Touchdown Times: September 5, 2013

A publication of THE DAILY ILLINI Thursday, September 5, 2013

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Thursday, September 5, 2013 THE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com2


Cinncinnati Illinois

PassingMunchie LegauxBrendon Key

PassingNathan Scheelhaase

RushingHosey WilliamsMunchie Legaux

RushingJosh FergusonDonovonn Young

ReceivingMax MorrisonChris Moore

ReceivingRyan LankfordJosh FergusonSteve Hull

DefenseCorey MasonClemente CasseusJeff Luc

DefenseJonathan BrownMason MonheimEarnest Thomas IIIAustin Teitsma V’Angelo Bentley

C-A-INT13-20-24-5-0

C-A-INT28-36-1

Yards 14559

Yards 416

TD10

TD2

TD00

TD010

Long4051

Long55

Long4051

Long525355

Carries156

Carries98

Catches32

Catches642

Tackles554

Tackles98854

Sacks000

Sacks00000

TFL00

0.5

TFL0

0.5001

INT000

INT00000

Yards7055

Yards556

Yards5858

Yards11510364

Avg4.79.2

Avg5.40.8TD

11

TD00

OffenseNathan Scheelhaase 2 QB

Donovonn Young 5 RBRyan Lankford 12 WR

Miles Osei 8 WRSpencer Harris 80 WR

Evan Wilson 89 TESimon Cvijanovic 68 LT

Michael Heitz 74 LGAlex Hill 52 C

Joe Spencer 71 RGCorey Lewis 70 RT

DefenseTim Kynard 59 DEJake Howe 95 NT

Austin Teitsma 44 DTHouston Bates 55 LEO

Jonathan Brown 45 WLBMason Monheim 43 MLB

Mike Svetina 34 STARV’Angelo Bentley 2 CBEarnest Thomas 9 SS

Taylor Barton 3 FSEaton Spence 27 CB

OffenseMunchie Legaux 4 QBRalph Abernathy 1 RB

Blake Annen 86 TEAlex Chisum 80 WRChris Moore 15 WR

Shaq Washington 19 WREric Lefeld 71 LT

Austen Bujnoch 76 LGDeyshawn Bond 59 C

Sam Longo 60 RGParker Ehinger 78 RT

DefenseBrad Harrah 93 DE

Mitch Meador 46 DTJordan Stepp 94 DT

Silverberry Mouhon 92 DENick Temple 43 LB

Jeff Luc 48 LBGreg Blair 51 LBTrenier Orr 2 CB

Adrian Witty 8 SSArryn Chenault 35 FSDeven Drane 11 CB

Schedule Games in bold are at home

Sat., Sept. 14vs. No. 20 Washington (Soldier Field)

5 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Sat., Sept. 28vs. Miami (Ohio)

TBD

Sat., Oct. 5@ No. 22 Nebraska

11 a.m.

Sat., Oct. 19 vs. No. 21 Wisconsin

7 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Sat., Oct. 26 vs. Michigan State

2:30 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 2 @ Penn State

TBD

Sat., Nov. 9@Indiana

TBD

Sat., Nov. 16 vs. No. 3 Ohio State

TBD

Sat., Nov. 23 @ Purdue

TBD

Sat., Nov. 30vs. No. 19 Northwestern

TBD

Sat., Aug. 31 vs. Southern Illinois

W 42-34

Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Cincinnati

11 a.m. | ESPN2/ESPNU

BY SEAN HAMMONDSENIOR WRITER

This is the first real test. If the Illinois football team has really made any progress since last season, it will show this weekend. The Cincinnati Bearcats come into Memo-rial Stadium on Saturday following back-to-back 10-win seasons and a 42-7 demoli-tion of Purdue last week.

Nathan Scheelhaase and Co. will face defense that Illini defensive coordinator Tim Banks knows well. Banks spent two seasons at Cincinnati prior to joining head coach Tim Beckman at Illinois last season.

He knows these players; he helped recruit them.

Running back Donovonn Young says he remembers seeing linebacker Jeff Luc on television when he came out of high school in 2010. At the time, Young was still in high school at Katy High School in the Hous-ton area.

“(He’s a) big guy ... big guy,” Young said. “I remember watching him on ESPN, and he was a monster. I was like, ‘I would never want to play that guy.’ He’s a big guy and he can move.”

Now Young doesn’t have a choice — he has to play him.

Luc and the Bearcat defense held the Boilermakers to 226 yards last week and 4-of-12 on third-down conversions.

“They have a lot of athletes,” Scheel-haase said. “They’re big up front and play well on the outside. You definitely can tell they’re athletic on the defensive side.”

Scheelhaase also said he thought Purdue hurt itself with too many mistakes, com-mitting four turnovers.

But no matter how successful Scheel-haase is in recreating his 400-yard pass-ing performance against SIU, it won’t mat-ter if the Illini can’t shut down an offense that had its way against the Boilermakers.

Quarterback Munchie Legaux threw for 145 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 55 yards and a score. He and fellow quar-terback Brendon Kay spread the ball to 12 different receivers.

The ground attack was spread out as well. Along with Legaux, running backs Hosey Williams and Ralph David Aberna-

thy each ran for more than 50 yards.And if there’s one thing first-year

Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville was known for in his three years at Texas Tech, it’s high-scoring offenses.

A young defensive secondary will have to improve on a shaky performance in the second half of the season opener.

“Cincinnati presents a little bit different issue,” Banks said. “They’re bigger, their backs may be a little bit quicker, stronger.

If we’re sound, we should be OK.”The combination of cornerbacks

V’Angelo Bentley, Eaton Spence and safety Taylor Barton will have to help out safety Earnest Thomas, who was the only player in the secondary Beckman was pleased with following last week’s game.

The Bearcats have held a share of the Big East (now the American Athletic Con-ference) football championship each of the past two seasons, and won the title outright

in 2008 and 2009. “You’re talking about a program that has

been a champion in the last two years,” Beckman said of Cincinnati. “You’re talking about an offense and a defense that has been successful and is built to be successful.”

You’re talking about exactly what the Illini want to be.

Sean can be reached at [email protected] and @sean_hammond.

THE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com Thursday, September 5, 20133

Cincinnati 1st true test for Illinois footballSecondary will have hands full with Legaux

BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINIIllinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase (2) signals to a teammate before the snap during the Illini’s 42-34 win over Southern Illinois at Memorial Stadium last Saturday. Illinois will play Cincinnati, who defeated Purdue 42-7 last week, this week at Memorial Stadium.

CAPTAINING A NEW SHIP



MIKE THOMAS KNEW HE WOULD BE IN CHAMPAIGN.Dating all the way back to March 2009, Thomas, then the athletic director at

Cincinnati, was planning his trip to the University of Illinois. The Bearcats and Illini had just announced the scheduling of a home-and-home football series with

Cincinnati hosting in 2009, and Illinois earning a home contest in 2013.What he didn’t know four years ago is that he would be on the other side of the sec-

ond contest, donning Illini orange and blue instead of Bearcat black and red.***

Thomas was hired at Cincinnati on Oct. 20, 2005, to head a program that was in a weak power conference for football and a fringe squad in the

powerhouse of Big East basketball.The Bearcats spent 2006 with Mark Dantonio as head coach and held a respectable 7-5 record; however, Dantonio left for Michi-

gan State before the team’s bowl game, leaving a void on the football staff.

Thomas wasted no time and hired a head coach from Cen-tral Michigan with a mediocre 19-16 record over three sea-sons: Brian Kelly. Kelly coached the team to a 27-24 vic-tory in the Motor City Bowl, despite being with the team for just over a month.

“I was only with him a year, but Mark (Dantonio) laid a great foundation in place,” Thomas said. “When Brian

came in, he not only maintained it, he elevated it.”Kelly and the Bearcats exploded onto the national scene

right from the first game. Cincinnati notched three consecu-tive seasons with double-digit wins, highlighted by the 2009 campaign that saw the team win its first 12 games en route to a Sugar Bowl berth.

Although the football team was a winner right away, the Cincinnati men’s basketball program was in disarray. Incum-bent head coach Bob Huggins left just before the 2005 sea-son and the Bearcats spent the whole season with an inter-im head coach.

With low expectations in a loaded Big East, Mick Cronin was hired to take over at his alma mater as head coach. Although it took a while to see success, the Bearcats men’s basketball team improved its win total each season from 2007-11 and has made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

Even with both the “big” programs humming at Cincin-nati, Thomas decided it was time to make a change in 2011, when he was brought into Illinois as the athletic director to replace Ron Gunther.

***When Thomas arrived in Champaign in August 2011,

the program was different, though the situation wasn’t

entirely unfamiliar. In one corner, he had a football coach who had seen ups and downs, but was respected in the profession. The men’s basketball coach was under fire and fans increasingly demanded a change.

As he had done before, Thomas wasted no time in establishing his own coaches in major sports. Football head coach Ron Zook was fired after the 2011 season despite three bowl appearances in five years, including a trip to the Rose Bowl — the Illini’s first trip to Pasadena, Calif., since 1984.

“You want to feel like you’re a top-25 team and to have a chance to compete for divi-sional championships and Big Ten championships,” Thomas said. “When that happens, all the other things fall into place. You’re not concerned about other things, things like selling tickets. We do a lot of things with marketing and in-game experience, we talk a lot about that, but at the end of the day, what brings people to Memorial Stadi-um is winning football games.”

With Zook gone, Thomas brought in Toledo head coach Tim Beckman to take over the program, again drawing from the MAC coaching ranks to lead his program. While Beckman and the Illini struggled through a 2-10 campaign in 2012, the second-year head coach picked up important commitments from transfers Wes Lunt, Geronimo Allison and Tyrin Stone-Davis.

On the hard court, Illini fans grew increasingly impatient with head coach Bruce Weber’s inability to recruit Chicago and his frantic antics on the sideline led to sub-par seasons. Weber was fired after missing the NCAA tournament with a 17-15 record.

The Illinois coaching search was rumored to have multiple candidates, but eventu-ally selected Ohio’s John Groce to fill the position — a move that already spawned an NCAA tournament appearance and a top-20 recruiting class in 2013.

“To be successful, you have to have two things. You have to have commitment and you have to have capacity,” Thomas said. “In this department, I sure hope our coach-es and administrators and staff are committed, but you need commitment from those up above you, otherwise it can short circuit some things.”

***Now, in his third year at Illinois, Thomas comes full circle when Cincinnati visits

Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Though more than half the team was brought in since his departure and the Bearcats are led by a new coach, it’s still easy to see the mark Thomas left on the Cincinnati program.

The Bearcats stumbled to a 4-7 record in 2005 — the team’s inaugural voyage in the Big East — but won at least eight games in five of the six seasons that Thomas spent in Cincinnati.

“Football is difficult from a standpoint that you’re dealing with 105 kids,” Thomas said. “You’re not dealing with 15 basketball players. I’ve said this before, but turning around a basketball team is turning around a speedboat, while turning around foot-ball is an aircraft carrier.”

For the Bearcats, they’ve already experienced what effective leadership at the top of the chain can do to a sport, rolling into Champaign as 7.5-point favorites; mean-while the home underdogs are hoping that Thomas is the right man to direct the air-craft carrier.

Stephen can be reached at [email protected] and @steve_bourbon.

BY STEPHEN BOURBONSTAFF WRITER

AD Mike !omas faces his old program, Cincinnati

“Football is difficult from a standpoint that you’re dealing with 105 kids. You’re not dealing with 15 basketball players. I’ve said this before, but turning around a basketball team is turning around a speed boat, while turning around football is an aircraft carrier.”MIKE THOMASATHLETIC DIRECTOR


BY ERIK PRADOON-AIR REPORTER

Matchups to watchTwo pass-heavy offenses will collide when

Cincinnati comes to Champaign

Nathan Scheelhaasevs.

Cincinnati secondaryScheelhaase had a career day last week, throwing for 416

yards. That’s more than 30 percent of his total 2012 passing yards. Will he continue, and be leaned upon, to carry this team forward if the running game falters again? Purdue managed 161 yards through the air. A big play to start the game Saturday will no doubt help boost his and the offense’s confidence. Bearcats junior safety Adrian Witty is slowly making a name for himself, running back an interception for a touchdown against Purdue.

Illinois running backs vs.

Cincinnati defenseJosh Ferguson rushed for a measly 49

yards, while six other Illini combined for a total gain of zero. The team will need better balance but that may be hard to come by after Cincinnati allowed 65 rush-ing yards to Purdue. Donovonn Young and Josh Ferguson managed some better runs after halftime, but they need to hit the holes early.

Illinois defense vs.

Cincinnati quarterbacksCincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville has said that the

quarterback job is still open between seniors Munchie Legaux and Brendon Kay. Legaux is more of a dual threat while Kay is a prototypical pocket passer. Illinois head coach Tim Beckman said it is difficult to prepare for two different playing styles. Either way, the spotlight will be on the Illini defense after the unit gave up 34 points to FCS opponent Southern Illinois. Against Purdue, the Bearcats put up 425 total yards of offense. The Bearcats also turned the ball over three times last week. Illinois will have to win this battle to better its chances.

JOSEPH LEE THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois' Josh Ferguson had trouble rushing against Southern Illinois, gaining just 49 yards. The Illini may be in trouble against a top Cincinnati run defense.

BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase threw for a career-high 416 yards against Southern Illinois. He will have a tougher time airing it out against Cincinnati.

MAX FAULKNER MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

Former Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville already has his quarterbacks playing well in his first season at the helm at Cincinnati.


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Eliot SillSports editor

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Illinoisvs.

Cincinnati

No. 11 Georgiavs.

No. 6 South Carolina

No. 14 Notre Dame

vs.No. 17 Michigan

No. 16 Oklahomavs.

West Virginia

Northwesternvs.

Syracuse

Sean HammondSenior writer

Stephen BourbonStaff writer

Torrence SorrellAssistant sports

editor

Erik PradoOn-air reporter

Michael WonsoverVideographer

OUR PICKS

Saturday, Sept. 4

South Florida @ Michigan State11 AM | ESPNU

Eastern Michigan @ Penn State11 AM | Big Ten Network

Missouri State @ Iowa11 AM | Big Ten Network

Cincinnati @ Illinois11 AM | ESPN2

Indiana State @ Purdue11 AM | Big Ten Network

Tennessee Tech @ No. 21 Wisconsin11 AM | Big Ten Network

San Diego State @ No. 3 Ohio State2:30 PM | ABC

Navy @ Indiana5 PM | Big Ten Network

Southern Miss @ No. 22 Nebraska5 PM | Big Ten Network

Syracuse @ No. 19 Northwestern5 PM | Big Ten Network

Minnesota @ New Mexico State7 PM

No. 14 Notre Dame @ No. 17 Michigan7 PM | ESPN

Thursday, September 5, 2013 THE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com8#8

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I thought Illinois was the worst team in the Big Ten before last week, when the Illini escaped an FCS opponent thanks to a last-

minute overthrow. Now I don’t think they’re the 12th team in the Big Ten.

But it’s not about what the Illini did — they didn’t exactly earn their way up those rankings. It’s about what Purdue did. Or, more accurately, what Purdue had done to it by the team set to play Illinois at Memorial Stadium this Saturday.

The Cincinnati Bearcats obliterated the Boilermakers thanks to a 28-0 second half, landing on a fi nal score of 42-7.

Illinois can’t be that bad, can it?If we get down to it, the reason Illinois

“rose” to No. 11 in The Daily Illini’s Big Ten power rankings this week is because none of us want to see the Orange and Blue suf-fer a worse fate than what befell Purdue last week. The Illini can’t be that bad.

Even still, we can’t act as though Purdue is 35 points worse than Illinois. The teams specula-tively share a cell in the basement of the confer-ence. But there are reasons to suggest Cincinna-ti won’t hand the Illini a similar drubbing.

The Bearcats won’t be at home like they were last week. Cincinnati’s fi rst win came

in front of 36,007 fans — more than 6,000 fewer than Illinois’ listed attendance num-ber. However, Cincinnati’s smaller stadium only seats about 36,007 people; the crowd was heralded as the largest in stadium histo-ry and the energy transferred quite notice-ably from the stands to the Bearcats bench.

It was opening week in college foot-ball, and the Bearcats had every reason to be excited. If Memorial Stadium is empty enough, maybe the crowd will dampen the spirits of even the visitors, as opposed to the home underdogs who will see scores of unoccupied bleachers and feel motivated.

Probably not, but we can hope.In his fi rst year coaching Cincinnati, Tom-

my Tuberville restructured his offense a lit-tle bit — this was a surprise for Purdue, but Illinois has a week to prepare for it.

Six-foot-fi ve quarterback Munchie Legaux has probably the best name in football (last name is pronounced leh-go, as in the Eggo Waffl es tagline) and appears to have control of the starting spot in the quarterback battle, as Brendon Kay was relegated last week to spot duty in a role similar to Aaron Bailey’s. Kay is 1 inch shorter and about 25 pounds heavier than Legaux.

Legaux is a playmaker with his arms and legs, as he had 145 yards passing and 55 yards rushing Saturday.

And Cincinnati dominated on the ground. Ralph David Abernathy and junior college transfer Hosey Williams (again, the names!) got 15 carries and one touchdown each for a

combined 122 yards as the Bearcats hand-ily won the time-of-possession battle. Illini offensive coordinator Bill Cubit is probably salivating at the thought of a running back tandem like that.

Abernathy is just a little guy, at about 5-foot-7, 160 pounds. Williams is bigger, an even 6 feet and weighing 200 pounds. Cincy will be able to change the pace in the backfi eld between quick-and-light and quicker-and-lighter.

So yes, in many ways, Cincinnati has what Illinois wants. A stable quarterback situa-tion, an effective running tandem, a packed home stadium and a victory over a Big Ten opponent. Not to mention the sack and two interceptions the Bearcats defense notched against the Boilermakers.

Mike Thomas’ old program is something of a model for his new, only now he’s on a bigger stage, with more seats to fi ll.

This game against Cincinnati, a real FBS opponent, should act as a great litmus test for the rest of the season. A huge loss, and we can expect more huge losses. A competi-tive game, and we can expect more competi-tive games. A win, and we can stop pretend-ing to have expectations.

The only hope for Illini fans this weekend is for their team to come out looking more like Cincinnati, and much less like Purdue.

Eliot is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @EliotTweet.

Cincinnati game will set tone for rest of seasonELIOT SILL

Sports editor

This game against Cincinnati, a real FBS opponent, should act as a great litmus test for the rest of the season. A huge loss, and we can expect more huge losses. A competitive game, and we can expect more competitive games. A win, and we can stop pretending to have expectations.

Touchdown Times: September 5, 2013

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