What Has Illinois Told Me About Growth?
by Godfrey Logan
Sep 22 2008

What has the Illinois Fighting Illini told me about their growth from last year? As of now the defense gives up big plays and the offense is missing a good running back to complement Quarterback Juice Williams.

Can they repeat the success of 2007 when they played in the Rose Bowl against USC? I don't think so. Rashard Mendenhall is off to the NFL and both of the Illini's wins are against Eastern Illinois a 1AA school and University of Louisiana from the unheralded Sun Belt conference. Without a good running back all of the offensive decisions rest on the shoulders of Juice Williams who is not a true quarterback. He's a very good athlete but if he has a future in pro football it would not be as a qb but as a wide receiver.

He is what I'd call a system quarterback where his success comes from the system the team runs and outside of the spread offense he could never make it as an under the center drop back type of quarterback in the NFL. If Illinois is to get anywhere this year even with the great recruiting classes they've had since Ron Zook has been in Champaign they won't do it without a running back like Mendenhall who could keep a drive going through Williams mistakes.

As much as Zook tries to keep Williams from having to be in tough situations where he has to throw the ball though he's has done ok so far this season with multiple touchdown passes in their first game against Missouri, the defense gave up 45 points in that game. Without a good running game or the type of defense that carried them to a second place finish in the Big Ten in 2007 Illinois is likely to finsh in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in 2008.

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