Illinois enjoying rare roll going into NU game

When dissecting the Ron Zook era at Illinois, it's unfair to throw out the 2007 season.

After all, the Illini hadn't been to the Rose Bowl in 24 years until Zook, Rashard Mendenhall and J Leman led them there.

But for those who aren't properly enjoying Illinois' back-to-back wins over Michigan and Minnesota leading into Saturday's Land of Lincoln trophy home game with Northwestern (11 a.m., ESPN Classic), consider these thoughts:

If you take the 2007 season out of the equation, when Illinois went 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten, the Illini are riding their first back-to-back wins over Football Bowl Subdivision opponents since 2005.

That's right: It's been since Zook's group defeated Rutgers and San Jose State in the first two games of his Illinois tenure.

Here's another good one: Again, if one removes the 2007 season from the equation, Illinois owns its first back-to-back wins over Big Ten foes since Oct. 2002.

No wonder Zook says it has been fun to watch his players walk around the Illini football complex with more confidence.

"I think the locker-room celebrations ... they've been special," Zook said. "They're something that obviously we'll remember a long, long time."

There's just one little issue that pricks Illinois' new bubble of invincibility: Juice Williams' injured left ankle.

While Zook didn't confirm Williams suffered a high ankle sprain in the first quarter at Minnesota - an injury that forced him to use crutches and a walking boot - he compared Juice's situation to that of Arrelious Benn.

The Illini wideout suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener against Missouri that has bothered him most of the way.

"I'm cautiously optimistic about Juice," Zook said. "He's getting treatment 24/7 just about. I was in there when the doctors examined him (Monday) night. He was moving and pressing and twisting (and saying), 'It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt.' That'll be a day-to-day thing."

Zook also said Williams would "probably" be in uniform on Saturday, which means redshirt freshman Jacob Charest should probably make his first career start.

As Williams' backup against Purdue and Minnesota, Charest hit 14 of 27 passes for 237 yards and 1 touchdown.

And, apparently, the North Carolina product did it inscrutably.

"Jacob's one of them guys, he's a hard guy to read," Zook said. "I know his father (Scott) talked about that in recruiting: 'Don't read Jacob wrong.' I didn't know quite what he meant, but I understand that now.

"He's not a rah-rah guy. He's not a guy who's all over the place."

*Land of Lincoln Trophy trivia: Illinois has lost five of its last six games with Northwestern. If the Illini lose on Saturday, it'll tie the Wildcats' best seven-season stretch in the 117-year-old rivalry.

In eight of the nine games this decade, the team that produced more total yards also won the game. Illinois' win in 2002 serves as the lone exception.

In every game this decade, the team that won the turnover margin also won the game.