Illinitalk: The Real Deal

Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Real Deal

My caution in assessing the 2007 Fighting Illini football team scattered with a lovely late-September breeze on Saturday. The concerns I cited still exists -- with one key exception. These boys have learned how to win! Penn State had plenty of opportunities, but the Illini somehow managed to hang on. We have a real football team that is competitive in the (admittedly weak) Big Ten. And the Illini are starting to garner some national attention. What a great weekend to be an Illini fan!

Highlights:

Rejus Benn. He is explosive, exciting and actually living up to (or exceeding?) the high expectations set for him. I look forward to cheering for him on Sundays in the not-too-distant future, but for now, let's keep getting him the ball. Although the opening kick return was impressive and exciting, I most appreciated the multiple broken tackles after receptions.
J Leman. A leader, determined to win, he made the difference in one late drive by Penn State, ending it with his first career interception. Our defense allows big plays, but they have managed to make critical red zone stands that make all the difference. And Leman is the heart of the defense.
Turnovers. The Illini still have their share, and Juice could certainly improve in accuracy. But they are capitalizing on turnovers recovered by the Illini defense.
Special teams. After dreading punts, field goals, and other special teams plays for a couple years, it's exciting to see these units make plays more often than not.
QB options. Juice Williams is exciting to watch, but having a reliable option to bring in, even in key situations, is very reassuring.

Best of all, we already have the upset I was looking for to get us headed toward bowl eligibility. With the Big Ten beating up on each other, we have a legitimate chance in almost every game on our schedule. Wisconsin struggled against Michigan State, Indiana beat Iowa in Iowa City, and Northwestern led Michigan for much of the game. Our schedule looks a lot better now than it did last spring.

Go Illini!!

Labels: Arrelious “Rejus” Benn, Big Ten football, Illini football, J Leman, Juice Williams

# posted by Alma Mater : 11:10 PM

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Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Real Deal

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