Invading East Lansing

The Illini take the field in East Lansing in about 45 minutes time.

Can the defense stop the MSU running game? Can Martez, Bussey, and the boys get to the MSU quarterback? Can the Illini corners protect against the deep ball? Can Scheelhaase complete the majority of his passes and limit turnovers? Can Dimke and Santella maintain their elite kicking games? Can the three-headed monster - Leshoure, Pollard, Ford - find running holes and gallop for huge chunks of yardage?

So many questions.

Let's get this dun.

Illini Running Game, Defense A Saving Grace

In a week of heinousness - the Padres don't make the playoffs, the Bolts lose to the Raiders, Tony Gwynn announces he has cancer - the Illini victory in State College was some kinda nice. Zook's boys dominated both sides of the ball on their way to a 33-13 drubbing of Joe Pa and his Nittany Lions.

Props especially go to the defense and the running game. On the D side, Nate Bussey had a choice pick at a key spot early in the 2nd quarter, and the defense as a whole held Penn St. freshman quarterback Robert Bolden to a 38.1 completion percentage. The team also picked up a couple sacks and held Evan Royster, soon to be Penn St.'s all-time leading rusher, to 35 yards on 11 carries.

And the running game was unstoppable. Mikel Leshoure ran 27 times for 119 yards, Nathan Scheelhaase 8 times for 61 yards, Troy Pollard 8 times for 55 yards, and Jason Ford 9 times for 47 yards. Even Bud Golden had a carry, finishing off the game with a 3-yard run. All told the Illini netted 282 yards rushing at 5.2 yards per rush.

Derek Dimke also deserves special mention. He was perfect on field goals in a hostile, "white-out" environment, hitting 4 out of 4 field goals, including a 50-yarder.

Oh and Scheelhaase, a redshirt-freshman starting in his first real road game, completed 15 of 19 passes for 151 yards and no picks. Clutch.

Many thanks to the Illini for doing their part to save the week.

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.

Nathan Scheelhaase And The Illini Play Today

Nathan,

I hope your quarterbacking skills are as good as your debate skills, because you're taking the field against Mizzou in about ten minutes time.

Get it dun today, Nate, and you'll be a hero to all.

Best,

Bevormo