Dave C.,
Like with all young guys, there are going to be mistakes. But Martez is such a good athlete that he can overcome those mistakes.
From a technical/mental standpoint, he's a different guy than he was in the spring. Much, much better. Of course, that doesn't mean he will be perfect. He will miss assignments, just like all young guys. What he gives Illinois that few other teams in the Big Ten have is a guy who can make spectacular plays and turn a game. I won't be shocked if he intercepts a pass Saturday and takes it back for a touchdown. Wonder if he'll do the forward flip into the end zone like he did in high school?

Kyle,
Ron Zook cleared it up today. Brian Gamble and Mark Jackson are done. Patrick Nixon is returning to Florida to work on his test score. Evan Frierson is practicing with the team. Zook said he he is hopeful Jack Ramsey will get cleared.
Ramsey was really good in early training camp before he had to leave. I think he did enough that if he is able to return soon he can still help Illinois at receiver this season.
I think it will be more difficult for Frierson to get up to speed on defense.

Kevin,

For the Eastern Illinois game, there are 3,000 tickets left. For the Louisiana-Lafayette game, there are 4,500 seats available.
If Illinois beats Missouri on Saturday, all those tickets will be gone in a hurry. Even without a win against the Tigers, I think the opener will likely be sold out.

Illini1973,
Ron Zook doesn't like to have his scholarship totals out there, thinking it will help opponents in recruiting. He has a point. If another school thinks Illinois is close to the 85 limit, it can tell a recruit that there isn't room.
Gamble and Jackson shouldn't count against the scholarship limit. I'm not sure about Greg McClendon, who just left the team.
Long snapper Tad Keely is going on scholarship. If Derek Dimke isn't on scholarship, he's close. So is Anthony Santella.

Gregg,
Rahkeem Smith worked on catching the ball during the summer and it showed in training camp. I think he'll do fine, but Weil was one of the most underappreciated guys on the team. Look at the big runs by Illinois against Ohio State and you'll see Weil making a key block.
With Mike Locksley, I wouldn't be surprised to see all three in the backfield at once. He will do anything and the players are working hard at being versatile.

Ryan,

You would think Illinois will be able to get pressure on Daniel, especially if it attacks the left side of the Missouri line. From what I hear, the Missouri coaches aren't thrilled with the line play.
Illinois is loaded with both talent and experience on the defensive line. And Missouri looks a little shaky. You'll know early in the game how it's going. If Illinois drops a tailback in the backfield early, you'll know that Illinois is winning up front. Being able to rotate players is another advantage for Illinois.
The Illinois defense got to Daniel last year, hitting him often. But the clever quarterback had already gotten rid of the ball most of the time.

Jimmy,

I was up there three weeks ago. It looks great and it will be a nice change.

I'll really appreciate it when the weather is extreme. In the old box, the place was either freezing cold or steaming hot. Now, there is climate control.

The Big Ten now has mostly new pressboxes. One of the old ones is at Penn State, which fixed everything but where the media works. And I thought Joe Paterno was our friend.

Marcus,

Martez Wilson, Ian Thomas and this year's freshmen will be back. I think you hit it on the head about the junior college help.
Something else to think about: With the number of spread teams Illinois plays, how often will the team actually need three linebackers? Not very often. So, depth at safety might be just as important.

Shane,
Third down: This could be the time Jason Ford and Mikel Leshoure are on the field most. The problem is that the coaches haven't seen them in a game and will be nervous about playing them in such a crucial spot. So, Daniel Dufrene early, followed by the freshmen.
Red zone: Though he isn't as big as last year's starter, Dufrene wants the ball near the goal line.
Passing: Illinois wants its backs to be able to catch the ball. They all look like they can handle the work, but I think Troy Pollard and Dufrene are the first options.

Kendall,
I don't think the job is locked up. I asked Ron Zook about it today and he isn't sure what he is going to do.
I'm guessing Dimke gets the first shot, followed by the two Matts, Eller and Brandabur.
Long term, Dimke can be as good as Jason Reda. But remember that Reda struggled some as a freshman.
I think of all the jobs asked of freshmen, kicking is the most reasonable to expect them to handle. It's technique and practice, with very little variables. It's hard, of course, but I don't think the age is as important as the mental makeup. From the sounds of things, Dimke is very good with the mental part and has prepared himself for this job.

BW,
Of course, the Missouri defense will do what it can to get in Williams' head. But he is so much better at handling the offense that it might not work.
Watching him late last season, you saw a guy who had figured it out. Now, add eight months of work to that.

Grady,

You made me look. I'll check it out today when I'm over there and put it in tonight's blog. I think they are still yellow, though.

Great work, Grady. But I'll still go in the stadium to check on the construction progress.

Jeff,

He has looked very good to me, but I haven't charted him every kick like the coaches do. I think the coaches feel like he will be steady and improve each year.

Ben,

You are reading my mind. Although I can change my mind, and often do, I'm going with Missouri 34-31 on a last-second field goal. Bottom line, it will be a great game and either team can win.

Tom,

I've got one I know for sure who will contribute: fullback Zach Becker. He is from St. Joseph-Ogden and is listed second on the depth chart.

Tim,

I count seven wins that I would say are pretty close to locks: Eastern Illinois, Louisiana-Lafayette, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Western Michigan and Northwestern.
I put Missouri, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin in the tossup category. Illinois can win all of those games and lose all of those games. More likely, it will split the five.
So, mark down 10-2 for me, the two losses coming against Missouri and Ohio State.
Please, don't bet on my guess. My prediction history is awful.

Norm,

That's a great question that will require some research. I didn't realize what was different until you pointed it out. Thanks. I will get back to you.