Reading and listening to some of the predictions before the Illini battled the Missouri Tigers this past Saturday....you had the feeling that most Illinois fans were covering their eyes as the game kicked off in St. Louis...hoping for the best (a close game)... but fearing the worst (a Missouri blowout).  I had numerous people tell me that with a depleted Illini secondary and strong-armed Blaine Gabbert at the helm.....that the Tigers might score 60 points on Illinois. 

And based on the performance of last season (102 points allowed the last 2 games of the year)....they probably had reason to think that way.

But having talked to the new offensive and defensive coordinators this spring...and watching their work at Camp Rantoul...I had the sneaky feeling that both the offense and defense would be better than people might think..  Part of that comes from the excellent resumes that Paul Petrino and Vic Koenning bring to the table.  

But I also had the feeling that the Illini team would have a "professional" approach to both sides of the ball.  Solid fundamentals.  No unnecessary celebrating.  No cheap personal fouls. In other words: dont beat yourself...make the other team beat you.  I think.... for the most part... that is what we saw on Saturday.

Think about coming out on your first offensive series of the year and marching down the field for a 17-play, 9-minute drive.  Think about how the rearranged secondary held up pretty well considering the opponent.  Justin Green and Steve Hull showed that they belonged on the field.  In the first half... the Illini front line made the Mizzou QB move around a lot and kept him off balance.  Even on an early 2nd half Tiger  touchdown, Blaine Gabbert was running for his life and had to throw an off-balance touchdown pass to the very back of the endzone for the score.  Tip your cap to him on that one.

Also think about the drive at the end of the first half when redshirt freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase calmly got the Illini into field goal position with :04 seconds left to give Dimke a shot at a 52-yard field goal.  The young Kansas City quarterback also flashed his speed in the open field.

Before Saturday's game...how many people thought that Missouri would only have 3 points in the first half?  I bet I could have counted those people on one hand. Maybe no hands.

I realize there were issues that still plagued the Illini on Saturday.  The Tiger defense stuffed the Illini offense in the 2nd half and dared Scheelhaase to beat them passing.  He couldnt...throwing 3 interceptions. Sometimes he tried to do too much and forced plays and throws he didnt need to.   Learning how to overcome those mistakes will come with experience.  I know that in the press box at halftime....a lot of the Missouri people were raving about how much they liked Scheelhaase and how disappointed they were  that the Illini had him...and not the Tigers.

 When the Illini offense stalled...the defense had to spend more and more  time on the field and when Blaine Gabbert gets 50 chances to throw the football...he is likely to complete at least 40 of those 50 passes.  Eventually there are going to be some breakdowns.  It happens to a lot of teams that Missouri faces.

Also remember that despite the poor 3rd quarter...the Illini were still within one touchdown of catching the Tigers in the 4th quarter. And  had Mikel Leshoure been able to somehow keep his toes in bounds late in the game...who knows what might have happened in the final few minutes.

I think that those who looked at the game on Saturday... and thought that it was just more of the same type of things that happened last year...are missing something happening beneath the surface.  The Illini did get beat...and yes...that is the bottom line when all is said and done. 

I get that.

But I did see an improved football  team that showed signs that the new coordinators are getting their messages across.  I think that improvement will start to pay off  with some  victories as the year progresses.

Next up...the Southern Illinois Salukis on Saturday night at 6:30 pm at Memorial Stadium   The Big Ten Network's Howard Griffith returns to the scene of his remarkable 8-touchdown day.... 20 years ago against the Salukis.  Hard to believe that was 2 decades ago.

The Salukis will be dangerous...having scored 70 points in their first game and moving up to #2 in the FCS coaches poll.  The Illini cannot overlook them.  I dont think they will.

Dont forget...the Ron Zook Show...this Thursday night from Bromley Hall.  We will talk to you then!