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Fresh produce for Zook's Illini
Coach leans heavily on 4 true freshmen, rides ups and downs
November 2, 2006
BY HERB GOULD Staff Reporter
A year ago, they were riding yellow school buses. On Saturday, they'll line up against greyhounds. They're Illinois' true freshmen.
They're a big reason why second-year coach Ron Zook is giving hope to a victory-starved Illini Nation.
They're also a big reason why Illinois has had such a bumpy ride this fall.
Zook is leaning hard on four youngsters who were playing high school football a year ago at make-or-break positions: quarterback Juice Williams, cornerback Vontae Davis, tight end Jeff Cumberland and punter Kyle Yelton.
They are among 16 true freshmen who've made their college debuts at Illinois this fall, second in the nation to Temple (20).
The lineup varies a bit from week to week. But Zook generally starts five freshmen, five sophomores, nine juniors and five seniors, including his two kickers. And that's not counting sophomore tailback Rashard Mendenhall or true freshman nickel back Travon Bellamy, who shoulder heavy loads.
That's young. And that helps explain why Illinois has played tough at Penn State and Wisconsin the last two weeks after playing soft against Indiana and Ohio in the two games before that.
''People don't understand the emotional levels that [players] go through,'' Zook said. ''The drain, the demand you're putting on young guys.''
For example, concerned about Williams a couple of weeks ago, Zook pulled aside wide receiver Chris James, the true freshman from Morgan Park who is Juice's friend and roommate.
''C.J., what's wrong with your roommate?'' Zook asked.
''Coach, Juice has never played more than nine games,'' James replied.
Zook understands. He also understands that it's his job to push his youngsters through the barrier.
''It's an age-old problem at every level: high school, college, the NFL,'' Zook said. ''How do you get a guy to play at [his peak level] in every single game? Juice probably threw as many passes when we got to the first game as he had in his life. But we're going to come back stronger for it. There's no doubt in my mind.''
Here are some snapshots of the young Illini as they try to knock off a No. 1 team, something Illinois has not done since 1956.
He's still juiced
Williams has been throwing the ball endlessly since Illinois' informal 7-on-7 summer workouts began last June. But the youngster from Chicago Vocational, the same school that sent Dick Butkus to Illinois, is doing what he loves.
''I've thrown a bunch more balls than I've thrown this year,'' he said. ''There's a physical and mental aspect to that. You just have to mature and keep fighting.''
Adrenaline trumps fatigue in the heat of battle, he said.
''When you're in the game, you don't think about things like [being tired],'' Williams said. ''You just go play and do the best you can. You mostly get that [weary] feeling at nighttime, before you go to bed. That's something I just have to push through.''
Davis on Davis
Because he's a quarterback, Williams has had the splashiest debut of the Illini youth. But Davis has had the most seamless introduction to big-time football. Playing a position where mistakes are magnified, he's off to a terrific start that should make him a defensive anchor for three more seasons. Davis is coming off an eight-tackle game Saturday at Wisconsin, but he knows he'll need to be at the top of his game this week. Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith and receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez -- who have combined for 13 touchdowns and 1,232 yards in nine games -- figure to be making NFL cornerbacks uneasy in a year or two.
Perhaps because he's so young, Davis is taking a no-fear approach.
''I'm going to be even more enthusiastic,'' said the Washington, D.C., native. ''Everyone says their receivers are so good. I'm going to play my game and see where I'm at by playing the No. 1 team in the country.''
Buckeye savvy
Being from Columbus, Ohio, Cumberland knows all about the Buckeyes. ''I watched all their games,'' he said. And because the passes he couldn't handle have made a bigger impression than the catches he has made, Cumberland has a head start on acquiring the thick skin that high-performance athletes need.
''Things happen. You just have to get ready for the next play and try it again,'' said Cumberland, who dropped a pass on the goal line at Wisconsin and juggled a potential first-down catch that might have salted away a victory against Indiana.
Cumberland said he also is excited about lining up against Ohio State as a measuring stick.
''We're a young team,'' he said. ''We're not getting the wins, but you can see how hard we're playing, and the games are close. There's no blowout games. We're getting ourselves ready.''
When in doubt
Nobody has had a ruder introduction than Yelton, who has endured momentum-turning blocked punts against Rutgers and Ohio, Zook's rugby-punt experiment and days like Saturday at Wisconsin, where he punted six times for a 28.3-yard average that included a lucky 20-yard bounce on one kick. Now Yelton will be kicking to Ginn, one of the most dangerous returners in college football.
A recipe for disaster? Not to Yelton, who relishes a chance to play the nation's No. 1 team.
''As a kid growing up, that's what you think about,'' said Yelton, who's from Chesterton, Ind., and whose father, Jeff, is the head coach at Merrillville. ''It's going to be a big game. We're excited to go back home. It's going to be a lot of fun.''
Fresh produce for Zook's Illini
Coach leans heavily on 4 true freshmen, rides ups and downs
November 2, 2006
BY HERB GOULD Staff Reporter
A year ago, they were riding yellow school buses. On Saturday, they'll line up against greyhounds. They're Illinois' true freshmen.
They're a big reason why second-year coach Ron Zook is giving hope to a victory-starved Illini Nation.
They're also a big reason why Illinois has had such a bumpy ride this fall.
Zook is leaning hard on four youngsters who were playing high school football a year ago at make-or-break positions: quarterback Juice Williams, cornerback Vontae Davis, tight end Jeff Cumberland and punter Kyle Yelton.
They are among 16 true freshmen who've made their college debuts at Illinois this fall, second in the nation to Temple (20).
The lineup varies a bit from week to week. But Zook generally starts five freshmen, five sophomores, nine juniors and five seniors, including his two kickers. And that's not counting sophomore tailback Rashard Mendenhall or true freshman nickel back Travon Bellamy, who shoulder heavy loads.
That's young. And that helps explain why Illinois has played tough at Penn State and Wisconsin the last two weeks after playing soft against Indiana and Ohio in the two games before that.
''People don't understand the emotional levels that [players] go through,'' Zook said. ''The drain, the demand you're putting on young guys.''
For example, concerned about Williams a couple of weeks ago, Zook pulled aside wide receiver Chris James, the true freshman from Morgan Park who is Juice's friend and roommate.
''C.J., what's wrong with your roommate?'' Zook asked.
''Coach, Juice has never played more than nine games,'' James replied.
Zook understands. He also understands that it's his job to push his youngsters through the barrier.
''It's an age-old problem at every level: high school, college, the NFL,'' Zook said. ''How do you get a guy to play at [his peak level] in every single game? Juice probably threw as many passes when we got to the first game as he had in his life. But we're going to come back stronger for it. There's no doubt in my mind.''
Here are some snapshots of the young Illini as they try to knock off a No. 1 team, something Illinois has not done since 1956.
He's still juiced
Williams has been throwing the ball endlessly since Illinois' informal 7-on-7 summer workouts began last June. But the youngster from Chicago Vocational, the same school that sent Dick Butkus to Illinois, is doing what he loves.
''I've thrown a bunch more balls than I've thrown this year,'' he said. ''There's a physical and mental aspect to that. You just have to mature and keep fighting.''
Adrenaline trumps fatigue in the heat of battle, he said.
''When you're in the game, you don't think about things like [being tired],'' Williams said. ''You just go play and do the best you can. You mostly get that [weary] feeling at nighttime, before you go to bed. That's something I just have to push through.''
Davis on Davis
Because he's a quarterback, Williams has had the splashiest debut of the Illini youth. But Davis has had the most seamless introduction to big-time football. Playing a position where mistakes are magnified, he's off to a terrific start that should make him a defensive anchor for three more seasons. Davis is coming off an eight-tackle game Saturday at Wisconsin, but he knows he'll need to be at the top of his game this week. Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith and receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez -- who have combined for 13 touchdowns and 1,232 yards in nine games -- figure to be making NFL cornerbacks uneasy in a year or two.
Perhaps because he's so young, Davis is taking a no-fear approach.
''I'm going to be even more enthusiastic,'' said the Washington, D.C., native. ''Everyone says their receivers are so good. I'm going to play my game and see where I'm at by playing the No. 1 team in the country.''
Buckeye savvy
Being from Columbus, Ohio, Cumberland knows all about the Buckeyes. ''I watched all their games,'' he said. And because the passes he couldn't handle have made a bigger impression than the catches he has made, Cumberland has a head start on acquiring the thick skin that high-performance athletes need.
''Things happen. You just have to get ready for the next play and try it again,'' said Cumberland, who dropped a pass on the goal line at Wisconsin and juggled a potential first-down catch that might have salted away a victory against Indiana.
Cumberland said he also is excited about lining up against Ohio State as a measuring stick.
''We're a young team,'' he said. ''We're not getting the wins, but you can see how hard we're playing, and the games are close. There's no blowout games. We're getting ourselves ready.''
When in doubt
Nobody has had a ruder introduction than Yelton, who has endured momentum-turning blocked punts against Rutgers and Ohio, Zook's rugby-punt experiment and days like Saturday at Wisconsin, where he punted six times for a 28.3-yard average that included a lucky 20-yard bounce on one kick. Now Yelton will be kicking to Ginn, one of the most dangerous returners in college football.
A recipe for disaster? Not to Yelton, who relishes a chance to play the nation's No. 1 team.
''As a kid growing up, that's what you think about,'' said Yelton, who's from Chesterton, Ind., and whose father, Jeff, is the head coach at Merrillville. ''It's going to be a big game. We're excited to go back home. It's going to be a lot of fun.''
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