8/29 News & Notes

[Dan]

Q&A With A Western Michigan Blogger

Three days until football. FOOTBALL.

As the game approaches, I get more nervous. The words "Western" and "Michigan" bring up awful memories for Illini fans. The 2008 Debacle In Detroit that kept us out of a bowl. The 23-20 squeaker in Champaign last year. The other squeaker (I want to say... 2004?) in Champaign. And the dreaded MAC roadtrip in 2016. AND a road game for the basketball team in Kalamazoo. I mean, it's almost like we had a Western Michigan grad in the DIA for a while who helped with the scheduling.

To better understand this version of the Bronco's, I did a little Q&A thingy with Brandon Fitzsimons of Saddle Up, Fight On, a Western Michigan blog. Want to know their most important players, ranked in order? They're currently doing a similar series. Go check it out.

http://alioneye.com/2012/08/29/qa-wi...higan-blogger/

[Dan]

Illinois preview: Tim Beckman has fighting chance with 'D', reasonable schedule

"I think we're pretty good upfront [on defense], but we haven't played a game," Beckman said. "We'll see how good we are when we play against a team that's going to throw about 60 times a game. We have guys that are good players. But if you don't play team defense, it really doesn’t matter."

A lot will depend on how Illinois gets out of the gate. It has escaped with three-point victories the last two times its first opponent, Western Michigan, came to Champaign. Three of the Illini's next four opponents are similarly murky. And so are their last three.

What that means is a lot will depend on the staff Beckman has assembled. And the staff features an intriguing blend of youth and coaches who have worked with Beckman, plus some independent veterans.

Herb Gould

[Dan]

2012 Bronco Football Season Preview

Offensively, the boys return huge players in Alex Carder and Tyler Van Tubbergen, both of whom are capable of playing the QB position well. Carder will undoubtedly be the starter in his senior season, and is regarded as one of the MAC's top NFL prospects. With him returns all of the running back core, led by Brian Fields. Dann O'Neill will anchor the line as another good NFL prospect, and his crew hopes to improve on their run blocking ability to help the running backs this season.

The huge question mark will be the wide receiver core. Without Jordan White, Robert Arnheim, and Chleb Ravenell, who all graduated, Carder will have fairly new faces to throw to. Josh Schaffer and Eric Monette return from last season as players with some decent on-field experience. Look for tight ends Blake Hammond, Clark Mussman, and Matt Cutler to step up and help out the passing game.

http://www.saddleupfighton.com/2012/...n-preview.html

[Dan]

Just spoke with #WMUBroncos coach Bill cubit. He said he worries most about #illini Dline and Nathan Scheelhaase's mobility.

#WMUBroncos Bill Cubit also said the #illini secondary was the best WMU played against last year. Hear full interview today on the show

http://twitter.com/WernerConnectFM

[ill07]

The ILLINI were the best secondary WMU faced? Maybe this game will be easier than we thought...

[SCillini]

Originally Posted by ill07

The ILLINI were the best secondary WMU faced? Maybe this game will be easier than we thought...

You don't give our secondary enough credit. They weren't great, but decent. The D-line was great with pressure last year, but some of those sacks and pressure was aided by good secondary coverage. You're also talking about a MAC team that played against Swiss cheese defenses all year(including Toledo).

[Dan]

Soph. LB Ralph Cooper will sit out the first quarter of Saturday's game for disciplinary reasons, Coach Beckman said Wednesday.

http://twitter.com/FletcherPage

[Groundhogday]

So that might be why cooper was down on the depth chart.

[Kramer116]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

So that might be why cooper was down on the depth chart.

+1

Lately, I have been hearing/seeing that he has been playing well.

[Dan]

[Dan]

2 #Illini players changed numbers today. PK Taylor Zalewski is now 14 & LB Zepheniah Grimes is now 33. Updated roster: http://bit.ly/UIFBRoster

http://twitter/IlliniFootball

[quhawks12]

Fun fact that I just thought of with Zalewski changing numbers. LSU makes their top 2 punters wear the same number. Coach Miles thinks it confuses the opponent on who is actually coming in to kick. Or when they watch the punters during warm-ups.

[DaytonIllini]

Originally Posted by quhawks12

Fun fact that I just thought of with Zalewski changing numbers. LSU makes their top 2 punters wear the same number. Coach Miles thinks it confuses the opponent on who is actually coming in to kick. Or when they watch the punters during warm-ups.

Sounds like we should have our punter and backup QB wear the same number. Now that would cause a little confusion.

[-josh-]

I've always felt that Virgnia Tech should be the shining example of what and how illinois needs to be. Solid defense and great special teams.

[Dan]

Spencer Hall, The Best College Football Writer In The Land, Will Take Your Questions Now

Q: Can you possibly give me a reason to get my hopes up for Illinois football?

A: Individually? Tim Beckman coaches a very fun brand of football. Historically? No. Drink.

http://deadspin.com/5938810

Notes: Top-Heavy Receiver Corps & More

"I think it's our job to take over at the position and take leadership of the whole offense as well -- not just the receiver position," Harris said. "I think camp went really well. I think the three of us stepped up to fill the holes that A.J. left."

Gonzales' remark about the top-heavy unit could be read as both a good and bad thing. That's because while there is assurance at the top of the depth chart, the rest of the group has yet to earn the coach's trust.

"I need to have the younger guys, I need to have them work harder and push," Gonzales said candidly. "If they want to play and it's not happening right now, they've got to change what they’re doing right now to continue to get to the level that I need them to be."

Fletcher Page

[KJKobs]

An interesting blurb from Fletcher's article, especially since Cooper was mentioned after the two-deep was announced

So that it explains it…
More than a few eyebrows raised when the recent depth chart didn’t include sophomore linebacker Ralph Cooper as a backup. In his place were two true freshmen – Mason Monheim and Mike Svetina.

Some wondered if Cooper, who played in three games last year, was injured or in the doghouse.

Coach Tim Beckman provided an answer to the quandary Wednesday.

“I’m going to sit him for the first quarter for a discipline issue that I have,” Beckman said. “But he’ll be able play in the second quarter.”