Illini not about to overlook Ball State
There's no way to know for sure whether Illinois will treat this week's visit from Ball State with the same reverence as a Big Ten game.
That won't become apparent until the teams tee it up for Illinois' 97th homecoming at 11 a.m. Saturday (Big Ten Network).
But there is a recent result, as well as current verbiage, that suggest the Illini won't dare overlook the Cardinals.
"Oh, no," said Illinois quarterback Juice Williams. "Not at all. Not at all."
Why does he protest so? Just look at what happened when the last Mid-American Conference opponent showed up at Memorial Stadium.
A 3-3 Ohio team, fresh from a win over Western Michigan, took advantage of numerous Illinois mistakes and emerged with a 20-17 victory last Oct. 14.
The Bobcats forced a Kyle Hudson fumble at the Illini 16 with 1:03 to go, which led to the winning field goal with five ticks remaining.
Ball State, like Ohio, comes to Champaign after defeating Western Michigan. But the Cardinals are much better than Ohio.
Led by sensational sophomore quarterback Nate Davis, Ball State (5-3) has delivered on the road time and again to get into position for its first winning season and bowl berth since 1996.
The Cardinals' lone road loss was a 41-40 defeat at Nebraska, when Ball State knocked the Cornhuskers all over the lot but couldn't finish.
"I told our football team it is imperative that we play and prepare the same way we did last week," said Illinois coach Ron Zook. "This game is crucial, imperative and important to us just as it is to Ball State."
Leman's the man: Befitting a fifth-year senior who has led the Big Ten in tackles for more than 12 months straight, the honors are starting to roll in for middle linebacker J Leman. The Champaign native showed up on several semifinalist lists in the last several days.
Leman is one of 10 left in the running for the Butkus Award that goes to the nation's best linebacker. He's one of 12 still capable of winning the Lombardi Award that recognizes the country's top lineman or linebacker.
He's also one of 17 quarterfinalists for the Lott Award, which takes into account a person's character just as much as his ability.
The only other player on all three lists? Ohio State All-American James Laurinitis.
Get in the boat: Ron Zook and his merry band of recruiters continue to reel in top prospects from Florida.
According to Rivals.com's Orange and Blue News, the Illini received commitments from defensive lineman Corey Liuget (Hialeah High School) and wide receiver Fred Sykes (Chamberlain HS in Tampa) after their visits for the Michigan game.
Liuget represents the fourth four-star prospect among Illinois' 15 recruits. The Illini project to have a minimum of 23 scholarships available to bring in players at the semester break and the February signing date.