Illinitalk: Taking Stock

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Taking Stock

We've had three weeks to watch Tim Beckman's first Illini team. They've played a variety of competition to give us a pretty good idea of what he's doing with what he's got to work with.

Against a strong FCS team, Western Michigan, the Illini looked promising. Of course, the 64-yard TD pass to Ryan Lankford to open that game helped a lot. Then, against the quality PAC-12 Arizona State Sun Devils, the Illini looked lost. The defense didn't quite live up to their billing in the desert. But this week, against the winless Charleston Southern Buccaneers, the Illini looked brilliant. Reilly O'Toole impressed, with the red zone interception as the lone blemish on a stellar afternoon.

My observations to date:

The coaching staff has changed, and this group wants to create a new culture on the field and in the locker room. But they are working with the talent they have, and the team on the field looks much like the Illini of recent years. Inconsistent offense with explosive potential and aggressive, stingy defense.
Nathan Scheelhaase is the heart of the Illini offense. When he went down, the offense stalled out. And he was sorely missed against the Sun Devils. But his backups have plenty of promise. O'Toole and Miles Osei struggled versus the quality D of ASU, but the reps against Charleston Southern boosted their confidence.
Ryan Lankford has made a strong bid to replace AJ Jenkins this season. He knows how to get open and to go after the ball.
The O-line will want to grow together as they head into the Big Ten season. It's going to get harder to protect the QB...
I had higher expectations for the start for the running back corps, but young Dami Ayoola was a huge signing.
I love watching the Illini defense. They tackle well (most of the time). They penetrate the line of scrimmage (at least against smaller teams).
The D continues to develop NFL-caliber talent. Ashante Williams and Jonathan Brown lead the team with 20 tackles each. Brown has 3.5 TFLs already, and Michael Buchanan adds another 3 TFLs.

The Illini have lots of room for improvement, but if they make strides quickly, anything could happen in what appears (so far) to be a weak Big Ten. The jury is still out on Beckman, but other than waiting a bit longer than I think he should have to put the second string offense in against Charleston Southern, he appears to be holding serve in the situation he inherited.

Looking forward to the season...Go Illini!

Labels: Illini football, Tim Beckman

# posted by Alma Mater : 10:07 PM

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Taking Stock

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