Who Would Dare Match Wits With The Zooker? (My Second Try To Finish The Post)

Yesterday I celebrated the beginning of the Illini football season by starting a blog post looking at the 12 coaches Ron Zook will stare down - and no doubt intimidate - on the opposite sideline this season. Unexpected fatherly duties prevented me from finishing that post before the start of yesterday's game.

Today I'll complete the post, starting with the third game of the season.

3. Sept. 17 v. Arizona St. - Dennis Erickson

Erickson likely needs no introduction. He's twice coached in the NFL (for the Seahawks and the Niners) but hasn't done all that well (40-56). His greatest stretch came as the head coach for Miami (so dirty) in the early '90s where he won two national championships. Still, as anyone who watched The U knows, those were really Jimmy Johnson's teams. His more impressive accomplishment is turning around the Oregon St. Beavers in the late '90s-early '00s, leading them to a top 5 finish in the 2000 season. He has ASU clicking on many cylinders at the moment and will present a strong challenge to the Zooker. In dispatching Erickson, the Zooker might actually break a sweat.

4. Sept. 24 v. Western Michigan - Bill Cubit

Cubit played WR for Delaware in the '70s before starting his coaching career in the mid-80s as defensive backs coach at Central Florida. He bounced around for awhile, eventually rising to offensive coordinator for several D-1 schools (Mizzou, Rutgers, Stanford) before taking the head job at Western Michigan in 2005. Cubit has been a nemesis of Zook's in the past, drawing blood with a victory over the Illini in 2008. No doubt Zook is now wise to Cubit's non-BCS guerilla tactics, and can counter them with the might of his BCS-bred heavy cavalry (Ford, Young, Ferguson, Prosch, Pocic, Thornton, Cornell).

5. Oct. 1 v. Northwestern - Pat Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald, the second-youngest coach in all of D-1 football, rose to fame as a stud LB for Northwestern in the mid-90s. After serving 5 seasons as Northwestern LB coach, he was promoted to head coach in 2006 following the sad death of Randy Walker. He's had marginal success at Northwestern, primarily the result of cupcake non-conference scheduling. He suffered a near-mortal wound at Zook's hands last November at Wrigley Field, as Zook's boys ran up over 300 yards rushing in a dominant Illini victory. With that beatdown fresh in his mind, I wouldn't be surprised if Fitzgerald doesn't even show up for this season's game.

6. Oct. 8 at Indiana - Kevin Wilson

The long-time assistant at several schools, Wilson is in his first year as head coach at Indiana. He apprenticed for 19 years at various schools under the now-deceased former Miami (OH) and Northwestern coach, Randy Walker, and more recently worked under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. In his short tenure at Indiana he has shown both steely resolve (winning the recruiting battle for Gunnar Kiel) and total ineptitude (losing yesterday to Ball St.). Knowing Zook, he will not show any mercy on Wilson, even if it is the guy's first season at the Hoosier helm. I wish Wilson luck.

7. Oct. 15 v. Ohio St. - Luke Fickell

I won't deny this fact: Fickell looked impressive on the sideline Saturday during the Buckeyes win over Akron. Fickell played nose guard for the Buckeyes in the mid-90s, starting 50 consecutive games, including the '97 Rose Bowl where he played despite having a torn pectoral muscle. Not only that, he seems to be handling the current adversity in Columbus with aplomb. The Zooker may have his hands full with this young warrior from the Land of Buckeye.

8. Oct. 22 at Purdue - Danny Hope

Hope spent several years jumping around as an offensive line coach (including time at Purdue) and then five years as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky before joining the Boilermakers for the 2008 season as Joe Tiller's assistant head coach. He took over for Tiller a year later and now, in his third season, has basically run the program into the ground. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but the Zooker should have little trouble with Hope this season.

9. Oct. 29 at Penn St. - Joe Paterno

Who? I don't think I've heard of this guy. And I can't find anything written about him online or elsewhere in the press. This guy is a total unknown.

10. Nov. 12 vs. Michigan - Brady Hoke

A round, pudgy-looking guy, Hoke has never coached a game for Michigan (at least as the head coach) that wasn't called due to severe weather. Hoke is an old school guy who spent 8 years as a Michigan defensive assistant before taking head coaching jobs at Ball St., San Diego St., and now Michigan. I've said from day one that this was a good hire for Michigan, and nothing I saw yesterday changed that fact. Except for the fact he apparently can't control lightning. Zook can control lightning. Advantage Zooker.

11. Nov. 19 vs. Wisconsin - Bret Bielema

I'm going to go ahead and announce Bielema as the Zooker's archnemesis. Bielema played LB for Iowa, and then joined the Hawkeyes as an assistant coach for nine years. He spent one year as the co-DC at Kansas St. before joining Wisconsin as the DC in 2004. Barry Alvarez named Bielema as his successor in 2005, and Bielema has been riding the coattails of Alavarez's work for the past five years. Bielema may be an okay coach, but he has no business running a program as successful as Wisconsin has been the past few years. It's time for Bielema's wake up call and the Zooker is just the man to do it.

12. Nov. 26 at Minnesota - Jerry Kill

This guy won at Saginaw Valley St., he won at Southern Illinois, he won at Northern Illinois, and he almost pulled the upset in his debut game for Minnesota on the road at Southern Cal. He also beat kidney cancer. And his last name is "Kill." I like this guy. I may feel the slightest bit of remorse when Zook steps on his neck this coming Thanksgiving weekend.

It's going to be a great season.

Who Would Dare Match Wits Against The Zooker?

Today begins another season of Illini football. To mark this momentous occasion, I thought I would look at the twelve coaches who would dare take the opposite sideline against Ron Zook this season. These gentlemen must be very brave, or very stupid, to challenge our Champion - the Zooker - in pitched battle. So who are these guys?

1. Sept. 3 v. Arkansas St. - Hugh Freeze

First-year college head coach, better known as the guy who coached Michael Oher in high school. I don't know much about Freeze's coaching philosophy, but if he is anything like how the actor Ray McKinnon portrayed him in The Blind Side movie ("Hold it in here, between the tits!"), I like Zook's chances.

2. Sept. 10 v. South Dakota St. - John Stiegelmaier

Like Freeze, Stiegelmaier was a former high school coach before becoming a graduate assistant at Wisconsin, and eventually moving on to South Dakota St. He became the head coach in 1997 and has a career 83-60 record. But whatever his merits as a coach, you have to question the decisionmaking of a man would spend 14 years coaching a team called the Jackrabbits. It's safe to say Zook can handle this guy.

Oh my. Just spent the last couple hours on unexpected Dad duty. Didn't get a chance to finish this before heading out to watch the Illini game. I'll finish this post before next week.

Go Illini!

J Leman Is A Bolt!

I was just perusing the Chargers list of recent transactions and noticed that on January 12 they signed former Illini monster, J Leman, to a Reserve/Future contract. So choice.

What really blew my mind though is that this is J's third stint with the Bolts. I somehow missed that the Bolts signed J to the practice squad twice before, first in November 2009, and then again at the end of November 2010 for the duration of the season.

You know I love crossovers between and among the Padres, Chargers, and Illini, and J is the perfect ambassador between the teams. As the #6 all-time tackler in Illini history, and a captain on the 2007 Rose Bowl team, no doubt J has regaled his Bolts teammates with tales of Champaign and the Zooker's antics.

Well done, AJ. Well done.

S-S-S-Siiiigning Day!

Quite a day.

A few late additions - Darrius Caldwell from Atlanta and Jon Davis from Louisville - to an already strong nucleus of quality players, including the above-pictured Reilly O'Toole, give Ron Zook a promising 2011 recruiting class.

The consensus among the recruiting sites, mainstream media, and bloggers is that Zook's class, while not one of the top rated in the country, fills a lot of the Illini needs and adds depth at every position.

The Illini have a great opportunity to win in 2011 with 8 home games, including their first five games of the season. They no longer play Mizzou and could be 5-0 before their first real challenge. Hopefully some of these freshmen will contribute to the cause.

Everything's Coming Up Zooker!

Or at least I hope it is.

Tomorrow is signing day in the world of college football. Based on the list of players who have committed to play for the Illini, the Zooker's class ranks in the middle-to-lower half of the Big Ten. About 30th to 40th nationally depending on what recruiting site put together the rankings.

But why would anyone, let alone the Zooker, care about rankings? What's more important is getting coachable atheletes into the program that Petrino and Koenning and the boys can mold into stellar beasts.

A few recruits I'll be excited about when they send in their LOI's tomorrow include:

- Tony Durkin, a 6'3" 270 pound C from Tinley Park Andrew outside Chicago;

- Ralph Cooper, a mean-looking middle linebacker prospect from the great state of South Carolina;

- Reilly O'Toole, the QB who led Wheaton Warrenville South to two state championships; and

- Donovonn Young, an underrated running back prospect out of Katy, Texas.

I'm also real excited for Jordan Frysinger, an unheralded prospect out of Corning, New York who spent most of his high school career playing lacrosse and was not many (any?) recruiters' radar. I like him because I think Corning Incorporated, based in Corning, New York, is a solid company worth your investing dollars. But I also like him because you know who else was an unheralded prospect from upstate New York?

Jimmer Fredette.

I'm just saying.

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.

S-S-S-Signing Day!

Today is signing day in the world of college football.

The Zooker's class isn't as heralded as in years past - at last look on Scout.com I counted only 1 four-star recruit, 6 three-star recruits and the rest 2 and 1 star guys - but there are some hidden gems.

Chandler Whitmer, for instance, is a Drew Brees-clone who will compete for the starting QB job with Jacob Charest and Nathan Scheelhaase.

Another interesting character is Trulon Henry, Arrelious Benn's 25-year old, ex-felon, half-brother. He's a safety and no doubt adept at keeping guys from going deep on him.

Some offensive line help will come from big kids Shawn Afryl and Alex Hill. Hill, a Louisiana kid, was originally committed to Duke but changed his mind once the Zooker gave him some love.

Finally, Earnest Thomas, a three-star safety out of Orchard Lake, MI, has some speed and looks to be a big hitter. He may get some immediate playing time in Vic Koenning's new D.

Get r dun, Zook!

Not Must Win ... Must Dominate

Growing up in Peoria, IL, home of the Bradley Braves and just a quarter of an hour from Bloomington, IL, home of the Illinois St. Redbirds, I am very familiar with all things Missouri Valley and all things Central Illinois.

I'll say this much: ISU usually has a basketball team that is competitive and a source of pride for the school.

That is not true of the football team.

If the Illini don't come out tomorrow and administer a beatdown, I will be highly disappointed.

What's The Zooker Been Up To? Just Getting It Dun Is All.

Coach,


You've really been getting after it these last few weeks. And by "it" I mean young high school boys.


Just kidding. I mean that's a true statement but I didn't mean it that way. What I mean is you've been getting after it on the recruiting trail as of late and again showing your unequaled prowess in that area of your chosen profession. Just in the last 10 days or so you've added to a 2010 class that already included Chandler Whitmer, Shawn Afryl and Corey Cooper, these three beasts:

1. Daniel Easterly, S, Cass Technical HS, Detroit, MI



Daniel is a 6'4" 197 pounder out of Detroit. He is known as an athlete and a hard worker, two qualities you have to love in a player. Plus, you never want to discount the toughness of a kid who comes out of Detroit. Just ask my advisor, Tatt Mareeco, a native of Flint, Michigan. Tatt is not that tough in his own right, but he knows a lot of guys that are.

2. Mark Wilson, MLB, Lincoln HS, Tallahassee, FL




Mark is a 6'2" 225-pound linebacker who is currently dominating the Tallahassee area. I don't need to tell how many beast athletes play football in Florida, and I'm glad to see you trick another one of them to leave the state of Florida and come to Champaign. Don't get me wrong, I think Champaign is awesome. But that's got to be a hard sell to a 17-year old who grew up around palm trees. Anyway, Wilson is a monster. Nice job.

3. Dexter McDonald, CB, Rockhurst HS, Kansas City, MO



Dexter is a 6'2" 180-pound corner from the great city of Kansas City, Missouri. That's another sneaky tough city. Any place where Eddie Griffin and Ernest Hemingway used to hang out - not at the same time mind you - is a pretty tough place. Dexter is yet another top athlete you've brought into the fold at Illinois and, since he has only been playing football since his sophomore year of high school, his chance at high upside is intriguing.

Well done, Coach. Well done.

Best,

Bevormo

Chandler Whitmer ... Another Snake By The Zooker

Chandler,

Just heard today that you gave a verbal to the Illini and added your name to the Zooker's 2010 recruiting class.

I don't you know you well - not at all, actually - but based on just this information alone I can tell you've got a good head on your shoulders. You're a Chicago kid after all and you put all the mularkey from out-of-state schools aside and said, "Hey, I'm going to the state school because I love my state and it's a great school and Ron Zook is a beast." I mean you didn't actually say that - I'm imagining what you probably said to someone, or at least thought to yourself at some point - but that to me shows a mature streak not often seen in high school junior.

On top of all that you had an offer from Stanford of all places. Basically you're like John Elway if John Elway had decided to go to Illinois.

I like that.

The way I see it, because Zook is such a recruiting beast, when you arrive at Camp Rantoul in August 2010, you'll be in competition with a few stud QBs already. Guys like Eddie McGee, Jacob Charest and Nathan Scheelhase. All those guys look to be beasts for the next few years for the Illini. I'm sure you'll learn from them and then, say in September 2012 or 2013 or thereabouts, you'll be ready to lead the Illini to the promised land.

Bottom line is that success on offense in football starts at the quarterback position. And the Zooker, with a little help from Mike Schultz, has made sure that the Illini are stacked there for a good long time.

Welcome to the Illini.

Best,
Bevormo

Roll Call

Padres, Chargers , Illini ... rise and report!

Here is a brief recap as to where my teams stand on this fine Monday in February, in the year of our Lord 2009.

1. The Padres

Pitchers and catchers report in scant days. Mark Prior is an optimist. Jeff Moorad is the new man in charge. Sandy Alderson is packing his belongings. Adrian Gonzalez is hitting jonrons in the Caribbean Series. Jake Peavy plans to pitch in the WBC. Matt Bush is but a memory. Cliffy Floyd is playing the role of Tony Clark.

2. The Chargers

Darren Sproles is shopping himself around the League. The stadium deal languishes. The '63 team used roids. LT and AJ have muzzled up. Draft talk can now begin in earnest. Linebacker? D Lineman? Running Back?

3. Illini Pigskin

The class of 2013 is signed and ready. Zooker never sent a schollie offer to Kraig Appleton. Spring game will give Mike Schultz first chance to show his stuff.

4. Illini Hoop

Made Purdue look silly in Champaign on Sunday. Looked clueless themselves in Madison on Thursday. Legion looking lost. Keller flashing get-to-the basket skills. Mike Davis back on a double double pace.

S-S-S Signing Day!

Way to get r dun today, Zook! Signing day always measures an 11 on the stress-chter scale but I get the sense its one of your favorite days of the year.

You're so cool.

All in all the class seems strong, albeit not spectacular. It would have been nice to top off the class with a 5-star like, say, Jelani Jenkins, but I'm not complaining. As I look over the class I see a lot of guys who look like "football players." They're talented sure, but maybe not so talented that they'll arrive in Champaign and coast. They look like guys who have a little something to prove.

They look like guys with a little bit of hunger.

Here are the main storylines I see with this class:

1. Terry Hawthorne. Getting Hawthorne in the fold was huge. Some experts say he might start opposite Arrelious as early as next September. At a minimum it will be interesting to watch the built-in rivalry with his high-school teammate, Kraig Appleton, who bailed on the Illini for the 'Sconsin Badgers.

2. Nathan Scheelhaase. By my count, now that Nathan has signed, the Illini have four stud quarterbacks on the roster: Nathan, Juice Williams, Eddie McGee and Jacob Charest. I like the way you operate, Zook.

3. Defensive Linemen. Craig Drummond and Tank Carradine were notable drop outs from the class in the last week but I still like what I see here. Lendell Buckner reeks of studlydom, and Michael Buchanan was a choice last-minute addition when he picked the Illini over the Annoilermakers. Not to mention Akeem Spence and Tim Kynard, two guys who I get the feeling fell under the radar but will bloom in college.

4. Running Backs. Bud Golden and the coup of the day, Justin Green. Me likey. Golden seems like an athletic, do-everything back that can make plays, not to mention he has an awesome name. And Green is an absolute speedster who might also run track at Illinois when he's not galloping toward the end zone on Saturday afternoons in the Fall. I sense good things from these two guys.

There are a few more stories with this class, but I'll leave it at that for now. Can't wait to see these guys at Camp Rantoul.

Craig Drummond: Kindly Get Back On Board

Craig,

You committed to the Zooker back in November but now have re-opened your commitment and are considering the likes of Michigan St., Ole Miss and, most recently, the Syracuse Orangemen.

Hey Craig, what's up that?

You are from Illinois, my friend. You go to high school outside Chicago at Morgan Park High. Do I have to tell you that those other three schools are not in the state of Illinois? Where's the loyalty for your home state? Don't you realize how huge you would be in Chicago and the entire state of Illinois if you followed through on your initial commitment and dominated in Champaign for four years. You'd be the next Juice Williams. Except on defense. It'd be epic.

What's got you down about Illinois? Is it the whole Blagojevich thing? Are you upset Obama is no longer one of the state's two senators? Are you disappointed with the Zooker's defensive coaching changes? I hope whatever the problem is we can get it ironed out before you sign with another school. I think you would really like Champaign and I can tell you, watching the Illini last season, they can use a player of your tenacity and demonstrated skill. Sirod Williams is back, but the Illini need you to come in and compete with Josh Brent, Corey Liuget and would-be fellow freshmen beasts, Cornelius Carradine and Lendell Buckner.

So, please, Craig, get to know new D-Line coach Keith Gilmore and go ahead and sign that LOI with the Illini. I'm certain you won't regret it.

Best,
Bevormo

[Update 1/26/09: Well, Craig, I see you have gone and chosen Ole Miss and are heading to Oxford to enroll as early as tomorrow. Dubious decision as far as I'm concerned, though, granted, rumor has it the ladies of the SEC may be a bit more alluring than the ladies of the Big Ten. I can't say for certain if that's true, that's just a rumor I've heard. Anyway, good luck. But if the Illini ever see you in a bowl game I hope Andrew Carter and the other Illini O-Linemen put you on your backside.]

Keith Gilmore Is New D-Line Coach

Congrats to Keith Gilmore, the new Illini D-Line coach. The Illini will need improvements on the D-Line next season so I hope Coach Gilmore can get the job done.

Some things about Coach Gilmore's career that jump out at me:

- he has a BS in Recreation Management at Michigan St.;

- coached under Brian Kelley at Cincy that past few seasons, including in some big games, like this year Orange Bowl;

- got his start at Wayne St. coaching linebackers and running backs;

- worked at Howard in Washington D.C. from 2002-2005 as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator.

In short, there's nothing that really jumps out at me about Gilmore's background. He seems like a solid coach who has worked his way up the ladder, earning his keep at each rung. He'll probably coach well and, if he can recruit, could be a stellar hire by the Zooker, as per the Zooker's usual practice.

Zooker Hires LT's Old Coach

This happened a few days back but the Zooker has hired Mike Schultz, the TCU offensive coordinator, to replace Mike Locksley and take over the OC position with the Illini.

I like this hire. Schultz helped lead TCU to a great season in '08, including a choice Poinsettia Bowl victory over previously unbeaten Boise St. TCU's only losses this season were on the road against Oklahoma and Utah, two teams you might have read about in the sports pages this week.

Plus you gotta love the fact Schultz coached LT back in LT's Horned Frog days. I love it when my favorite teams have crossover appeal. It's like the Zooker hired Schultz with this humble blog in mind.

That's the Zooker for you, always thinking of ways to help a guy out.