Illinois Wants To Erase Mistakes That Marred 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois football coach Ron Zook thinks last season could have been different, if only the Illini had done a few things differently.

A year after their unlikely run to the Rose Bowl, the Illini found themselves 5-7, finishing the season with three straight dreary losses that locked them out of the bowl picture.

As spring football started Tuesday, Zook said the Illini need to learn how to hang on to the ball - they turned it over 35 times last season, eight more giveaways than they forced - and stop giving away big plays.

Fix those two problems, Zook told reporters, and "our record's completely different than last year."

Illinois will try to cut down its turnover problem with a new offensive coordinator, but much the same offense as last year, from the skill position players to the scheme, according to Zook.

Mike Schultz joined Illinois from TCU, replacing former coordinator Mike Locksley, now head coach at New Mexico.

Zook said the offense will reflect Schultz's personality, but the scheme will remain the run-oriented spread that quarterback Juice Williams has run since he became the starter his freshman year.

But, where Locksley also served as quarterback coach and was the coach who worked most closely with Williams, Zook has made third-year assistant Kurt Beatherd the new QB coach.

"Kurt knows what Juice can do, what he's done," Zook said, explaining that the move was designed to maintain stability around Williams, who was Illinois' leading rusher with 719 yards and threw for 3,173 yards last season and 22 touchdowns.

But he also had interceptions. Zook said he frequently finds himself defending his soon-to-be-senior quarterback, pointing out things like Williams' Michigan Stadium record 431 yards of offense in last season's win over the Wolverines.

"There've been an awful lot of great players play at Michigan," Zook said he recently told a friend who questioned Williams' abilities. "And all I know is our No. 7 set the record.

"He does an awful lot of good things."

Illinois and Williams will also get their first look over the next few weeks at what should be one of the best groups of receivers in the Big Ten.

They will be led by Arrelious Benn, the junior-to-be who caught 67 balls for 1,055 yards last season.

On defense, Zook mainly wants to cut down on giving away those big plays.

He won't get a good look at his secondary this spring.

Two key players, cornerback Miami Thomas and safety Donsay Hardeman will miss most or all of the spring with injuries, but the group could be one of Illinois' strengths, even with the departure of Vontae Davis. The cornerback skipped his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

The big question will be at linebacker, where only one starter, Martez Wilson, returns.

Illinois is still waiting for Wilson, who will be a junior this fall, to live up to the potential that made him a prize recruit. He was the team's third leading tackler last season with 69 tackles, 37 unassisted.

Zook said Wilson is completely recovered from a December injury, widely reported as a stabbing in which Wilson came to the aide of a former teammate. And the coach defended his linebacker, saying he's often unfairly criticized by fans.

"You saw Martez close to a couple of touchdowns in the Penn State game and all the sudden that's his fault," Zook said. "That's not Martez's fault."

Illinois will play an early spring game April 11 at Oak Park River Forest High School in Oak Park, Ill., and close spring ball with the annual Orange and Blue game in Champaign on April 25.