Missouri 23, Illinois 13
It wasn’t a 37-9 embarrassment, but the result is still the same. A loss to Missouri and an 0-1 start to the season. If there a positive to take out of Saturday loss in St. Louis, it’s that Illinois will not play Missouri next year.
Actually, there are a lot of positives to take out of the loss. Nathan Scheelhaase made his first career start and was impressive for a freshman. He threw three interceptions, but threw his first career touchdown pass and had 16 rushes for 76 yards. He generally made the right decision, and used his athleticism to create second chance opportunities.
Mikel Leshoure (20 rushes for 112 yards) established himself as the No. 1 back. The defense was solid, although the line was worn down from chasing Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The secondary was not the best we’ve seen under Ron Zook, but we knew that, given the injuries they’ve had. They performed as well as could be expected, bending but not breaking. Justin Green was acceptable in his first game as cornerback since high school, and will only get better. Travon Bellamy played well. Steve Hull was outstanding at safety. The defense was lifted by the return of Martez Wilson.
But in the end, the same issues plagued the Illini as in recent years. Third down defense was atrocious, allowing third and 25 and third and 8 conversions in the second half. There were dropped passes, inexplicable penalties, and missed opportunities. There were four giveaways to one takeaway.
The Illini (0-1) will be in action next Saturday against Southern Illinois. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m., televised on the Big Ten Network.
Live Blog: Illinois vs. Missouri
2:57 p.m.
- Still baffled by the Leshoure non-catch. There is no way that should be called incomplete at full speed. Beyond that, the Comcast replay shows the right foot in bounds, a catch in the next frame (which makes it a catch), then the left foot coming down out of bounds a frame later.
- Replay has been such a success in the NFL and it’s gotten that way with the support and cooperation of the officials. In college, it seems that the officials are offended by reply and don’t want their calls overturned.
2:55 p.m.
- 33 yard FG attempt is good. 23-13 Missouri.
2:49 p.m.
- A great play by Scheelhaase keeps the play alive. A great catch by Leshoure is called…incomplete?!?!?
- This should be overturned, but I’m guessing it won’t be. It’s too close, even though Comcast’s bad camerawork shows that his right foot was in, then he caught the ball, then his left foot hit out of bounds.
- Still a ridiculous call to say he was out of bounds at full speed.
2:46 p.m.
- Now, I’m confused. Apparently, there were “offsetting” penalties, but the referees didn’t explain it. Seems shady to me.
- Regardless, it’s fourth and 10 with 2:18 left. They have to go for it.
2:44 p.m.
- Another false start on Jeff Allen. But it’s a blessing in disguise, because the play was an incomplete.
- Now, a late hit on Missouri gives the Illini fresh life.
2:42 p.m.
- Let me clarify. Scheelhaase can do it, I have no doubt. Will he? That’s another question. Three interceptions are tough to forget.
2:41 p.m.
- Missouri is not in any hurry here, and they shouldn’t be. Less than 4 minutes. Third and 8.
- Incomplete pass. Tigers will have to punt. Can Scheelhaase do it?
2:38 p.m.
- Scheelhaase’s third interception might have ended the game. Semi-lucky for Illinois: Missouri gets 30 yards of penalties after the interception, moving them back to their own 25.
2:37 p.m.
- Second and 5 inside the Missouri 40. Pollard rumbles for a first down near the 30.
2:34 p.m.
- Leshoure has established himself as the No. 1 running back. He’s over 100 yards today.
2:32 p.m.
- Short kick returned by Troy Pollard to the Illinois 30. Decent field position.
2:29 p.m.
- 25 yard field goal attempt is good. Missouri leads 20-13 with 7:20 to go in the game.
2:27 p.m.
- Gabbert with another year to throw a pass, and completes it on third down. Gabbert is not impressing me at all. That throw was a wounded duck, and lucky to find a black jersey.
2:22 p.m.
- Another 52 yard punt by Santella. Outstanding day for the senior.
- The Illini need to start throwing. I know Scheelhaase is a freshman, but you can’t just lay down and die. Gotta take some shots.
2:20 p.m.
- Gettis was in the endzone when he downed the ball, but college rules are different from the NFL. In the NFL, it would be a touchback, but in college, the ball didn’t cross the line.
- Leshoure gets the Illini out of trouble, but a third down pass is swatted down. Frustrating.
2:16 p.m.
- Clay Nurse puts heat on Gabbert, and the screen almost works. De’Vion Moore drops the pass.
- Punt is downed inside the 1 by Carl Gettis. Gettis has been the defensive MVP this game for the Tigers.
2:14 p.m
- A highlight reel interception by Carl Gettis and Missouri will start in Illini territory.
2:13 p.m.
- Eight men in the box for Missouri and not surprisingly, they stop the first down run. Play action time…
2:09 p.m.
- Touchdown Missouri. Five yard pass to Michael Egnew and the Tigers have their first lead of the game. 17-13.
2:07 p.m.
- First play of the fourth quarter is a 26 yard pass to T.J. Moe. First and 10 from the Illinois 11.
2:00 p.m.
- Third and 8…and Gabbert completes a nine yard pass. Can’t let them convert on third and long. Just about the only complaint about Vic Koenning’s defense today.
1:58 p.m.
- Missouri cornerbacks are teeing off on A.J. Jenkins. Maybe a split-second too early. Scheelhaase got blindsided on third down by Brad Madison.
- Tigers come after Santella, who gets it off in time for 49 yards. Outstanding start to Santella’s senior season.
1:55 p.m.
- Iowa has finished off Eastern Illinois 37-7. Penn State is about to polish off a 44-7 win over Youngstown State. Michigan State leads by 21 over Western Michigan in the 4th quarter. Big Ten looks to be 6-0 very soon.
1:51 p.m.
- Nate Bussey lights up T.J. Moe two straight times on different sides of the field. It creates a third and 21. Bomb by Gabbert is just overthrown. Picking on Justin Green does…not…work.
1:47 p.m.
- De’Vion Moore drops a sideline pass on second down. On third down, Gabbert has all day to throw, but offensive pass interference on Wes Kemp calls back a one-handed catch.
- Doesn’t matter, as Gabbert hits Kemp across the middle for a first down on the next play.
1:43 p.m.
- Scheelhaase might have gotten away with intentional grounding. There was a receiver….15 yards downfield.
- A.J. Jenkins drops a sure first down pass. Can’t have that. We’ve seen some offensive hiccups today.
1:41 p.m.
- Jack Ramsey is helped off with cramps. Always seems to be a problem in the dome. Baffling.
1:37 p.m.
- Third and 5 from the 7. They need the 2.
- Touchdown! Gabbert rolls to his left and finds T.J. Moe in the back of the end zone. Blatent holding was overlooked, but you can probably say that on every play. PAT is good and it’s 13-10.
1:32 p.m.
- Missouri in the red zone. Gabbert tries to pick on converted running back Justin Green, but it doesn’t work. Third and 5 for the Tigers.
- Missouri timeout. That was a letdown.
1:28 p.m.
- Who was that punter? Surely it wasn’t an Illinois punter. 50 yard punt.
- First Missouri play was a 17 yard reception.
- Miami Thomas has put a couple good hits on Missouri receivers. Good to see him back into game shape after two years of ACL injuries.
1:26 p.m.
- Third and 6 from the 33. Shotgun, 5 receivers. Sacked.
1:25 p.m.
- Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa are running away from their opponents.
- Miami (Ohio) is hanging tough with Florida, and all other Top 25 teams are winning big.
- Illinois will get the ball to start the second half.
Halftime
- I hate to toot my own horn (actually, I love doing it), but I think I’m the only one to predict an Illini victory. It’s only halftime though, so no celebrating yet.
- Anyone who has been to an Illini practice knows that Nathan Scheelhaase is the real deal. Now, all of Illini Nation (and Tiger Nation) knows. There is no question why he was named starter out of spring practice.
- Mikel Leshoure has been the most impressive running back on the field with 11 carries for 71 yards. Scheelhaase has 13 carries for 62 yards.
- The defense has been impressive, and even more so if you can imagine how much Missouri is spreading the field. I said it earlier, and tweeted this, but Martez Wilson’s presense cannot be overstated. He is the rock of this defense, and I’m not sure there’s a better LB in the Big Ten.
1:02 p.m.
- Scheelhaase scrambles for a first down to give a 52-yard attempt at the end of the half.
-It’s good!!! Wow! Illinois leads 13-3 at halftime.
12:59 p.m.
- Scheelhaase shows some head smarts to get out of bounds, then some nifty moves to get a first down.
- After using their last timeout, he throws the ball away safely. 12 seconds, third and 14.
12:57 p.m.
- Clay Nurse should get credit for the third down sack. He was relentless, fighting through an obvious hold. Martez Wilson and Corey Liuget get the stat.
- They lose nine seconds before calling timeout for no good reason. Time management!
12:55 p.m.
- Three plays and Missouri is up to midfield. Corey Liuget knocks down a first down pass.
12:54 p.m.
- If anyone can do a successful two-minute drill, it’s Blaine Gabbert and Missouri. Nine yards on the first play.
12:49 p.m.
- Touchdown! A.J. Jenkins from 15 yards out. Scheelhaase has half a second before getting pasted.
- Dimke makes the PAT! Breaks a streak of three straight seasons! Illinois up 10-3.
12:47 p.m.
- A.J. Jenkins is wide open for a first down to the 10. Scheelhaase gets called for a questionable false start.
12:45 p.m.
- Leshoure breaks a 42 yard run. Next play, they go back to the well and lose 3 yards.
- Pass interference on Kip Edwards, 15 yards to Illinois. First and ten on the Missouri 23.
12:40 p.m.
- Holding on the kickoff return. No defensive penalties so far. Just offensive line and special teams.
12:35 p.m.
- The defense tightens up, and forces a 32-yard field goal. Tied 3-3.
12:31 p.m.
- Missouri is getting the running game going. Five of six plays this drive have been rushes.
12:28 p.m.
- Play-action bomb is intercepted by Jasper Simmons. Eddie McGee was a step late there. Or the pass was a second too early.
12:22 p.m.
- Illinois catches a break, as a pass interference penalty is called back, due to Jerrell Jackson stepping out of bounds.
- Field goal attempt is no good! Illinois keeps the 3-0 lead.
- Color commentator Dave Laphem says that Illinois should continue to go to Camp Rantoul, because they are “tough as nails”. So, what about the last 10+ years?
12:17 p.m.
- End of the first quarter. Illinois 3, Missouri 0. My 49-41 prediction is looking less likely, but Missouri’s offense looks to be picking up steam.
12:15 p.m.
- Holding penalty on Randall Hunt brings back a first down. More offensive line mistakes that need to be corrected.
- Scheelhaase fumbles. Helmet on the ball will always bring a fumble. A lot of confusion as an Illini player had the ball in the pile, but it’s given to Missouri.
12:12 p.m
- Tavon Wilson recovered the fumble. Martez Wilson stripped the ball. I cannot stress how much the Illini defense missed Martez last season.
12:08 p.m.
- Jerrell Jackson gets lit up by Trulon Henry. I’m not sure that Henry didn’t take the worst of that hit.
- A screen pass gets 19, but Gabbert fumbles the ball on a keeper and Illinois is back on offense.
12:05 p.m.
- 17 play drive for the Illini. Impressive. Scheelhaase was 2-3 for 12 yards. Leshoure was the most impressive runner, with 23 yards on 5 attempts.
- Michigan State has regained the lead 14-7, and Penn State is back in front 13-7.
12:01 p.m.
- Big third and goal from the 4. Scheelhaase does well to get away from the sack, but doesn’t get the touchdown. Dimke makes the field goal. 3-0 Illinois.
11:55 a.m.
- Second false start by Jeff Allen. Frustrating mistakes. Now, an Illinois timeout. 13 play drive so far.
- EIU has scored, as has Western Michigan. Penn State has added another field goal.
11:53 a.m.
- Scheelhaase with a nice run, then a nice pass to get another first down. Very impressive drive so far.
11:50 a.m.
- Missouri fans didn’t like the unnecessary roughness penalty. Don’t necessarily agree with it, but they do protect the quarterbacks these days.
11:48 a.m.
- Scheelhaase completes his first pass to Jarrod Fayson. Paul Petrino is bringing him along slowly in his first game. I’m anxious waiting for the play-action bomb. It’s coming, and it will catch them off-guard.
11:46 a.m.
- Third and 1. Leshoure gets the first down. Missouri: three passes. Illinois: three runs.
11:44 a.m.
- Trevon Bellamy lights up Michael Egnew. Three passes and out for Missouri. Maybe the reports of the Illini secondary being bad were premature.
- My mother predicts Mikel Leshoure to run the first play from scrimmage for a touchdown. He didn’t break it, but a hard-fought 5 yards.
11:42 a.m.
- Florida has fumble-itis. Iowa has a 21-point lead. Missouri Valley Conference has a chance to make an opening weekend splash.
- Missouri will receive the opening kickoff. Surprisingly, Illinois makes a tackle. Actually, it’s not surprising. Special teams has been worked on a LOT in practices.
11:40 a.m.
- Missouri is wearing all black. Illinois is wearing all white. There should be no confusion today.
- Illinois is 6-5 is season openers since 1999. However, they are 0-5 in season openers against Missouri.
- Illinois has also missed its first PAT attempt in the past THREE seasons. You know it will be mentioned when Illinois scores their first touchdown this year.
11:30 a.m.
- Youngstown State has an early 7-3 lead on Penn State. Ron Zook’s alma mater Miami (OH) has an early 3-0 lead on Florida. Interesting.
- Comcast rolls out Joel Meyers and Dave Lapham for the Illinois-Missouri game. Sounds good to me.
11:25 a.m.
- Iowa is up 14-0. I hope Eastern Illinois is receiving a good payout for this shellacking.
11:20 a.m.
- Michigan State is up 7-0 on Western Michigan. Edwin Baker with a 28 yard touchdown run. Kirk Cousins looks shaky to start the season.
- So, Iowa is passing a lot, and Michigan State has an effective ground game. It’s the Bizarro Big Ten!
11:10 a.m.
- More info on Nick Nasti. He’s a senior from Plano, Illinois, and I knew the name rung a bell. He helped his high school win a Class 3A state championship, beating my alma mater St. Joseph-Ogden in an instant classic.
- Other EIU players: Cory Leman, little brother of former Illini J Leman, and Scott Weatherford, little brother of former Illini Steve Weatherford.
11:06 a.m.
- No sooner had I hit “Update”, Iowa scores less than 3 minutes into the game. Ricky Stanzi passed for 50 yards on the opening drive, although it was Adam Robinson running it in from a yard out.
11:05 a.m
- If you are following @illinichat on Twitter (and really, why wouldn’t you be?), then you would know that East St. Louis DT Clint Tucker decommitted from Kentucky and verbally committed to Illinois. Tucker is the 26th best DT, according to rivals.com
- Big Ten Network is showing Eastern Illinois at Iowa locally. Iowa got the ball first, so it was nice to see you, EIU. I would be remiss without mentioning EIU has the best name ever for a starting linebacker: Nick Nasti.
10:50 a.m.
- I’ll try not to get too editorial today, but ESPN’s predictions are making my eyes roll. All their “experts” are falling all over themselves to predict Boise State, BYU, and TCU are going to lose today. I really wish they would at least pretend they are not biased.
- For me, I write for illinichat.com. My bias is well-known. I try to be objective, but there is a bias towards Illinois sports. In ESPN’s case, they have an ethical obligation to be unbiased. The problem is, you never see unbiased coverage there.
10:40 a.m.
- Other Big Ten games today:
Western Michigan at Michigan State, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Youngstown State at No. 19 Penn State, 11 a.m. (BTN)
Eastern Illinois at No. 9 Iowa, 11:05 a.m. (BTN)
Purdue at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m. (NBC)
Connecticut at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Northwestern at Vanderbilt, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
No. 12 Wisconsin at UNLV, 10 p.m. (Versus)
- It’s possible the Big Ten could be 11-0 after today’s games. But realistically, Purdue and Northwestern have tough tests. Michigan is always a question mark these days, as well.
10:30 a.m.
- The women’s soccer team suffered the first Illini loss of the season Friday afternoon, losing to UConn 2-1 in double OT. Senior Jordan Hilbrands netted the lone Illini goal.
- Ohio State looked impressive Thursday night, pasting Marshall 45-7. Indiana beat Towson 51-17, and Minnesota had to come from behind to win at Middle Tennessee 24-17. A win is a win, though, and the Big Ten is 3-0 this year.
10:20 a.m.
- Big story out of Austin, Texas last night. The fifth-ranked Illini volleyball team swept second-ranked Texas 25-23, 25-18, 25-18. If my Friday Forecast column would have been posted (like it SHOULD HAVE been), then you would’ve seen a prediction for a hard-fought 3-2 loss.
- You would have also seen my prediction for today’s football game: Illinois 49, Missouri 41. This game has always been a shoot-out, and with the patchwork secondary, there’s no reason to expect anything less today. Missouri is pass-happy, and should light up the Illini defense. Unfortunately for Missouri, their defense is just as bad. Expect Nathan Scheelhaase to put up big numbers, once the nerves are gone.
10:10 a.m.
It’s time for the first-ever LIVE blog for Illinois football. As this football season kicks off, this blog may change drastically over the next few months. There may be new features added, and above all, the style will be refined over time. So bear with me while I learn the ins and outs.
As always, you can e-mail me comments, questions, criticisms and praise at illinichat@gmail.com
Wednesday Whining for September 1, 2010
The days are getting shorter and the leaves are changing color. The calendar has turned to September and the Illini have experience the annual decimation of their starting secondary. That only means one thing: the footbal season must be about to begin!
Saturday’s matchup with Missouri takes place at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, kicking off at 11:40 a.m. The game will be broadcast on the Illini Sports Radio Network with Brian Barnhart and Kurt Kittner calling the action. Fox Sports Midwest and Comcast Sports Net will handle the television duties this year.
The bigger news of the day has the Big Ten announcing the division alignments for next season when Nebraska joins the conference. The official announcement will be at 6 p.m. Central on the Big Ten Network. But the news is already spreading like wildfire.
Unnamed Division A: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota
Unnamed Division B: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois
It’s mind-boggling. The Big Ten hit a home run by announcing they will pursue new members for expansion last spring. Since then, it has been nothing but failure and misery. From the failed pursuit of Texas and Notre Dame, to ignoring natural selections like Missouri, Memphis and Rutgers, the conference has been tripping over every base while on their slow “victory” jog.
Nebraska was a great pick-up for the conference…..in football and volleyball. As for other sports, especially men’s basketball (which has been given absolutely no thought in the whole process), the Cornhuskers really drop the profile of the Big Ten.
It wasn’t a sports move, though. It was about their standing as an academic institution, which is understandable. But it was also a move to create more revenue for the conference through the Big Ten Network, and a power play to pull the rug out from under the Big 12. Both endeavors failed. At least the “pulling the rug” endeavor failed. It still remains to be seen how adding the Omaha (76) and Lincoln (105) markets will fare financially, as opposed to the New York (1) market with Rutgers, or the St. Louis (21) and Kansas City (35) market with Missouri.
What did the Big Ten expect to happen? Texas would just magically forget that they are over 1,000 miles from the nearest competition (Iowa or Illinois) and happily join the conference with no demands? Notre Dame would just magically realize that they are no longer the most important entity in college football and start sharing their television and bowl revenues with 11 other schools?
The only thing this offseason has done is show how little pull the Big Ten Conference has in the college sports world. The SEC was concerned that the Big 12 might pluck Arkansas or LSU, but they would’ve raided the ACC or Big East. The Big East looked the most fragile, as Rutgers was ready to leave and the rest of the member schools were going to revolt against Notre Dame. But the Big Ten ignored how loosely connected the conference was, and remains today.
Now realignment hits, and the conference once again drops the ball. The conference apparently was more concerned with keeping “natural” rivalries intact. They kept Michigan-Michigan State, Indiana-Purdue, and….nothing else? Where’s Minnesota-Wisconsin? Where’s Illinois-Northwestern? Where’s Michigan-Ohio State?
There will be a consistent “crossover” game each year for every team. If that’s the case, then what was the harm in having East-West? Illinois-Indiana could have been a “consistent” crossover game, but that’s the only rivalry that would need it. You’ll have Michigan-Ohio State, Iowa-Wisconsin and Illinois-Northwestern. What are the other crossovers? Minnesota and Nebraska are left out in no man’s land, as well as Penn State from the other side. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I think rivalry, I don’t exactly think Minnesota-Indiana or Michigan State-Penn State.
Another issue is competitive balance in other sports. Sure, the conference gave in to Michigan’s whining about being in the same division as Ohio State and Penn State. But what about men’s basketball? Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin in the same division? Plus traditional power Indiana, if they ever get back on their feet, which they will under Tom Crean. Sorry, Penn State. Enjoy your stay in basketball hell. Michigan State gets no one of importance in their division. But hey, we still have the annual 25-point blowout wins over Michigan to keep the “natural rivalry” going.
The buzz about tonight’s announcement is that men’s basketball will stay in one 12-team division, making the already unbalanced schedule even more unbalanced. How could they be so short-sighted? Home and home with 5 divisional opponents, and 3 home and 3 away against the other division. It’s so simple that there’s no possible way to screw it up.
But somehow, the Big Ten Conference is about to turn the impossible into reality. It’s only fitting that they end Expansion 2010 on the lowest note.
Thursday’s Thoughts for August 26, 2010
Big Weekend for Langley
Illini senior Scott Langley has advanced to the third round of the 110th U.S. Amateur Championship in Chambers Bay, Washington. Langley defeated Patrick Reed of Augusta, Georgia in 19 holes on Thursday.
It is the second straight match in which Langley needed extra holes to advance. On Wednesday, he advanced to the second round by defeating the reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion Tim Jackson in 19 holes.
Langley began with an eight on the par-4 first hole, falling behind early. He was 2 down through 12 holes, then won the 13th, 14th, and 15th holes to take his first lead of the match. Then, he and Reed alternated holes through the regulation 18. On the 19th hole, Reed took a seven while Langley made par to win the match.
If Langley wins this weekend, he will be only the fifth golfer to ever win the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Amateur Championship in the same year. You might have heard of the other golfers to accomplish this feat: Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and most recently, Ryan Moore.
FedEx Cup begins this weekend
Former Illini Steve Stricker and D.A. Points are competing in the first FedEx Cup playoff event in Ridgewood, New Jersey this weekend. Stricker opened with a 1-under par 70, and Points is currently at 1-under after seven holes. Woods and Vaughn Taylor are the current clubhouse leaders at 6-under par.
Stricker began the weekend third in the FedEx Cup standings, and Points was 82nd. The top 100 are invited to next week’s event in Boston, Massachusetts, and the top 75 receive invites to the third event at Cog Hill Country Club in Lemont.
Illini basketball schedule released
The 2010-11 men’s basketball schedule was released today. It includes 18 home games, and 14 games against team who made last year’s NCAA Tournament. There are also 27 televised games, 12 by ESPN and three by CBS. ESPN also threw another twist to the Illinois schedule.
One of the biggest victories during the 2009-10 basketball season was the home victory over Michigan State. It was an emotional victory, as it came on the day that ESPN College Gameday was in town. This season, Illinois will return the favor to Michigan State as College Gameday will be in East Lansing, Michigan on February 19 for the Illini-Spartan showdown.
ESPN also announced their schedule, giving the Illini at least six televised conference games. In addition to the Saturday night game in East Lansing, ESPN will televise the following Illini games:
Thursday, Jan. 6: Northwestern at Illinois, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday, Jan. 18: Michigan State at Illinois, ESPN, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 10: Illinois at Minnesota, 8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 19: Illinois at Michigan State, 8 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 22: Illinois at Ohio State, 6 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Feb. 27: Wildcard Selection*, Noon, ESPN or ESPN2
Tuesday, March 1: Illinois at Purdue, 6 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, March 5: Wildcard Selection**, 3 p.m., ESPN
* – Will be chosen from Iowa at Illinois, Purdue at Michigan, or Indiana at Ohio State
** – Will be chosen from Indiana at Illinois, Wisconsin at Ohio State, or Purdue at Iowa
To view the full schedule, click here. For a more in-depth analysis of the schedule, tune into tomorrow’s Friday Forecast!
Leshoure being watched
Illini junior Mikel Leshoure has been named to the Doak Walker Award List for this season. The Walker Award is presented each year to the nation’s top college running back. The winner will be announced Thursday, December 9.
Leshoure is joined on the list by four other Big Ten running backs: Wisconsin junior John Clay, Ohio State junior Dan Herron, Penn State senior Evan Royster, and Ohio State senior Brandon Saine.
Tuesday Tidbits for August 24, 2010
Women’s Soccer wins opener
Senior Danielle Kot scored off a corner kick in the seventh minute, and freshman Vanessa DiBernardo added a second goal in the 12th minute as the Fighting Illini defeated Loyola 2-0 last week. Kot earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for her performance.
The Illini will host Wright State tonight at 7 p.m., and Ball State will come to town on Sunday for a 1 p.m. kick-off. WDWS (1400 AM) will broadcast both matches on tape delay. Tonight’s match will be at 9 p.m., and Sunday’s match will start at 3:30 p.m.
DeForest, Langley at U.S. Amateur
Illinois seniors Scott Langley and Chris DeForest are in University Place, Washington this week for the 110th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship. The tournament will be held at the 7,742-yard par 71 Chambers Bay course, and the 7,420-yard Home Course. The tournament features two qualifying rounds, and then the field of 312 will be cut to 64 for Match Play.
Langley received an exemption as the reigning NCAA Champion, and has experience in this event. He placed seventh in stroke play and advanced to the round of 32 last year. DeForest qualified after shooting a one-under par 141 at Whippoorwill Country Club in Armonk, New York.
Illini invited to prestigous event
Illinois is one of 16 schools that will participate in the 2011 Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship on March 20-22 in Ball Ground, Georgia. The tournament, featuring 11 NCAA Tournament qualifers, will be held at the Hawks Ridge Golf Club with Georgia Tech serving as host.
Stuff the Huff announced
The women’s volleyball squad will host the annual “Stuff the Huff” event for their season-opening match against BYU this Friday night at 7 p.m. Basketball coach Bruce Weber will host a free BBQ for the first 1,000 students at 5:30 p.m.
The match is part of the State Farm Illini Classic, which also includes South Carolina and Middle Tennessee State. Illinois will face South Carolina at 10 a.m. and Middle Tennessee State at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
