Zook era begins with an amazing comeback win!         

By Greg Taylor

[SEPT. 6, 2005]  CHAMPAIGN -- From my seat in the Memorial Stadium press box, it looked pretty bad Saturday at about 1 p.m. Illinois was trailing 27-7 to the only D-1 school in New Jersey, Rutgers, and quite honestly, should have been trailing about 49-7. But something special happened on this warm afternoon in Chambana -- the boys in blue and orange finally said enough is enough. Tired of being embarrassed at home once again, the Illini started a comeback and rallied for an improbable 33-30 overtime victory.

[photo by Ed Bacon]

I could take the next several moments and give yet another game story for you to read. But this article will not post until Tuesday at lunch -- almost three days since the end of the game. As a result, I'm taking a different angle and looking at several positives and negatives to ponder, one game into the Ron Zook era.

First -- the positives:

1. Tim Brasic -- junior quarterback from the suburbs. I'll confess, he doesn't look like a college quarterback. I'm not even sure he looks old enough to be a college student. But this kid who hails from Brookfield Zoo territory showed me plenty of moxie on Saturday. Running the option regularly, I wondered at times if I was watching Illinois football or something from the Oklahoma-Nebraska era of the 1970s. I found myself thinking, "Wow, I didn't expect to see this!" And Rutgers, especially in the fourth quarter, played like I was thinking. Brasic made the big pass when he needed to and grew up in a hurry on Saturday.
   

2. The WRs -- This position has been singled out by Zook at problematic -- maybe more so than any other this season. But the Illinois receivers stepped up when needed. Freshman Jody Ellis looked great scoring a touchdown in the first half and grabbing a tough fourth-down catch to keep the final drive of regulation alive. Kendrick Jones is finally playing like a senior. And I love what New Jersey native E.B. Halsey did as both a running back and a pass catcher Saturday. His 18-yard scamper in O.T. to set up the winning Pierre Thomas run was a highlight I hope to see play out again and again this year.

3. The crowd! We've beat the tar out of Illinois football fans -- begging for any resemblance to the Assembly Hall. And Saturday was a pleasant surprise for two reasons. First, over 50,000 showed up to see the Zook era begin -- many more than originally projected. Second, the fans were awesome -- especially down the stretch. My hope is that this week, for San Jose State, Illinois can get close to the 60,000 mark, and remember -- this week's game will not be televised. Get out and support your Illini.

4. Ron Zook -- What a difference a coach can make. I'm not talking about strategy. I'm not talking about formations. I'm not even talking about his staff. I'm talking about one word -- energy. From the time the Illini took the field to the end of overtime, Zook was a maniac on the sidelines. Whether yelling at a player or yelling at a referee or just pumping up his reserves and staff, fans saw more energy in the first eight minutes from their head coach than they did in eight years from the more subdued, pro-style Ron Turner. Don't forget, college football involves 18-22-year-old boys, and they can still be motivated. Zook definitely pulled off that feat on Saturday.

5. Special teams -- Jason Reda made his field goals and almost won the game with a career-high attempt. The Illini blocked a field goal to stay alive late. Steve Weatherford was great punting the ball once again. And the Illini should get some credit for the four field goal misses by Rutgers.

Now the negatives:

1. The defense -- at least for the first three quarters. Over 500 yards given up; really poor tackling at key points of the game; too many big plays by a really average team. The defense must get much better in a hurry. My hope is that the fourth-quarter toughness by the Illini defenders will carry over Saturday. It had better!

2. The running game -- Illinois must run more plays for the running backs, especially Pierre Thomas -- he is the man! Thomas and Halsey could combine for 200 yards on the ground each week -- and probably will need to if Illinois wants to win regularly.

3. The offensive line -- Brasic was on the run literally from the first play of the game. Illini big men upfront must improve fast and give Brasic the time to throw the ball.

Saturday's game was a great start to the Ron Zook era, but don't forget two things. First, the schedule is brutal; and second, the talent level is not where it needs to be. I'm still saying four wins -- maybe five if all the pieces fall into place. The key is this Saturday. Illinois must win at home against San Jose State, a team that gives up more yards and points than even Illinois. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

Taylor's tidbits

• Former hoops coach Lou Henson was in the press box and looking really good as he recovers from cancer and a serious viral infection. He is walking on his own with the help of a cane.

• Illinois basketball superstar Dee Brown was also in the press box -- and he was working. As part of his internship with the Sports Information Department, Brown was tracking the scores of other college games and assisting Cassie Arner as needed. Brown looked like he was ready to jump on the court and lead a fast break.

• Just for the record, I see three more wins for this Illini team: Saturday versus San Jose State; Oct. 8 at Indiana; and either Oct. 22 at home against Penn State or Nov. 19 at home against Northwestern. Even if the Illini can win all four of the games listed above, that still leaves the Illinois one win short of a bowl trip. And I don't see any way Illinois wins at California on Sept. 17 or at home against Michigan State on Sept. 24. Trips to Iowa, Purdue and Ohio State look like certain losses, and the Oct. 29 game in Champaign against Wisconsin doesn't look promising either.

• Let me go on record saying I can't wait for the Memorial Stadium renovation to be complete in 2007 -- and for the press box to finally be installed with air conditioning and heat.

[Greg Taylor]

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