• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Illinois Fighting Illini (you'll see)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Sportsbuck28;1231235; said:
I was going on the spring practice reports on Dufrene which weren't all that great. Who knows, maybe he'll be a stud that wasn't a practice player but I'll believe it when I see it. If he or another RB can't at least pick up some of the slack then teams will stack the box and dare Juice to beat them through the air and prove that the game with us wasn't a fluke. Personally in that matchup, regardless of what I saw last November I'd take the D every time.
Click to expand...

As an Illini fan, it pains me to say that I probably agree with you more than I agree with NFL Buck. We netted -22 rushing yards in our spring game. Either our defensive line is beyond fantastic, or we're really going to struggle running the ball without Mendenhall, Millington (RT), and O'Donnell (LG - 1st team AP All-American). Without a sound running game, we'll have to rely on Juice to throw. And that will be hit or miss.

Someone's going to have to enlighten me becasue I have to wake up in around 8 hours for a scrimmage, but didn't Illinois lose both starting DT's from last year's team? Or was it one DT and another one was lost for the season with an injury in camp?
Click to expand...
Illinois lost only one starting DT - Chris Norwell. David Lindquist started the majority of games at the other DT spot, and he returns this year.

Tom Sims runs an 8-10 man rotation on the DL (he'd rather a 3rd stringer struggle in the first quarter so that the 1st stringer is fresh in the fourth quarter). Last year, Sirod Williams - the DT who is out for the year with a torn ACL - was probably the 9th guy in the rotation. Norwell (graduated), Lindquist, Brent, and Mike Ware (also graduated) probably got more reps than Sirod.

This year's rotation will start Lindquist (Sr) and Brent (Soph. - a guy Ohio State offered) at the tackles, with Ballew (rs-Fr. from Ohio) and Liuget (true frosh that we somehow pulled in despite a last weekend trip to LSU in February) backing them up. At the ends we'll start seniors Will Davis and Derek Walker with Jerry Brown (So.) and Doug Pilcher (Jr.) backing them up. All 4 DEs played extensively last season in Sims rotation.

I'm hoping that the defensive line is the top DL in the Big Ten. But that's mostly so I can assuage my "-22 rushing yards in the spring game? Really?" concerns.
 
Upvote 0
http://illinois.scout.com/2/783043.html

By Jack Lyman
Insideillini.com staff
Posted Aug 25, 2008

Illini football fans are naturally concerned about who will replace All-American Rashard Mendenhall at running back this year. But assistant coach Reggie Mitchell seems confident he has some ball carriers who can help keep Illinois among the Big Ten's rushing leaders in 2008.

Continued...
Click to expand...

http://www.illinihq.com/news/football/2008/08/25/tate_in_zook_i_trust/

By Loren Tate

Monday, August 25, 2008 7:14 PM CDT

CHAMPAIGN – No football coach is perfect. All of them have strengths and weaknesses.

But it would be difficult to name anyone in the profession who was more of a perfect Illini fit than Ron Zook.

What Illinois needed after the dismal 2003-04 seasons was a restocked roster, a new look ... in short, a speedy, athletic SEC look. You can take all the systems, all the scheming, all the preparation and, if you don't have the talent, it won't much matter.

Zook's first accomplishment was lining up a quality staff. Illinois needed coaches with strong recruiting backgrounds. Zook, a renowned bulldog in the world of recruiting, pulled a coup in attracting an established recruiting coordinator, Reggie Mitchell, from John L. Smith's staff at Michigan State. And in bringing Mike Locksley with him from Florida, Zook had a respected insider in the lush Washington, D.C., area.

Continued...
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0
Buckeye86 said:
Are you talking about a few years of success in which they claimed to be at the top of the Big Ten? According to stassen.com Illinois has had twenty two winning seasons since 1950.

2007 9-3

2001 10-2

1999 8-4

1994 7-5

1992 6-5-1

1990 8-4
1989 10-2
1988 6-5

1985 6-5
1984 7-4
1983 10-2
1982 7-5
1981 7-4

1974 6-4

1965 6-4
1964 6-3
1963 8-1

1960 5-4
1959 5-3-1

1955 5-3-1

1951 9-0-1
1950 7-2

So the 80's seem like the golden years of Illinois football with the stellar decade record of 63-48-4. I'm assuming these were the years I do not recall when Illinois had sustained success and imagined themselves to be among the elite of the Big Ten?
Click to expand...
they had some very good teams in the 80s, some teams that were tough. ive said it before if ill wants to be good they have to work chicago. the last 8 or so years iowa has been a major player in the chicagoland area, the last 20 wisc has been tough in that area and during the 90s-90s notre dame did an excellent job in that area.

i still maintain that this is a good program that has more potential than good. i think they could be a consistent upper tier b10 team (top 4 every year) vs middle 1/3 team(whichis what weve seen, good, bad, ugly, ok, awesome mix of seasons).
 
Upvote 0
wadc45;1238622; said:
Scout.com: RB Coach Mitchell Has a Host of Backs Ready



IlliniHQ.com: Tate: In Zook I Trust
By Loren Tate

Monday, August 25, 2008 7:14 PM CDT

CHAMPAIGN ? No football coach is perfect. All of them have strengths and weaknesses.

But it would be difficult to name anyone in the profession who was more of a perfect Illini fit than Ron Zook.

What Illinois needed after the dismal 2003-04 seasons was a restocked roster, a new look ... in short, a speedy, athletic SEC look. You can take all the systems, all the scheming, all the preparation and, if you don't have the talent, it won't much matter.

Zook's first accomplishment was lining up a quality staff. Illinois needed coaches with strong recruiting backgrounds. Zook, a renowned bulldog in the world of recruiting, pulled a coup in attracting an established recruiting coordinator, Reggie Mitchell, from John L. Smith's staff at Michigan State. And in bringing Mike Locksley with him from Florida, Zook had a respected insider in the lush Washington, D.C., area.

Continued...
Click to expand...
I thought that part on Zook looked familiar...
2002 Person of the Year: Kirk Ferentz | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen
"There are just a few people that when you meet them, you believe that they are just the perfect fit for a particular spot," said Ann Rhodes, a UI associate general counsel who sat on the selection committee. After an initial interview with Kirk, "I came home and told my husband, he?ll go to a bowl in three years and the Rose Bowl in five. I said, 'He's the one.' I never had any doubt, ever."

This year, the selection committee was proved right. Kirk coached the Hawkeyes to an undefeated season in the Big Ten, something not accomplished by a UI team since 1922. Then he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Next came The Associated Press Coach of the Year award. His quarterback, Brad Banks, was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Besides finishing atop the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes are ranked No. 3 in a national poll. The team plays in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
Click to expand...
not saying Zook = Ferentz, but one year of marginal success doesn't make a person perfect for a job.
 
Upvote 0
OregonBuckeye;1239096; said:
Scout.com: 11-2

Oh boy, turns out not only Illini fans are off their rockers but so are Mizzou fans. Must read thread for entertainment purposes.

It get good with the last post on the first page by ZouFan08.

Scout.com: Both Gamble and Mark Jackson off the team?

Weren't these two former recruits a lot of Buckeye fans wanted to get offered? Funny how things work out.
Click to expand...
Love these types of posters ...

Reminds me of the Terrapin fan that came over here about three years ago wanting to compare Maryland football to OSU. :slappy:
 
Upvote 0
xcrunner;1282551; said:
Haha what a joke...
The B10 is loaded with great RB's this year though. Beanie, Ringer, Hill, Clay, Dufrene, Royster...
Click to expand...
Even the lower tier of RBs in the B10 is great this year. Iowa RB Shonn Greene has run of 6 straight 100 yard games. He isn't necessarily a home run threat, but he sure can power forward for a few yards on almost every carry. Purdue RB Kory Sheets is having a great year too. And, barring injury, Terrell Sutton should continue to be very above average for Northwestern.

If Big 12 is the QB conference, then the Big Ten is the RB conference.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top