The wait is over, because Illini football is back this weekend! The Illini will play their first game of the Tim Beckman era on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 11am versus Western Michigan. Win or lose this weekend, I think it’s fair to say that Illini fans should probably get used to this time slot.

For the third year in a row, I’ve got season tickets to Illini football, but this is the first of many games I will not be attending due to someone having the gall to get married during football season. I got married in June for a reason people: no Illini football or basketball to speak of.

Anyway, even though this is the second year that Illinois hasn’t had to face Missouri in the season opener, the sting of those four years in a row of season-opening losses is still fresh enough for me to thank the stars that the Tigers aren’t on the schedule on Saturday (or at all this season).

Instead, Illinois will host the Western Michigan Broncos from the MAC Conference. I’m not saying this game is going to be easy by any means, but it’s not a bad choice for the first game of the year. Coach Beckman came from Toledo – another MAC team – so he is familiar with how the team plays. Also, it’s a good team, but maybe not a great team. A win is certainly possible (and expected), but a loss wouldn’t be horribly embarrassing.

Confidence and anticipation will be high, and the Illini have the momentum from winning their second Bowl in a row last year. I do love to point out that going into this season, the Illini are the only B1G team that can brag about winning two Bowls in the past two years. The guys are also getting a fresh start with Beckman. Saturday’s game will give Beckman a chance to see his guys in action, and it will set the tone for the season as a whole.

With 16 returning starters from last year’s Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl-winning team, the talent is there. What we’re worried about is depth, a weakness that is more easily identified once we actually start to play. We’ll get to see Beckman’s new offense, and see if the defense is as strong as it was last year.

The Illini have an all-time record of 75-42-5 in season-openers and luckily we’re starting out at home because the guys are 52-27-4 when opening the season at Memorial Stadium. In fact, the Illini have won their last six season openers at Memorial Stadium dating back to 1997 (if you’re confused as to how that can be with those four Missouri losses stuck in there, it’s because that game was always in St. Louis).

You’re going to want to look out for junior linebacker Jonathan Brown, senior defensive end Michael Buchanan and senior cornerback Terry Hawthorne, who all return this year after earning All-Big Ten honors a season ago. It’s a safe bet that Nathan Scheelhaasse will be our QB in the game, but the question might remain who he’s going to be passing to, though Darius Millines and Spencer Harris are the most likely candidates.

Joining Buchanan and Hawthorne are five more returning starters: DT Akeem Spence, DT Glenn Foster, LB Jonathan Brown and safeties Supo Sanni and Steve Hull. And both punters from 2011 are also coming back: traditional punter Justin DuVernois and rugby-style punter Ryan Lankford, as well as long-snapper Zak Pedersen. Hull and Sanni may not make an appearance on the field this weekend, but they’ll be the veterans on the bench supporting the team either way.

Illinois leads the all-time series with Western Michigan 3-1, and has won all three previous meetings in Champaign in 1947, 2004 and 2011. It is tough to erase the memory of the loss that occurred at Western Michigan in 2008 in Detroit. We went in uber confident, and I remember watching the game at a bar in DC only to lose ugly and horribly to a subpar WMU team. What makes me nervous is that this year’s WMU team may be better, and it’s not really clear where we’re at.

If nothing else, I’m excited to get a glimpse of what this season will be bringing. It’s nice to have a fresh, clean slate and an open mind to pick up whatever Coach Beckman is putting down. Above everything else, these guys need to remember what it’s like to have fun on the football field, because somehow Ron Zook made them forget how to do that.

Final prediction: Illinois with a narrow win.

Football season is just a couple months away, which means it’s time to start keeping our eyes on certain players. Four Illini football players were recently named to national award watch lists, announced by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Junior linebacker Jonathan Brown and senior defensive end Michael Buchanan are both candidates for the Nagurski Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top defensive player, while senior center Graham Pocic and junior defensive tackle Akeem Spence are both up for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the best interior lineman in college football.

Brown was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the media in 2011 after he ranked sixth in the nation in tackles for loss per game with 1.63 (19.5 total). He led the Big Ten in TFLs (14.5) in conference games and ranked second in tackles (11.9 per game), pacing the Illini with 108 stops. Brown has already been named to the 2012 Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy watch lists and is a preseason All-American by Phil Steele.

Buchanan also had a big 2011 season playing opposite first-team All-American DE Whitney Mercilus. Buchanan was a second-team All-Big Ten selection, recording 64 tackles and ranking fourth in the Big Ten in sacks (7.5) and ninth in TFLs (13.5). Buchanan is also on the Bednarik Award watch list.

Pocic enters 2012 having started 26 consecutive games at center for the Illini. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2010 when he helped pave the way for the top rushing offense in the Big Ten and 11th-best in the nation. Pocic is also on the Rimington Trophy watch list, which goes to the nation’s top center.

After being named a freshman All-American in 2010, Spence followed up with an even better year in 2011. He posted 69 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks during his sophomore campaign, while helping anchor the seventh-ranked defense in the country.

The Nagurski Trophy is named for former Minnesota fullback/defensive tackle Bronko Nagurski, who dominated college football from 1927-29. Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly won the award in 2011, while former Illini defensive end Whitney Mercilus was a Nagurski finalist last season. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists on Nov. 15. The winner will be announced Dec. 3 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century. This year’s winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 6 on ESPN. The 2011 Outland winner was Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones.

In all, four Illini have been named to eight different watch lists so far this summer.

Illini 2012 Preseason Honors & Watch Lists (as of 7/12)

• Jonathan Brown, LB – Nagurski Trophy (Def. POY), Bednarik Award (Def. POY), Lott Trophy (Def. POY), Phil Steele All-American (fourth team)
• Michael Buchanan, DE – Nagurski Trophy (Def. POY). Bednarik Award (Def. POY)
• Graham Pocic, C – Outland Trophy (Interior line), Rimington Trophy (C)
• Akeem Spence, DT – Outland Trophy (Interior line)

Tim Beckman could be the first of many new coaches for Illinois; Photo by Cary Frye

The Big Ten Spring football games are right around the corner, which means it’s time for coaches and players to face the media music and give us a heads up as to what to expect.

The Ohio State folks spent most of the time talking about the “greatest sports rivalry” in the universe, and then described John Simon as Tebow-ish. Then I realized that my cel does not have unlimited minutes and so maybe I should hang up and call back to listen to my guys at the end of the call.

After listening to the awkward silence that prevailed when no one had any questions for the Purdue defensive tackle, Nathan Scheelhaase (gotta get back in the habit of spelling that) got on the call to discuss my main focus: Illinois football!

According to Scheelhaase, Spring ball is going really well, but let’s be honest, would anyone really say anything different. Despite the changes, Coach Beckman and the others have been doing a good job of getting to know the guys on and off the field, making the transition as smooth as possible.

As for the competition biting at his ankles in sophomore (next year) Reilly O’Toole and junior Miles Osei, Scheelhaase doesn’t seem too nervous.  “People saw we could use two quarterbacks at the end of last season,” said Scheelhaase. “Coach Beckman has respect for what I’ve done and how much I’ve played.” While he said everyone gets a fair opportunity, it seems like Scheelhaase is getting the most practice in, and Beckman said it’s his job to lose. “It’s not about winning or losing the job, but impressing them with what you can do,” Scheelhaase said. “The coaches will put the right people on the field.”

On the whole, Scheelhaase feels like the team has gotten better. Some changes you’ll see from Beckman is a speedier offense, which keeps the defense on their toes.

As for Coach Beckman, my eardrums nearly burst when he got on the phone, but he settled down a tad. He’s excited for the spring game and proud of the way the guys have responded. For defense, he plans to build around the guys that are still around that were successful before. “Anytime you get playmakers coming back, you have to utilize what they’ve done and enhance it as much as you can,” said Beckman, mentioning Spencer Harris, Tim Kynard and Michael Buchanan.

As for the QB debate, it seems that Beckman is pro Scheelhaase, but pleased with the other guys. He noted that one thing you can’t see on the tape is what great leaders all three of them are. Osei has been doing some work as WR and tailback, which he feels is a testament to his athleticism.

Coming into a new program, the focus for Beckman was on building trust. “We needed to build trust to build a successful program to believe in each other,” he said. “These players understand their role of making it the best that they can make it.”

The Spring game will take place on Saturday at 2pm, and will be streamed live on both BTN2Go and The Big Ten Digital Network.

Despite the massive fail that engulfed the end of the Illini football season, AJ Jenkins and Whitney Mercilus were still named First-Team All-Big Ten. In fact, nine total players were awarded with all-conference accolades. 

In total, five Illinois football players were named to the All-Big Ten teams by coaches and media, while four others earned honorable mentions. Senior wide receiver Jenkins and junior defensive end Mercilus were first-team picks by both the coaches and media.

Junior bandit Michael Buchanan was a second-team selection on both teams, while senior offensive tackle Jeff Allen and sophomore linebacker Jonathan Brown were named to the second team by the media. Allen, Brown and senior linebacker Ian Thomas were honorable mention selections by the coaches, and senior defensive back Tavon Wilson was on the media’s honorable mention list. Senior kicker Derek Dimke and junior defensive back Terry Hawthorne were honorable mention picks by both groups. Sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is Illinois’ honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Mercilus led the nation in sacks (14.5), sacks per game (1.21) and broke the Big Ten record with nine forced fumbles, one shy of the NCAA record of 10. A finalist for the Nagurski Award as the nation’s best defensive player, Mercilus has lived up to his name, forcing a fumble in four straight games and in six of the last seven, whileregistering at least one sack in 10 of 12 games this season. He led the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss and is close to breaking Simeon Rice’s UI sacks record of 16.

Jenkins logged a Big Ten-best 84 catches for 1,194 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He ranks second on the Illinois single-season receiving yards list and third on the receptions list. Jenkins accounted for 53.3 percent of Illinois’ receiving yards this season, by far the highest percentage in the nation. He broke Illinois’ single-game receiving record with 268 yards on 12 catches against Northwestern and followed that up with 182 yards at Indiana the next week, breaking the Big Ten record for most receiving yards in consecutive games.

Congrats to everyone who earned recognition, despite the horrific nosedive that attacked the football season this year.

Click here for the full list of Big Ten Players who received recognition.

The first Illinois football game is less than a week away, and I hope the team is as ready to get started as I am. For the first time since 2006 the Illini will start the season off at home, and they have a pretty solid chance of starting the season off 1-0, another new and exciting venture.

Kickoff is at 2:37 (weird) in the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 3 and the Illini will be facing Arkansas State. The game will be airing on the Big Ten Network.

The Illini have compiled an all-time record of 74-42-5 in season-openers and are 51-27-4 when opening the season at home. The Illini have also won their last five season-openers at Memorial Stadium dating back to 1997, including a 41-3 win over Arkansas State to start the 1999 season.

There are always some nerves as a new season begins, and this year is no different. The Illini have lost leading rusher Mykel Leshoure and my favorite hunka hunka burning linebacker Martez Wilson. DT Corey Leguit has also gone onto greener NFL pastures.

Not to worry, there will be some familiar faces, starting – of course- with QB Nathan Scheelhaase, who we all hope will pick up where he left off with a bowl win against Baylor in 2010.  Last season, Scheelhaase had 13 touchdowns and just one interception over the last seven games. In that Texas Bowl win over Baylor, the redshirt-freshman completed all 13 of his first-half passes for 170 yards and finished the game 18-of-23 for 242 yards, while also rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Illinois is returning six more offensive starters:  OL Jeff Allen, OL Hugh Thornton, OL Jack Cornell (split starts with Thornton), OL Graham Pocic, WR A.J Jenkins, FB Jay Prosch, and TE Evan Wilson.

The defense returns six starters: DE Michael Buchanan, DT Akeem Spence, LB Ian Thomas, LB Trulon Henry, CB Justin Green and CB Tavon Wilson. CB Terry Hawthorne also has started six games in his career – five in 2009 and one in 2010 – but was slowed by injuries much of 2010.

Kicker Derek Dimke and long-snapper Zak Pedersen are also coming back for more fun.

Luther is ready for football!

The Fighting Illini have eight home games on the schedule in 2011 for the first time in the Memorial Stadium era and first time since 1903, when Illinois played nine home games. The Orange and Blue open with five consecutive home games and six of their first seven contests at Memorial Stadium. The Illini take an all-time record of 247-209-14 at Memorial Stadium into the 2011 campaign.

As for who we’re facing? This will be the third meeting between Illinois and Arkansas State, with the  Illini winning  the previous two meetings at Memorial Stadium, 41-3 in the 1999 season-opener and 59-7 in 2002.

The Red Wolves were 4-8 overall in 2010 and finished tied for fourth in the Sun Belt with a 4-4 record. ASU
is under the direction of first-year head coach Hugh Freeze, who was ASU’s offensive coordinator in 2010. He was also the high school coach that was featured in “The Blind Side” movie with Sandra Bullock, a nice little trivia nugget for you.

Basically, this is a cake walk opening game, something the Illini have needed in the past to boost their spirits going into a new season. Thankfully that contract against Missouri in St. Louis expired, so the Illini can be like most other teams and start the season off right with a massive win against a subpar team. If they don’t bring home a W, then we’re going to have serious problems for the rest of the season, because at least if you lose your home opener to Missouri you have an excuse. These easier openers are also a great way for Zook to try out some new people and get a feel for who can do what before entering conference play.

Here we go!