Football

The Illinois Fighting Illini Football team is primarily covered on WritingIllini.com by Nick Houska, a UI junior who is majoring in engineering and has been following the football program since he can remember.

Writing Illini Football Sections

• Assuming the Position — Breaks down the Illini’s 2010 depth chart.
• Fighting the Fighting Illini — Previews Illinois’ next opponent.
• Football Field Forecasts — Makes predictions on upcoming Illinois games.
• Game Balls and Catcalls — Post-game analysis of Illini wins and losses.
• Gameday Binoculars — Live blog and Twitter updates during Illini games.
• Saturday Afternoon Gridiron Wrap — Catches up on the week’s latest Illinois football news.
• Pro-Style Pigskins — Follows former Illinois players currently in the NFL.

2010 Schedule

Sept. 4 – Missouri – Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO – 11:30 am CT – 23-13 (L) (0-1, 0-0)

Sept. 11 – SIU – Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – 6:30 pm CT – 35-3 (W) (1-1, 0-0)

Sept. 18 – NIU – Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – 11:00 am CT – 28-22 (W) (2-1, 0-0)

Oct. 2 – Ohio State – Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – 11:00 am CT – 24-13 (L) (2-2, 0-1)

Oct. 9 – Penn State – Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA – 11:00 am CT – 33-12 (W) (3-2, 1-1)

Oct. 16 – Michigan State – Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI – 11:00 am CT – 26-6 (L) (3-3, 1-2)

Oct. 23 – Indiana – Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – 11:00 am CT – 43-13 (W) (4-3, 2-2)

Oct. 30 – Purdue – Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – 11:00 am CT – 44-10 (W) (5-3, 3-2)

Nov. 6 – Michigan – Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI – 11:00 am CT – 67-65 (L) (5-4, 3-3)

Nov. 13 – Minnesota – Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL – 11:00 am CT – 38-34 (L) (5-5, 3-4)

Nov. 20 – Northwestern – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL – 2:30 pm CT – 48-27 (W) (6-5, 4-4)

Dec. 3 – Fresno State – Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA – 9:15 pm CT – 25-23 (L) (6-6, 4-4)

Dec. 29 – Baylor – Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX – 5:00 pm CT – 38-14 (W) (7-6, 4-4)

Your 2010 Illinois Fighting Illini Football Team

#1 Terry Hawthorne -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> East St. Louis, Illinois

#2 Nathan Scheelhaase -> Redshirt Freshman Quarterback -> Kansas City, Missouri

#2 Martez Wilson -> Redshirt Junior Linebacker -> Chicago, Illinois

#3 Tavon Wilson -> Junior Defensive Back -> Washington D.C.

#4 Patrick Nixon-Youman -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Jacksonville, Florida

#5 Mikel Leshoure -> Junior Running Back -> Champaign, Illinois

#5 Steve Hull -> Redshirt Freshman Defensive Back -> Cincinnati, Ohio

#6 Chris James -> Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver -> Chicago, Illinois

#6 Joelil Thrash -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Washington D.C.

#7 Supo Sanni -> Junior Defensive Back -> Chicago Heights, Illinois

#7 Chandler Whitmer -> Freshman Quarterback -> Downers Grove, Illinois

#8 Brandon Denmark -> Freshman Linebacker -> Tallahassee, Florida

#8 A.J. Jenkins -> Junior Wide Receiver -> Jacksonville, Florida

#9 Trulon Henry -> Transfer Junior Defensive Back -> Washington D.C.

#10 Eddie McGee -> Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver -> Washington D.C.

#11 Jarred Fayson -> Transfer Senior Wide Receiver -> Tampa, Florida

#12 Patrick Dunn -> Freshman Punter -> Chicago, Illinois

#12 Ryan Lankford -> Freshman Wide Receiver -> Jacksonville, Florida

#13 Derek Dimke -> Junior Kicker/Punter -> Rockford, Illinois

#13 Sean McGushin -> Sophomore Quarterback -> St. Charles, Illinois

#14 Sean Anderson -> Junior Quarterback -> Tinley Park, Illinois

#14 Miami Thomas -> Redshirt Junior Defensive Back -> Chicago, Illinois

#15 Darius Millines -> Freshman Wide Receiver -> Boynton Beach, Florida

#15 Walter Aikens -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Charlotte, North Carolina -> Dismissed from Team in August 2010

#16 Miles Osei -> Freshman Quarterback -> Mt. Prospect, Illinois

#17 Fred Sykes -> Junior Wide Receiver -> Tampa, Florida

#18 Nate Bussey -> Senior Linebacker -> Washington D.C.

#19 Jack Ramsey -> Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Back -> Chicago, Illinois

#20 Fritz Rock -> Freshman Defensive Back -> Golden Valley, Minnesota

#21 Jason Ford -> Junior Running Back -> Belleville, Illinois

#22 Nick Forzley -> Freshman Defensive Back -> Lemont, Illinois

#23 Bud Golden -> Redshirt Freshman Running Back -> Cincinnati, Ohio

#23 Ben Mathis -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Springfield, Illinois

#24 Earnest Thomas -> Freshman Defensive Back -> Orchard Lake, Michigan

#25 Ashante Williams -> Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Back -> Mayfield, Ohio

#26 Justin Green -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Louisville, Kentucky

#27 Antonio Gully -> Redshirt Senior Defensive Back -> St. Louis, Missouri

#28 Tisunge Mkwezalamba -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Champaign, Illinois

#27 Ronald Stewart -> Senior Running Back -> Chicago, Illinois

#28 Troy Pollard -> Junior Running Back -> Jacksonville, Florida

#29 Kaeman Mitchell -> Sophomore Defensive Back -> Champaign, Illinois

#30 Houston Bates -> Freshman Linebacker -> Covington, Louisiana

#31 Travon Bellamy -> Redshirt Senior Defensive Back -> Greenbelt, Maryland

#32 Ean Days -> Freshman Defensive Back -> Kingsland, Georgia

#33 Russell Ellington -> Junior Tight End -> Homewood, Illinois

#34 Greg Fuller -> Redshirt Freshman Running Back -> Harvey, Illinois

#34 Alex Porter -> Freshman Linebacker -> Kenilworth, Illinois

#35 Jay Prosch -> Freshman Running Back -> Mobile, Alabama

#36 Brad Janitz -> Freshman Punter -> Cincinnati, Ohio

#37 Nick Immekus -> Freshman Kicker/Punter -> Wheaton, Illinois

#38 Ian Thomas -> Redshirt Junior Linebacker -> Berwyn Heights, Maryland

#39 Abe Oliver ->Sophomore Long Snapper -> Philadelphia, PA

#40 London Davis -> Redshirt Sophomore Tight End -> Cahokia, Illinois -> Transferring from Illinois (September 2010)

#40 Beau Sullivan -> Sophomore Linebacker -> Decatur, Illinois

#41 Zach Becker -> Junior Fullback -> Homer, Illinois

#42 Aaron Gress -> Transfer Senior Linebacker -> Exeter, California

#44 Austin Teitsma -> Freshman Defensive Linebacker -> Glen Ellyn, Illinois

#45 Jonathan Brown -> Freshman Linebacker -> Memphis, Tennessee

#46 Zak Pedersen -> Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Back -> Joliet, Illinois

#47 Glenn Foster -> Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Lineman -> Chicago, Illinois

#48 Nate Palmer -> Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker -> Chicago, Illinois

#49 Chris Willett -> Transfer Sophomore Tight End -> Liberty, Missouri

#51 Evan Frierson -> Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker -> Washington D.C.

#52 Alex Hill -> Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Slidell, Louisiana

#53 Dustin Jefferson -> Redshirt Senior Linebacker -> Kankakee, Illinois

#54 Justin Staples -> Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker -> Lakewood, Ohio

#55 Anterio Jackson -> Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman -> Chicago, Illinois

#56 Shawn Afryl -> Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Skokie, Illinois

#58 Andrew Carter -> Redshirt Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Tallahassee, Florida

#59 Tim Kynard -> Redshirt Freshman Defensive Lineman -> Toledo, Ohio

#61 Tyler Sands -> Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman -> Boyertown, Pennsylvania

#64 Nate Swanson -> Redshirt Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Manlius, Illinois

#65 Joe VanderHeyden -> Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Rockford, Illinois

#66 Randall Hunt -> Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman -> Hightstown, New Jersey

#67 Jake Feldmeyer -> Redshirt Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Centerville, Ohio

#68 Simon Cvijanovic -> Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Cleveland, Ohio

#69 Ryan Sedlacek -> Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman -> Westport, Connecticut

#70 Corey Lewis -> Junior Offensive Lineman -> Cresco, Pennsylvania

#71 Jeff Allen -> Junior Offensive Lineman -> Chicago, Illinois

#72 Hugh Thornton -> Sophomore Offensive Lineman -> Oberlin, Ohio

#73 Jack Cornell -> Redshirt Junior Offensive Lineman -> Quincy, Illinois

#74 Michael Heitz -> Freshman Offensive Lineman -> Vermont, Illinois

#76 Graham Pocic -> Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman -> Lemont, Illinois

#78 Ryan Palmer -> Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman -> Canton, Ohio

#79 Craig Wilson -> Redshirt Junior Offensive Lineman -> Harvey, Illinois

#80 Spencer Harris -> Freshman Wide Receiver -> Greenwood, Arkansas

#81 Jake Kumerow -> Freshman Wide Receiver -> Elgin, Illinois

#82 Anthony Williams -> Freshman Wide Receiver -> Chesapeake, Virginia

#83 Eddie Viliunas -> Sophomore Tight End -> LaGrange Park, Illinois

#84 Matt Eller -> Redshirt Junior Kicker/Punter -> Jacksonville, Florida

#85 Whitney Mercilus -> Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Lineman -> Akron, Ohio

#86 Tim Russell -> Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver -> St. Charles, Illinois

#87 Anthony Santella -> Senior Punter -> Wauconda, Illinois

#88 Justin Lattimore -> Redshirt Freshman Tight End -> Tampa, Florida

#89 Evan Wilson -> Freshman Tight End -> Woodstock, Georgia

#90 D.J. Woods -> Freshman Defensive Lineman -> Tampa, Florida

#93 Corey Liuget -> Junior Defensive Lineman -> Miami, Florida

#94 Akeem Spence -> Redshirt Freshman Defensive Lineman -> Fort Walton Beach, Florida

#95 Jake Howe -> Freshman Defensive Lineman -> McHenry, Illinois

#96 Wisdom Onyegbule -> Junior Defensive Lineman -> Bolingbrook, Illinois

#97 Clay Nurse -> Redshirt Senior Defensive Lineman -> Beltsville, Maryland

#98 Daryle Ballew -> Redshirt Junior Defensive Lineman -> Cincinnati, Ohio

#99 Michael Buchanan -> Sophomore Defensive Lineman -> Homewood, Illinois

Coaching Staff

• Head Coach Ron Zook
• Assistant Coach/Offensive Line Coach Joe Gilbert
• Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach Vic Koenning
• Offensive Coordinator/Receivers Coach Paul Petrino
• Quarterbacks Coach Jeff Brohm
• Inside Linebackers Coach Dan Disch
• Defensive Line Coach Keith Gilmore
• Tight End Coach Chip Long
• Running Backs Coach DeAndre Smith
• Outside Linebackers Coach Ron West