Touchdown Times: November 21, 2013

A publication of THE DAILY ILLINI Thursday, November 21, 2013

TouchdownTimes

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Going out a winner

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After 20 straight Big Ten losses, the

Illini look to finish with two wins.

Thursday, November 21, 2013 THE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com2

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Purdue

PassingDanny EtingRob Henry

PassingNathan Scheelhaase

RushingAkeem Hunt Jr.Dalyn DawkinsBrandon Cottom

RushingJosh FergusonDonovonn Young

ReceivingJosh FergusonSteve HullSpencer Harris

DefenseAnthony BrownTaylor RichardsWill LucasFrankie WilliamsSean Robinson

DefenseJonathan BrownEarnest Thomas IIIMason MonheimZane PettyEaton Spence

C-A-INT96-189-681-152-6

C-A-INT232-355-10

Yards 1,042832

Yards 2,708

TD54

TD17

TD441

Long5550

Long72

Long536032

Carries993237

Carries10786

Catches433635

Tackles5854535339

Tackles9486816347

Sacks00100

Sacks40100

TFL2

0.52.522

TFL11.5

24.500

INT00020

INT10000

Yards347115113

Yards554352

Yards498669312

Avg3.53.63.1

Avg5.24.1

TD000

TD53

OffenseNathan Scheelhaase 2 QB

Josh Ferguson 6 RBSteve Hull 9 WRMiles Osei 8 WR

Spencer Harris 80 WRJon Davis 3 TE

Simon Cvijanovic 68 LTMichael Heitz 74 LG

Alex Hill 52 CTed Karras 69 RGCorey Lewis 70 RT

DefenseTim Kynard 59 DE

Austin Teitsma 44 NTTeko Powell 93 DT

Houston Bates 55 LEOJonathan Brown 45 WLBMason Monheim 43 MLB

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

Zane Petty 21 FSEaton Spence 27 CB

OffenseDanny Etling 5 QBAkeem Hunt 1 RBJustin Sinz 84 TE

DeAngelo Yancey 80 WRGary Bush 6 WRGary Bush 6 WR

Kevin Pamphile 64 LTJason King 72 LG

Robert Kugler 57 CJordan Roos 70 RG

Justin Kitchens 51 RT

DefenseBruce Gaston 90 DE

Ryan Isaac 61 DTGreg Latta 91 DE

Ryan Russell 99 LB Joe Gilliam 39 LB

Sean Robinson 10 LBRicardo Allen 21 CBAnthony Brown 9 STaylor Richards 4 S

Frankie Williams 24 CBAntoine Lewis 26 NICKEL

ReceivingAkeem Hunt Jr.Justin SinzDeAngelo Yancey

TD231

Long441755

Catches362821

Yards343302421

Illinois

Schedule Games in bold are at home

Sat., Sept. 14vs. Washington (Soldier Field)

L 34-24

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

W 50-14

Sat., Oct. 5@ Nebraska

L 39-19

Sat., Oct. 19 vs. No. 16 Wisconsin

L, 56-32

Sat., Oct. 26 vs. No. 13 Michigan State

L, 42-3

Sat., Nov. 2 @ Penn State L, 24-17 (OT)

Sat., Nov. 9@ IndianaL, 52-35

Sat., Nov. 16 vs. No. 4 Ohio State

L, 60-35

Sat., Nov. 23 @ Purdue11 a.m. |

Big Ten Network

Sat., Nov. 30vs. Northwestern

2:30 p.m. |Big Ten Network

Sat., Aug. 31 vs. Southern Illinois

W 42-34

Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Cincinnati

W 45-17

THE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com Thursday, November 21, 20133

Game of the weak: Illinois, Purdue searching for a win

DARYL QUITALIG THE DAILY ILLINIIllinois’ Jonathan Brown (45) celebrates with Jaylen Dunlap (28) after Dunlap makes a deflection on a reception attempt during the game against No. 19 Washington at “Chicago Homecoming” at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 14.

BY STEPHEN BOURBONSTAFF WRITER

It’s a game both teams have circled on the schedule.

The only teams in the Leaders division without a conference win, Illinois and Pur-due will look to break losing streaks in West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday. Illinois (3-7, 0-6 Big Ten) will be actually favored in a confer-ence game for the first time this season — looking to break a program record 20 con-secutive Big Ten losses — when the team goes on the road against Purdue (1-9, 0-6) who have lost eight straight games overall.

With a bowl game out of the picture, the Illini have focused on breaking the program-long conference losing streak and the final two teams on the schedule, Purdue and North-western, have combined zero Big Ten wins this season.

“You know, the opponent doesn’t really

affect the type of game we’re going to have,” senior linebacker Jonathan Brown said. “We dictate what we do. When people have big games, it’s because of things we’ve done.”

The Boilermakers are having a particular-ly rough season under first year head coach Darrell Hazell, who knows Illini head coach Tim Beckman as both were position coaches at Ohio State during the mid-2000s.

Purdue has yet to beat an FBS program this season, with its only victory coming against Indiana State on Sept. 7. Purdue has lost by double-digits in eight of its nine losses, as its offense hasn’t been able to keep games competitive.

The Boilers start true freshman Danny Etling at quarterback after benching incum-bent senior Rob Henry earlier in the sea-son. Etling has experienced some growing pains in the first six games of his college career, completing just 50.8 percent of his

passes with five touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

“He’s gotten better, he’s developing,” defen-sive coordinator Tim Banks said. “They’re very similar to us. They’re better than their record shows. They’re close.”

The Boilers will also be without one of their top wide receivers for the rest of the season. Redshirt freshman B.J. Knauf sus-tained a high ankle sprain in Purdue’s loss to Penn State last Saturday and won’t return in the team’s final two games. Knauf has been one of the top playmakers for Purdue on both offense and in the return game on special teams.

The Illini have better news on the injury front, as starting left tackle Simon Cvijanovic is “probable,” according to Beckman. The junior’s return will help bolster an offensive line that gave up six sacks against Ohio State.

The strength of the Purdue defense is up

front with defensive tackle Bruce Gaston and in the secondary with senior corner-back Ricardo Allen. Gaston leads the team in tackles for loss and sacks, while Allen has a team-high three interceptions and three pass breakups. Purdue shifts the four-year starting cornerback from the outside, to the slot and all over the field, something Illinois offensive coordinator Bill Cubit is aware of.

“It’s funny, we faced them two years ago and they did the same thing,” he said. While the head coach at Western Michigan, Cubit faced Purdue in the 2011 Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl, losing 37-32. “That’s what is good about our offense though. We move all our guys all around, too, so they won’t get a bead on our guys. So it’ll be a little bit of a chess match back and forth with him.”

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


DARYL QUITALIG THE DAILY ILLINI

IT was the same old story.Illinois head football coach Tim

Beckman addressed the media with those words Monday, two days after

his team lost its sixth straight game — this one at the hands of No. 3-ranked Ohio State, 60-35.

Illinois opened the game in a 28-0 hole and climbed back to within 12 before submitting to the Buckeyes stranglehold.

“No, it’s not a win,” Beckman said. “But what this team did do is get back up. They’re fi ghting back, from trainers to managers to coaches to players.”

But when is fi ghting no longer going to be enough?

This weekend’s matchup with the pitiful Pur-due Boilermakers might be Illinois’ best chance to fi ght and actually come out with something to show for it. The Illini have two games left, and 5-7 looks a heck of a lot better than 3-9.

Change is on the horizon no matter what hap-pens these last two weeks. But a pair of losses could make the changes drastic.

Whether Illinois wins or loses, familiar faces such as Nathan Scheelhaase, Jonathan Brown, Ryan Lankford, Corey Lewis, Miles Osei and Steve Hull — along with the rest of the Illini seniors — will all be gone. And the coaching staff is bound to see change in the offseason. It almost always does.

Coaches leave for positions that might be bet-ter or closer to home. But a pair of losses to end the season could mean major changes. Last sea-son Beckman fi red his co-offensive coordinators Billy Gonzales and Chris Beatty after a dread-ful offensive campaign. Losses to the two teams that are currently last in the Legends and Lead-ers divisions — and a combined 0-12 in confer-ence — could mean similar change near the top.

It was fair to assess Illinois as the underdog in every Big Ten game its played this season. Beck-

man knew his team was overmatched against Ohio State.

“We knew we had to play a perfect football game this last week,” Beckman said. “There’s a reason that they’ve won so many in a row. But we have to do that all the time, regardless of who we’re playing.”

For once, Illinois is favored in a Big Ten game. At 1-9, Purdue is the conference doormat as Illi-nois was last year and as Indiana was the year before.

No matter the Illini’s opponent this season, they haven’t changed the way they prepared. Even with a bowl game out of reach and the Big Ten Cham-pionship game a distant mirage, they aren’t going to do things any differently these last two weeks.

“Nothing’s really changed,” Brown said.Not yet.

A year from now, Brown could possibly be wear-ing an NFL uniform on Sundays. Everyone else’s future is more of a question mark. Lankford and Lewis could fi nd themselves on rosters or prac-tice squads. Scheelhaase is more of a long shot.

Either way, these guys have two more games together in orange and blue.

“Knowing it’s the last two, we’re just really going to enjoy it a little bit more,” Brown said.

“Take everything in, soak it up and take it for what it is.”

Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit has a simple message for his seniors.

“He tells us not to have any regrets after this season,” said Osei, a senior wide receiver and for-mer quarterback behind Scheelhaase.

Two losses to end the season would mean the seniors go out with the monkey still on their back.

“I want to build a foundation,” Brown said. “I want to be part of the reason the losing streak snapped.”

He’s not talking about the current six-game los-ing skid. He’s talking about the 20-game confer-ence losing streak that dates back to 2011. Rough-ly half the undergraduate population has never seen the Illini win a Big Ten game since enrolling.

For the players who aren’t seniors, it’s about sending off the seniors on a high note.

“The goal is to fi nish 2-0,” sophomore corner-back V’Angelo Bentley said. “Build a stepping stone for next season and going into the spring.”

The Illini will look drastically different in 2014, especially on offense, where the key pieces of Cubit’s resuscitated passing attack will be gone. The defense doesn’t lose a lot, but among the miss-ing pieces will be its centerpiece: Brown.

So 2014 will not be the same old story. Beckman may say the same old thing, but it won’t be the same story. There’s no way for it to be. It will be a new story with new characters and new storylines.

There’s not a lot to play for anymore: two wins, the Purdue Cannon and the Land of Lincoln Tro-phy. There’s no silver lining.

“It’s surreal, I’ve had a lot of great moments playing in front of Illini nation and playing in front of my teammates,” Brown said. “It’s kind of sad, kind of bittersweet, but I’m going to enjoy it.”

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

THE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com Thursday, November 21, 20135

BY SEAN HAMMONDSENIOR WRITER

“I want to build a foundation. I want to be part of the reason the

losing streak snapped.”JONATHAN BROWN

LINEBACKER

“I AM VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THIS COACHING STAFF, THIS FOOTBALL TEAM AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN

THIS PROGRAM IS FIGHTING.”

PLAYING FOR MORE THAN PRIDE

Illinois hoping to secure foundation for future in final two games


BY ERIK PRADOON-AIR REPORTER

Matchups to watchIllinois football has a fighting chance in weekend game against Purdue

Illinois offense vs. Purdue Defense

Illinois secondary vs. any semblance of a Purdue offense

Illinois football vs. the Big Ten losing streak

Bill Cubit and Nathan Scheelhaase have to be extremely happy facing a Purdue defense that allows an average of 38 points per game. The Illini offense is in the middle of the pack, averaging 30.2 points per game. Steve Hull has had a coming-out party these past two weeks and now leads the team with 669 yards. Sopho-more Josh Ferguson continues to excel as a pass catcher as the team desperately wants to end the Big Ten losing streak. The offense continues to carry the team on its back and this game will be no different.

Purdue does not have much of an offense. They rank 122nd among FBS teams in scoring, at 12.7 points per game. They average 65.4 yards rushing and 194.2 yards through the air. After getting man-handled in Big Ten play, this game represents a great opportu-nity for the Illini defense — notably the young secondary — to make plays and feel good about themselves. Do not underestimate a game like this. A good defensive outing, on the road, can be a vital building block for this young defense heading into next year.

Twenty games. Illinois football now owns the nation’s longest con-ference-losing streak. This is the giant monkey on the back for this program and the seniors are claiming for a chance to end on a positive note. The Purdue Boilermakers are an excellent can-didate to have their names in the record book as Tim Beckman’s first Big Ten victory. Who knows, maybe a win this weekend will be the start of good things to come for the program.

FOLAKE OSIBODU THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois’ Josh Ferguson breaks a tackle during the game against No. 3 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Illini lost 60-35.

ABBY DREY MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE

Frankie Williams of Purdue pulls down Allen Robinson of Penn State on a pass reception. The Nittany Lions defeated the Boilermakers, 45-21, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., on Saturday.

FOLAKE OSIBODU THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase runs the ball during the game against No. 3 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Illini lost 60-35.

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Illini fans attempt to complete a mosaic of colored cards during the game against No. 3 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Illini lost 60-35.

BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois’ Zane Petty tackles Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde during the game against No. 3 Ohio State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Illini lost 60-35.

ABBY DREY MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE

Quarterback Danny Etling of Purdue looks to hand off the ball. The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, 45-21, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., on Saturday.

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OUR PICKSTHE DAILY ILLINI | www.DailyIllini.com Thursday, November 21, 2013

7

forARTS &

ENTERTAINMENT

EveryFriday

yournumber! O

SOURCE

Eliot SillSports editor

37-16

44-21

33-24

35-17

38-20

49-2

56-49

45-42

38-25

24-21

11-6

49-44

37-30

39-20

40-31

28-14

45-38

28-24

31-

35-27

40-17

42-37

31-27

28-10

35-21

35-32

45-42

41-38

35-21

45-17

Sean HammondSenior writer

Stephen BourbonStaff writer

Torrence SorrellAssistant sports

editor

Erik PradoOn-air reporter

Michael WonsoverVideographer

Saturday, Nov. 23StandingsLEGENDS

MICHIGAN STATE

MINNESOTA

NEBRASKA

IOWA

MICHIGAN

NORTHWESTERN

LEADERS

OHIO STATE

WISCONSIN

PENN STATE

INDIANA

ILLINOIS

PURDUE

CONF

6-0

4-2

4-2

3-3

3-3

0-6

CONF

6-0

5-1

3-3

2-4

0-6

0-6

OVR

9-1

8-2

7-3

6-4

7-3

4-6

OVR

10-0

8-2

6-4

4-6

3-7

1-9

(40-15) (39-16) (40-15) (42-13) (35-20) (40-15)

Illinois at

Purdue

Baylorat

Oklahoma State

Texas A&Mat

LSU

Missouriat

Ole Miss

Wisconsinat

Minnesota

Michigan @ Iowa11 a.m. | Big Ten Network

Illinois @ Purdue11 a.m. | Big Ten Network

No. 13 Michigan State @ Northwestern11 a.m. | ESPN

Nebraska @ Penn State2:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

No. 19 Wisconsin @ No. 25 Minnesota2:30 p.m. | ESPN

Indiana @ No. 3 Ohio State2:30 p.m. | ABC

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Free 2 GB USB* For First 100 New Student Accounts



The Illinois football drinking gameELIOT SILL

Sports editor

The Illini hit the road this Saturday, which means you have no obliga-tion to go to Memorial Stadium and

sit in a vacant arena deprived of arguably the only thing that makes Illinois football watchable — alcohol.

While you’re sitting on your couch back home, soaking it all up, here’s the best gift I could think of to keep you occupied — the Illinois football drinking game.

Now of course, there’s a reason no alco-hol is allowed in Memorial Stadium — Illi-nois football is a family activity and takes place in a family atmosphere. But we can’t deny our school’s, er, festive culture.

You can try this with soda, too.Here are the rules:1. Don’t play if you’re not of legal drink-

ing age. If you’re getting too drunk, stop. This game is for fun, not for children.

I’ve obviously never played this before, so I can’t gauge how sauced these rules will actually get you. Never binge drink, make good choices, basically all that stuff your parents tell you.

2. Take a shot after every Illinois touchdown.

First thing’s fi rst. You’re wearing orange, aren’t you? Showing school spirit

and what not? You’re here to support, so this one’s obvious. This constitutes the happy-drinking portion of the game. Plus, Illinois is playing Purdue — a beatable opponent, and you’re watching, so if you wanna stick it through the whole thing, you need to believe by the end that this game means everything.

3. Every commercial break, take a drink.

This is the last of the pace-setting rules. It’s Illinois vs. Purdue we’re talking here, so when you think about it, if you’re watching commercials for this game, and maintain-ing your anticipation for the game to return from break, just what does that say about you?

It says you could use a drink, is what I’m getting at.

4. Every time Aaron Bailey comes in, take four drinks. If he runs the ball on a designed run, take four more. If he does so on a third-and-short or fourth-and-short situation and fails to get the fi rst down, take fi ve more.

5. If Steve Hull catches a pass, stand up, raise both your arms and shout “Steve Hull!” High fi ve anyone in the room who gets the reference. Take one drink per each high fi ve doled out.

6. Take two drinks for each Josh Fergu-son high step or spin move.

Assuming Ferguson gets a lot of touch-es, this one could do you in.

7. Every time Ryan Lankford is shown or mentioned, pour some out for one’s homies.

8. Every time Bill Cubit tries a trick play, take four drinks. If it backfi res on Illinois, take six more.

Cubit’s trick plays have gone down in usage lately, but I imagine we’ll get an

increased dosage of them against a generally hap-less Purdue squad. No rea-son not to empty the play-book anymore anyway.

This is the last of the offensive rules.

9. Every time a Jus-tin DuVernois punt goes awry, take three drinks. Every time DuVer-

nois boots an outstanding punt, take two drinks. If Beckman should have just gone for it, take another drink.

10. Take a shot for every opposing touchdown of 40 yards or more.

I’m sorry.11. Take a drink for every Illinois tack-

le-for-loss. Two drinks for every Illinois sack.

It’d just feel really weird not drinking when this happened. It’d be like seeing a shooting star and not making a wish.

12. Take a drink every time defensive coordinator Tim Banks is shown on televi-sion looking like he’s trying not to think

about job security.Banks’ job may be totally secure, for all

we know. But the way his defense has per-formed, in this cruel and crazy market for coaches, it certainly wouldn’t be insane to think these may be his last two games on the Illinois sideline — his fi nal game if Pur-due bullies the Illinois defense.

If I were Mike Thomas, I’d give him another year. But I’m not Mike Thomas.

13. Take two drinks every time an oppos-ing player catches a ball with fi ve or more yards of space around him.

Illinois has tightened the screws some-what on its coverage in recent weeks, but it seems the tighter coverage was cancelled out by the increased allowance of big plays (see rule 9).

14. Every time an opposing runner gets into the secondary untouched, take two drinks.

There’s a reason Illinois’ defensive backs frequently get so many tackles. It’s not because Banks has a hyperaggressive scheme. It’s because they’re the last line of defense, which makes them a frequent cus-tomer for taking the hits of opposing backs.

15. If Illinois wins, take a shot. If Illinois loses, take a shot.

You’ve put in a lot of work by this point. Reward yourself and enjoy the rest of your Saturday.

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

If Illinois wins, take a shot.

If Illinois loses, take a shot.

Touchdown Times: November 21, 2013

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