Daily Illini Football Preview 2016

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DAILY ILLINI

Thursday, September 1, 2016

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Lovie’s presence allows team to focus on the game CHARLOTTE CARROLL Sports editor

In

his first game-week press conference, Lovie Smith called himself a rookie, telling the media to take advantage of him until he really figures this out.

Lovie is new to this whole college football thing in Champaign. In technical terms, he is a rookie.

But in reality, he’s not. He’s a former NFL coach who knows what he is doing.

And when Lovie takes the field Saturday for the fi rst time as Illini head coach, the Illinois football program will project an air of professionalism that hasn’t been seen here in years.

Smith exhibited the signature quiet confidence that marked his Chicago Bears tenure at his Monday press conference.

In short, he was in complete control.

Unlike with recent coaches, Illinois doesn’t have to worry about Lovie ending up with his foot in his mouth. The sports media relations team can just sit back and watch Smith tear reporters apart.

A coach who has survived the Super

Bowl media week doesn’t need his hand held in front of the Champaign media.

Smith’s stern, secretive attitude may make things more difficult for us, but it’s a huge relief for the team.

Senior quarterback Wes Lunt didn’t grow up a Bears fan, but always respected Lovie’s coaching acumen.

Now, the two have reportedly had their leadership styles compared favorably.

Lunt said Lovie is neither is a yeller nor a screamer on the field, “but when something needs to be said, it’s said.”

Those aligned personalities will only help the veteran Lunt take charge this season, particularly with the young skilled players surrounding him on offense.

Sophomore running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn played his fi rst year in a program rocked by instability, but he echoed Lunt’s comments on Lovie’s professionalism.

Vaughn said that no fighting was imperative during “Camp Lovie,” as the coach gave players several warnings and threatened to kick out those who fought.

Lovie’s dealing with 18 to 21-year-olds who are trying to figure college out. Thus far, his strategy is to treat them like men.

The Illini have been riding a rollercoaster for the past year, and it’s about time they’re taken seriously as players.

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Lovie Smith addresses the media at Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building on March 7.

Lovie and Co. offer that opportunity.

With more off-field meetings in preparation, Lovie is creating a team that is wellrounded not only in shape, but in strategy.

For Vaughn, this year is “just normal.”

“It’s more relaxed around the building,” Vaughn said. “Everyone is more focused on the game. Last year, we worried about coaching. This year, we’re more focused

on the game and ready to play.”

Lovie’s arrival has turned his players’ focus from the podium back to the field.

And that’s a deserved, major change for the Illini.

Charlotte is a senior in Media. cmcarro2@dailyillini.com @charlottecrrll

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Local businesses feel the effect of Lovie Smith’s hire

BY COLE HENKE STAFF WRITER

On the day Lovie Smith was announced as Illinois head football coach, he went to the Illini Union to meet with students.

The time and place of the meeting was spread solely by word of mouth for only a couple of hours prior to the event. However, when Smith walked into the Courtyard Cafe in the Union, it was packed wall-to-wall with students waiting to catch a glimpse of the new hire.

It was March and summer was right around the corner, but for once, Illini fans couldn’t wait until fall.

Proprietors of local businesses such as Gameday Spirit were in the same mindset as the students visiting the Union — but for different reasons.

“As a merchant manager, I talk about how we in the business high-five for a different reason,” Gameday Retail Manager Cory Shumard said. “That day, we high-fived a little harder than normal. As a merchant

who lives in an orange and blue world, we were very excited about the news.”

The Illini open up their season with three home games in a row. Smith is expecting huge crowds for the games this year, which means more people on campus on Saturdays and more opportunities for local businesses.

Gameday partners with the Illinois Athletic Department to sell Illinois merchandise, but did not hear about the news until everybody else did.

Within a day of the hire, Gameday had shirts with Lovie Smith’s name on them.

The vendor saw the opportunity and jumped on it. In no time, the shirts were flying off the racks. Shumard kept his stocks high, but he said there were thousands of those shirts sold.

The surge has still not ended.

“We have never experienced a summer like we just did where Illinois football was so prominent,” Shumard said. “Not just with discussions of people walking in the

ILLINOIS OFFENSE:

QB: Wes Lunt 12 RB: Ke’Shawn Vaughn 5 RB: Nathan Echard 39 WR: Justin Hardee 19 WR: Malik Turner 11 TE: Tyler White 87 LT: Austin Schmidt 57 LG: Gabe Megginson 72 C: Joe Spencer 71 RG: Nick Allegretti 53 RT: Christian DiLauro 67

door, but when people were walking in the door we had to cater to them. We had shirts with Lovie on them the day after the hire. I don’t think we have ever had an effect like that from a coaching hire, and I have been on this corner for 20 years.”

Shumard said that Gameday is on pace to fi nish with a record-setting August.

Gameday has been able to benefit from the Smith hire for the past five months.

Other businesses, such as local restaurants, have to wait until actual game days to benefit from the increased interest in football.

At Illinois, many fans will go to the game and then hang out on campus for the rest of the day.

One such spot on campus for a postgame meal is Firehaus, a sports bar on Sixth Street in Champaign. Firehaus General Manager Jason Reda loved to see the excitement on campus after the Smith hire.

He said he gets to see the excitement fi rsthand when people come watch sports at the bar. Reda said his restaurant is always

DEFENSE:

DE: Dawuane Smoot 91 DT: Chunky Clements 11 DT: Rob Bain 16 DE: Carroll Phillips 6 WLB: James Crawford 5 MLB: Hardy Nickerson: 10 SLB: Tre Watson 33 CB: Jaylen Dunlap 1 FS: Taylor Barton 3 SS: Julian Hylton 30 CB: Darius Mosely 24

OFFENSE:

QB: KD Humphries 2 RB: Mark Dodson II 7 WR: Jordon Gandy 16 WR: Malik Golson 1 WR: Jesse Blackburn 85 WR: L.J. Gainey 3 LT: Joe Irby 78 LG: Kwan Stallworth 57 C: Brant Newman 60 RG: Chris White 69 RT: Noah Banks 71

RECIEVING

Geronimo Allison 65 catches, 882 yards, 3 TDs

RUSHING

Malik Turner 39 catches, 510 yards, 3 TDs Desmond Cain 53 catches, 492 yards, 1 TD

WES LUNT - QUARTERBACK

DEFENSE:

DE: Zuri Elrington 32 DT: Bishop Woods 91 DT: Rashad Johnson 99 DE: Silas Owens 94 WLB: Lamont Crittendon 51 MLB: Quincy Williams 13 DB: Zach Wade 21 FS: Zach Shipley 8 LB: Toby Omli 24 DB: D’Montre Wade 34 CB: Marquez Sanford 31

MURRAY STATE LEADERS

Wes Lunt 270-481, 2,761 yards, 14 TDs

Ke’Shawn Vaughn 157 carries, 723 yards, 6 TDs

cehenke2@dailyillini.com @cole_Henke

MURRAY STATE

ILLINOIS LEADERS PASSING

prepared for big crowds, but his staff needs to be ready to keep everything moving once Saturday game days start up.

“We are excited to have all of the excitement on campus,” Reda said. “But we were pretty much at capacity every game day last year, so we are ready to handle it. Now we just have to make sure this place is heavilystaffed and prepare for as many people as we can serve.”

With restaurants and stores preparing for Saturday, Gameday’s Shumard compared the new buzz on campus to something that an Illinois sport hasn’t seen since the 2005-2006 Final Four basketball season.

“We hear everything that everyone else does across Illini nation,” Shumard said.

“We hear the excitement. We are trying to prepare for an exceptional turnout, and we are excited for what the month of September holds for us.”

After playing in all 12 games last season, Wes Lunt returns for his final season as an Illini. Unlike his sophomore year when he shared starting duties with Reilly O’Toole, Lunt was the sole Illinois starting quarterback last year. He finished with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, along with career-high passing yards (2,761) and a career-low quarterback rating (111.5). Lunt loses Geronimo Allison this year, one of his main receiving targets in past seasons. Malik Turner, Desmond Cain and Justin Hardee are all returning upperclassmen who Lunt will look for to step up.

PASSING

KD Humphries 330-532, 3,778 yards, 22 TDs (4 rush TDs)

RUSHING

Roman Clay 189 carries, 916 yards, 11 TDs

RECIEVING

Paul Rice 79 catches, 905 yards, 1 TD Jeremy Harness 70 catches, 912 yards, 4 TDs Janawski Davis 51 catches, 686 yards, 7 TDs

KD HUMPHRIES - QUARTERBACK

Coming off his best season as a college quarterback, KD Humphries returns for his final season as a Racer. After competing in only five games in 2012, Humphries redshirted in 2013 and returned in 2014. Humphries threw for a personal record of 330 completions and averaged 343 yards per game. In Murray State’s game against Tennessee Tech, Humphries threw for 491 yards and three touchdowns in a loss.

He is primarily a pocket passer but has the ability to escape the pocket and make moves in the open field.

*All statistics are recorded from last season.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

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Illinois coaching staff leading in diversity

BY JOEY FIGUEROA ing up and kids watching,” McGee said.

STAFF WRITER “I’ve always taken a lot of pride in a kid If you were counting the number of Afri- like myself growing up and saying, ‘I can can-American head coaches employed at the be anything in the world. I can be the offen128 Division I FBS schools on your fingers sive coordinator at the University of Illinois.’ I take a lot of pride in that and try to in 2015, you’d only need three hands.

According to an annual report released carry myself a certain way so kids can look

by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics towards me for that.” in Sports, only 12.5 percent of the 128 FBS Ever since high school, graduate-transfer coaches, or 16 people, were men of color. linebacker Hardy Nickerson has been able Of those 16, 13 were African-American, to look up to his father with the knowledge one was Latino and two were Asian/Pacific that he could also be a coach one day.

“It’s awesome to have three AfricanIslander.

But for the next report, Illinois can add American coaches that are telling us what to do every day,” the younger Nickerson itself to that list with Lovie Smith.

Smith also made an impact when he craft- said. “They’re guys we can look up to, guys ed his coaching staff, hiring offensive coor- that are successful, guys that are leaders dinator Garrick McGee and defensive coor- and do things the right way. So we just come dinator Hardy Nickerson. out here and try give it our all every day.”

Smith has carried a legacy of shifting the Just 27.1 percent of assistant coaches in football are African-American, according narrative in head coaching since he paired to the same report. with Tony Dungy to become the first Afri“I don’t know if it was intentional, but can-American duo to coach in the Super when you are the only Bowl in 2007.

Smith made sure to school that has a certain look, then more continue that dynamic attention will be brought of including Africanto you,” Smith said.

American coordinators.

For the Illinois coach“When I started putting the coaching staff ing staff as a whole, six together, I was lookof the 10 coaches are ing for the most qualiAfrican-American. fied guys that I knew.

Moving past his nameIt just so happened that sake, his defensive prowGarrick McGee was ess and his persona in the media, Smith serves one of them, and he is HARDY NICKERSON as a unique role model — an African-American, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR for players and coaches and Hardy Nickerson alike. was one, and he is an African-American.”

“Lovie has always Smith has made waves throughout col- been a role model to both of us,” McGee lege football since his hiring in March, and said of him and Nickerson. “That’s where I the coaching staff he assembled to join him see it. I just want kids to hopefully look up at Illinois would be respectable on plenty to me and be able to say, ‘Someday I want to of NFL teams. It isn’t just the overflowing be the offensive coordinator at Illinois, and NFL experience that sets Illinois’ staff — I want to represent myself and my family especially at the top — apart from the rest the right way, and that is possible for me.’” of the nation, though.

Although representation of black leaderIt’s the staff’s diversity, and Nickerson ship in the NCAA has progressed — there hopes he and his colleagues can begin a were just four black head coaches in 1994 shift in these numbers.

— there is still plenty of work to be done.

“There’s a precedent here,” Nickerson The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in said. “I think there will be a lot of eyes on Sports listed just 10.8 percent of the 120 FBS us to see what we do. People will be watch- schools in 2010 as African-American head ing, and I think we’ll kind of set a trend for coaches, with the actual number also at 13.

But with leaders like Smith, Nickerson and what may be to come.”

The Big Ten has been somewhat at the McGee at the forefront, the NCAA’s young forefront of bucking the anti-diversity trend players will have more diversity among their in coaching. The first African-American to role models. take the helm of a major FBS school was the “If you live in this world, there is diversilate Dennis Green in 1981 at Northwestern. ty,” Smith said. “If people are looking at that But since then, Smith, Darrell Hazell of Pur- program and see somebody that looks like due and James Franklin of Penn State are them, well there is nothing wrong with that. the only African-Americans in the Big Ten. We are a melting pot and we want our coachMcGee, who secured his first offensive ing staff and football team to be one, too.” coordinator job with Northwestern in 2006, was influenced by diversity on the sidelines. jfiguer2@dailyillini.com “It means a lot in regards to kid grow- @joeyfigueroa3

“People will be watching, and I think we’ll kind of set a trend for what may be to come.”

AUSTIN YATTONI THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee watches starting quarterback Wes Lunt (12) throw a pass to Malik Turner during practice at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.

AUSTIN YATTONI THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois football defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson talks to defensive back Dillan Cazley (8) during practice at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.

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Thursday, September 1, 2016

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Diversity Among Head Football Coaches at FBS Institutions In 2010, there were 120 head football coaches at FBS schools. Of those, 105 were white males and 15 were men of color.

1 (0.8%) Asian

1 (0.8%) Latino

13 (10.8%) African-Americans

105 (87.5%) white

As of October 2015, there were 128 head football coaches at FBS schools. Of those, 112 were white males and 16 were men of color.

1 (0.8%) Latino

2 (1.6%) Asian/Pacific Islander

13 (10.2%) African-Americans

112 (87.5%) white

Source: The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports

“

Lovie has always been a role model to both of us, That’s where I see it. I just want kids to hopefully look up to me and be able to say, ‘Someday I want to be the offensive coordinator at Illinois, and I want to represent myself and my family the right way, and that is possible for me.’

- Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee on Lovie Smith’s impact on him and coach Nickerson

”

DAILY ILLINI A lofty prediction for the start of the Lovie era DAILY .COM ILLINI W .COM

Thursday, September 1, 2016

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KEVIN MCARTHY

Assistant on-air sports editor

ith the season set to start Saturday, friends and family have been asking me for a prediction for the Illini football team as if I know the answer.

Although I am the world’s foremost authority on all matters, I am not a fortune teller. Gasp.

This comes as a surprise to many. However, I’m getting there. Palmistry is something I’ve been interested in for some time.

And believe it or not, after shaking Lovie Smith’s hand multiple times, I had a vision.

This might sound crazy — because it is — but bear with me.

What if, by some sort of Lovie-magic, everything went right for the Illini?

It’s silly to play the “what if” game, but

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Wes Lunt, a star in Kevin’s predictions, looks for an opening during the game against Nebraska on Oct. 3.

like I said, I had a vision. This is more than just a hypothetical game. I won’t share my entire vision today, but since I love you all so much, I’ll share a piece of it.

Let the story of the non-conference schedule begin…

The lights are on, hearts are pounding and excitement drifts over Memorial Stadium. Electric. Illinois is welcoming North Carolina to Champaign after trouncing Murray State in Week One. The first half comes and goes. The Illini underperformed, but Lovie’s defense was able to stall the high-powered Tar Heel offense and hold them to just 13 points.

A pair of long field goals from the foot of Chase McLaughlin sends them into halftime down by just a touchdown.

As fans leave their seats in search of hot dogs and soda, murmurs of an upset are in every terminal.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter. Trailing by four, Wes Lunt fakes a handoff to Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The North Carolina secondary bites, and No. 12 drops back and sees Justin Hardee deep in the secondary. He lets it fly, and, for a moment, time stands still.

Listeners at home jump to their feet as WDWS announcer Brian Barnhart raises his voice, his unmistakable tenor echoes throughout their homes, “Hardee makes the catch in stride! Twenty, ten, five, touchdown Illini! Illinois takes the lead with under a minute remaining!”

Sixty thousand fans erupt. The cameras turn to Lovie, who, completely out of character, pumps his fist in excitement. His calm demeanor is broken. And, with the eyes of the nation upon the Illini on primetime television, everyone realizes Illinois

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is relevant.

Hardy Nickerson’s stout defense bends but doesn’t break, stopping Larry Fedora’s offense on the fourth down and sealing the victory for Illinois with just seconds remaining on the clock.

The undefeated Illini welcome Western Michigan to Champaign in week three. A year ago this time, Memorial Stadium’s “Block-I” was a ghost-town. Now, it’s filled to the brim with students eager to watch their school continue its unbeaten run.

PJ Fleck, Western Michigan’s head coach and a former candidate for Illinois’ head coaching vacancy, struts out of the tunnel with something to prove. But, his Broncos just don’t have it.

Timely takeaways and a consistent ground attack send the Illini into the bye week a perfect 3-0. What a difference a year makes.

Closing thoughts Many of you are probably thinking that my vision is absolutely absurd. Let me be very clear: I understand.

On a more serious note, I think these non-conference games are crucial for the Illini. With the early bye week, it would be huge for Smith’s team if they could head into the off-week with momentum on their side.

With three difficult opponents to start the season, could Illinois actually start out unbeaten? I’ll answer this question with my mother’s favorite reply to almost anything I asked for as a child.

“We’ll see.”

Kevin is a junior in Media. komccar2@dailyillini.com @KevOMcCarthy

Ticket sales best in years with Smith in charge

BY JOEY FIGUEROA STAFF WRITER

Illinois football finished 12th in the Big Ten in attendance last season. But this year, the program is looking to improve the number of fans it attracts with Lovie Smith at the helm.

A total of 255,883 fans paid for tickets last season to attend Memorial Stadium, which has a total capacity of 60,670. The team’s percent of capacity was 70.3 percent, which was second-to-last in the Big Ten. To put that in perspective, Michigan, the NCAA attendance leader in 2015, had an average crowd of 110,168 Wolverines fans waiting for Jim Harbaugh to do something crazy.

That was a five-percent attendance increase from the season prior for Michigan, which had a similar revitalization of its fanbase due to an ex-NFL hire that the Illinois campus is seeing with Smith right now.

“The Lovie Effect” has been a phrase tossed around in the media on a daily basis, and looking at football ticket sales prior to the team’s Week One date with Murray State, Smith’s

impact has definitely been felt.

According to Jason Heggemeyer, the associate director of athletics, ticketing and sales and customer service, the expected attendance for Saturday’s season opener is 45,000 and climbing.

Since Smith’s hiring in March, 30,000 season tickets have been purchased, 2,000 of which are unique buyers from last season. Heggemeyer expects season tickets to continue to sell through Week Two. The season ticket purchases are the highest they’ve been since 2013.

The ticket office recently capitalized on the excitement surrounding the beginning of the football season with a recent promotion allowing all students the chance to claim a free ticket for the Murray State game.

Heggemeyer said nearly 7,000 students have taken advantage of the promotion and more will do so through the end of the week. With the help of the Ticket Office’s promotion, Heggemeyer expects over 10,000 students to fill the stands on Saturday.

With such a strong student response, Vice

President of Block I Ryan Christiansen expects a full north end zone Saturday, along with fans being piled into an overflow section.

An overflowing Block I section could be common scene throughout the season. According to Christiansen, Block I has already sold more tickets than they did all of last season, which totaled out about 2,300.

According to Heggemeyer, over 3,000 students have already purchased season tickets.

“The hype has been surrounding campus since March and is definitely stronger than ever as the first game approaches,” Christiansen said. “In the past, the students seem to get more involved as we enter the conference season, but this season’s non-conference games will be just as exciting with more attendance for Murray State and primetime for UNC. I have been and will continue to work with the DIA to keep the students involved throughout the season to make it the best one yet.”

jfiguer2@dailyillini.com @joeyfigueroa3

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