Illinois Fighting Illini Football

Ohio State (3-3, 0-2) looks to pick up its first Big Ten win of the season against 16th-ranked Illinois (6-0, 2-0). The Buckeyes kept it close with No. 14 Nebraska last week before falling by seven while the Fighting Illini continued their hot play with a win over Indiana.

Where: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.

When: Saturday, Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m. EDT

Watch: ABC/ESPN/ESPN3

Listen: WHBC 1480 AM (Ohio State) or WDWS 1400 AM (Illinois)

Betting Line: Ohio State +4

Who Might Not Play For Ohio State: QB Braxton Miller

Miller has outplayed Joe Bauserman this season, but neither quarterback has played well enough to secure the job for themselves. Miller's knee is a little banged up, so he'll have to test it out before Saturday's game. He should play, though.

Who Might Not Play for Illinois: WR Darius Millines

Millines missed last week's game against Indiana due to an injured foot and is listed as day-to-day. He's second on the team in receiving yards at 174 and has one touchdown. While A.J. Jenkins is the main target in the passing game, having Millines on the field gives Illinois more options.

Key Storyline: Is Illinois for real?

Only the Illini's most diehard fans expected them to be undefeated through six weeks. They won't sneak up on teams anymore, so we'll get to see what they're really made of in the coming weeks. Ohio State is no pushover, so Illinois better come ready for a hard-fought battle.

The last six games on Illinois' schedule are much tougher than the first five, so don't start planning the BCS National Championship part in Champaign just yet. That said, if the offense continues to click on all cylinders, anything is possible.

BCS Implications

The Fighting Illini will be in the BCS discussion for as long as they remain undefeated. After that, they'll have to rely on the Big Ten's automatic bid. The good news is they'll have several chances to prove themselves to the voters, most notably vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 19.

With so many undefeated teams left, the BCS is going to be a mess until things sort themselves out, so all Illinois can do is keep winning and hope for some help.

What They're Saying

Jeremy Werner of Orange and Blue News answered some questions about the Fighting Illini's season so far and had some interesting things to say about who he thinks will break out moving forward.

Expect to see more and more Donovonn Young in the second half. Petrino told me last week that he's waiting for a breakout game for the freshman tailback. The coaching staff is giving Young his opportunities as senior Jason Ford struggles.

Yahoo! Sports passes along a report from the Associated Press about Buckeyes defensive end Nathan Williams and the news isn't good.

Ohio State defensive end Nathan Williams, who injured his left knee in the first game of the season, likely will not play again this year.

Interim coach Luke Fickell said Tuesday that Williams is “likely done for the season” and probably needs a microfracture surgery to treat the injury.

Ohio State Player to Watch: RB Carlos Hyde

Hyde has scored five touchdowns in six games and has assumed lead back duties for the Buckeyes. The sophomore is averaging more than five yards per carry and is also tied for second on the team in receptions.

If Ohio State is going to pull off the upset, it'll need to play a ball-control style offense and keep the pigskin away from Illinois' playmakers. Hyde will be the main man attempting to do just that.

Illinois Player to Watch: QB Nathan Scheelhaase

Scheelhaase has been one of the nation's biggest surprises and his play is probably the main reason Illinois has been able to keep winning. The second-year quarterback has thrown 10 touchdowns and run in four more.

He's supported by a strong running game, with three backs gaining more than 40 yards per week. But it's Scheelhaase who will need to make the big plays on Saturday to keep the dream alive in Champaign.

Key Matchup: A.J. Jenkins vs. Ohio State secondary

Jenkins is second in the country with 815 receiving yards in just six games. The only way to truly slow down Illinois' offense is to keep Jenkins from making so many key catches, especially those which move the chains. It's easier said than done, of course, but that's priority No. 1 for Ohio State.

This should be a terrific game that goes down to the final minutes. It means more for the Fighting Illini, so look for them to find a way to win and hand the Buckeyes a second straight tough loss.

Prediction: Illinois 24, Ohio State 21

Sometimes, you just take what is given to you.

For the Illinois Fighting Illini, they will gladly take the No. 15 ranking given to them by the USA Today Poll.

Head coach Ron Zook has his team playing its best football since he arrived five seasons ago, and credit must be given where credit is due. The Illini have a perfect 6-0 mark to begin the 2011 season, their best start since 1951 when they started 7-0.

History and records aside, there is no way that Illinois is deserving of the No. 15 ranking.

One glance at the schedule and the story unfolds.

Easy Street

Illinois kicked off its season by reeling off wins against Arkansas State and South Dakota State by a combined score of 89-18, as any relevant program should do.

Then the Illini played host to then-No. 22 Arizona State, promptly knocking off the Sun Devils 17-14 in a turnover-heavy battle that saw Illinois score the go-ahead touchdown with 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

Illinois was applauded for its three-game winning streak, consequently halting its 10-gaming skid against ranked opposition.

After the lauded victory over the Sun Devils, the Illini hosted Western Michigan and Northwestern, winning both games by an unimpressive combined margin of six points.

Then this past Saturday, Illinois whipped Indiana, which has occupied the cellar in the Big Ten for the past three seasons, 41-20.

In the grand scheme of things, the Illini play just four of its 12 games this season on the road.

The Neighbors

In a glance at the neighborhood around the Illini, you have West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Kansas State and Michigan State behind them. While Nebraska, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Arkansas are in front of them.

One of these programs is not like the other.

Perhaps the most telling instance that will expose Illinois as a fortunate bunch this season will be the road ahead, as three of its last six games are road contests.

The Illini will host Ohio State next weekend before back-to-back away games at Purdue and Penn State. Then Illinois will return home for consecutive games against ranked opponents in No. 11 Michigan and No. 4 Wisconsin before finishing the season at Minnesota.

On paper, the Illini could easily drop four of those six games, bringing them to an 8-4 mark on the season, signifying the best finishing record they have had since their 9-3 campaign in 2007.

Illinois run has been a welcome one for college football fans, as it has rattled the status quo in recent history. But make no mistake. The Illini are a far cry away from a legitimate Top 15 ranking.

Illinois has only been to five bowl games in the past 16 years.  Additionally, it has been 19 years since the Illini have been to consecutive bowl games.

A win on Saturday against Indiana, and the Illini will become bowl eligible for the second straight year.  And they will have accomplished the feat by Columbus Day.

While there have been good Illini teams throughout the years, the type of success they are having is foreign to nearly everyone who is watching.  The Illini haven't been 5-0 since 1951, when they started 7-0.

Credit belongs to a variety of factors.  The stifling defense, the ability to win close games (they've won three in a row by three points), play-making ability on offense, and a schedule tailor-made for success.

Now, they need to take all the talent and success they have had onto the road for the first time this year.  They travel to Bloomington, where they are only 1-2 under Ron Zook.

While such a statistic may be grim, and is not a large enough sample size to indicate much, consider this: the Illini are 8-20 in true road games under Zook.  They're 10-26 if you include games played at a neutral site.  If you take away the four road wins they had in 2007, Zook is averaging less than one road win per year in his tenure.

The Illini certainly have a chance to begin to reverse that trend on Saturday, however.  Indiana comes in banged-up and beleaguered.  To begin with, they are sort of an "anti-Illini" when it comes to close games—they've lost four games by fewer than seven points this season! 

There's a reason they've been so unfortunate.  They've turned the ball over eight times, and are giving up an average of 402 yards per game.  Even last week, when they held Penn State to just 16 points, they gave up 464 yards, and were never really in control, despite the six-point final margin. 

The rush defense for Indiana has been especially bad, giving up 4.29 yards per carry, and 169 yards per game.  North Texas ran 48 times for 226 yards against the Hoosiers.

This could spell especially bad news for the Hoosiers, as the Illini have one of the better rushing attacks in the nation, and is on the verge of exploding. 

The Illini are averaging 210 yards per game on the ground, and have been looking to get the running game kick-started.  They currently have four players with over 200 yards rushing on the season (Ford, Pollard, Young and the QB, Scheelhaase).  Expect to see all of them in full force against Indiana.

The offense for Indiana hasn't fared much better.  They lost starting QB Edwin Wright-Baker two weeks ago to an injury against North Texas, forcing Dusty Kiel to step in.  Kiel didn't look sharp against Penn State, completing only 49% of his passes.  Despite this, Kiel figures to be the starter Saturday against the Illini. 

If Indiana has one strength, it is the receiving corps.  The unit is led by Demarlo Belcher, who is the best athlete on the team.  The Hoosiers have five wide receivers that have caught more than ten passes, and gotten more than 100 yards.  With no running game to speak of, it is no wonder that Indiana has thrown the ball 100 times the past two games combined (48 against PSU, and 52 against North Texas). 

It should be noted that this is the way Coach Kevin Wilson wants to play.  Wilson was the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma the past eight years, and was offensive coordinator for Northwestern the three years prior to that.  Both were pass-happy, spread teams.

Illinois is 11th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 79 yards per game, and 2.4 yards per carry.  Therefore, look for Indiana's inability to run the ball to continue. 

Illinois will try to make Indiana one--dimensional, and make the Hoosiers throw the ball around 50 times once again.  If Indiana falls into the predictable pattern, Illinois can pin their ears back, and get to the inexperienced Kiel.  Illinois is sixth in the nation in sacks, at 3.4 per game. 

Surprisingly, Indiana has forced 11 turnovers this year, good for 21st in the nation.  If they are to have a chance in this game, they will have to force the Illini into early mistakes.  Illinois is making their first road trip, and have come out of the gates sluggishly the last two weeks.  Therefore, Illinois could be susceptible to an early mistake or two that swings the balance of the game. 

That remains the only chance I see of Indiana winning.  Illinois does not need to re-invent the wheel to come away victorious in this game.  They should be able to run the ball, and they should be able to stop the run.  Additionally, they should get pressure on Kiel, and force a few mistakes out of the young quarterback. 

As long as Illinois doesn't shoot themselves in the foot, they get their first road win of the year, become bowl eligible for the second straight season and move to 2-0 in the Big Ten.

Illinois 34     Indiana 13

It’s not how they drew it up, but Ron Zook and his Fighting Illini will take it.

This year’s version of the battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy between Illinois and Northwestern was all you could ask for as a college football fan and definitely instant classic material.

The homecoming day crowd in Champaign was treated to a game in which there was over 800 yards of total offense between the two teams and, more importantly, a 38-35 Illini victory to put them at 5-0 for the first time since 1951.

But it wasn’t easy.

The Illini killed themselves all day with turnovers and penalties, which almost cost them. 

In the first half, QB Nathan Scheelhaase had a pass intercepted in the end zone and another touchdown pass called back because of an offensive pass interference call.

Despite that, the Illini only trailed 14-10 at the half. 

However, Northwestern QB Dan Persa came out firing touchdowns in the second half and with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter the Illini found themselves trailing 28-10.

After that, it was just simply the Nathan Scheelhaase and A.J. Jenkins show.

The Illini proceeded to score 21 unanswered points thanks in large part to the play of Scheelhaase and Jenkins.  Scheelhaase finished the day with a career-high 391 yards passing and three touchdowns, all of which went to Jenkins, who had 12 catches for an Illinois record 268 receiving yards.

After Donovonn Young scored on a one-yard run, the Illini had regained the lead 31-28 with just over 6:30 left in the game and looked like they had it sealed up when the defense stopped Northwestern on a fourth down attempt with under three minutes remaining.

Not quite.

On the first play from scrimmage with the Illini trying to run down the clock, Jason Ford fumbled and it was recovered by Northwestern.  The Wildcats proceeded to score on a one-yard touchdown run and with 1:15 remaining had regained the lead 35-31.

Never fear, it was time for Scheelhaase to go to work again.

Along with more help from Jenkins and three timeouts, Scheelhaase drove the Illini down to the Northwestern 1-yard line and then finished off the drive himself by scoring on a sneak to seal the 38-35 victory for Illinois.

The Illini will definitely take the victory, but there are some things that they are going to have to address going forward.

They only managed 82 yards on the ground in this game after averaging over 200 yards on the ground in the first four games.  Even more alarming was the fact that starting running back Jason Ford had only nine yards on seven carries along with the big fumble at the end of the game.

The Illini will have to be able to run the ball more effectively in the Big Ten if they want to continue to have success.  They can't rely on games like that from Scheelhaase and Jenkins to bail them out.

On the other side of the ball, the defense didn't play an awful game, they just weren't as good as they were the first four games.  Give some credit to Northwestern QB Dan Persa because that guy is tough and he just made plays out there.

The defensive backs had a few breakdowns and gave up some touchdown passes, but overall the defense played another solid game.

Finally, the turnovers are something that the Illini will have to address because they cannot continue to turn the ball over three times and win games, especially in the Big Ten.

Despite all of that, the bottom line is that Illinois is 5-0—they are gaining confidence, and most of all, they are making people believe.

They have now shown that they have the ability to come from behind with a quick strike offense, and coupled with their tough defense, they just may be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.

ILL - INI.

Bring on the Hoosiers.

Illinois turned the ball over.  They looked sluggish early on.  They were on the verge of getting blown out in the third quarter.

But somehow, someway, they won.

After falling behind 28-10 in the third quarter, all seemed lost for the Illini.  They seemed deflated, and they could not stop the Wildcats.

QB Nathan Scheelhaase then led the Illini on a seven play, 74 yard drive to cut the lead to 11. After that -- the momentum had swung.  

The Illini came up with a three and out, and then another TD drive.  Then, another stop, and another TD.  All of a sudden, Illinois led 31-28.

The game seemed to be in total control of the Illini when they took over possession with 3:04 left, but a fumble from Jason Ford on the first play gave the ball back to the Wildcats.  They cashed in a Touchdown a few plays later.

Now, trailing by four with 1:15 left, Scheelhaase directed a six play, 69 yard touchdown drive, ending in a QB sneak.  Scheelhaase finished with 391 passing yards, a career high, and 3 TDs.  He added a TD on the ground.

Give credit to the Illini for winning the game and improving to 5-0.  They have now won three consecutive games by three points.  Pessimists would say that they could easily be 2-3, but I will give them credit for winning the close games.  Good teams win close games, (look at A&M, who has squandered two close ones).

Despite that, the Illini made a lot of mistakes.

It started on the very first kickoff.  A.J. Jenkins fumbled the return, recovered it in the endzone, and then brought the ball out.  He was tackled at the 5.   

The Illini looked flat all throughout the first half.  They drove down to the Northwestern seven yard line, and threw an interception in the endzone.  They had a chance to tie the game up before the half, but a terrible offensive interference call negated a touchdown.  Instead, they went into half 14-10.

They came out of the half unable to contain Dan Persa.  The Senior QB, returning from an achilles injury, was fantastic for Northwestern.  He was 10/14 passing with four touchdowns.  What doesn't show up in the box score was his ability to keep plays alive and convert for first downs.

But then Dan Persa was sidelined once against with an injury.  Once Kain Colter came in, the Illini were able to pin their ears back, and contain the Wildcats offense.  The Illini outscored the Wildcats 28-7 over the final 22 minutes. 

A.J. Jenkins had another career day, catching 12 passes for 268 yards, and three touchdowns. He has emerged as a consistent threat in the passing game for the Illini, and was integral to their victory.

Illinois did a great job all day flooding Northwestern's zone defense.  Jenkins caught numerous corner passes that were open due to receivers running off defensive backs.  The offensive line did a good job in pass protection, which gave Scheelhaase time to let the play develop.

The line did not do as good of a job in run blocking, however.  The Illini were only able to run for 82 yards on 38 rushes, a 2.2 average.  They also had the aforementioned fumble, as well as a fumble on an option play.

This should come as a cause of concern for the Illini.  Other than Jenkins, there hasn't been a receiver to step up and provide a threat.  As a result, defenses in the Big10 can run man to man with a shadow on Jenkins, and key in on the running game.  Northwestern did it against the Illini, and were able to shut down the running game.  They just couldn't cover Jenkins.

It was a very un-characterisitc win for the Illini.  They ran for 82 yards and threw for 391.  They turned the ball over three times, and forced zero, and the defense gave up 28 points through two and a half quarters.  When you put it that way, the Illini should be happy they're walking away with a win.

And they most likely are.  They are 5-0 on the year, and are off to a 1-0 start in the conference.  They travel to Indiana next week, where they will have a great shot to improve on their terrific start.  That all being said, some flaws in their team were exposed on Saturday.  They will not compete for a Big10 title, or a BCS birth, until they run the ball effectively against quality opponents, and play sound defense.

But for now, they can exhale.....

In the past, the annual rivalry game between Illinois and Northwestern may have been a snoozer to most people outside the state of Illinois (and unfortunately, some inside the state too).  The teams had been facing off near the end of the season, around Thanksgiving time, and usually each had losing records.  All that was at stake was the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk, which has since been replaced with the Land of Lincoln Trophy (pictured). 

It got so bad, that the only way to attract attention to the game, was for Northwestern to forfeit a home game so they could play it at Wrigley Field—that strategy didn't go so well.

Fast forward to 2011.  The two teams are hooking up for their inaugural Big-10/12 game.  Now, the teams are in different divisions.  This time, Illinois is undefeated and ranked #24.  Northwestern has only one loss themselves, and can still make a successful season out of Big10 play.  Oh, and perhaps the best quarterback in the league is returning for Northwestern.

Things got a little more interesting, no?

Let's start with QB Dan Persa and the Wildcats.  After receiving Heisman hype (mostly from his own school) in the offseason, the Wildcats' Persa would not be fully recovered from his torn Achilles by the start of the season.  In stepped Kain Colter, who, like Persa, showed some mobility, but was unable to put up large numbers through the air.

Persa should be an upgrade, but Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald is not making it public as to how much he will play; "How much and all those things are to be determined in how the week goes."  Officially, Persa and Colter are listed as co-starters (which is impossible, but whatever).

I say Persa should be an upgrade because this fact remains; he hasn't played in nearly twelve months. If he comes out and is as crisp and productive as he was against Iowa (the game in which he suffered his injury), then he is worthy of all the praise he has received. 

More realistically, however, he won't be.

The Wildcats could use a shot in the arm though. After looking impressive on the road against Boston College in the first week of the season, the Wildcats went through the motions against Eastern Illinois, and then were totally shut down against Army.  The Wildcats only managed 14 points, and held the ball for 19:41. 

They lost, despite giving up only six yards rushing to Army.

The Illini are 4-0 for the first time in sixty years, and there's still plenty of room on the bandwagon.  Proponents of theirs will state how they are 4-0, with the potential of being 6-0, and detractors won't care about them until they beat a big name from the Big10.  Illinois doesn't care about any of that though. All they care about is Northwestern.

Illinois has struggled against Northwestern under Coach Ron Zook, but they sure didn't last year, rushing for over 500 yards. 

Much of the offensive line from that game returns intact, but it doesn't seem to have gelled fully quite yet.  Despite this, the Illini are still averaging 242 yards per game on the ground, 14th best in the nation, and after reviewing an incident that occurred against WMU, Jeff Allen has been ruled eligible for this week's game.

The Illinois rushing game is getting stronger every week.  Last week, they rushed for 296 yards, thanks in large part to the emergence of Freshman Donovonn Young (12 carries for 100 yards).  If they can get half of that production from him, and still have threats from Jason Ford, Troy Pollard and Nathan Scheelhaase, the Illini can be one of the top rushing teams in the nation again.

That being said, the Illini are showing off that they aren't 100 percent one-dimensional.  Scheelhaase is completing 71% of his passes, and A.J. Jenkins has turned into a reliable receiver.  No huge plays for Jenkins last week, but he still caught six passes.  He's now averaging seven a game.

The defense is unheralded, but strong.  Last week they held WMU to 35 rushing yards on 21 carries.  Two weeks ago, they held an ASU team that put up 48 against USC to 14.  In the game, they forced three turnovers and six sacks.  Overall, the Illini are tied for ninth in the nation in sacks, and tied for 13th in interceptions.

The Pick:

Illinois has been more consistent this year, and they're playing at home.  Northwestern's rush defense may be improved, but it will face its toughest challenge yet when they travel to Champaign.  On the other side of the ball, the Illini defense has played great through four games, and a fresh Dan Persa may not be enough to keep the Wildcats in the game.  Look for Michael Buchanan and Whitney Mercilus to be in the face of Persa, or whomever is in the game for the Wildcats, all day.  If Northwestern totally shuts down Illinois' running game, and Persa is in mid-season form, then the Wildcats can pull an upset.  Otherwise....

Illinois  28     Northwestern 17