Illini have lots of questions and talent to start season

Posted September 01, 2010 11:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

CHAMPAIGN - Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther contemplated firing Ron Zook after last season's painful 3-9 showing.

In the end, he thought it better to hire offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and defensive coordinator Vic Koenning and encourage Zook to give them autonomy.

Can this unconventional maneuver work for the Illini?

"I wouldn't have done it (otherwise)," Guenther said. "The other way to do it is the easy way. It gets all the media re-excited. It gets the fan base re-excited. But it comes at a huge, huge financial investment.

"It takes two, three years years for any coach coming into Illinois even to understand the academic issues (and) the state of Illinois. They may have recruited in here, but the university structure, our compliance structure (is complex).

"Beyond that, you're buying out a lot of contracts."

Suffice to say, Guenther's decisions lend drama to Illinois' season that begins Saturday against Missouri.

Can Zook, a Type A sort who likes to have his hand in everything, learn to enjoy his big-picture role?

Can Petrino, who served as older brother Bobby Petrino's confidant as they concocted explosive offenses at Louisville and Arkansas, thrive in his first season as the primary mastermind and playcaller?

Can Koenning salvage a defense that's minus three expected starters in DT Josh Brent (ineligible/taken in NFL supplemental draft), S Supo Sanni (out for the year with a ruptured Achilles tendon) and CB Terry Hawthorne (out at least a month with stress fracture in foot)?

These answers will reveal themselves over time - and an arduous first-half schedule.

Here's what we do know: Zook has retained his sense of humor.

"I've got some breaking news," Zook said to open his news conference Tuesday morning. "To my knowledge, no one's gotten hurt in the last 36 hours. At least, I don't think anyone's gotten hurt going to class."

Zook probably crossed his fingers while finishing that statement. Over the course of 48 hours last week, Illinois' secondary was turned upside down with the injuries to Sanni and Hawthorne.

To try to solve what was already the team's biggest question mark, sophomore Justin Green has gone from third-string tailback to first-string corner in a week's time.

Sophomore Jack Ramsey and redshirt freshman Steve Hull have gone from being in the wide receiver rotation to second-string cornerback and free safety, respectively.

Junior Tavon Wilson, the secondary's only returning starter, has moved from cornerback to strong safety.

It's his job to make the calls to everyone else on the field - and he has made it his job to get the newbies up to speed.

After Monday night's practice, Wilson directed a film session for Green, converted corner Travon Bellamy and safety Trulon Henry that went from 9 to 11:30 p.m.

"We watched practice," Wilson said. "We watched Missouri. We watched some old cutups of the spring and the summer with me playing cornerback, to help them out a little bit.

"That's what's going to help them. You have to actually see someone do it to picture it in your mind for you to do it."

An optimistic Illinois fan can use the same visualization techniques and squint at a positive future.

The Illini still feature four- and five-star recruits at several positions. That list includes Green, junior middle linebacker Martez Wilson, junior defensive tackle Corey Liuget and redshirt freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase.

Zook was discussing the secondary with the following words, but he might as well have been assessing the whole squad.

"We've got guys," Zook said. "Trust me. We're not as bad as you guys seem to make it."

Illinois Fighting IlliniCoach: Ron Zook (6th year, 21-39).2009 record: 3-9, 2-6 (9th).Last bowl: 2007All-Big Ten candidates: RB Mikel Leshoure, MLB Martez Wilson, OT Jeff Allen, DT Corey Liuget, WR A.J. Jenkins.The Illini will go to a bowl: If they overcome rampant inexperience and injuries and minimal expectations. Redshirt freshman QB Nathan Scheelhaase is one of several four-star recruits who have yet to produce in an Illinois uniform.BCS finish the last five years (2009 listed first*): 84th, 65th, 14th, 104th, 94th.* Ratings courtesy of Blue Ribbon Football Yearbook.Projected lineups (returning starters in bold Offense (Multiple)QB 2 Nathan Scheelhaase r-Fr.RB 5 Mikel Leshoure Jr.WR 11 Jarred Fayson Sr.WR 8 A.J. Jenkins Jr.WR 10 Eddie McGee Sr.TE 89 Evan Wilson Fr.WT 71 Jeff Allen Jr.WG 72 Hugh Thornton So.C 76 Graham Pocic So.SG 66 Randall Hunt Sr.ST 78 Ryan Palmer Sr.Defense (Bandit 4-3)DE 97 Clay Nurse Sr.DT 94 Akeeem Spence r-Fr.DT 93 Corey Liuget Jr.Bandit 99 Michael Buchanan So.WLB 38 Ian Thomas Jr.MLB 2 Martez Wilson Jr.SLB 18 Nate Bussey Sr.CB 31 Travon Bellamy Sr.CB 26 Justin Green So.FS 9 Trulon Henry Jr.SS 3 Tavon Wilson Jr.Special teamsK 19 Derek Dimke Jr.P 87 Anthony Santella Sr.KR 26 Justin Green So.PR 19 Jack Ramsey So. Illini scheduleSept. 4 vs. Missouri (at St. Louis) 11:30 a.m.Sept. 11 S. ILLINOIS 6:30 p.m.Sept. 18 N. ILLINOIS 11 a.m.Oct. 2 OHIO STATE TBAOct. 9 at Penn State 11 a.m.Oct. 16 at Michigan State 11 a.m.Oct. 23 INDIANA 11 a.m.Oct. 30 PURDUE TBANov. 6 at Michigan TBANov. 13 MINNESOTA TBANov. 20 at Northwestern 2:30 p.m. (Allstate Wrigleyville Classic)Dec. 4 at Fresno State 9:15 p.m.

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