Illinois and head coach Ron Turner are getting one last shot before undergoing a huge overhaul. With memories of the 2001 Big Ten title quickly fading, Turner has to find the offensive magic again in a real hurry or it'll be a new era in Illini football come next year at this time.
Illinois has never played any defense under Turner, but there's rarely been a shortage of offensive firepower to keep things interesting. And then the bottom dropped out as inexperience and injuries led to a pathetic 1-11 season failing to beat a D-I team. Most importantly, the offense went into the tank averaging 14 points per game against D-I teams getting blown out week after week.
There's hope for a rebound with an experienced team on both sides of the ball and plenty of athletes to matchup well with most Big Ten teams. However, this is the epitome of a finesse team playing in a smashmouth (for the most part) conference. It's hard to win in the Big Ten if you can't run effectively, and you're dead in the water if you can't stop the run. Illinois will once again try to combat these two problems by throwing and throwing some more, but that might not be enough. Other Big Ten teams can pass as well, so Illinois had better be improved in every other area or things will be very different next season.
The Schedule: The teams on the slate are tough with eight of them having been in bowls last season, but almost all have to come to Champaign. Missing Ohio State is a treat, so the toughest road game is a relatively manageable one, at least for a good team, at Wisconsin. The road schedule is the easiest in the Big Ten.
Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB E.B. Halsey. Player Profile ... A lightning quick player who was often the only spark of life to the dismal offense, Hasley is an all-purpose star equally strong at running, catching and kick returns. The only question is durability as the 185-pound true sophomore has to prove he can hold up.
Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Matt Sinclair. One of the only consistent players on the porous defense, Sinclair led the team with 129 tackles and four sacks. He's not the most talented player in the Big Ten, but he'll be on several All-Conference lists if he's as strong this year.
Key player to a successful season: When you're 111th in the nation against the run, you need better play from the defensive line. This isn't a big defensive front wall missing the 300-pound brick walls that most Big Ten teams have, so tackles Mike Maloney and Ryan Matha have to show be stars or else it could be another ugly year.
The season will be a success if ... Illinois finishes with a winning season. It'll be tough, but it's possible if there's an upset or two at home. There can't be a slip against Indiana or Northwestern.
Key game: Oct. 30 vs. Iowa. With Indiana and Northwestern to close out the year, the Illini can hope to go on a three game run if they can beat the Hawkeyes. If nothing else, this will be a key home game coming off a semi-tough stretch.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Interceptions: Opponents 16 - Illinois 2
- Rushing touchdowns: Opponents 32 - Illinois 5
- First quarter scoring: Opponents 100 - Illinois 41
Illinois has never played any defense under Turner, but there's rarely been a shortage of offensive firepower to keep things interesting. And then the bottom dropped out as inexperience and injuries led to a pathetic 1-11 season failing to beat a D-I team. Most importantly, the offense went into the tank averaging 14 points per game against D-I teams getting blown out week after week.
There's hope for a rebound with an experienced team on both sides of the ball and plenty of athletes to matchup well with most Big Ten teams. However, this is the epitome of a finesse team playing in a smashmouth (for the most part) conference. It's hard to win in the Big Ten if you can't run effectively, and you're dead in the water if you can't stop the run. Illinois will once again try to combat these two problems by throwing and throwing some more, but that might not be enough. Other Big Ten teams can pass as well, so Illinois had better be improved in every other area or things will be very different next season.
The Schedule: The teams on the slate are tough with eight of them having been in bowls last season, but almost all have to come to Champaign. Missing Ohio State is a treat, so the toughest road game is a relatively manageable one, at least for a good team, at Wisconsin. The road schedule is the easiest in the Big Ten.
Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB E.B. Halsey. Player Profile ... A lightning quick player who was often the only spark of life to the dismal offense, Hasley is an all-purpose star equally strong at running, catching and kick returns. The only question is durability as the 185-pound true sophomore has to prove he can hold up.
Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Matt Sinclair. One of the only consistent players on the porous defense, Sinclair led the team with 129 tackles and four sacks. He's not the most talented player in the Big Ten, but he'll be on several All-Conference lists if he's as strong this year.
Key player to a successful season: When you're 111th in the nation against the run, you need better play from the defensive line. This isn't a big defensive front wall missing the 300-pound brick walls that most Big Ten teams have, so tackles Mike Maloney and Ryan Matha have to show be stars or else it could be another ugly year.
The season will be a success if ... Illinois finishes with a winning season. It'll be tough, but it's possible if there's an upset or two at home. There can't be a slip against Indiana or Northwestern.
Key game: Oct. 30 vs. Iowa. With Indiana and Northwestern to close out the year, the Illini can hope to go on a three game run if they can beat the Hawkeyes. If nothing else, this will be a key home game coming off a semi-tough stretch.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Interceptions: Opponents 16 - Illinois 2
- Rushing touchdowns: Opponents 32 - Illinois 5
- First quarter scoring: Opponents 100 - Illinois 41
