Illinois' QB Juice Williams picks up his game at perfect time

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Here's the old New Year's Eve tradition in Juice Williams' family:

According to Illinois' sophomore quarterback, they count down the final seconds in their modest South Side apartment and then throw UNO cards up in the air.

Here's the new New Year's Eve tradition in Williams' extended family:

They cobble together enough money for 10 round-trip flights and two gorgeous nights at a prestigious warm-weather bowl, where they'll watch the prodigal Juice try to become as much of a New Year's institution as Dick Clark or Times Square.

"They look at it like it's a sacrifice well worth it," Williams said. "They know they might put themselves in the hole, but how often do you get to go to the Rose Bowl?"

Williams and the Illini hope there'll be more trips in their immediate future, but that depends largely on the 20-year-old's Juice's continuing development.

After delivering inconsistent performances for the first 75 percent of the regular season, Williams put up All-American-worthy numbers as Illinois thrashed Minnesota, top-ranked Ohio State and Northwestern to earn a disputed place in the Bowl Championship Series.

In those final three games, Williams clicked on 41 of 66 passes for 567 yards, 7 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions.

That works out to a 163.2 passer rating, which would have placed Williams fourth nationally (nestled between Hawaii's Colt Brennan and Oregon's Dennis Dixon) had he maintained that pace the whole season.

Of course, Williams didn't just dominate through the air in those three games. He also rushed for 339 yards and 3 scores.

But statistics can be tweaked and nudged in any direction one wants. Here's the relevant question: Can Williams consolidate those late-season gains and build on them against USC on Tuesday?

"He's really ready," Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said Sunday. "I've been so impressed with his development.

"So much was made early on about the type of player Juice was going to be. I couldn't ask for better with the way he's prepared for this game and the way he's matured.

"He's taken on the challenges we've put forward for him, the quarterback lifestyle I've been talking about all year long. I think he really, really gets that part of it.

"I'm looking forward to him having a good game."

Color USC's defenders as being a little more skeptical than Locksley.

They've heard plenty about how they've struggled against running quarterbacks in recent years -- starting with the 2006 national championship game here against Texas' Vince Young.

They've heard even more about how Williams could do to them what the aforementioned Dixon did in a 24-17 loss at Oregon on Oct. 27.

Is that a proper comparison, second-team all-American defensive end Lawrence Jackson?

"No, not at all," Jackson said. "They're two running quarterbacks, but they're totally different. One is quicker than he is strong (Dixon), one is stronger than he is quick (Williams).

"We expect him to make his plays, but you have to try to slow him down. We plan on playing sound defense and playing how our coaches envision and we should be OK."

"It's just everyone plays their responsibility," said All-American linebacker Keith Rivers. "Get a lot of hats to the ball. A swarming effort. I think that's about it.

"It's not going to take any out-of-body experience. You've got to play the defense called and execute it correctly and make sure everyone's hustling."

Rivers and Jackson are just two of USC's five all-Pac-10 first-teamers, while a sixth Trojan earned second-team honors.

Then there's the curious case of safety Taylor Mays, who somehow was voted honorable mention in the Pac-10 but a second- or third-team All-American by three national media organizations.

These are the men Juice Williams must master Tuesday.

With that in mind, it's safe to say he won't be in traditional New Year's Eve mode as the final hours of 2007 slip away today.

"He's quiet," said backup quarterback Eddie McGee, Williams' roommate before every game. "He'll crack a few jokes, but he'll have his headphones on most of the time and have his head in the playbook.

"The closer we get to the game, the more quiet he becomes."

"At the beginning of the time we got here, I was kind of anxious and trying to rush the days," Williams said. "But it's coming up quickly now.

"It's a moment in our lives that we'll never forget."