Illinitalk

• A drive to win. The Illini went into Columbus with no fear. They didn't let two quick Buckeye scores rattle them. They stuck to their game plan well.
• An "all or nothing" attitude. You need this to beat a #1 team on their home field. You have to take chances -- which Zook did with two 4th down conversions. And he took chances again keeping the ball on the ground during the final drive of the game, even on 3rd and long. The Illini had nothing to lose, and they played like it. Ohio State had a lot more on the line, no question. Tressel's conservative coaching style suits the talented #1 team, but today risks paid off.
• No turnovers. Juice and his offense protected the ball perfectly.
• Few mistakes. The first Illini penalty came in the 4th quarter. Just three weeks ago, penalties killed this team.
• Taking what's there. Ohio State had a great defensive plan for the Illini, which they appeared to borrow from Iowa: Stop Rashard Mendenhall. They executed this strategy very well, but the Illini took what was available. QB draws and passes kept many drives alive, and Juice found the open man of the moment in the endzone not once or twice, but four times. He took control of this game.
• Hard hits. Both the Illini, led by J Leman, and Ohio State, led by James Laurenitis, made offensive players earn their yards. Beanie Wells got up limping, and Russ Weil was knocked out of the game. The hit of the day belonged to Vontae Davis -- it was impressive. He just didn't need to knock himself out of the game.
• Unexpected contributions. Benn was out for the second half, and barely touched the ball, although he did affect the game. But Gamble, Wilkins, Hoomanawanui, and Willis stepped up. True freshman Marcus Thomas filled in for Vontae, tipping a pass to Antonio Steele in the end zone and a 4th quarter interception.
• A dominating O-line. The Illini got the ball with 8:09 left in the game and a 7-point lead. The offensive line closed out the game, making it possible to use the entire 8:09 with the ball on the ground. These guys allows Illinois to control the clock.
• Strong defense. Leman had 12 tackles, and was on the ball for almost every other play. Beanie Wells and Brian Robiskie were contained relatively well. Plus, the Illini grabbed 3 interceptions -- one in the end zone.
• A lucky break. You don't pull huge upsets without a few of these, and the Illini clearly took advantage of theirs. But regardless of this call, the Illini out-played the Buckeyes for 60 full minutes.
• Sweet victory. Congratulations to Ron Zook. This is the second time he's put together a team that beat Ohio State. Zook and Juice Williams both were a bit choked up during their post-game interviews. The team clearly savored this win -- and so did the Illini Nation. (Note to team: Next time, let's avoid the mid-field altercation.)
• National attention. The Illini victory/Ohio State loss led SportsCenter, and Juice earned a College GameDay Final helmet sticker. The game grabbed top sports headlines on multiple websites, as well. It's nice to be the top story. Thanks to Buckeye Kirk Herbstreit for giving the Illini credit for a well-played game on national television.

Thank you to the Florida Gators for giving Coach Zook experience that has made him a great fit for Illinois. I look forward to seeing where this team will head for post-season play.

Go Illini!

Labels: Illini football, J Leman, Juice Williams, Ron Zook

# posted by Alma Mater : 12:36 AM