Photo Credit: thechampaignroom.com
Being a resident of the state of Illinois, I can say firsthand that there isn’t ever really much buzz around Illinois football. Not recently anyway. After a 49-17 beat down at the hands of USC in the 2008 Rose Bowl game, the program has seemed to spiral out of control. They have losing records against 7 of the 14 Big Ten teams and haven’t won a Big Ten Title since 1951.
Last year was no different from any other, typical losing fashion for the Illini. They finished 2nd to last in the Big Ten West with only Purdue finishing worse. They were 5-7 overall with a 2-6 conference record. The bigger moments of the year were a 52-3 win against Kent State in week 1 and the 14-13 win against Nebraska in week 5. That win over Nebraska was the only win for them in the month of October, as they lost the next 3 games in a row to Iowa, Wisconsin, and Penn State. In week 10, they picked up their 2nd Big Ten win against Purdue by a score of 48-14, however, another 3-game losing streak would brought their season to an end.
Despite the non-conference success, Illinois cleaned house after the season. Coach Tim Beckman was fired, leaving Bill Cubit to handle the team for the year. However Cubit also ended up of the job at the season’s end, and none other than former Chicago Bears’ and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coach Lovie Smith was hired to take over the football program.
Smith brought in offensive coordinator Garrick McGee to take over the offense. McGee has coached all over in college. His last job before this one was the quarterback coaching position at Louisville University. At defensive coordinator, Lovie got an old coaching friend, Hardy Nickerson. He coached with Smith in both Chicago and Tampa Bay as a linebacker coach.
Key Returning Players:
Wes Lunt, Quarterback: Lunt threw for 2,761 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in 2015. He stayed healthy and is taking a leadership role on the offensive side.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Running Back: This kid can make plays all over the field. He led the team in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards last year and keeping him and Lunt together will prove to be helpful for a new staff.
Dawuane Smoot, Defensive End: Smoot is the heart of the defense. He led the team in sacks and tackles for loss, with a defensive minded coach like Lovie Smith taking over it will be interesting to see how they use him in different packages throughout the season.
Lovie Smith’s NFL history may help on the recruiting trail, but it’s going to take time. There is not much glamour around the University of Illnois football program and things may get worse before they can get better. However, with an experienced staff, the sky is the limit for the Fighting Illini.
SportsPress 