Touchdown Times: Sep. 7, 2012

Touchdown TIMES A publication of The Daily Illini | Friday, September 7, 2012

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SUN DEVILS Receivers hope to raise bar with Scheelhaase’s status is in question

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Photo of

THE GAME

Editor’s note: This page is a place to run a photo each week that is relevant in some way to the upcoming game.

The photo could be from last year’s matchup or the Illini’s game from the previous week — whatever. As long as it gets you ready for this week, it’ll be here.

Arizona State’s Chris Coyle (87) drops a pass on fourth down late in the fourth quarter during the game on Sept. 17, 2011, against the Illini at Memorial Stadium. The dropped pass caused a turnover, and the Sun Devils didn’t regain possession after the drive, as the Illini emerged victorious 17-14.

Illinois defensive back Tavon Wilson’s coverage of Arizona State’s Chris Coyle in the fourth quarter finished up a good night for a defense that only allowed 14 points and forced two interceptions. Follow the Daily Illini Twitter accounts for this Saturday’s action: @di_sports and @DailyIlliniFB.

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Friday, September 7, 2012

Illinois defense faces tough challenge in Arizona State

BY JAMAL COLLIER STAFF WRITER

Illinois’ defense is full of perfectionists.

The players and coaches on the Illinois football team won’t give themselves the credit it deserves, even after a dominating performance against Western Michigan in which the defense forced four turnovers, sacked Alex Carder twice and held the Broncos to negative six rushing yards.

When Western Michigan began to show some life on offense, driving with the score 17-7, the Illini defense stepped up and forced an interception that was returned for a touchdown, all but sealing it.

For that performance, Illinois head coach Tim Beckman gave his defense a B grade.

Defensive coordinator Tim Banks didn’t disagree, saying, “We got a long way to go.”

This Saturday, when Illinois (1-0) takes on Arizona State (1-0) at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., the Illini defensive players may yet again have the onus of winning the game on its shoulders.

Uncertainty surrounds the Illini offense after starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was carted off the field Saturday following an injury to his left ankle. He completed practice Wednesday, which Beckman said was necessary for him to even think about playing. Still, Beckman wouldn’t make a decision until after he saw how Scheelhaase’s ankle reacted in the days following practice. Beckman knows who the starter is going to be, but he won’t reveal it before Saturday’s game.

Scheelhaase has started every game in his career at Illinois since redshirting his freshman year, but if he isn’t healthy enough to play, the Illini are prepared to play without him.

They can turn to Reilly O’Toole, the sophomore quarterback who may get his first opportunity to start at Illi-

nois. O’Toole has seen action in 11 games as an Illini but was only 2 of 3 passing for 7 yards in limited action Saturday. He acknowledged after the game that he was disappointed in his performance, especially because coming off the bench and filling in for the starter is something he had experience in last year.

The other option is junior Miles Osei, whose versatility has allowed him to line up at different positions to try to create playmaking opportunities for the offense. Osei is also looking for his first career start at quarterback.

Beckman has not named a clear favorite for the job, neglecting to say whether he thinks Scheelhaase will play or if O’Toole or Osei has had a better practice week. As of Wednesday, he said the players were even.

When Scheelhaase left Saturday’s game, the defense felt added pressure to step up for the Illini.

The same group faces the task of stopping an ArizoDARYL QUITALIG THE DAILY ILLINI na State offense that scored 63 points last week, albeit Illinois' Reilly O'Toole passes the ball during the game against against Northern Arizona. It’s a different Arizona State Western Michigan at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. group than the ranked team the Illini defeated 17-14 last season at Memorial Stadium. Quarterback Brock Osweiler, four’s gonna have to do their job.” the 6-foot-8 behemoth, and head coach Dennis Erickson Illinois will also need to move the ball better on offense are gone for Taylor Kelly and Todd Graham, respectively. after struggling in the second half last Saturday, accu“He looks to run,” Illinois defensive lineman Akeem mulating just 20 yards after Scheelhaase left the game.

Spence said of Kelly. “If his first read is not there, he’s Beckman said his focus for this game is getting the ball going to tuck it, take off and run. He’s a lot more mobile, to some of his playmakers on offense, including having and when (Arizona quarterback Michael Eubank) comes his receivers more involved and trying to get his running in, he’s about 6-6, and he looks pretty big, so we have to backs in more space.

The players on defense have said all week that it doesn’t be ready to chop him down, too.”

Getting pressure on the quarterback was the key in last matter who lines up under center at quarterback to them, season’s matchup for the Illini, who recorded six sacks and and they have confidence in all three. The defense probadded pressure that led to two interceptions. ably has the most confidence in its ability to contain the “This is a different Arizona State team, and we’re a dif- Arizona State offense. ferent Illinois team,” Beckman said. “Anytime defensively wise, it’s about putting pressure on the quarterback, Jamal can be reached at collie10@dailyillini.com and affecting the quarterback as much as you can. Our front @JamalCollier.

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Friday, September 7, 2012

‘Everyone’s going to have to step up’ for Round Two Illini yet to fill void left by wide receiver Jenkins

BY CHAD THORNBURG STAFF WRITER

R

yan Lankford’s 64-yard touchdown catch notwithstanding, the Illini receivers combined for just four receptions and 28 yards in Saturday’s win over Western Michigan.

And with starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase’s status in question this week, the Illini will be looking for its top receivers to step up, particularly if backups Reilly O’Toole or Miles Osei are under center.

“We take reps in practice with other quarterbacks, other receivers, other running backs, other linemen, so we are prepared for whatever comes at us,” Lankford said.

Scheelhaase practiced Wednesday but was limited.

If he can’t go, the starting job is up for grabs between O’Toole and Osei, who both saw time at quarterback Saturday after Scheelhaase left with an ankle injury in the third quarter.

“We’d like to have Nate back, but whoever they put back there, we’re going to have confidence in them,” junior wide receiver Spencer Harris said, adding that it falls on the receivers to help maintain the inexperienced quarterbacks’ confidence during

the game.

“They haven’t taken a lot of snaps lately, and they just need to know they can trust us,” he said. “We’re going to put them in good situations to make them look good even if the ball’s not there or if the ball’s great, which it probably will be. We’re just going to do our job.”

Co-offensive coordinator Billy Gonzales has said Lankford, Harris and junior Darius Millines have separated themselves from the pack at wide receiver.

All three began their Illinois careers together as freshmen in 2010, and each saw considerable playing time in his first two seasons, including a combined 22 starts last season alongside star receiver A.J. Jenkins, who left for the NFL last spring.

“We bonded a lot on and off the field,” Harris said. “We trust each other a lot.

We communicate well on the field. ... When we go back to the sideline, we talk about what we’ve seen and things we need to do differently.”

But while this year’s top receivers aren’t inexperienced, they have yet to put up big numbers at Illinois.

Jenkins led the team last season with 90 catches for 1,276 yards and eight touchdowns. Harris and Millines were second and third in receiving with just over 200 yards and one touchdown apiece. Lankford logged 12 grabs for 108 yards.

“Everyone knows we lost A.J.,” Lankford said. “Everyone’s going to have to step up.

Everyone’s going to have to do what they need to do to win.”

The junior receivers are hoping to contribute more this Saturday against Arizona State. They said the amount of run plays the Illini called while playing with a lead for the entire game played a role in the lack of catches last weekend.

“If we have to block, we’re going to block,” Millines said. “Every receiver wants to have over 100 yards, but some games are just not like that. You have to go with what’s called.”

But regardless of the amount of catches or receiving yards that showed up in the box score, the wide receivers were just content with a victory last week.

“A win is a win,” Lankford said. “We’re still 1-0 and moving in the right direction.

And that’s how you have to look at it.”

DARYL QUITALIG THE DAILY ILLINI

Left: Illinois’ Spencer Harris (80) attempts to break a tackle during the game against Western Michigan at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Right: The Illini’s Ryan Lankford (12) runs the ball after a reception during the game against The Broncos.

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With QB in question, Illini can bank on OL

BY DAN WELIN FOOTBALL COLUMNIST

ILLINOIS The loss of A.J. Jenkins, oddly enough, is comparable to Arizona State losing Gerell Robinson, Aaron Pflugrad and Mike Willie. This is because Jenkins last season had 1,276 of the Illini’s 2,392 receiving yards, while the Sun Devils’ trio accounted for 2,517 of their 4,117 yards last season. I’d consider both teams equally unstable at wide receiver without those four wideouts, except that tight end Jon Davis gives the Illini depth at a position the Sun Devils lack.

Arizona State

QB

QUARTERBACK

RB

RUNNING BACKS

(EDGE: ILLINOIS)

With the return of only two starters on Arizona State’s end, the Illini have the easy edge in experience in the offensive side of the trenches. Not that many people care, but Ryan Nowicki did choose Illinois over Arizona State.

(EDGE: ILLINOIS)

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RECEIVERS

With Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase questionable for Saturday’s game, Arizona State sophomore Taylor Kelly at least can say that he’s started a collegiate game before.

Kelly impressed in his debut, completing 15-of-19 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown and has a lethal ground game to work off of.

(EDGE: ARIZONA STATE)

Illini Donovonn Young and Josh Ferguson have all the tools to be successful tailbacks in the future, but when Arizona State’s Cameron Marshall has amassed 2,105 rushing yards — 1,050 last season — in his career, it’s hard to ignore. Top junior college transfer Marion Grice further bolsters the Sun Devils backfield, already making an impact with three touchdowns last week.

(EDGE: ARIZONA STATE)

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OFFENSIVE LINE The Illini’s constant pressure against Western Michigan is going to be a season-long trend, especially against an offensive line with three new starters.

So far, senior defensive end Michael Buchanan is one-for-one in his quest to get one sack each game.

DL

DEFENSIVE LINE

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Another player on the rise for the Illini is junior Jonathan Brown, who had six tackles and had one-half sack last week. Senior Ashante Williams’ impact at the STAR position helps bolster Illinois’ depth.

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LB

DB ST

(PUSH)

If he plays, quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase’s mobility is necessary to aid the struggling passing game.

Dan is a senior in Media. He can be reached at welin1@dailyillini.com and @WELINandDEALIN

(PUSH)

LINEBACKERS

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Both coaches are new and impressed their fans with the side of the ball they associate themselves with.

Through a combination of injuries and the shuffling of experienced defensive backs, there’s not much of an argument either way.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Given the desperate improvement needed to make up for the poor special teams play under Ron Zook, the Sun Devils easily take the cake here. Punter Josh Hubner averaged 45.3 yards per punt last week, but it’s the return of Jamal Miles, one of the nation’s best special teams returner last year, who will spark this unit.

(EDGE: ARIZONA STATE)

C

COACHING

X

X-FACTOR

Running back Marion Grice completes the one-two punch that will help Arizona State control the clock.

(EDGE: ARIZONA STATE)

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SEAN HAMMOND

SPORTS WRITER

JAMAL COLLIER

CHAD THORNBURG

SPORTS WRITER

MAX TANE

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FOOTBALL COLUMNIST

PORTRAIT BY DARYL QUITALIG THE DAILY ILLINI

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Illinois at Arizona State

No. 24 Florida at Texas A&M

No. 7 Georgia at Missouri

No. 16 Nebraska at UCLA 24-14

38-21

No. 18 Oklahoma State at Arizona 44-21

30-21

45-28

CHECK ALL WEEKEND LONG FOR FULL GAME COVERAGE

Friday, September 7, 2012

Offense needs improvement for Illini to win

Illini Drive

THREE AND OUT

DAN WELIN Football columnist

Illini Drive goes “three and out� every Monday on WPGU. Here are the highlights.

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ast year’s game between the Illini and the Sun Devils, which Illinois won in a 17-14 thriller, turned out to be one of the biggest busts of the season.

The two teams were a combined 11-1 in their first six games, but there’s a reason each school has a new coaching staff.

After their hot starts, Illinois and Arizona State finished the season with 7-6 and 6-7 overall records, respectively.

Where the two schools differ is in the talent returning. The only impact players the Illini lost were first-round picks Whitney Mercilus and A.J. Jenkins, while the Sun Devils lost quarterback Brock Osweiler, linebacker Vontaze Burfict and wide receivers Gerell Robinson, Aaron Pflugrad and Mike Willie.

We know the offensive struggles the Illini experienced in head coach Tim Beckman’s debut, but Beckman’s counterpart didn’t have much trouble in his.

In Todd Graham’s first game, Arizona State put up 63 points, albeit over an unimpressive opponent, but that doesn’t mean the nine touchdowns the Sun Devils scored — something Illini fans hope their offense can achieve over the course of three games —

NATIONAL QUESTION — Which new SEC team is more likely to win its conference debut? Georgia hosts Missouri, Texas A&M hosts Florida.

Thomas Bruch — I’m going to go with Texas A&M, actually. First of all, I like Kevin Sumlin a lot. I think he’s a very good coach despite leveraging us in the University of Illinois (football coach search) process. I think they’ve got a solid foundation there from so many years of being contenders in the Big 12. And I’m kinda “meh� on Florida this year.

BIG TEN QUESTION — Who’s performance stood out to you?

Max Tane — Wisconsin barely sneaking by Northern Iowa. Wisconsin, by all accounts, is the favorite to win this conference by most of the people. They barely slip by a I-AA team. They win by five. Danny O’Brien, yeah, he threw two touchdowns, but wasn’t awfully impressive. Montee Ball got his. You letting I-AA team hang around is a little cause for concern.

ILLINI QUESTION — How comfortable are you with Reilly O’Toole?

Jamal Collier — On a scale of one to 10, one being the least confident and 10 being the most confident, I’ll go with four.

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should be overlooked.

During his time as Tulsa’s head coach, Graham’s team led the nation in total offense twice (in 2007 and 2008).

The main threat the Sun Devils pose to Illinois’ defense, which Western Michigan had no success with last week, is a steady running game.

Against Northern Arizona, they scored seven of their nine touchdowns on the ground, gaining 305 yards in the process.

In allowing Western Michigan to outgain Illinois on offense yet maintain a 10-minute advantage in time of possession, Illinois barely came out on top.

Time of possession will be about equal or even favor the Sun Devils, as they have a versatile backfield featuring senior Cameron Marshall, who gained 1,050 yards and scored 18 touchdowns last season.

That’s going to make every offensive possession even more pivotal, something the Illini didn’t do much of last Saturday, only manufacturing 17 points.

Returning only two starters from last year’s offensive line and the menacing defensive line the Illini will bring to Tempe, Ariz., it’s safe to say sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly won’t be completing nearly 80 percent of his passes this week, which he did against Northern Arizona. But between getting sacked and the effective ground game, that clock will tick away a lot faster than it did in Week One.

This game will come down to whether the Illini can score.

Last season, having one of the nation’s best defenses wasn’t as noticeable during games because the defense spent too much time on the field.

The offense needs to help the defense by sustaining longer drives and proving more effective with the ball.

How that’s going to play out moving forward is anyone’s guess, but based on last week’s game, tight end Jon Davis seems to be the guy who can jump-start this group.

During the offseason, questions surrounding the wide receivers and the running game weren’t answered.

Davis’ ability to shore up blocking, leak out into the flat and use his 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame to throw off opposing defenses running the ball seems to be the early answer.

His 187 receiving yards last season and his 54 rushing yards last week are an indication of the sophomore’s athleticism.

With the uncertainty around quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, this road game in a hostile environment is going to be a great test for Beckman to assess how his team improves after a game in the books and how it handles playing on the road.

Dan is a senior in Media. He can be reached at welin1@illinimedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @welinanddealin.