Williams, Illini offense slow to adjust to WIU defense

CHAMPAIGN -- The stats didn't lie. They accurately conveyed Juice Williams' struggles Saturday night during Illinois' 21-0 victory over Western Illinois.

But Williams' numbers -- in this case, 12 of 24 passes for 123 yards and 1 interception -- were influenced by Western Illinois' actions.

To be specific, the Leathernecks trotted out an entirely different scheme than they showed in their opening win against South Dakota State.

"This is the second week in a row," said Illini offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, "we went in with a certain game plan expecting a team to play a certain front and a certain coverage and they totally changed their m.o."

Instead of playing "man-free," which is what Williams and Illinois' offense worked against during the week, Western Illinois switched to a Cover-2 scheme with the middle open.

The Illini made adjustments on the sidelines between possessions, but they managed just 1 touchdown in the first half.

During a five-drive stretch in the first half, Williams went 1-for-7 for 5 yards and an interception.

"I don't think (Juice) adjusted as quickly as he needs to," Locksley said. "That's something that obviously game experience will help him in the future."

From his perch in the press box, Locksley saw open receivers that Williams either didn't notice or didn't make the same read as the receiver.

"The good part is he knew it as soon as he came off the field," Locksley said. "Last year at this time I don't know if he'd have been able to come back and tell me what happened and where the throw should have went. That's something we can build on."

Teammates said Williams seemed a bit down in the postgame locker room, but a pep talk from head coach Ron Zook had him more positive when he met the media.

Zook echoed that positivity Sunday.

"Juice made improvement last night," Zook said. "Juice will be fine. It clicks more than he thinks it clicks. I'm not worried about Juice."