Saturday Afternoon Gridiron Wrap: Illinois Football News for August 22-28

Illinois head football coach Ron Zook talks to his team at the end of a Camp Rantoul practice on Thursday, August 19, 2010.

AUGUST 28TH UPDATE: The injuries get worse for the Illini as sophomore cornerback Terry Hawthorne will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a stress fracture in his right foot, according to the News Gazette’s Bob Asmussen. Unbelievable.

Just 7 days from the season opener against Missouri in St. Louis, the Illinois Fighting Illini football team is coming off a tough week during which sophomore defensive back Walter Aikens was dismissed from the team, junior safety Supo Sanni was lost for the season with a torn Achilles, and starting fullback Zach Becker injured for the first three games with a stress fracture in his foot.

If there’s any consolation for Illinois fans, Missouri is also dealing with some off-the-field issues heading into the Arch Rivalry, as detailed in this comprehensive Fighting Illini football wrap for the passing week.

WRITING ILLINI FOOTBALL NEWS

→ ASSUMING THE POSITION: BREAKING DOWN THE FIGHTING ILLINI SPECIAL TEAMS

→ WRITING ILLINI’S FAVE 5 (TIMES 2) OFFENSIVE PICS FROM CAMP RANTOUL

→ ASSUMING THE POSITION: BREAKING DOWN THE FIGHTING ILLINI DEFENSIVE BACKS

ILLINI PLAYER NEWS

#2 Nathan Scheelhaase

→ LOREN TATE: TOUGH TO FIND QB KEEPER

#5 Mikel Leshoure

→ ILLINI RB LESHOURE UP FOR DOAK WALKER AWARD

→ ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, NOTRE DAME, OHIO STATE & PENN STATE RBS NAMED TO AWARD LIST

→ LESHOURE HOPES TO CHAIR ILLINI RB COMMITTEE

→ BOB’S BLITZ: LESHOURE SHINES

#7 Supo Sanni

→ ILLINI SCRAMBLE TO FIND DEFENSIVE BACK DEPTH

→ HF GRAD SUPO SANNI HURT, TO MISS ILLINI SEASON

→ ILLINOIS’ SUPO SANNI OUT FOR SEASON

→ SANNI LOST FOR THE SEASON

→ FIGHTING ILLINI LOSE STARTING SAFETY

→ SAFETY SANNI OUT FOR SEASON

→ ILLINI LOSE STARTING SAFETY TO INJURY

#11 Jarred Fayson

→ FAYSON HOPING TO SAVE BEST FOR LAST

#14 Walter Aikens

→ AIKENS DISMISSED FROM UI

#41 Zack Becker

→ ILLINI’S ZACH BECKER TO MISS FIRST THREE GAMES

#72 Hugh Thornton

→ SEVERAL LOCAL PLAYERS MAKING AN IMPACT IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

#78 Ryan Palmer

→ RYAN PALMER PROVING VALUABLE AT TACKLE

→ RYAN PALMER AND RANDALL HUNT: BIGGER AND BADDER

ILLINI COACHING NEWS

Head Coach Ron Zook

→ RON ZOOK SEASON PREVIEW INTERVIEW

→ FIVE VETERAN COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT

→ THE MAGIC NUMBERS FOR “HOT SEAT” COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES

Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino

→ WHEN PETRINO TALKS, EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN

Running Backs Coach DeAndre Smith

→ DEANDRE SMITH HAS RUNNING BACK TALENT

Volunteer Coach Dave Jacobs

→ ILLINOIS NOTEBOOK: COACH DAVE JACOBS ‘HAVING A BLAST’

ILLINI TEAM NEWS

→ ILLINOIS-NORTHWESTERN GAME TO BE CALLED ALLSTATE WRIGLEYVILLE CLASSIC

→ NU, CUBS ANNOUNCE TITLE SPONSOR FOR WRIGLEY FIELD FOOTBALL GAME

→ ALLSTATE TO SPONSOR WRIGLEY COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME

→ TRUE FRESHMEN SET TO MAKE EARLY IMPACT

→ NUGGETS FROM ILLINOIS PRACTICE

→ ILLINI FOOTBALL RETURNS TO CAMPUS

→ ILLINI PLAYMAKERS EMERGE ON DEFENSE

→ FIRST-TEAM UNITS HOLD UP WELL

→ ILLINI HAVE PRODUCTIVE SCRIMMAGE ON CAMPUS

→ ILLINI CLOSE CAMP RANTOUL WITH SCRIMMAGE AT MEMORIAL STADIUM

→ FIGHTING ILLINI OFFENSIVE LINE TAKING SHAPE

→ ILLINI’S DEFENSE SHOWS IMPROVEMENT

→ GETTING DEFENSIVE – LITERALLY

→ 2010 ILLINOIS FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS

→ ILLINI PRIDE KICKS OFF YEAR, EXPECTS RECORD MEMBERSHIP

→ GOING OUT ON A LIMB: PREDICTIONS FOR THE COMING ILLINI FOOTBALL SEASON

NEXT ILLINI OPPONENT NEWS

Missouri Tigers

→ MIZZOU RB/CAPTAIN DERRICK WASHINGTON WILL MISS AT LEAST ILLINI GAME

→ MIZZOU’S GABBERT NEEDS NEW TARGETS THIS SEASON

→ MISSOURI SUSPENDS RB DERRICK WASHINGTON INDEFINITELY

→ MISSOURI LINEBACKER WILL EBNER ARRESTED

ILLINI RECRUITING NEWS

Reilly O’Toole

→ READY FOR PRIME TIME: ILLINI RECRUIT O’TOOLE, TIGERS HOPE SUMMER SUCCESS TRANSLATES

Martin Aiken

→ JUNIOR D-LINEMAN EAGER TO CHECK OUT ILLINI

FORMER ILLINI NEWS

Michael Hoomanawanui

→ HOOMANAWANUI HAS BIG NIGHT

→ EX-ILLINI TIGHT END GETS LOOK AT FULLBACK

Jon Asamoah

→ GETTING TO KNOW KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 2010 DRAFT PICK JON ASAMOAH

BIG TEN NEWS

→ CHICAGO TRIBUNE: MICHIGAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW

→ CHICAGO TRIBUNE: WISCONSIN FOOTBALL PREVIEW

→ CHICAGO TRIBUNE: PENN STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW

→ CHICAGO TRIBUNE: MINNESOTA FOOTBALL PREVIEW

→ CHICAGO TRIBUNE: OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW

→ CHICAGO TRIBUNE: INDIANA FOOTBALL PREVIEW

→ BIG 10 PREDICTIONS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY VOLUME 2

→ COACHING HOT SEAT SIMMERING EARLY IN BIG TEN CONFERENCE

→ COLLEGE FOOTBALL ZEALOTS: BIG TEN PREVIEW

→ ESPN CLEVELAND BIG TEN 2010 CONFERENCE PREVIEW

→ FOUR PIVOTAL BIG TEN GAMES

→ BIG TEN PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2010 SEASON

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

→ WRITERS STRIP USC OF TROPHY AWARDED FOR 2004 SEASON

→ COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW TIME

→ SIX COACHES WHO NEED TO WIN OR ELSE

→ OREGON DUCKS ARE FAVORED TO REPEAT AS PAC-10 CHAMPIONS