MINNEAPOLIS -- A bowl bid is still an option. Not likely. But an option.
Illinois kept its slim postseason hopes alive Saturday, edging Minnesota 35-32 on a sunny day at TCF Bank Stadium. The Illini, who played most of the game without starting quarterback Juice Williams, dominated the first three quarters and held on for the win.
The Gophers made it interesting by returning a blocked punt for a touchdown with 3:05 left. But the Illini ran out the clock.
Jacob Charest finished 10 of 19 for 185 yards and a touchdown.
"As a coach you get a little nervous," UI coach Ron Zook told the Big Ten Network. "They turned it on when they had to do it."
Illinois hosts Northwestern next week. The Wildcats upset Iowa on Saturday.
Williams led the Illini to a touchdown on their opening drive, throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland to complete a 5 for 5 drive. Williams left the game for good with 3:50 left in the first quarter, suffering a left ankle injury on a run that resulted in a fumble.
Charest, who was likely to play anyway, came on in relief of Williams early in the second quarter. He wasn't able to move the Illini on his first drive. But he led the team to a pair of touchdowns late in the first half.
Charest, a redshirt freshman from North Carolina, completed 5 of 9 passes in the first half for 90 yards. He appeared calm in the pocket, moving to find room to throw.
For the second consecutive week, freshman cornerback Terry Hawthorne had an important play for the Illini defense. Last week, it was a rundown of a Michigan receiver to save a touchdown. On Saturday, it was an interception of Adam Weber that turned into six points when he easily went 44 yards. It was his first college score.
Leading 14-7 late in the first half, the Illini ended a 44-yard drive with Justin Green's 2-yard touchdown run. It was the freshman's second touchdown of his career.
The Illini got another short field late in the first half, taking over at Minnesota's 39 after a shanked punt. Despite a pair of turnovers against Illinois, Charest drove the team to the 1. Jason Ford bulled in with one second left in the half to give the Illini a 28-7 lead. The Gophers were loudly booed as they went to their locker room at half.
Minnesota kicked a field goal on its first drive of the second half to cut the margin to 28-10. The Gophers had the ball at the Illinois 1, but a sack by Clay Nurse pushed them back.
Illinois went on a long drive midway through the third quarter. But the series ended when Matt Eller missed a 45-yard field goal.
The Gophers got closer early in the fourth quarter on Weber's 10-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jon Hoese. Illinois wasn't able to move on its next drive, forcing a punt.
Hoese scored on the next drive, plowing in from the 3 to cut the lead to 28-23. The Gophers converted a two-point conversion pass to make a three-point game. But Charest led a 60-yard drive, including a 42-yard pass to former quarterback Eddie McGee, that gave the Illini a 35-25 lead with 5:10 left.
Arrelious Benn had his first receiving touchdown of the year on a pass from the 4. His last was against Indiana in 2008.
Illinois 35, Minnesota 32, 3:05 left
The Gophers just scored on a blocked punt. Illinois is trying to run out the time. I'm going to the field. I'll have an update the second the game ends. If it ever does.
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 25, 9:13 in the third quarter:
Adam Weber is 9 of 12 in the second half for 147 yards in the second half. He made some positive changes at halftime. So have the Gophers, who are back in the game.
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 17, 10:28 in the fourth quarter:
The game is getting interesting, with Minnesota on another drive. Illinois isn't getting to Adam Weber as much as earlier in the game and Weber is hitting open receivers in stride.
Weber is now 14 of 29 for 217 yards. And the Minnesota running game is working well, too.
Second halves must not be good for Michigan, which is now losing 38-30 to Purdue. At home. Buh-bye Coach Rodriguez.
Northwestern is holding on to its lead against Iowa. The Wildcats didn't look like a team capable of playing well against the Hawkeyes. Pat Fitzgerald must have had a good week with his team, which has given Iowa fits in recent years. Ricky Stanzi is apparently out of the game for the Hawkeyes, though he threw five interceptions last week against Indiana.
Wisconsin is winning again, beating plucky Indiana by three. The Hoosiers have shown signs of life in recent weeks, but seem to run out of gas each week.
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 10, end of the third quarter:
The Gophers are on another march at the end of the quarter, but are hurting themselves with drops and missed blocks. Adam Weber has run six times for minus-47 yards, a number that won't lead to many wins.
Neither team is running the ball very well. Illinois has just 69 yards on the ground against a soft Minnesota defense. The Gophers have 50 yards.
Adam Weber is 9 of 23 for 134 yards with one interception. He can get hot in a hurry and has whatever wind is blowing with him in the fourth quarter.
Jacob Charest is 8 of 15 for 139 yards. A pretty good effort. I don't believe his parents made the drive from the Charlotte area to Minneapolis. But there's a good bet they will be in town for Northwestern.
Just spotted Juice Williams on the sidelines with crutches. He is not coming back in and we'll have to see about next week.
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 10, 7:01 in the third quarter:
Somewhere in San Diego, J Leman is having breakfast with a big smile on his face.
The former Illini linebacker was picked up earlier in the week by the San Diego Chargers and is on the team's practice squad. He was released in October by Philadelphia and spent a happy week with the Big Ten Network working the Illinois-Michigan game.
But his broadcasting career has been pushed aside again by his continued pursuit of an NFL career.
"I did have some good talks with Coach (Ron) Rivera, their defensive coordinator, at the combine," Leman said. "He told me he liked me coming out of college. It just worked out that they were a little bit banged up at linebacker and I was available. It's a good opportunity."
Leman has to keep his bags packed.
"I've done my fair share of traveling the last two years," Leman said.
Leman is hoping to get a spot on the active roster, either with the Chargers or another team.
"If another team picks you up, it has to be on the active roster," Leman said. "You can't go from practice squad to practice squad."
Leman doesn't hold grudges against teams that let him go. He has been with the Vikings, Panthers and Eagles.
"I like the guys I've met on every team," Leman said. "I always keep an eye on how they're doing."
Leman will eventually have an option to go back to the Big Ten Network.
"I'm always on call for them if I'm not working for a team," Leman said.
Today, he was looking for someplace to watch the Big Ten Network to see Illinois.
"These hotels are notorious for having 20 channels," Leman said. "They don't have the Big Ten Network. I'm sure there's a sports bar somewhere that has the Big Ten Network on."
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 10, 8:57 in the third quarter:
Minnesota must have had a good time in the locker room. The Gophers came out and stormed down the field, using a nice combination of runs and passes. Adam Weber was 2 of 3 on the drive for 39 yards.
But Clay Nurse stopped the drive with a sack and Terry Hawthorne knocked away a pass in the end zone, forcing the Gophers to settle for a short field goal. Illinois continues to lead by three quarters, which is important for a young team.
Around the Big Ten, Purdue is coming back against Michigan and Northwestern continues to lead Iowa.
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 7, start of the third quarter:
Kent Youngblood, who covers Minnesota football for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, said TCF Bank Stadium has been good for the Gophers.
"Right from the get-go, the whole atmosphere has changed," Youngblood said. "It's been really loud considering the size of the stadium."
But what will happen in the future at the stadium?
"Whether it carries on depends on if they win," Youngblood said. "If they are a competitive team, this place will stay full. Minnesotans don't put up with losers long and if they don't have a competitive program, you'll see empty seats here as early as next year."
Tim Brewster got a big win last weekend against Michigan State, Youngblood said.
"They are in position to win seven or eight games," Youngblood said. "Given the schedule they've played that would be a step forward from last year.
"There have been some questions about off-field issues and discipline on the team. But winning and losing, you can look at it and say the team is getting more competitive every year."
Brewster has had a lot of turnover on his coaching staff.
"They've had musical coordinators here for years, even under Glen Mason," Youngblood said.
Youngblood said he has been impressed by Adam Weber's reaction to criticism.
"He hasn't complained about anything," Youngblood said.
***
Illinois 28, Minnesota 7, halftime:
A week ago, the Illinois fans booed their team at halftime as it didn't try to move the ball in the final minutes. They would have liked what their team did just now, overcoming their own mistakes to score a touchdown with one second left in the half.
Jacob Charest is looking very comfortable now. He is 5 of 9 for 90 yards and two of the incompletions were dropped by Jeff Cumberland. Combine that with Juice Williams going 5 for 5 and the Illini are 10 of 14 for 143 yards.
The Illini have a 206-81 yard advantage. The Minnesota fans were loudly booing the Gophers as the team ran off the field. Tim Brewster's team gets the ball to start the second half and better move, or it will be a quick exit for the fans.
I haven't seen Illinois play this well against a bowl-bound team since last week against Michigan. Before that, you have to go back to Iowa in 2008.
Next week's game against Northwestern looks interesting. The Wildcats are leading Iowa at halftime. That's a huge surprise. Michigan is bouncing back against Purdue, winning by 14 points. And Michigan State is about to move within a game of bowl eligibility, leading Western Michigan by 35 points. Wisconsin is up 10 against Indiana. No shocker there.
***
Illinois 21, Minnesota 7, 1:58 in the second quarter:
Jacob Charest has his first touchdown drive, thanks to the Illinois defense, Arrelious Benn and Justin Green.
The defense forced Minnesota to punt from its end zone and the Illini took over at their 44. Those who question Arrelious Benn got a "take that" when he held onto a 31-yard pass despite getting clobbered by two Gophers. Minnesota got called for a personal foul penalty.
Little-used freshman Justin Green sprinted into the end zone for the touchdown from the 2.
The Gophers are going backward on offense and angering their fans, who don't like runs into the middle. Sound familiar?
Illinois has 142 yards to just 85 for Minnesota. Weber just got sacked again by Clay Nurse. The Minnesota quarterback must have said something bad about cricket.
The wheels have fallen off for the Gophers, who just shanked a punt. The halftime break can't come soon enough for Minnesota, which gets the ball to start the second half.
Williams is back on the sidelines. And Benn is back on the field. Trickeration for the Illini, with Jarred Fayson throwing an option pass. He thinks he is one of the best throwing nonquarterbacks on the team. Didn't look like it on that wobbler.
***
Illinois 14, Minnesota 7, 5:20 in the second quarter:
Sometimes, the statistics don't tell the whole story. Like when a quarterback throws a good pass and the receiver drops the ball. That's what happened to Jacob Charest, who had a first down throw that Jeff Cumberland dropped, ending Illinois' second drive with the redshirt freshman.
Charest is 0 for 3. One was because of pressure where he had no chance. One was dropped and one was a bad pass. So, he's really 0 for 1.
Adam Weber is throwing better, but he isn't moving very well in the backfield. He has three runs for minus-28 yards. And after his last incompletion, the Minnesota fans let out a loud boo. Another bad pass and more boos. And another good play by Terry Hawthorne, who probably should tone down the celebration a bit.
***
Illinois 14, Minnesota 7, 7:48 in the second quarter:
Juice Williams, who is 5 of 5 today, is in the locker room because of an ankle injury. His status is questionable.
Adam Weber is 5 of 14 for 74 yards and an interception. But he has the Gophers moving. He is throwing the ball too long and it is clear he misses Eric Decker.
The Illinois defense continues to get steady pressure against Minnesota. But the Gophers are countering with runs.
Former News-Gazette All-Stater Brandon Green is having a good game with two catches for 26 yards.
It's surprising the Gophers aren't in more of a hurry on offense. They seem to take their time at the line, which has to interrupt the flow of the drives.
If Illinois is going to win this game, it will be in large part because of the defense. Without Juice Williams, the offense will be scaled back a bit.
Illinois still has an edge in yardage, but the gap is narrowing.
There is a section full of Illinois fans in one end of the press box. They are making a lot of noise. Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther is sitting in the regular press section.
***
Illinois 14, Minnesota 0, 12:01 in second quarter:
Jacob Charest is in the game at quarterback for Illinois and Juice Williams is out with a left ankle injury. His status for the remainder of the game is questionable.
Don't expect the Illini to get too tricky here. They want to help Charest get comfortable. Jon Asamoah didn't help, picking up a false start penalty.
Marcus Jackson tells me that Ron Johnson, the analyst and former Minnesota football player, is struggling on the telecast. He uses a different word that struggle.
Adam Weber looks like he wants to be playing somewhere else. Like Minnesota-Duluth (wouldn't have to change school colors).
Jack Ramsey just made a smart play, the former News-Gazette All-State quarterback faking like he was going to catch a punt, then running away at the last second as it bounced into the end zone. That saved Illinois 10 yards.
***
Illinois 14, Minnesota 0, end of first quarter:
Quick stats:
Juice Williams 5 of 5 passing for 53 yards and a touchdown. All on the first drive. Not sure what his status is.
Illinois has six first down to three for the Gophers. Illinois has 98 yards and Minnesota has 20. And Adam Weber gave Illinois a touchdown with his shaky throw to Terry Hawthorne.
The Illinois defense is playing very well. Getting pressure without blitzing and covering well. The pass interference that just got called on Nate Bussey wasn't clearcut.
Around the Big Ten: Michigan State and Iowa rolling. No surprise.
***
Illinois 14, Minnesota 0, 56 seconds in the first quarter:
Terry Hawthorne did what we thought he might when he got his hands on the ball, intercepting an Adam Weber pass and returning it for a touchdown. Two words to describe the 2008 News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year: potential superstar. He celebrated. A lot. He might not be done.
Minnesota is off to a rough start on offense. The kind that gets the crowd groaning.
Juice Williams is struggling on the sidelines. He has his left cleats and socks off. Looks like it is his ankle and that he is getting a new tape job. Eddie McGee is talking to him.
Adam Weber isn't having a great first half. He is 2 of 6 for 17 yards. He isn't getting a lot of help from the offensive line, which is letting the Illini into the backfield.
***
Illinois 7, Minnesota 0, 3:50 in first quarter:
Juice Williams just got helped off the field after fumbling at the Minnesota 20. He seems to be favoring his left leg. We will let you know what we can, but Jacob Charest is warming up.
Josh Brent gave the offense great field position with a forced fumble and recovery at the Minnesota 33. Brent forced two fumbles against Michigan.
***
Illinois 7, Minnesota 0, 4:58 in first quarter:
Illinois turned conservative on its second drive, not throwing a pass and punting after one first down. Juice Williams has minus-5 yards rushing, while Jason Ford continues to lead the Illini with 26 yards.
Very few Illinois players are sitting on the heated seats the school rented for $3,000. The way the guys look standing in the sun, they might be better off with one of those Cool Zones that sprays the cold water.
The Minnesota players are filling their heated seats, but they are in the shade.
The crowd is still very thin. Not much traffic outside.
***
Illinois 7, Minnesota 0, 8:45 in first quarter:
Juice Williams got off to a good start, hitting 5 of 5 passes in the opening touchdown drive for 53 yards, including a 22-yard scoring pass to Jeff Cumberland. Minnesota is going to have a huge problem with Cumberland. Williams just opened up the running game for the Illini.
Jason Ford started in place of Mikel Leshoure and had three runs on the drive for 26 yards. Leshoure was on the field late in the drive, so I don't think he was being punished. The coaches must have been happy with the way Ford practiced, because the plan was to start him.
The stadium has loads of empty seats and Illinois did the best thing it could on the opening drive. The fans were not loud as the drive continued.
Williams, by my calculations, is on pace for a 700-yard game.
Donsay Hardeman is starting at safety after missing two games. Corey Liuget is also starting. Hopefully, you got to read his entertaining Q&A.
***
5 minutes before kickoff:
Here are some quick predictions from the smallish group of reporters covering the game from Illnois:
Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune: Minnesota 35, Illinois 13
Herb Gould, Chicago Sun-Times: Minnesota 31, Illinois 21
John Supinie, Gatehouse: Minnesota 27, Illinois 24.
Bob Asmussen, News-Gazette: Minnesota 35, Illinois 28.
Something nice they do here: They have the national anthem with the players on the field. I like that.
The parachutists landed successfully at midfield.
***
20 minutes before kickoff:
Here is what I'm expecting today:
-- Loads of offense. That's more a knock on the defenses, which have struggled to stop much of anybody. Adam Weber and Juice Williams are coming off of good games and should continue their runs. Williams has always played well against Minnesota.
-- A big day from Arrelious Benn. I'm going to stick with this prediction until it comes true. I'm watching him in warmups and he looks good. No limp. No hesitation. He's going to get the ball. The weather, with almost no wind, will help.
-- Another big day for Mikel Leshoure. I think he will get his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game. The competition will be part of it, but Leshoure is running at a different level than everybody else on his team.
-- A surprise performance by an Illinois freshman. Maybe go with defensive end Michael Buchanan, who had a big play nullified against Michigan because of a face mask penalty. He is a talented player who will show it one of these days.
-- Lot of noise from the loudspeaker, which is at a rock concert level. Not as sure about the fans, who are arriving very slowly. Again, on a perfect day, you can see some of them deciding to hang somewhere else. But the beauty of TCF Bank Stadium, unlike the Metrodome, is you can watch football and enjoy the weather.
-- A last-second drive to end the first half. Not sure by which team. If Illinois has the ball late, look for it to try to move the ball. The booing last week had an impact.
-- A more open Illinois offense. More passing. Maybe even some trick plays. Seriously.
***
40 minutes before kickoff:
There are three bowls represented here today, with scouts from the Capital One, Champs Sports and Alamo in attendance. If Minnesota wins today, it is going to somewhere. After last season, Minnesota earned a spot in the Insight Bowl, where it lost to Kansas by 21.
Many bowl prognosticators have a six-win Minnesota team going to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit. The Insight isn't likely to want the Gophers back. That the Alamo Bowl is here today might be significant. This will be the last year in San Antonio for a Big Ten team.
One of the bowls in the Big Ten alignment after the 2010 season is the Dallas Football Classic, which will be played at the Cotton Bowl. The Big Ten will get alternating opponents in the bowl, playing a team from the Big 12 on Jan. 1, 2011 and 2013. It will be a Conference USA opponent for the Big Ten in 2012 and 2014.
Minnesota coach Tim Brewster wants his team to play in better bowls each season. He's trying to make the Gophers more attractive by playing a better nonconference schedule. This season, Minnesota played Air Force and California. In 2010, Southern Cal visits TCF Bank Stadium. The Gophers return the trip to Los Angeles in 2011. In 2012, Colorado will visit Minneapolis. So will Syracuse. Minnesota goes to Colorado in 2013. Not all of the games are challenges. South Dakota and North Dakota State are visiting TCF Bank Stadium in the next two seasons.
The crowd is slowly starting to file in on a sun-drenched morning. Some of the students rushed to their seats in the east end zone.
Of course, on a perfect weekend, many in the Twin Cities headed north to take one last visit to their cabins and lake houses. The traffic going toward Duluth on Friday afternoon was packed, many of the trucks pulling boats and campers. Folks in the Twin Cities will travel two to five hours each weekend to their homes away from home, on the endless supply (OK, 10,000) of lakes in the state.
The teams are on the field. Illinois is wearing white jerseys and white pants. The Gophers are in all-maroon.
One feature of the stadium I forgot to mention earlier is the giant painted "M" and Minnesota in the stands on each side of the stadium. The letters are in gold and the seats are maroon. It's a cool look, especially when the seats are empty.
Minnesota sportswriting legend Sid Hartman just arrived in the press box. He has a good relationship with Tim Brewster, who admires the 90-year-old's work ethic.
***
1 hour before kickoff:
If you look at the announcer lineups for today's game, you might have notice what looks like a mistake. Listed after play-by-play announcer Matt Rosen are Ron Johnson and Ron Johnson. A typing disorder? Hardly. There are two Ron Johnsons working today's game.
Ron Johnson the analyst is a former star receiver with Minnesota, who played for Glen Mason from 1998-2001. He holds the school records for catches and receiving yards. A fourth-round draft pick, Johnson spent three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Ron Johnson the sideline reporter is a local television personality, who has covered sports in the Twin Cities for years.
The two have never worked together before today. The Big Ten Network will have a lot of fun with it, using a "Tale of the Tape" to show the differences between the two.
"For years, people have come up to me and told me how great it was to watch me play and commented on my career," said Ron Johnson, not the football player. "It would take me a second to figure out what they were talking about. They would think I was joking with them and just trying to be humble. It took me a few minutes to actually convince them I wasn't the person they were talking about."
Johnson, the non-football player, grew up in the Twin Cities and is "a little bit older than the other Ron Johnson." A high school football player, sideline Ron Johnson went to St. Cloud State.
"He's from Detroit," Johnson said. "There are a lot of things that are different about us."
Ron Johnson, the former Minnesota football player, got a call from a friend one time asking him "When did you start broadcasting hockey?" It was, of course, sideline Ron Johnson handling the Minnesota Wild telecast.
"He was getting it a little bit too," sideline Ron Johnson said.
Sideline Ron Johnson said today's game is big for both teams. For Illinois, it's a chance to remain in contention for bowl eligibility. For Minnesota, it's a chance to get bowl eligible.
"Coach (Tim) Brewster told me yesterday he's got bigger goals than just winning six games," Johnson said.
One more point to the Ron Johnson story: the producer of today's game is Steve Johnson.
***
1:20 before kickoff:
One more piece of injury news: Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins, who has a knee injury, didn't make the trip. That means more Jack Ramsey and Eddie McGee. Wonder if the Illini worked Terry Hawthorne at receiver this week? Would have been a good idea.
Let's help clear the confusion on the Big Ten Network schedule today ... if possible.
In Champaign-Urbana, the Illinois-Minnesota game is the primary telecast and should be on your usual Big Ten Network channel (66 or 958 HD). Purdue-Michigan (692), Western Michigan-Michigan State (694) and Wisconsin-Indiana (693) are on alternate channels. Let me know if all is where the Big Ten Network says it will be.
It gets a bit trickier for DirecTV and DISH Network owners. Here are the DirecTV channels for today's Big Ten games:
PURDUE at MICHIGAN: channel 610 or 610 (HD)
WISCONSIN at INDIANA: channel 611 or 611-1 (HD)
ILLINOIS at MINNESOTA: channel 615 or 615-1 (HD)
WESTERN MICHIGAN at MICHIGAN STATE: channel 612 or 612-1 (HD)
And here are the DISH channels:
PURDUE at MICHIGAN: channel 439 or 9500 (HD)
WISCONSIN at INDIANA: channel 5440 or 9501 (HD)
ILLINOIS at MINNESOTA: channel 5442 or 9503 (HD)
WESTERN MICHIGAN at MICHIGAN STATE: channel 5441 or 9502 (HD)
***
1:40 before kickoff:
Some quick impressions of the stadium:
-- The Minnesota players enter the stadium from one end and walk across the field toward their locker room. Several of the players went to the stands to high-five the fans, who are allowed in two hours before the game.
-- They have completed the sports complex at the school, with Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena (home to Minnesota hockey) across the street. From TCF Bank Stadium, there is a great view of Williams Arena and the Minneapolis skyline. That shows me that a lot of thought went into the stadium.
-- Normally, stadiums run north to south. Not this one. It goes east to west to take advantage of the view. No other stadium in the Big Ten goes east to west. The old Minnesota stadium, Memorial Stadium, also went east to west. They do things different in Minnesota.
-- At the west end of the stadium, there is an open area, with trees and a large patio. There are no plans to ever fill in the area. Nearby, there are areas dedicated to Native Americans and war veterans.
-- Nobody gets left out at TCF Bank Stadium. On the outside wall, the name of every county in the state is cut in with large letters. It will make for easy pregame and postgame congregation spots for fans. "Meet me at Jackson County," or something like that.
-- The stadium seats 50,720. For now. The stadium can easily be expanded by as many as 30,000 seats. A third deck would be created and the concourses are already in place. If Minnesota wants to add a lesser number of seats, say 10,000 or so, it can be done without disrupting the plans to expand further.
-- Don't take this as a complain, but the press area isn't exactly in prime real estate, with the print reporters up high in the south east corner of the stadium. The News-Gazette seats are actually beyond the end zone. It's the reality for new and reconstructed buildings. If you put up a giant structure, you are going to give the seats at the 50 to the folks who pay the big bucks. That's what any of us would do. The press area is state of the art, with giant television screens throughout. So, again, this is not a complaint.
parachutes
-- The folks at Minnesota were very aggressive in their use of the area below the stands. There isn't any wasted space, so it's a little bit of a maze. The place is going to be very popular for visitors with the giant locker rooms.
***
2 hours before kickoff:
Welcome to another live story. This is the first from the new outdoor home of Minnesota football.
We'll get to some news first. Jeff Cumberland is going to start at tight end for Illinois today. And play a lot. Michael Hoomawanui (ankle) and Hubie Graham (back) did not make the trip.
It might be a good thing for Illinois. Cumberland is more effective from the tight end spot than from receiver. He will be matched against linebackers, which is a big advantage for him. Look for Illinois to throw him the ball early and often.
Of course, you would think Tim Brewster's teams would know how to cover tight ends. Brewster was a star at the position at Illinois. But it doesn't always work that way.
With the top two tight ends out, you will also see more of London Davis and Zach Becker. Davis is a talented player who didn't get on the field until last week.
A couple of other injury notes: safety Donsay Hardeman did make the trip. Not sure how much he'll play. And receiver Jarred Fayson is back after missing time. With Cumberland moving to tight end, the Illinois receivers need Fayson back on the field.
About 45 minutes ago, a couple of parachutists practiced landing at midfield. One brought a ball and one brought the American flag. The landings were both pretty good on what looks like a perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky and temperatures are supposed to hit the low 60s.
Bob: The bowl bid is not an option--it's a possibility. An option involves making a choice. The only way choice enters into this is if UI is offered a bowl bid and can either accept or reject (has anyone rejected a bowl bid in the last 20 years or so?). By the way, last year several "bowl elligible" teams did not receive a bid.
Also, why does UI have 2 players with the same number (12)? Hawathorne and Charest.
Posted by on November 8, 2009 at 5:06 PM | Suggest Removal
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