University of Cincinnati Bearcats
Scouting report: Illinois
By Paul Dehner Jr., CNATI.com Posted November 25, 2009 2:12 PM ET
CNati spoke with University of Illinois football beat writer Bob Asmussen of The News-Gazette in Champaign, Ill., this week about Friday's game at Nippert Stadium.
No. 5 Cincinnati (10-0) will host Illinois (3-7) at noon on ABC. The Illini came into the season with high hopes and only two years removed from a Rose Bowl appearance. Only, they opened the year 1-6. They since ran off back-to-back wins against Michigan and Minnesota before losing to Northwestern last week, 21-16. Illinois threw an interception with 32 seconds remaining to see a game-winning drive fall short.
Star quarterback Juice Williams has struggled through much of the season and missed last week's game with an ankle injury.
Asmussen speaks on the status of Williams, where the holes are in the Illinois defense and places a percentage on the chance Illinois pulls the upset.
You can check out Bob's excellent coverage of Illini football and stories leading up to this week's games here and also follow him on Twitter here.
CNati: When most people looked at this matchup before they season, they thought this would be a good BCS status booster, probably few imagined either side would be where they are. Where did this season all go wrong for Illinois?
BA: I think it all goes back to the opening loss against Missouri. Illinois thought it had the better team, but got off to another bad start in St. Louis. There was a hangover that extended into the early part of the Big Ten schedule. And the schedule was brutal, with the first three Big Ten games against Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State. Illinois thought it would be 3-2 at worst after five games. Instead, it was 1-4.
CN: The name everyone knew at UI before the season was Juice Williams, but he has now given way to freshman Jacob Charest at QB after an ankle injury two weeks ago. Is there any chance we see Juice on Friday?
BA: Juice is supposed to start the game. In fact, I think you are less likely to see Charest than Williams. The coaches want to give the senior a chance to finish strong. Apparently, his ankle is healthy. I think Juice will open the game and be moved out for Charest if he struggles. Williams was off to a good start before he got hurt against Minnesota, his last game. Charest played great in that game.
CN: What did you learn from Charest's first performance, he was yanked at halftime and brought back in the fourth quarter?
BA: I think he is a pretty resilient kid. He wasn't even in the quarterback picture halfway through the season, taking very few practice snaps. When the coaches realized they needed an alternative to Juice, they first turned to Eddie McGee. But he couldn't get it done. Charest was next in line and he performed better than some expected. Not me. I wondered what took them so long. He is a gutsy kid with plenty of talent. All he needed was a chance. And I think it's a good sign for him that he played well after being yanked against Northwestern.
CN: Illinois has won two of three and nearly came back for a win against Northwestern last week after starting the year 1-6. Did this team turn a corner?
BA: Somewhat. Michigan isn't very good and Minnesota is going through it usual late-season slide. But Northwestern was playing well before the Illinois game and it was pretty even. Illinois made a bad mistake at the end of the first half, throwing an interception while leading 3-0. Northwestern scored in the final minute and kept the momentum going in the third quarter. Still, Illinois almost came back against a team that has beaten Iowa and Wisconsin.
CN: On defense, the Illini gave up 305 yards to Northwestern last week, has defending the pass been a problem?
BA: Yes. And the run at times too. Not to make excuses for Illinois, but it is missing two key players, linebacker Martez Wilson and cornerback Miami Thomas, who are out for the season with injuries. In 2007, when the team went to the Rose Bowl, there were almost no significant injuries during the season. This year, the defense has played short-handed every game. Still, it should be better. I think the future looks good in the secondary, especially at corner. Terry Hawthorne is going to be a star.
CN: I know the small win streak was made under the push of making a late run to a bowl game. Now that that thought is gone, have you sensed a letdown this week or are they reinvigorated by the national spotlight game on Friday?
BA: I think if Cincinnati was 7-3, the Illinois players would have a problem. But how can you not get ready for a 10-0 team? Unless you have no pride at all, you will try everything in your power to win. And the fact that the game is being telecast nationally by ABC won't be lost on the Illinois players. They'll be reminded about it too. I think the guys have done a pretty good job hanging in there, so I wouldn't expect a letdown. Now, if they get behind early by a couple of touchdowns, all bets are off.
CN: What does Illinois do well that would be the key to putting them in position to pull this upset off?
BA: It runs the ball well. Which means it can control the clock and keep the defense off the field. The less you see of the Illinois defense, the better the chance the team pulls an upset. Illinois will have to play a near perfect game to beat the Bearcats. No turnovers, force a few and get a good game from Williams/Charest. Possible? Yes. Likely? No.
CN: The old web site fireronzook.com has not been fired back up yet, is there any talk that he could be in trouble there?
BA: There was a lot of talk early in the season, but it seemed to die after the two wins against Michigan and Minnesota. Ron Guenther, the Illinois AD, gave Zook a vote of confidence. That also seemed to strengthen Ron Zook's cause. There is a lot of trouble on the Illinois campus because of an admissions scandal that forced both the president and chancellor to resign. So, football is about the least of the school's worries.
CN: What are the chances, in your opinion, that Illinois pulls off the shocker on Friday?
BA: About 10 percent. Maybe less. The key for Illinois is to get off to a fast start. Score a touchdown or two early. I think if Cincinnati gets up early, the game is over. But the longer it allows Illinois to stay in the game, the better the chances for an upset. So, if Illinois leads at
halftime, make the chances of an upset 30 percent.
Categories: College, Football, News, University of Cincinnati Bearcats
Tags: Bearcats football, Juice Williams
Comments (1)
A lot of people have totally written off Illinois in this game, and I say be very careful with that. If I were betting the line, I'd take Illinois and the points. I want UC to win this game, but Illinois has a lot of very talented players. Of course, they are not loaded with coaching talent and that has cost them, but if they can put it all together in one game, they have a chance to win. UC can't look past these guys.
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