Thursday Cram Session: Getting Prepped for Southern Illinois v. Illinois
By Editorial Staff
Less than 48 hours before the Illinois – Southern Illinois game on Saturday night, Writing Illini keeps you updated on the latest news surrounding both programs in its weekly crash course.
Ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision, Southern Illinois is hardly some slouch team for the Illini (0-1) to get better against after dropping a 10-point lead and losing to Missouri last weekend. The Salukis (1-0) have been solid for quite a few seasons now so the Illini better be ready to come out and play.
With that said, Illinois was better than expected last week and should be fine (right?) if it comes out with the same serious approach that it had in the first half against Missouri.
The Essentials
Here are some key pieces to look at before the SIU-UI game.
→ ILLINOIS – SOUTHERN ILLINOIS GAME NOTES (COURTESY OF UI DIA)
→ ILLINI MUST MAKE CRUCIAL GAME 2 ADJUSTMENTS
→ ILLINI MOVING PIECES AROUND THE GAME BOARD
→ ILLINI FOOTBALL CONFIDENT ABOUT PROGRAM’S DIRECTOR AFTER LOSS
→ ILLINI RAISE HOPES AFTER CHALLENGING TIGERS AT DOME
What Illinois Did Last Week
There’s no need to relive the gory details of last week’s 23-13 loss to Missouri, but if you want to, check out our game balls, catcalls and downfalls, or scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for a collection of postgame Illini-Mizzou stories.
What Southern Illinois Did Last Week
The Salukis opened its new Saluki Stadium in grand style last Thursday, pounding NAIA-school Quincy 70-7. Running back Lucien Walker ran for three touchdowns for the Salukis.
→ SALUKIS OPEN NEW STADIUM WITH A 70-7 CLOBBERING OF QUINCY
Get to know the Salukis beyond our Fighting the Fighting Illini preview with these stories, including an interesting one about Walker.
→ ZOOK EXPECTING NO BREAK AGAINST HIGH-SCORING SIU
→ ZOOK: SIU AT LEVEL OF ’07 APPALACHIAN STATE
→ ILLINOIS CERTAIN TO BE WARY OF VISTING SALUKIS
→ FIRST LOOK: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
→ LOOK OUT, SALUKIS ARE DOGGONE GOOD
→ ILLINI LOOKING TO SLOW DOWN SIU RUSHING ATTACK
→ LUCIEN WALKER FINALLY GETTING CHANCE TO START AT RUNNING BACK
→ SIU QUARTERBACK CHRIS DIEKER DRAWING ATTENTION OF PRO SCOUTS
→ SIU’S DAVID PICKARD BECOMING A PRO PROSPECT
→ SIU’S JOE ALLARIA MAKES IMPRESSIVE TRANSITION TO WIDE RECEIVER
→ SIU’S SUBURBAN PLAYERS EAGER TO TAKE ON ILLINOIS
→ DAWGS HAVING THEIR FOOTBALL DAY
→ SECOND-RANKED FOOTBALL SET FOR SATURDAY’S GAME AT ILLINOIS
→ SIU SALUKIS HAVE TALENT, DEPTH AND MOMENTUM
→ SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT
→ WORLDS COLLIDE WHEN SALUKIS HIT CHAMPAIGN TO TAKE ON ILLINI
→ SALUKIS SET FOR THEIR SHOT AT ILLINI
→ ILLINI NEED WIN, FACE POTENTIAL CHALLENGE FROM SIU
→ A LOOK AROUND THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
→ SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, PART I
→ A LOOK AT SATURDAY’S MVC FOOTBALL GAMES
→ FCS FOES COULD POSE PROBLEMS FOR MIZZOU, ILLINI
→ STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS – SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
→ 1990 ILLINI VS. SIU GAME WAS MAGIC
ILLINI PLAYER NEWS
Of course, defensive lineman Michael Buchanan’s DUI arrest and indefinite suspension was the biggest news this week among the Illini players. Here’s a compilation of stories that you may have missed.
#2 Nathan Scheelhaase (Quarterback)
After looking solid at times against Missouri but turning the ball over to the Tigers four times during last week’s loss, Scheelhaase is obviously an Illini player worth watching Saturday night.
→ ILLINI ARE SCHEELHAASE DEPENDENT
→ ILLINI FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: SCHEELHAASE STILL ADAPTING TO COLLEGE STYLE
→ SCHEELHAASE’S FUTURE IS BRIGHT
#5 Steve Hull (Defensive Back)
Just recently moving from wide receiver to defensive back following a plethora of injuries in the Illini secondary, the redshirt freshman Hull had a very impressive game against Missouri, registering seven tackles.
→ STEVE HULL A QUICK STUDY AT SAFETY
→ FORMER RECEIVER HULL STRONG AT SAFETY FOR ILLINI
#8 A.J. Jenkins (Wide Receiver)
Somewhat offsetting his 3 catches for 33 yards and 1 touchdown, Jenkins had a critical dropped pass during the third quarter of the Missouri loss.
→ ILLINOIS’ JENKINS GETS HIS SHOT
→ JENKINS GLAD HE STAYED AT ILLINOIS
#26 Justin Green (Defensive Back)
Like Hull, Green recently moved from offense to defense to help the Illini deal with injuries and also had a nice game against Missouri, notching six tackles.
→ GREEN LENDS HELPING HAND TO WEAKENED ILLINI DEFENSE
#76 Graham Pocic (Center)
While the Illini defense was better than expected during the Mizzou game, the offensive line was shaky as a whole.
→ GRAHAM POCIC NOW CENTER OF ATTENTION AT ILLINOIS
#99 Michael Buchanan (Defensive Bandit)
Buchanan had three tackles against Missouri, but who knows when he’ll get back on the field after getting arrested for DUI and suspended by Illinois head coach Ron Zook.
→ ILLINI’S BUCHANAN FACES DUI CASE
→ ILLINOIS SUSPENDS MICHAEL BUCHANAN
→ ILLINI DEFENSE SHUFFLES TO REPLACE SUSPENDED BUCHANAN
→ ILLINI DEFENSE LOSES ANOTHER STARTER AFTER DEFEAT TO MISSOURI
ILLINI COACHING NEWS
Head Coach Ron Zook
I know that it’s easy for local and national media to pile on the beleaguered Zook, especially after the Illini were outclassed by Missouri in the second half after playing a great first 30 minutes, but at least the Illini played hard and with some toughness. That may not seem like much, but it’s an improvement from the last two seasons.
Running Backs Coach DeAndre Smith
→ SMITH COACHES ILLINI RBS FROM QB’S VIEW
BIG TEN/COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
In his weekly Big Ten rankings, ESPN’s Josh Rittenberg has the Illini dead last. Come on. The Illini weren’t that bad against Missouri. Now if Illinois loses to SIU, Rittenberg can keep the Illini there all year long.
→ BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 2
→ BIG TEN CONFERENCES NEWS AND NOTES
→ WEEK 2 COLLEGE FOOTBALL CAPSULES
→ WHAT TO WATCH IN THE BIG TEN: WEEK 2
→ PICKIN’ ON THE BIG TEN, WEEK 2
→ COLLEGE FOOTBALL HELMET SNEAKERS: WEEK 1
→ WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE BIG TEN
→ BIG TEN WEEK 2: DID YOU KNOW?
→ BIG TEN HARVEST: IMPRESSIVE DEBUTS FOR SEVERAL QUARTERBACKS
→ MICHIGAN RESEMBLING MICHIGAN AGAIN
→ AIR NOT RARE FOR BIG TEN QBS
FUTURE ILLINI PLAYER NEWS
Illinois high school football season has always been underway for a couple of weeks, with more than a handful of 2011 Illini recruits in action around the state.
→ HINSDALE CENTRAL’S MCDOWELL COMMITS TO ILLINOIS
→ SCOTT MCDOWELL DISCUSSES ILLINI COMMITMENT
→ REILLY O’TOOLE SHOWS OFF ‘IT’ FACTOR
→ CHICAGO CITY SCHOOLS RISE UP IN FOOTBALL
FORMER ILLINI PLAYER NEWS
Keep tabs on former Illini linebacker Brit Miller, quarterback Dustin Ward and running back Robert Holcombe.
→ DECATUR’S MILLER LIVING NFL’S FRINGE LIFESTYLE
→ OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DUSTIN WARD RECALLS “FIRST TIME” AS ILLINI QB
→ ROBERT HOLCOMBE JOINS AUSTIN COLLEGE COACHING STAFF
ILLINOIS/MISSOURI POSTGAME
As promised above, here’s a compilation of postgame stories detailing last week’s loss to Mizzou.
→ MISSOURI TIGER NOTEBOOK: MISSOURI VS. ILLINOIS RECAP
→ ILLINI GOT AWAY FROM WHAT WORKED
→ LIVE FROM THE EDWARD JONES DOME
→ UI NOTES: SCHEELHAASE MAKES STRIDES
→ SNAP JUDGMENTS: MORE PROBLEMS FOR RON ZOOK
→ ILLINI CHAT: MISSOURI 23, ILLINOIS 13
→ MISSOURI RALLIES TO TOP ILLINOIS 23-13
→ MISSOURI’S DEFENSIVE FRONT FOUR HAS OFFERED SWEET RESULTS
→ TIGERS COME FROM BEHIND TO BEAT ILLINI
→ GETTIS’ INTERCEPTION HELPS MISSOURI FOOTBALL SECURE FIRST WIN
→ FANS FOCUS ON GAME, NOT TIGERS OFF FIELD WOES
→ GABBERT’S BRILLIANCE OUTSHINES MISSOURI’S PROBLEMS
→ LOSS HINDERS ILLINI’S ATTEMPT TO MOVE ON
→ TATE: AT LEAST WE’VE STILL GOT BASKETBALL
→ ILLINI NOTES: A NEW APPROACH AT HALF
→ EMPTYING THE MISSOURI NOTEBOOK
→ MISSOURI BESTS ILLINOIS IN LAST ARCH RIVALRY GAME
→ GAMEDAY CHAT: POSTGAME EDITION
→ WHAT WENT WRONG FOR ILLINOIS?
→ TIGERS RALLY IN SECOND HALF, HAND ILLINI 23-13 LOSS
→ ZOOK PLEASED WITH PLAY OF ILLINI’S SECONDARY
→ RON ZOOK POST-MIZZOU GAME THOUGHTS
→ FANS REACT TO FOOTBALL OPENER
Alright.
Coming tomorrow, Writing Illini will give its predictions for the Salukis-Illini game and try to track down the predictions of some of the credentialed members of the media.