enough to create a threat - especially since Jefferson put up decent numbers last year.

Pushing Jefferson for the starting role was sophomore Asher Clark, who Calhoun expects to get some snaps. However, when he's not at the quarterback spot, it's almost certain he'll line up in the backfield with Jefferson - creating another offensive weapon.

The Falcons also bring back a decent and experienced defense, which helped the offense through its growing pains last year. But, as it generally is with Air Force, they do lack size, especially up front. That could prove to be a weakness if they have trouble stopping the run (last year, they gave up 139 rushing yards per game).

Ultimately, the Falcons' biggest problem might be their schedule They face Minnesota, New Mexico, Navy, Utah, Colorado State and BYU on the road - which all could be losses. Their home slate is easier, but that TCU game could be the difference between a bowl berth and staying home for the holidays.

BYU by BlockU

Asking a Ute fan to preview BYU is a lot like asking Rush Limbaugh to critique President Obama. But I'll try to be as non-partisan as possible, though there are no promises!

Without a doubt, the Cougars return the most potent offense in the conference this season. I don't think I can emphasize enough how big it is to return a senior quarterback, especially one who hasn't lost many games for BYU. Of course, there are some questions that will have to be answered if the Cougars are going to put together that dream season everyone in Provo thought was going to be delivered last season.

For starters, how well is that offensive line going to adjust to not only their inexperience, but the injuries brought on by fall camp? The Cougars' offense is going to live or die based on that line and if they struggle, especially against Oklahoma, it could set the course for a difficult season. I say this because if they can't protect Hall from the probable swarming Sooner defense, he not only faces the prospects of injury, but potential issues with his game.

Hall has not performed at a high-level against very good defenses, as was on full display against TCU, Utah and Arizona last season (all losses) and a blowout loss to start the season could leave him mentally and worse - physically - scarred. If that happens, it could snowball from there and cost BYU crucial games and derail their season.

Of course, that seems overtly critical and it is, but if I were a Cougar fan, this would be my number one concern. However, nothing is set in stone and as John Beck proved, a quarterback can make a gigantic leap mentally and emotionally from his junior season to his senior one.

I mention Beck because in his 2005 season, BYU was fairly average. They had some decent wins and a nice offense, but there were issues against better teams and the lingering doubt Beck just could not get it done. I think we all remember the overtime loss to Utah to end the season and how Beck really crumbled when the Utes' defense pressured him.

Well a year later, in a near-similar situation, he stepped up and found a wide open Jonny Harline for the win. There was so much growth between '05 and '06 and it marked arguably the best season in a decade for the Cougars. Will Hall make that same step and deliver a memorable season? We'll see...

Colorado State by Vanquish the Foe

Last year's Rams finished a satisfactory 7-6 overall. They went to a bowl game for the first time since 2003 (the New Mexico Bowl), beating Fresno State 40-35 in what was also their first bowl win since 2001. However, CSU was still average within the MWC at 4-4. Steve Fairchild's (former Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator) team was able to give both TCU (13-7) and BYU (45-42) very close contests, but came up short each time. 2008 was Fairchild's first season, after taking over from long-time head coach Sonny Lubick.

At the forefront of CSU's success in 2008 was RB Gartrell Johnson who ran for 1,476 yards (including 285 on the ground against Fresno State) and a 1^st Team All-MWC selection. Johnson is gone now, but the CSU offense still returns 7 players including WR Rashaun Greer a 2^nd Team All-MWC pick in 2008. Last year's QB, Billy Farris has graduated with Johnson, leaving Fairchild to find his starting man under center from the likes of senior Grant Stucker and JC transfer Jon Eastman. Sophomore Klay Kubiak is also in the mix but is coming off shoulder surgery.

TE Kory Sperry also finished his career at CSU with over 1,700 yards receiving. Despite these losses (Johnson, Farris and Sperry) the offense's strengths in 2009 should be in its receivers and lineman. Greer and the other wide-outs should make up for some of the lack of experience at QB while Preseason All-MWC 1^st Team selection OG Shelley Smith should provide the QB with some time to throw.

Across the LOS, the Ram's best player is without question sophomore LB Mychal Sisson. Sisson may be undersized (at 5'11", 203 lbs. he was recruited as a safety) but he was second among NCAA freshman last year in tackles with 105. Sisson was a 2008 All-MWC honorable mention and a Sporting News 1^st Team All-American. However, CSU's defense lost multiple key contributors to graduation - including three starters on the D-line, and LB Jeff Horinek who started 48 games as a Ram. The new core of LB's consists of junior Alex Williams, former safety Davis Burl, and redshirt freshmen James Skelton and Chris Gipson - and of course Sisson. They were supposed to have last season's second leading tackler Ricky Brewer as well, but he was suspended for all of 2009. The secondary should be in better shape, with returning starters at both field and boundary corner.

Overall, Fairchild's Rams have their work cut out for them in order to have as much success as they did in 2008. The losses of Johnson and Farris will be big. But their non-conference schedule is extremely weak and includes Weber State and Nevada coming to Fort Collins and the Rams traveling to Idaho. With as many players returning as they have - including leaders in Sisson, Greer and Shelly - CSU should win those games, but expect the Wolfpack to be trouble. San Diego State, Air Force and Wyoming are all coming to Fort Collins and should be winnable contests as well. The Rams goal this year should be to win seven games again, but realistically they'll probably only win five or six and be stuck in the middle of the MWC yet again.

New Mexico by Mountain West Connection

The Lobos bring in new coach Mike Locklsley from Illinois where he served as their offensive coordinator, and help create what Juice Williams has become. The hope in Albuquerque is that Donovan Porterie --who is coming off of a knee injury-- can become a similar player to Juice Williams.

The Lobos are looking to run a no-huddle offense to increase the tempo and catch defense in an unfavorable set with their lineup. Porterie is a talent and in his last full season in 2007 he passed for over 3,000 yards and is back in the starting role after missing the last eight games in 2008.

New Mexico traditionally has had one of the best running attacks in the nation and have had seven straight years of having a 1,000 yard rusher --which is the longest streak in the nation-- and who knows if the new offense will allow that. Nonetheless, the Lobos are going to have a new starter and there will be some competition between James Wright, A.J. Butler and Desmond Dennis.

There is talent but the 1,000 yard rusher may not happen, because of the offense they run. To cross reference the Illinois offense under Locksley the only year he had a 1,000 yard rusher was when Rashard Mendenhall roamed the backfield in 2007. The other years in 2005-2008 Locksley produced solid run offenses that ranked 47th, 10th, 5th, and 38th respectively in the nation.

With the spread attack that will be implemented many a players will get to touch the ball and the eighth straight season of a 1,000 rusher may not happen, but the rushing attach as a whole should be pretty good. Porterie is a much better passer then Locksley had at Illinois, and this could be the thing that makes the Lobo no-huddle attack that much more dangerous.

The receiving corp is very important to the offense and even though the top three receivers are back they are either undersized or not that fast. Those wide outs will be getting a lot of balls thrown their way and will need to make plays to make this offense work.

The main problem for New Mexico last year was their defense --which is changing from a 3-3-5 to a 4-3 -- the teams that beat the Lobos all had a decent to really good offense and averaged at least 25 points per game. The hope is that the move to the traditional 4-3 will put less strain on having to find five defenisve backs that are good enough to defend the pass and the rush.

Surprisingly New Mexico ranked in the top third in scoring and total defense, even though they suffered eight losses on the year, so there is some talent on the defensive side of the ball. They did lose their top two corners to the NFL last year and experienced corners are hard to replace. New defensive coordinator Doug Mallory who was previously the LSU co-defensive coordinator is taking over the defense and should get them to adjust nicely to the new defense.

Former coach Rock Long did not leave the cupboard bear and the main reason the Lobos suffered such a drop off in production from their bowl season in 2007 was because of injuries, so Locksley will have talent to work with and the Lobos will be competitive in 2009 and jumping point for the future. Their first five of seven games are against teams that went bowling last year so do not look for them to get off to a fast start.

San Diego State by Mid Major Madness

The Aztecs are coming off an extremely disappointing season in ’08 with a 2-10 record, with a lack luster defense who is not returning there star linebacker and safety for the ’09 season. Newly acquired coach Brady Hoke will be looked upon this season to turn around the last place Aztecs. Hoke is coming off a 12-2 season at Ball State and has his work cut out for him with a team who just suffered their first 10 loss season and has not had a winning season since 1998.

Although inexperienced, the Aztecs did have talent on the offensive side of the ball and with the addition of an offensive minded coach in Hoke, this could lead to great success through the air and on the ground. The offense is returning leading rusher, Atiy Henderson, reception leader Vincent Brown and Ryan Lindley at quarterback. Last year as freshman Lindley completed over 50% of his passes and threw for 16 TD’s.

If he can grow and learn under Hoke’s system, Lindley can be dangerous this year especially with the talent that surrounds him. Henderson rushed for over 500 yards last season and if linemen Ikaika Moleta, Trask Iosefa, and Peter Nelson can improve on opening up holes from last season, Henderson will hope to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark this season.

Again, if the linemen can supply time and protection to Lindley he has a couple of solid targets to throw to. Brown led the team with over 60 receptions and accumulated over 600 yards receiving. With Darren Mougey 2ot returning, veteran Robert Wallace will have to step up to be a constant number two receiver.

The defense was definitely the low point of the Aztecs team last season. They finished last in a majority of the conference defensive statistical categories, giving up on average 450 yards a game. Although the defense lost two of its stars, they are returning seven starters so the experience is in place. The question is if the defense can learn from their mistakes last season and improve upon what was an embarrassing display.

Although I do not see the Aztecs being bowl eligible this year I do believe they will improve. They have some tough road games at UCLA, Utah and Air Force, which will tell coach Hoke where this team stands in its maturing process.

TCU by Mountain West Connection

The Horned Frogs finally looked poised to get to a BCS game for the first time in school history. The schedule plays out nice with their non-conference not terribly difficult with the two big games on the road against Virginia and Clemson, and then the conference slate only has two tough games at BYU and at Air Force beyond that the games are manageable. The touted defense only returns four starters, but that defense is lead by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes and Gary Patterson always has a good defense on his hands.

The biggest concern on defense is that the front line needs to replace three starters, with only Jerry Hughes the returning along that line. TCU also lost to all-league safeties but they do bring in junior college transfer Malcolm Williams fill one of those positions. Williams originally was an Oklahoma signee before heading to a junior college. The player to emerge as the next star for TCU is linebacker Daryl Washington who in his first start in the Poinsettia Bowl recorded six solo tackles, and is the best athlete on defense which is saying a lot since Gary Patterson puts athletes on defense.

The offense is finally in a position to potentially outshine the defense, or at least be on par with them. Andy Dalton returns for his third year as the starting quarterback. Dalton is a good quarterback but not a great quarterback, but improve his accuracy from year one to year two by decreasing his interceptions from 11 to 5. Dalton is not just a manager of the game but makes plays with his arm and his feet by having five games by passing over 200 yards in those games, and knows how to win games.

The running game for TCU does lose Aaron Brown, but they do return Joseph Turner and touted freshman Ed Wesley. Last season when Turner took the starting job while Brown was out on suspension he emerged just as good for Brown and even better in the touchdown department where Turner had 11 scores. Besides the running game being a plus for 2009 the receving corp is near the top of the Mountain West, and Jimmy Young is the star who had 988 yards last year, which was second most in school history.

Antoine Hicks originally signed with the Texas Longhorns and transferred before he ever played, and last year played in only the last two games and garnared only seven catches. 2009 should provide an increase in his production and help the team get closer to their BCS goal. Then there is do everything wide out Jeremy Kerley who takes snaps from shotgun and is an all around play maker who was able to cause havic on opposing defenses.

This TCU team is the most balananced in a long time and their offense looks to be in the upper tier of the Mountain West and with their defense as good as it usually is should be able to lead the Horned Frogs to a potential BCS bowl.

UNLV by Mountain West Connection

UNLV looks to improve of last years three win improvement and make the next step to a bowl game. It all starts with quarterback Omar Clayton who is not a Pac-10 or JUCO transfer but is rather a quarterback who came through the UNLV system. Clayton is the perfect quarterback to run Mike Sanford's spread option attack, and even though Clayton did not run too much last year he is capable of running at the correct times. Also, for a first year starter Clayton threw 18 touchdowns and only four picks.

To go along with Omary Clayton is all-world wide receiver Ryan Wolfe who last year caught 88 passes for over 1,000 yards, and six scores. 2009 will make Wolfe more of a target because the other star receiver from 2008 Casey Flair has graduated making Wolfe the man. It may be hard to improve too much off of Wolfe's number except that his touchdowns could increase.

The second receiver to take over for Casey Flair is most likely going to come from either Phillip Payne, Jerriman Robinson, and Rodelin Anthony all who played last year and it could be Payne who pulled in seven touchdowns last year. Payne could have had more production but missed the last three games because of a concussion he suffered, so if he is back and fully healthy then look for Payne to take full control over the second receiver spot.

The running back position is the biggest question mark on offense, because Frank Summers was drafted in the NFL and the early replacemnt looks to be CJ Cox who was the primary back to Summers last season. Cox only had 54 carries all year and rushed for under 191 yards, also Summer was a larger back and just ran through defenses while CJ Cox is only 5-11 and 195 pounds and is more of a speed back.

Defensively the Rebels were 104th nationally in total defense and 101st in scoring defense by allowing 32.6 points per game. So, if the defense even makes improvements to be in the top 50 defensively UNLV has the chance to continue their improvement. The secondary which was a problem last year and this year UNLV brought in four JUCO transfers and converted two quarterbacks to help shore up the safety position.

The front seven was not much better as they were 115th nationally in rush defense, and the only play maker is linebacker Jason Beauchamp and tackle Malo Taumua besides that there is nothing much on the front seven. The thinking is that the experience from last years team or the JUCO transfers will be enough to make the defense at least average.

Even with the defensive short falls the Rebels should make a bowl game and have a good chance at seven or eight wins.

Utah by Mid Major Madness

Unfortunately the Utes will have several major obstacles coming into the 2009-10 season. The first is they took a major blow during the offseason from players declaring for the NFL Draft as well as graduating seniors. The team lost Paul Kruger, Sean Smith, Brice McCain, and Freddie Brown to the pro’s meaning head coach Kyle Whittingham will have his hands full trying to find suitable replacements.

In addition to players going to the NFL Utah lost defensive coordinator Gary Andersen to become the head coach at Utah State, and then offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig who left to go to Kansas State and then ended up at Cal before the summer even ended to take the same offensive coordinator position.

The offense was hit the hardest with all of the departures. The loss of quarterback Brian Johnson and wide outs Freddie Brown and Bradon Godfrey will put a big dent in the electrifying passing game which was the key to their success just a season ago.

The group connected for a combined 1456 yards and 11 TDs. The loss of Johnson sets up a quarterback competition between Corbin Louks, Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn, all of whom Whittingham has the out most confidence are capable of leading the team to its second perfect season in a row. Louks ended up transfering to Nevada-Reno and the current depth chart has true freshman Jordan Wynn as the number one and JUCO transfer Terrance Cain as the number two. However coach Whittingham

Another problem the offense will face is the loss of three of their linemen. This could pose as a major setback because without sufficient protection it will be extraordinarily difficult for the Utes to establish a run game or give ample time for their new quarterback to find his open target downfield.

The defensive side will undoubtedly be able to cope with the losses of key players such as Kruger, McCain, and Smith. Defense has be the staple point during Whittingham’s time in Salt Lake City. He has established one of the most respected defensive programs in the nation, which allows him to have the luxury of swapping in a new defender to take over instead of rebuilding the entire team.

The strength in the defense for the 2009-10 looks to be the linebacker core that showcases Stevenson Sylvester who led the team with 4 sacks and finished second with 73 total tackles.

Utah’s defense is a powerhouse and there is no argument about that. However the primary reason for the team’s great success last season was because the offensive production finally reached an equilibrium point with that of the defense.

This is going to be difficult to repeat in the upcoming season but it is very feasible. In order to do so they will have to beat some tough out-of-conference teams such as Oregon and Louisville as well as an even tougher in-conference schedule in which they play TCU and BYU, both of whom are ranked in the preseason top 25.

Whittingham’s standpoint on the upcoming season is to stay positive and use last year’s finish of No. 2 in the nation to help motivate his team. Although another undefeated season is unlikely, it would not surprise me at all if the team will be able to overcome the adversity and do so.

Wyoming by Vanquish the Foe

The 2008 Cowboys finished below .500 for the seventh time in the past nine years. They won only one conference game - and finished 4-8 overall. This led to the school dismissing head coach Joe Glenn after six years and hiring Dave Christensen as a replacement. Christensen was the offensive coordinator at Missouri and there oversaw the recent offensive success the Tigers had with QB Chase Daniel, WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Martin Rucker - playing in back-to-back Big 12 championships. Now, Christensen inherits a Wyoming offense that was among the worst in college football last season.

Last season the Wyoming offense averaged only 117 yards a game and had terrible inconsistency at the QB position. Three QB's - Chris Stutzriem, Dax Crum, and Karsten Sween - combined to throw 17 interceptions and just eight touchdowns, a miserable 91.7 passer rating overall. Needless to say, the QB position in Laramie has been there for the taking in 2009. ESPN's Graham Watson reported this week that JC-transfer Robert Benjamin is the current QB getting reps with the first unit in camp. Benjamin was a NJCAA Region I Offensive Player of the Year at Phoenix College last season. Sween still has a shot apparently, but look for Benjamin to start the season as the Cowboy's starter at QB.

Wyoming returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. However, the biggest loss to the offense will be RB's Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon - each among the best rushers ever at Wyoming. Moore finished with over 1,300 yards rushing in 2008 and leaves the biggest void. On the other side of the ball the biggest loss is certainly LB Ward Dobbs. Dobbs started 40 games as a Cowboy and was All-MWC in 2008.

Defense was the team's strong suit last year and should remain so in 2009. The D-Line returns three players that have started a combined 24 games together. Two of those lineman - John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein earned MWC honors last season and are a legit force against the run. LB Weston Johnson (78 tackles in 2008) and All-MWC honorable mention free safety Chris Prosinski return also.

Wyoming has a more difficult non-conference schedule than most in the conference: they host the Texas Lonhorns on September 12th, and travel to Colorado and Florida Atlantic (tougher than it sounds). In conference play the Cowboys also have to travel to UNLV, BYU and TCU. It could be a long first year for Dave Christensen and his staff. Expect Wyoming to lose all of the above mentioned matchups. However, they should beat Weber State, and play New Mexico at home. Overall this team could wind up winning just two contests. A solid goal would be to equal the four wins of 2008. Expect them to win 3 or 4 games but for the passing game under Christensen to improve dramatically as the season progresses.

The Linking Illini are posting by committee.

Joe Kutsunis — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:28:51 -0000

Another day, another link dump, this time including Basketball and Volleyball news.

Deconstructing: In search of Juice's main squeeze at Illinois - Dr. Saturday
Chris from Smart Football has a fantastic column on the running game of the Illini over the last few years, covers the Rashard Mendenhall sized hole in the offense in 2008, and even addresses the "by committee" and "go to guy" approaches to a running game. This article will make you smarter.
'Illini Madness' to feature Illinois' basketball, volleyball teams Oct. 16 -- chicagotribune.com
Okay, your first impulse, like mine, might be to roll your eyes and think "great, another year, another gimmick" Granted the coaches vs cancer pink out was a huge success, but last year's world's largest basketball practice was about as packed as a middle school practice. This year, thank god, we are heading back into the Hall for Madness. There is of course the caveat, it will be preceded by a volleyball match against Minnesota, and perhaps worst/best/scariest of all, the tickets are free. So free that the Athletic Department will be sending out 125,000 tickets for the event before hand, and the first 16,000 at AH will be the only ones allowed. I hope we don't screw the pooch and lose to a different Minnesota team right before Madness, because I don't want to see the hall empty like MS was last year.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: College Football
Yet another year in review/2009 outlook article devoted to your beloved Illini. This one from all the way out in Seattle for some reason.
Wilson thrives as Illinois' man in the middle - Big Ten - ESPN
Adam Rittenberg (All hail) with an excellent piece on Martez Wilson. The most important quote from the post "I'm ready to fulfill everyone's expectations, especially mine." I fully believe that Tez can explode this year in much the same way that Rashard did in 07, after 2 disappointing and fumble ridden seasons behind Pierre. Its a similar situation with Tez as both Brit and J are now gone and its up to him to seize his opportunity.

Know thy Opponent 2009: Illinois Fighting Illini

BoilerTMill — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:07:30 -0000

I am waiting to do a formal wrap of Media Days for either late tonight or early tomorrow, but after seeing some of the other blog coverage I have decided I will be attending next year's event. It's only a short drive to Chicago. Of course, if I win tomorrow night's Powerball I can just hire a lackey to go for me. Wisconsin blogger Adam Hoge at Bucky's Fifth Quarter has a great 1st day wrap up team-by-team. In the mean time, on to the Illinois preview.

It is rare that we have played three non-conference opponents since we last played a conference opponent, but that is the case with each of our next two opponents. We haven't played Illinois or Wisconsin since 2006, but we played Toledo in 2007 and both Oregon and Notre Dame last season. In each case, we are facing a team that will be very unfamiliar to us. Illinois is probably a little more familiar than the Badgers because of quarterback Juice Williams. We did see him and a handful of other guys in 2006, whereas Many of Wisconsin's players were redshirting back then.

Williams is an interesting player. When he is on, the Illini can be one of the best teams in the country. When he is off, the other team often gets the ball in the form of ill-advised passes that turn into interceptions or fumbles. The Illini are quickly entering the realm of Notre Dame and Michigan. They are a team with a superior amount of talent compared to most teams, but that talent grossly underachieves. That sums up Juice Williams in a nutshell, and 2009 is his final chance to impress.

2008 Record: (5-7, 3-5 Big Ten)

Bowl result: No Bowl

Blog Representation: Hail to the Orange

Series with Purdue: Illinois leads 41-37-6

Last Purdue win: 11/11/2006 at Illinois 42-31

Last Illinois win: 10/12/2002 at Illinois 38-31 (OT)

Someone should let Juice know Anthony Spencer is there to sack and strip the ball from him. Nah, Anthony will do it himself. This is from the 2006 game and it is seconds before Alex Magee recovers a fumble for a huge game-changing TD.

Last Season for the Illini:

This is our least celebrated trophy rivalry. While we play Notre Dame and Indiana each year, Illinois regularly rotates off the schedule. They are technically the closest Big Ten team to West Lafayette, giving reason for the rivalry. Still, they are not a protected rival like Indiana, as Northwestern is our second protected rival. Purdue has a slight three game lead in the Cannon portion of the series thanks to our recent four game winning streak.

Last year was a raging disappointment after Illinois played in Pasadena. It was probably one of the least deserved BCS bowl bids ever, but Illinois did have an impressive 2007 season. It was the Illini's first bowl bid since 2001. Last year was a return to normal for Illinois. A 5-7 finish against a rough schedule has many once again questioning Ron Zook coaching ability.

Would Matt Painter do this?

Illinois really wasn't that far off last year. They played Missouri, Penn State, and Ohio State close in three very tough games. With a bowl bid on the line they folded on the road against Northwestern in the season finale, giving the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk to Northwestern for all time.

Illinois probably plays the manliest non-conference schedule outside of our own. They open in a neutral site game against Missouri again. They then have a home opener against Brock Spack's Illinois State team. Illinois had better hope they have a good Big Ten season, as they finish the year with two tough non-conference games at Big East Champ Cincinnati and at home against Fresno State. Our game comes after a trip to Indiana.

Illinois offense:

The 2008 version of the Illinois offense grossly missed Rashard Mendenhall. After running for a school record 1,681 yards in 2007, no one could match his total. Williams led the team with 719 yards and five touchdowns. Daniel Dufrene tried to replace Mendenhall's production, but added only 663 yards and no touchdowns. Jason Ford didn't have many yards, but he led the team with eight touchdowns as a true freshman. He could see more time in the backfield than Dufrene. Williams has long been a serious rushing threat with over 2,000 yards in his career.

The one knock on Williams has been his passing ability. Yardage-wise, he has always been fine. He will likely leave Illinois as it all-time passing yardage leader, but he has been erratic at best. 3,173 yards and 22 touchdowns for 2008 are good. A 57% completion percentage and 16 interceptions are not. Williams has thrown 37 interceptions in 35 career games, so the likelihood of him suddenly cutting down on picks is low. He has actually thrown more interceptions in each successive season so far. The Illini are a better team by far when Williams does not have to throw much.

When he does throw, however, he has perhaps the best receiver in the conference throw to. Arrelious Benn has been almost everything Illinois fans have hoped for the past two seasons. He had 67 catches for 1,055 yards, but only three touchdowns last season. He has just five scores for his career despite impressive numbers elsewhere (sounds like Taylor Stubblefield pre-2004). He has to find the end zone much more often than he has already. Williams has spread his touchdowns around quite a bit. Seven different receivers had at least two scores last season, but no one had more than four. That means there is not one player we can totally focus on in red zone situations. That also makes Williams' rushing ability that much more dangerous.

Illinois must replace its center and left tackle from a line that gave up 25 sacks a year ago. Jon Asamoah at right guard and Jeff Allen at right tackle are both mainstays at 6'5" and 310+ pounds, but the rest of the line is in flux. Eric Block will move from left guard to center. Randall Hunt and Corey Lewis will both be on the left side and each has size at 6'6" and 320+ pounds. We should be able to generate a pass rush, but we have to finish off Williams once we get to him. Of course, to this point we will have faced Chandler Harnish, Jeremiah Masoli, Adam Weber, and Terrelle Pryor. What is one more mobile quarterback?

Illinois Defense:

In CFN's Illinois defensive preview, Pete Fiutak said that Illinois has a tremendous offense and Illinois defense needs to be merely average. I beg to differ. Illinois' offense committed 26 turnovers last year and generated a ton of yards, but not a ton of points. The defense was okay against the pass, but teams ran for more than 150 yards per game against the Illini. It will have to be much better than the merely adequate it was last year. It must also replace linebacker Brit Miller, who led the Illini in virtually every defensive category.

Illinois' defensive line generated 32 sacks, so it could get into the backfield. End Doug Pilcher is the most regular starter that returns, though Josh Brent and Sirod Williams are starters that battled injuries most of the year. Williams and Brent are tackles that should help in run situations. Brent is already on thin ice, however, after an offseason DUI cost him spring practice via suspension. Jerry Brown could also start at the other end position, but his academics are in question.

Martez Wilson is a highly touted recruit that is expected to do even better than Miller and American Hero J Leman at middle linebacker. Wilson played on the outside a year ago and amassed 73 tackles, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries. Illinois has a history of great middle linebackers, and Wilson is expected to be the next one. He'll be joined on the outside by Ian Thomas and Russell Ellington. Both are sophomores with not much experience. Nate Palmer and Justin Staples are both huge linebackers that redshirted last season and could be ready for serious playing time.

Best highlight from our last win over Illinois

The secondary lost a first round pick when the Dolphins drafted cornerback Vontae Davis. He led Illinois in interceptions with just two, but was in on 18 pass break ups. As a whole, Illinois picked off only six passes. Dere Hicks at cornerback and Donsay Hardeman at safety are the only two returning players that had an interception last year. Hardeman is a senior in his second season after being a very promising JUCO transfer last season. With 44 tackles and a pick he is expected to make an even bigger leap in year two. Garrett Edwards and Travon Bellamy should also see some time at safety, especially since Hardeman is recovering from a neck injury.

As a whole, this is a defense that is battling some serious injury and discipline issues. There is talent, but no less than four key players are uncertain because of injury, academics, or discipline. They aren't a group that will pick off a ton of passes and they could be susceptible against the run.

Illinois Special Teams:

Matt Eller is a decent sophomore kicker, hitting 15 of 20 field goals in his rookie year. He was not a weapon on kickoffs though. Illinois gave up two kickoff returns for touchdowns and almost 25 yards per return. That means we should be able to get decent field position. The punting was almost equally awful. Opponents averaged 11 yards per return and Anthony Santella averaged less than 40 yards per kick.

In the return game we must keep our eyes on Benn. While he hasn't broken a return for a touchdown, he has the ability to do so. He'll handle both kick and punt return duties. We can't kick away from him on kickoffs, either. A.J. Jenkins averaged 22.3 yards per return with a touchdown last year as the second half of a dangerous return tandem.

Intangibles:

With this game being the seventh on the schedule for the Illini it presents an interesting situation. Illinois has an absolutely brutal slate before this game. The only sure wins are Illinois State and Indiana. There is a very strong chance they will be 2-4 with losses to Missouri, Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State. That would make our game a must win possibly to save Ron Zook's job.

Personally, I view it a must win for us. If we're going to go bowling we have to get the four most winnable games we play at home against Toledo, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, and Illinois. It is probably the biggest swing game we face all year. Win, and we may only need a late season win at Indiana to go to a bowl. Lose, and we'll need a home upset over Michigan State, a road upset at Wisconsin, or an unlikely win at Michigan.

Those two factors are huge. We could have a lot to play for given our coaching situation and expectations, while Illinois may have nothing to play for given theirs. I am still not sold on Zook's coaching talent. Illinois managed to parlay one big upset at Ohio State into a Rose Bowl berth. That is really all they have accomplished as a program since 2001. Even with a talent advantage over most teams they have a worse track record than Notre Dame in terms of developing that talent and getting the most out of it. Of all the programs in the Big Ten, Illinois seems to be the one that has the wildest fluctuations. In this decade alone they have either played in a BCS bowl or no bowl at all. 2009 looks to fit right in with that history. They have the talent to be in the BCS, but the result could be very different.

Game Outlook:

I am excited to see an erratic passer in Juice Williams face off against one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten. I am even more excited that new defensive coordinator Donn Landholm stresses creating turnovers against a team that is turnover prone. Williams has certainly improved since 2006, but that game was a nightmare for him. With an even worse defense than we have now, Williams turned the ball over four times... in five plays.

Offensively, we should have some room to run the ball. All we need to do is give Elliott time to throw and the Illinois secondary isn't known for its tight coverage. I really like or chances going into this game, and it needs to end as a win.

Prediction:

I am not sold on Illinois. Maybe Toki from Hail To The Orange will have some things to say that will convince me otherwise, but I think Illinois is going to have a rough year. It will also cost Ron Zook his job. I think Purdue holds its own at home and gets a step closer to bowl eligibility. Purdue 27, Illinois 21