SB Nation - Sirod Williams

Illini beat Michigan, make football fun to watch again.

Joe Kutsunis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:15:11 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

Its not a season saving win, its not a program changing win, but it sure was one hell of a fun win.

This was the sort of game that I had expected from the team, and that for whatever reason we had not seen until Saturday. Hell, the second half of Saturday.

The first half played out slowly like most of the games have this year, with missed opportunities on offense and a defense that only seemed to slow the inevitable.

You know I have made light of the fact that Zook was going out every week and saying that he was going to shift things around and try and find a "spark." Maybe I am the crazy one after all because the opening events of the third quarter seemed altered the entire complexion of the game and the team.

When Terry Hawthorne came from behind to tackle Roundtree at the 1 yard line, it somehow changed the game completely. Four intense goal line stops later, and the game had turned.

I have not seen the defensive line play that well all year. Corey Liuget, Clay Nurse, Sirod Williams played out of their minds. Credit where credit is due, the defense played out of their collective minds against Michigan. They blanked the Wolverines in the second half, thanks to two fumbles and two turnovers on downs. Zero points. That is big.

Mikel LeShoure completed the paradigm shift soon after that key series of plays with a 70 yard run that reminded a lot of people in the press box of the last Illini running back to wear #5.There really isn't much a question anymore on who the go to guy at RB is.

The offense seemed to be energized, with the exception of a few very painful instances, the pass protection went way up and the holes for the backs seemed to get bigger.

And is it just me or did Jason Ford and Leshoure get faster in the second half? Whatever the reason, the statistics tell the tale of how gigantic the offense became in the second half.

Illinois totaled 94 yards of offense in the first half. In the third quarter alone the Illini had 200 yards, and 119 on the ground. The Illini would go onto amass 500 yards against Michigan for the second year in a row. That my friends is a 400 yard second half.

Give it up for the once embattled Juice Williams by the way who retook the reigns of this offense and reaffirmed what every Illini hoped he could be as a QB. He once again went on a tear in front of Rich Rodriguez, running his end read system to perfection and just running all over the Michigan defense. He deserves to enjoy this week, this season has been a disappointment for him to this point, and I hope this lets him relax and enjoy the rest of his senior year.

I'm sure I'll go into more about what this means overall for the team, the season and the coach later this week. But for now, just enjoy the fact that the Illini have beaten Michigan, something that doesn't happen often enough to take for granted, just yet anyway.

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

Zook Smash! the press conference!

Joe Kutsunis — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:20:19 -0000

Well there is a lot to talk about here....

Zook was asked about Terl getting the pick for preseason POY over Juice

Zook: dont talk to me about voting now, you guys did it.

At least two bars in Champaign are off limits to the football team this year. Which bars could that be? I wonder......

Donsay Hardeman is cleared to play by the doctors but it sounded like Zook was still unsure just how ready he was to play.

Terry Hawthorne has a plate in his hand after suffering a broken bone last year. He will be playing in camp, but may not be able to actually catch the balls.

Received a question about what Zook's secret was about recruiting Ohio, aside from the fact that the state produces huge amounts of D1 prospects a year, of which OSU can only take about 25 or so, It also helps to allow the recruit to play the position he wants, rather than force him into defensive back.

Miami Thomas and Sirod Williams apparently back all the way from their injuries, Zook says he is going to handle Sirod's situation carefully.

Zook commented at length about the Josh Brent situation, saying that other than this he has not really been a behavior problem. Zook even mentioned that he visited Brent during his time spent in jail over this summer. He says it was a difficult experience for Brent and believes that he has learned alot about himself and has come out of this for the better.

As far as character issues go, Zook told the media about the "character teams" that were drafted by the players this year. It is 10 separate groups put together by the coaches that allows the players to keep tabs on one another and try and keep each other out of trouble. In a twist the players were drafted to each team by the players themselves. Because they are boring no fun people, the walk on QBs specialists were chosen first.

Along these same lines Zook talked about how he has talked to his players about how to react in public when people are giving you problems. He mentioned that while he may want to punch someone in the face for insulting his wife, he can't. Anytime Zook talks about punching something or someone, the world becomes a better place.

Zook also mentioned the team disciplinary punishment of choice for minor infractions, missing study hall or class etc. The stair master. Yes the same device your mother uses to keep her cougar-ish figure is also the corporal punishment for 300 pound muscle bound football players.

Fear Me

That's all from the Zooker for now. We are on lunch break and I'll be damned if all these media types eat all the food before I get a chance.

Illini Football Unit breakdown: Defensive Line.

Joe Kutsunis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:38:32 -0000

We stand at the door step of the month of July. The preview magazines have been released, the freshmen are on campus, and we are all getting ready for purest form of the game: college football. In the interest of getting all of you interested and excited (or pessimistic, depending on the case) about Illini football, HTTO is beginning its coverage of each of the teams units.Who will be the playing, who will be starring and what should we be expecting?

I believe, as the old adage goes, that games are won and lost up front on the lines. With that in mind I will begin with the Defensive and offensive lines and move away from the ball from there. So we begin today with the unit that may be the subject of the most speculation and uncertainty on the entire team. The defensive line.

Projected Starters. I suppose this is the million dollar question isn't it? From a line that lost Derek Walker, David Lindquist and Will Davis, and underperformed its potential last year, things already seem like they might be an uphill battle. Because last year line was supposedly so loaded with talent, but disappointed, Tom Sims, the DL coach was let go. In steps Keith Gilmore into a situation that only gets more complicated. If I had to list the ideal in terms of talent starting defensive line, I would probably list DE's Doug Pilcher and Jerry Brown flanking DTs Sirod Williams and Josh Brent. Why do I say ideal you ask? Well thus far Josh Brent is serving his 60 day jail sentence for DUI and driving on a suspended license, Sirod Williams is recovering from a torn ACL from last summer, and Jerry Brown may not be academically eligible to play. But hey Doug Pilcher is still good right? In the nightmare scenario of all three of these question marks go south, Brown doesn't clear, Sirod's knee isn't 100%, and Brent is suspended or leaves the team, the line could look very, very different. As in Corey Liuget, Antonio James, and whichever heretofore unseen DT wins out at Camp Rantoul.(Uzodinma?) Regardless, the line situation probably wont be all bad, I am sure that probably two out of three of the players in question will make it into the lineup somehow. Even with Sirod and Brent playing you can count of Liuget seeing significant playing time, even if he isn't starting. Clay Nurse and Antonio James too will more than likely play a lot regardless of Brown's situation.

Possible Star. He may not even be a guaranteed starter, but Corey Liuget has the makings of a very good player at 6'3", 290. He played really well last year as a true freshman. He is going to be a starter in 2010, and may overtake Josh Brent or Sirod Williams this year if he makes the big leap every one seems to think he will. He can and will get into the back field and disrupt plays, and he will only get better.

What To Expect? As I said earlier there is alot we still do not know about how this line will look when it takes the field in St Louis. How little we know about the Dline, especially at DT drives amplifies the losses of two former recruiting gems, Reggie Ellis and D'Angelo McCray. What was once perhaps the pride of depth of the defense has suffered an extreme amount of attrition.

Last year at about this time, the defensive line was being touted as perhaps the strongest aspect of the defense, and perhaps one of the better lines in the NCAA. These expectations were soon put to rest as the D line lost Sirod in camp and proceeded to fail to live up to those expectations from just about day 1. The D-line wasn't the only or even the worst problem for the team last year, but not being the strength we thought it was surely played a part in the huge numbers that were put up against the Illini on the ground.

The outcome of last year, along with the attrition since has led me to take a wait and see approach. Defensive Tackle is arguably the most important position in a college defense. Strength here will go a long way in masking other shortcomings on defense, and perhaps result in a stronger defense overall than last year. I will feel alot better if either Josh Brent or Sirod Williams comes through and contributes this fall. A core of DTs with Sirod, Brent and Liuget would be formidable indeed and could result in a stronger inside defense than we saw in all of 2008. With only Pilcher to look forward to as a reliable DE, the position will more than likely see some drop off. But frankly if the line is as strong as it could be up the middle it might not matter all that much. Bob Assmussen recently said that a defense that includes Josh Brent might mean an improvement of 30 yards given up, in the most unlikely scenario of Brown, Sirod and Brent all being cleared, healthy and not suspended, the Defensive Line will be without a doubt the strongest aspect of the defense on paper. Lets hope the expectations aren't so insurmountable this time around.

Crossfire Q&A: Illinois

RPT — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:00:17 -0000

We claim to know many things here at Rock M Nation, but insider knowledge and fandom of Mizzou's opponents isn't one of them. Luckily, other bloggers are here to help. Today, we feature our SBN counterparts from Hail to the Orange, who agreed to join us for a preview of the Mizzou/Illinois season opener in St. Louis.

RMN: Before we delve into the specifics of 2009, what are your thoughts on the "suspension" of the Arch Rivalry season after 2010?

Well, I have been to exactly one of the Arch Rivalry games (last years) but I would have to say that the 2007 and 2008 games, although they were both losses for the Illini, were both extremely exciting and for the most part competitive. I realize though that Illinois would much rather have that week as a home game rather than neutral site. I would hope the game could continue as a home and home, but that doesn't look like its going to happen. I will miss the game, but another home game would be nice.

RMN: What caused Illinois' regression from BCS to bowl ineligibility in one year? It can't just be the absence of Mendenhall, right?

Quite a few things that the Illini had in 2007 were not there in 2008. Specifically line play, offensive and defensive. The defensive line ended up being to small and was exposed to be weak against the run up the middle. Safety play was a big issue as well. On offense it was hot and cold. When the line gave Juice enough time to make his passes, the ball moved in huge chunks. But as the year wore on, teams blitzed more and more, and Juice spent a hell of a lot of time on his back. The defense was not what it needed to be, and the offense was too inconsistent.

RMN: For the 317th year, we're on Juice Williams watch. What's the word on his development headed into this year? Does he have many options outside of Arrelious Benn?

Juice if given time, (and hopefully some good coaching) Juice could actually live up to his height. As for weapons, depending on how things shake up this summer, he could have 3 HS AA Wide Receiver targets to throw to (or at, if you are feeling pithy.) Along with Arrelious, look for Florida transfer Jared Fayson, and East Saint Louis' own Terry Hawthorne to be targets. Along with A.J. Jenkins, Michael Hoomanawanui, and a slew of supposedly highly touted receivers, someone should be open. We hope.

More questions after the jump!

RMN: From an outsider's perspective, Illinois once again appears to be formidable on the defensive line. What kind of production do Illini fans expect out of the defensive unit in 2009?

Last year's unit was probably the most disappointing aspect of the whole season. Many fans and even supposedly smart football people thought they could be a top 10 D-line. Then D'Angelo McCray transferred, Sirod Williams busted his knee, and there was a weakness on the inside. Now Sirod is healthy and everyone says the line will be solid again. I am skeptical. Liuget had better be ready to play a lot more than last year and Sirod had better be all the way back from knee surgery. Otherwise, no matter how good the DEs are, the line is going to be porous, and we will be run to death all over again.

RMN: Outside of the obvious stars, give us the names of a few players that aren't getting enough love or that Mizzou fans should know.

Fred Sykes. The two star prospect from Tampa, Florida who overtook at least two far more heavily recruited and more talented players and got on the field as a freshman last year. Not because of his speed or his size, but because of his ability to run his routs and catch what was thrown to him. It seems odd to say but on a team that has a lot of speed at WR, one of the best weapons was a slower player who could get open and actually make catches. I don't know how much more we will see of him, given how competitive the position is, but give the guy some credit for doing what he could to help the team.

RMN: Finish the following statements:

-- Illinois will win if: Juice has enough time to throw to the open man, or the running backs give the offense a real running game.
-- Mizzou will win if: They can move the ball on the ground as well as they did last year. I am still very worried about the defense up the middle.

RMN: Give us your score prediction.

Let's see last year was 52 to 42, and 07 was 40-34, lets split the difference. Another track meet. Illini 45-Mizzou 39. I may get alot less optimistic of as the off season progresses though.

Illinois: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Preview: The Defense

Bill C. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

Vontae Davis was a stud, and the Illini pass defense was still only decent. What happens without him?

Browse more photos »

Confused? Catch up with the BTBS Primer.

It's funny--leaving the Mizzou-Illinois game last year, I was pretty impressed with the Illini defense. I thought Vontae Davis and the Illini D did a wonderful job on Jeremy Maclin (4 catches for 31 yards, 3 carries for 2 yards), and the D-line showed great athletic potential (Derek Walker even yoinked a pick six from Chase Daniel)...but Missouri gained 549 yards and scored 52 points. Illinois teams are perpetually full of athletic potential, but when will they consistently show it?

Defense

Overall Stats

S&P+: 111.81 (#31)
Success Rate+: 108.47 (#35)
PPP+: 116.05 (#35)

Standard Downs S&P+: 114.48 (#23)
Passing Downs S&P+: 97.11 (#72)

Redzone S&P+: 91.85 (#84)

Q1 S&P+: 98.39 (#69)
Q2 S&P+: 127.72 (#13)
Q3 S&P+: 127.47 (#14)
Q4 S&P+: 98.68 (#64)

1st Down S&P+: 110.71 (#28)
2nd Down S&P+: 107.69 (#43)
3rd Down S&P+: 115.46 (#34)

Rushing Stats

Rushing S&P+: 110.80 (#39)
Rushing SR+: 107.23 (#40)
Rushing PPP+: 115.79 (#37)

Standard Downs: 118.50 (#23)
Passing Downs: 76.95 (#109)

Redzone: 107.94 (#44)

Line Yards+: 111.81 (#26)

Passing Stats

Passing S&P+: 109.31 (#34)
Passing SR+: 106.65 (#36)
Passing PPP+: 112.42 (#38)

Standard Downs: 104.58 (#48)
Passing Downs: 107.03 (#49)

Redzone: 74.39 (#115)

Adj. Sack Rate: 8.6% (#10)

In all, this really wasn't too bad a defense--Top 40 overall, against the run, and against the pass. But breakdowns killed them. They gave up far too many big plays on Passing Downs--they were just about the worst in the country about giving up big runs on Passing Downs, which suggests that either a) they were worried about the secondary and tried to give them help against the pass, leaving them vulnerable to draws and runs, or b) this just isn't a very smart defense. I don't know the answer--will leave that up to you. Beyond that, they were also very poor in the redzone, and their splits were all over the place--they were great in Q2 and Q3...and below average in Q1 and Q4. Figure them out, I dare you.

Defensive Line

2008 Unit Ranking: #23 in the nation (#2 in the Big Ten)

Projected Depth Chart
Josh Brent (DT, 6'2, 315, Jr.)
Doug Pilcher (DE, 6'5, 265, Sr.)
Corey Liuget (DT, 6'3, 290, So.)
Jerry Brown (DE, 6'4, 265, Jr.)
Sirod WIlliams (DT, 6'0, 295, Sr.)
Daryle Ballew (DT, 6'1, 310, So.)
Antonio James (DE, 6'5, 255, Sr.)
Clay Nurse (DE, 6'3, 260, Jr.)

The highest-ranked, most athletic unit on the Illini defense in 2008, the defensive line faces having to replace starting DEs Derek Walker and Will Davis and DT David Lindquist. The athleticism is still there, but the depth is not, especially after the requested transfer of highly-rated RSFr Reggie Elis. Doug Pilcher likely returns to the starting lineup after 20 starts in 2006-07, and if Jerry Brown can stay above water academically, he should be pretty good (plus, he had two solid games against Mizzou in 2007-08). At DT Corey Liuget came on strong last year, earning a couple starts as a true freshman. This unit is still the likely strength of the defense, but there's more uncertainty here than there was last year.

Linebackers

2008 Unit Ranking: #60 in the nation (#8 in the Big Ten)

Projected Depth Chart
Martez Wilson (6'4, 240, Jr.)
Russell Ellington (6'2, 225, So.)
Ian Thomas (6'0, 225, So.)
Dustin Jefferson (6'0, 240, Jr.)
Aaron Gress (6'0, 230, Jr.)
Justin Staples (6'4, 225, RSFr.)

The bad news is, the Illini LB corps loses all-conference performer Brit Miller and two part-time starters in Rodney Pittman and Sam Carson. The good news is, the unit really wasn't that good with them, so they might not miss them that much (at least not Pittman and Carson). People are expecting big things out of former 5-star recruit Martez Wilson, and they could be right--his sophomore performance in 2008 (73 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 FF, 2 FR) was pretty solid. Then again, it's not Weatherspoonian ('Spoon as a sophomore: 130 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR), so we'll see how much improvement he can do.

Meanwhile...yeah, that's about all they've got. Gress and Staples are newbies, and Ellington, Thomas and Jefferson did next to nothing last year. Maybe there's a sleeper in here somewhere...and maybe not.

Secondary

2008 Unit Ranking: #38 in the nation (#6 in the Big Ten)

Projected Depth Chart
Donsay Hardeman (FS, 6'2, 210, Sr.)
Bo Flowers (SS, 6'2, 215, Jr.)
Dere Hicks (CB, 5'10, 175, Sr.)
Travon Bellamy (FS, 6'0, 205, Jr.)
Tavon Wilson (CB, 6'0, 195, So.)
Ashante Williams (CB, 5'10, 195, RSFr)
Garrett Edwards (SS, 6'2, 210, Jr.)
Antonio Gully (CB, 6'1, 180, Jr.)

Lots of upperclassmen here, I can say that much. No Vontae Davis, though. Bellamy and Hardeman both racked up some tackles last year, but the secondary needed to produce infinitely more turnovers and opportunities than they did in 2008, and now they lose their lockdown corner. There isn't a lot of new blood here, which would probably be a good thing; I picture this unit as a bunch of Hardy Ricks's. Athletic, pretty smart, decent hitters...and not a whole lot of play-making ability. With good decision-making from Gabbert, this is potentially a good unit for the green Missouri WR corps to start with.

Special Teams

2008 Unit Rankings: #113 Net Punting, #94 Punt Returns, #63 Kickoff Returns

Projected Starters
K - Matt Eller (So., 39-41 PATs, 15-20 FGs)
P - Anthony Santella (Jr., 53 punts, 31.6 net punting)
PR - Arrelious Benn (Jr., 15 returns, 7.6 average)
KR - A.J. Jenkins (So., 22 returns, 22.3 average, 1 TD)

You see Benn's name atop the list of punt returners, and you think this could be a pretty good special teams unit, but...it wasn't. He did next to nothing fielding punts--Illinois was one of the worst punt returning teams in the country. Jenkins was solid returning kickoffs, and Eller was curiously a better kicker the further out the ball was placed (he was 1-for-4 on FGs from 30-39 yards...and 8-for-10 from 40+), but the net punting (and, as Jeremy Maclin can attest, net kicking in general) was atrocious. I am still tweaking my special teams unit rankings, but it's safe to say that this unit was pretty damn poor. All four starters return, but there is plenty of tweaking to be done here.

Summary

Really, this game might come down to the matchup of Mizzou's OL versus the Illini DL. If Blaine Gabbert doesn't have to run for his life, and if Derrick Washington is finding holes through which to run, Mizzou will score a lot of points. If the UI line can't put pressure on the Mizzou offense, I'm not sure the back seven can. Who knows--maybe there are some playmakers in there somewhere; but right now I don't know who they might be. Pilcher, Brown, Brent, and Liuget really could be solid up front, and if Dan Hoch has a rough first game, or if they're just able to confuse the Mizzou OL like Oklahoma State did, then Illinois could get enough stops to win the game. But to the extent that I'm confident about this game, it's because I'm not sure the Illinois D can do enough to take advantage of Mizzou's offensive youth.

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Projections on Friday.

Poll

Who's most likely to disrupt Mizzou's plans for a 1-0 start?

DT Josh Brent

5 votes

LB Martez Wilson

8 votes

DE Jerry Brown

3 votes

FS Donsay Hardeman

0 votes

The Illinois offense scoring a whole bunch

39 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed