To read Mike White's chat, click here.

For Wednesday's recap, click here.

For Tuesday's recap, click here.

Ron Zook's team continued practice Friday. A look:

TODAY'S NOTES

— Freshman cornerback Patrick Nixon-Youman suffered a torn abdominal muscle during Wednesday's practice that will require surgery.

"He's going to be OK," Illinois coach Ron Zook said. "It's an abdominal muscle that's pulled away from his pelvic bone. It's serious. The way it was explained to me is it's about the worst hernia you could get."

Zook said he thinks Nixon-Youman will be healthy for the 2009 season.

"I don't know all the particulars yet, but I think we're going to get him back for the fall," Zook said.

— Former Illini offensive lineman Dave Diehl got to use a facility he helped pay for Friday, working out in the new football weight room. Diehl donated $350,000 for equipment.

"It was an awesome opportunity to be able to go down there and actually use it," said Diehl, a Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants. "This is truly an honor to be able to give back to this great organization and this great university."

— Zook will stick with his earlier plan and split the team into equal parts for today's game. The team had an hourlong walkthrough practice Friday afternoon.

"I think it will be kind of an exciting time," Zook said.

— Illinois quarterback Juice Williams is looking forward to his final spring scrimmage.

"I'm going to take it slow since it's the last time I'm going to do this," Williams said. "It should be fun."

— His time was limited his first season. Four games, 33 snaps, no statistics.

It wasn’t the kind of college start many expected for Cordale Scott. The highly touted receiver from Cleveland Glenville, who turned down an offer from Ohio State, was supposed to have a big debut season.

Scott said he is fine with how it went.

“I knew coming into college there was going to be more pressure on me,” Scott said. “I didn’t expect to play as much as everybody expected during my freshman year. I came to get my feet wet, learn the system and figure it out like Coach Zook told me to.

“I wasn’t expected myself to come out here and have a Rejus Benn-type freshman year.”

Scott is enjoying his first spring practice session. Really.

“Actually, I thought it was going to be a little bit harder,” Scott said. “It’s always intense with Coach Zook, but I thought it was going to be more physical, more hitting. Coach Zook cares about us and he takes care of our bodies.”

Two areas of emphasis for Scott during the spring: blocking and catching.

“Working with Coach (Jim) Pry and our new offensive coordinator (Mike Schultz), they teach us new things, new techniques,” Scott said.

Scott can’t wait for the 2009 season, which includes two trips to Ohio.

“I’ve got a lot of friends and family coming to the games,” Scott said.

— With his move to middle linebacker, Martez Wilson said there is plenty of work to do between now and the start of the Camp Rantoul.

“Learning the defense more mentally,” Wilson said. “I still mess up a little on a few things that’s correctable. I’m going to stay in the film room and get our defense down.”

Wilson said the defense has improved in the second half of the spring.

“We realize we have a lot of talent on defense,” Wilson said. “We all need to come together. One of the things that’s helped us become good is running to the ball. That’s what is going to make us a good defense this season.”

TODAY’S QUOTES
— "I love all my teammates. Regardless of what I said, they're not going to change the team. I just try to roll with the punches and take what I've got," quarterback Juice Williams on whether or not he asked for specific players on his side for Saturday's spring game.

— “The thing we’ve got to continue to do on defense is try to play with some dadgum energy and emotion and get guys to do their jobs, learn what to do and do it all the time. When you’re young sometime they don’t always want to do what they’re supposed to do,” Illinois defensive coordinator Dan Disch.
— “We’ve got a new mindset. Coach (Mike) Schultz is all about the tempo. It’s all about going fast, going fast, getting that defense tired. It’s a lot different than last year with Coach (Mike) Locksley and Coach (Eric) Wolford,” offensive tackle Ryan Palmer.