A Few Thoughts On Illinois - SIU

The Salukis come to Champaign-Urbana tonight for a primetime showdown with the Illini. I don't have many thoughts on the game, but I have a few:

1. Pressure from Nurse and Liuget. The Illini defense looked solid for most of last week's game against Mizzou. Only a few small hiccups in the second half allowed Gabbert to get touchdowns on the board. But now starting Bandit Michael Buchanan is suspended for underage boozing and driving, and the secondary is still depleted with injuries to Supo Sanni and Terry Hawthorne. That's all the more reason why pressure from Clay Nurse, who will take over at Bandit, and Corey Liuget, the Illini's best defensive lineman, is critical to stopping the Saluki offense.

2. O-Line Improvement. Hugh Thornton and the rest of the offensive line looked like a swinging door for much of the second half last week. Nathan Scheelhaase was scampering for his life, resulting in errant and poorly timed throws. Hugh and the boys need to give Nathan a semblance of time so he can relax and make some throws from the pocket.

3. Scheelhaase's touch. This relates to point 2, but Nathan needs to put the ball in his receiver's hands. He missed Eddie McGee twice in the second half last week on crucial third-down plays. We know Nathan can run, but completing those third-and-short pass plays can make all the difference between winning and losing. Between LIVING AND DYING!

4. Halftime adjustments. It might not matter much tonight, but once the Big Ten starts, Zook, Koenning, Petrino and the rest of the coaches can't keep getting out-strategized at halftime. Gary Pinkel watched the first half last week, made adjustments, and came up with a plan that completely shutdown the Illini in the second half. Zook and his team need to counter those moves going forward.

Kickoff at 7:30 EDT. Big Ten Network.

Clay Nurse ... Potential Illini Sleeper Beast

I'll be writing more on the Illini as we approach the season opener against Mizzou, but I wanted to briefly point out a great article from today's St. Louis Dispatch. The article is by my boy Stu Durando (actually never met him) and is an excellent piece, the kind of piece sportswriters should write about players when not just reporting on the outcome of a game.

The subject is Clay Nurse, a junior Illini defensive end who looks to play a big role this season. I'll let you read the article to get all the key details, but let me give you this taste: Clay didn't start playing football until his sophomore year of high school. He didn't even know how to put on the pads.

It's guys like that - guys who come to the game late - who make huge leaps late in their collegiate careers and all of a sudden you see them playing Sunday afternoons and wonder, "Where did this monster beast come from?"

Clay Nurse might just be that monster beast you wonder about some Sunday afternoon in the future.

And if anyone asks, now you can tell them: he came from Illinois.