Big Ten Football Preview: Illinois

Heading into the 2010 season, Ron Zook’s Illini had one winning season in his five years leading the program — an improbable Rose Bowl appearance in 2008. It appeared that the master recruiter was in danger of losing his job for not translating success on the recruiting trail to success on the field, a storyline Zook was familiar with.

As coach of the Florida Gators from 2002 to 2004, Zook’s recruiting classes were among the best in the country. His teams, however, were only moderately successful, far below the standards set by his bosses at the university. Zook was fired before the end of the 2004 season and was replaced by Urban Meyer. When the Gators won the national title following the 2006 season, 22 of the 24 starters on the team were Zook recruits.

With the heat on him once again in 2010, Zook and his team delivered the Illini’s first bowl victory since 1999 — a 38-14 Texas Bowl win over Baylor. The unexpected winning season not only bought Zook another year, it gave momentum and optimism to a team that returns 15 starters in 2011.

2010 Season

The Illini finished the 2010 season at 7-6 and tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a 4-4 conference record. Led by quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and running back Mikel Leshoure, the Illini broke school records for total points scored (423) and points per game (32.54) in a season. They also led the Big Ten in rushing with 246.1 yards per game, largely on Leshoure’s shoulders as he broke the Illinois season rushing record with 1,697 yards.

The season was an up-and-down affair for the Illini. They beat Penn State 33-13 at Beaver Stadium and pounded Indiana and Purdue at home, but also lost 67-65 in a three-overtime thriller against Michigan at The Big House and dropped a game to the hapless Minnesota Gophers in Champaign. Illinois lost three of four heading into the bowl game, but salvaged a positive season by crushing Baylor in the Texas Bowl.

Scheelhaase, a sophomore last year, was solid in his first year starting. He threw 17 touchdowns and 8 interceptions on his way to 1,825 yards through the air, adding 688 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. His favorite target was A.J. Jenkins, who will enter his senior season in 2011 looking to build on last year’s campaign of 746 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.

Strengths

• Schedule: The non-conference schedule’s only real test should be Arizona State, and all four of the pre-Big Ten games will be played in Champaign. In fact, the Illini start out the season with five straight home games and come right back home after their first road trip against a very beatable Indiana Hoosiers team. Illinois’ other road trips aren’t particularly daunting either — Purdue, Penn State and Minnesota. The challenging part of the schedule will come on friendly turf with Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin set to visit. It all sets up for a pretty manageable schedule.
• Growth: Zook replaced the offensive and defensive coordinators prior to the 2010 season and decreased his role in both facets. The team found immediate success with Paul Petrino running the offense and Vic Koenning running the defense. Momentum should continue to build in the second year under the new coordinators.

Weakness

• Replacing Talent: Leshoure, who was drafted by the Detriot Lions in the second round and will sit out the 2011 season with a torn achilles, is a big loss for Illinois. He was the centerpiece of the Illini offensive attack in 2010. Two second-team Big Ten players, linebacker Martez Wilson and defensive tackle Corey Liuget, also ended their college careers early to enter the NFL draft. Wide receiver Jarred Fayson, defensive end Clay Nurse, linebacker Nate Bussey, cornerback Travon Bellamy and punter Anthony Santella will also need to be replaced. There’s unquestionably still a lot of talent on the Illinois roster, including senior running back Jason Ford, who has 1,362 career rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, but many of the holes, including four of the front seven spots in the defense, will be filled largely with inexperienced players.

Expectations

With their schedule and talent, anything less than a repeat bowl bid would be a disappointment. The offense should be very good despite having to replace Leshoure, but the defense might take a little more time to gel. While Illinois could certainly surprise and contend for a Big Ten title in 2010, it seems unlikely. A winning season and another bowl appearance are well within reach though.