Illini Football Looks for Explosive 2001 Season
March 22, 2001 | Football
March 22, 2001
Under head coach Ron Turner the University of Illinois football program has become one of the most explosive in school history and the 2001 season looks to provide more of the same.
Illinois jumped out to a great start in 2000, sweeping its non-conference schedule for the second straight year, averaging over 34 points in wins against Middle Tennessee, San Diego State and California and earning a No. 17 national ranking. The Illini provided excitement with five down-to-the-wire games during the Big Ten season, including a 42-35 win over Indiana and a shutout win over Iowa.
"When you look at last season, you see that we were a few plays away from being a 9-2 or 8-3 team," head coach Ron Turner said. "Although we didn't go to a bowl game, this team realizes that we are a strong team that has the talent to jump right back into the national scene."
The Illini head into the 2001 season with 47 letterwinners returning from last seasons 5-6 squad, including 13 starters. Seven starters return on the offensive side: quarterback Kurt Kittner, tailback Rocky Harvey, offensive tackle Tony Pashos, offensive guard Jay Kulaga, center Luke Butkus, split end Aaron Moorehead and flanker Greg Lewis. Six starters will be back for 2001 on defense: defensive tackle Brandon Moore, defensive end Terrell Washington, linebacker Jerry Schumacher, strong safety Bobby Jackson, free safety Muhammad Abdullah and cornerback Eugene Wilson.
The Illini have three new defensive coaches, including coordinator Mike Cassity who joins the staff with 16 years experience as a defensive coordinator. Also joining the Illini are secondary coach Mike Mallory and defensive line coach Donnie Thompson. Osia Lewis will move from defensive ends coach to linebackers for the 2001 season. Defensively, the 2001 team mirrors the offense from the 1999 season. The Illini will depend on many young, talented players to contribute this season. Heading into 1999, there were many question marks on the offensive side of the ball. The team depended on youth and that unit went on to become the most productive offense in school history.
"We as a coaching staff are very excited about the players we have defensively for this season, but we are concerned with the lack of experience," Turner said. "We will need young players to step up and give us the depth and play-making ability that we saw from the offense two years ago." Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the Illini heading into 2001:
QUARTERBACK For the last three seasons, Kurt Kittner has held the position of the team's signal caller and returns for his senior season, looking to rewrite the Illinois record books. Kittner already holds the single season record for most touchdown passes with 24 and led the Illini's record setting offense in 1999. He has been tabbed one of the top quarterbacks in the nation and earned honorable mention All-America honors from Football News. The three-year starter has passed for over 5,000 yards and 43 touchdowns and improved his passing accuracy to nearly 60 percent in 2000.
Competition for the back-up role heats up this spring between sophomores Dustin Ward and Christian Morton. Morton will spend his first spring with the Illinois football team, looking to compete with Ward. Ward played in seven games last fall, making his first collegiate start against Northwestern. He passed for 390 yards and threw four touchdown passes for the season. Morton became a vital part of the special teams units toward the end of the season, leading the team in punt return and kickoff return yardage. He averaged 24 yards per kickoff return and 20 yards per punt return. Also adding depth to the quarterback position is redshirt-freshman Mark Kornfeld, who set a school record with 5,839 yards passing in his career.
Turner on Quarterbacks: "I think Kurt Kittner is one of the best if not the best quarterback in the country and we are excited about having him back for his fourth year as a starter. We are looking forward to having him provide great leadership for us as well as his great football ability. We are going to have some intense competition this spring for the back up position primarily between Dustin Ward and Christian Morton."
RUNNING BACKS Tailback: Both members of the "Thunder and Lightning" tandem of Rocky Harvey and Antoineo Harris return to handle the offensive backfield duties for the Illini. The duo combined for 1,455 yards and 10 touchdowns. Each tailback rushed for over 100 yards three times during the 2000 season, including 100-yard performances for both running backs in back-to-back games for the first time in school history. The halfbacks helped lead the Illini to its second consecutive year with over 1,700 yards rushing, a feat not matched since the 1989- 1990 seasons.
Harris led the team in rushing with 772 yards and scored seven touchdowns to also lead the team in scoring. With Harvey's 683 yards rushing, he moved to eighth on Illinois' all-time rushing list, while also earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Fullback: With the departure of Jameel Cook to the NFL draft, the Illini will look to sophomore Carey Davis as a replacement at fullback this spring. Davis played in 10 games as a redshirt-freshman tallying 40 yards receiving, 21 rushing and one touchdown reception. He got his first collegiate start for an injured Cook against Indiana. Pushing Davis for playing time will be junior Carlos Lattimore. Lattimore moved to fullback from safety last season and scored his sole touchdown of the season against San Diego State. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry, while playing in 10 games. Also adding depth will be sophomores Brad Haywood and Clayton Mullen. Haywood rushed for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns as a prep senior and gained valuable experience last season on special teams. Mullen is a two-year member of the Illini squad after walking onto the team in 1999.
Turner on Running Backs: "The running backs position is going to be one of the strongest on the team. We have two outstanding halfbacks in Antoineo Harris and Rocky Harvey, who compliment each others' styles. They are as good a running back tandem as any I've seen in the country. At fullback, we will have to replace Jameel Cook, however we feel we won't miss a beat with Carey Davis and Carlos Lattimore. They got quality playing time last year. We will also have good depth with Brad Haywood and Clayton Mullen."
WIDE RECEIVERS Once again, the wide receiving corp is very young, without a senior in the bunch. This group helped lead the team to its second straight 2,000 yard passing season. In 2000, former walk-on Greg Lewis led the Illini with 544 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Not far behind, was another former walk-on Aaron Moorehead who hauled in four touchdowns and 520 yards. Both will return to try and secure a starting position in this very talented, deep receiving corp.
Flanker: Lewis posted his first 100-yard game against Michigan and had five catches over 30 yards, while averaging 13.6 yards per reception at flanker. Pushing Lewis will be sophomore Brandon Lloyd, the Illini's starter for the 1999 season. Lloyd broke freshman records in receiving following his 511-yard, two touchdown debut campaign. He broke his femur prior to the 2000 season and will make his return for 2001 spring practices. Also lining up at flanker this year will be redshirt-freshman Ade Adeyemo. Adeyemo was a prep All-American, averaging 17 yards a catch at St. Rita High School.
Split End: While Moorehead had the most starts at split end in 2000, the competition for a starting spot is fierce with five players on the Illini depth chart. Moorehead will challenge sophomore Eric McGoey, who finished the season with 187 yards in his first year as an Illini, scoring touchdowns against Michigan and Minnesota. Junior Walter Young adopted the receiving gloves for good last season as the converted quarterback recorded 403 yards, an average of 14.9 yards per catch. Emerging as a deep threat in 2000 was redshirt freshman Dwayne Smith. Smith hauled in eight catches and two touchdowns in the season finale against Northwestern. Also looking for playing time is sophomore Jamaal Clark, who was one of the highest-rated high school players out of the St. Louis area and one of the top prep receivers in the country.
Turner on the Wide Receivers: "We have a very solid group of receivers with a lot of depth returning this season. There are a lot of players who made big plays for us last year and we are looking forward to the return of Brandon Lloyd. He is ahead of schedule and will give us that big-play threat that we were lacking at times last year. We are still a very young group, without a senior in the bunch, but we expect them to play with more maturity. We think we will have very good competition at receiver this spring. Walter Young, Greg Lewis and Aaron Moorehead have been making plays for two years, but we were very excited about what we saw from Eric McGoey, Dwayne Smith and Jamaal Clark, especially towards the end of the season."
OFFENSIVE LINE For the past two seasons, the Illinois offensive line has been among the conference's best. The 2001 offensive line returns three starters from last year, three players who have started 23 consecutive games. Returning in 2001 are senior center Luke Butkus, senior left guard Jay Kulaga and junior right tackle Tony Pashos. The offensive line allowed only 20 sacks in 361 pass plays last season, an average of one sack every 18.1 pass attempts. Pashos led the bunch with 60 knockdowns, followed by Kulaga with 67 and Butkus with 65. The Illini will have to make up for the loss of All-Big Ten performers Ray Redziniak and Marques Sullivan, but have the depth and talent from which to choose. Looking to make the move to left tackle will be junior David Diehl. Diehl played the last two seasons at guard and got experience last season at right guard for the injured Redziniak. He will be pushed by sophomore tackle Sean Bubin. Bubin gained valuable experience in all 11 games on special team last year. Sophomore Aaron Hodges is the leading candidate at right guard. Hodges played in four games, but lined up for 62 offensive snaps. Competing with Hodges will be redshirt-freshman Bucky Babcock, who was a prep All-American.
Turner on the Offensive Line: "We are excited about our offensive line. We have two starters to replace in Marques Sullivan and Ray Redziniak, but we are happy about the young guys we have to step in. We will have some really good competition this year on the offensive line. We concentrated on building the depth at that position over the last four years and we feel we have both depth and quality at that position. The three starters we have returning have started 23 consecutive games together."
TIGHT END The Illini have three players returning at the tight end spot. Although, Josh Whitman had been Illinois' starting tight end the last three seasons, senior Brian Hodges alternated series with Whitman to split time at the spot. Hodges scored two touchdowns last season, while averaging 8.6 yards per catch. Vying for playing time will be sophomore Kenny Boyle, who gained valuable experience last season, and redshirt-freshman Anthony McClellan. McClellan averaged 22.0 yards a catch as a prep all-state standout.
Turner on the Tight Ends: "We will have to replace Josh Whitman, but Brian Hodges will step in and do a great job there. He basically was a co-starter with Whitman, alternating series for the last two years. We also have some very talented young players, Kenny Boyle and Anthony McClellan, that will give us that down-the-field threat."
DEFENSIVE LINE The Illini will have to replace two seniors on the defensive line, including the 2000 Illinois defensive player of the year and first-team All-Big Ten performer Fred Wakefield and defensive tackle Jason Eberhart. Returning for the Illini are starting defensive end Terrell Washington and defensive tackle Brandon Moore. Washington was one the conference's leaders in tackles for loss and sacks. He registered 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks, while starting all 11 games. Moore has been a staple on the defensive line since his true-freshman season and has started 24 consecutive games. He recorded 55 tackles in 2000, seven for loss.
Looking to fill the vacated line positions are Illinois' 2000 Rookie of the Year Charles Gilstrap at tackle and senior defensive end Robby Long. Gilstrap recorded nine tackles in a reserve role on the line as a true-freshman last year. Long, a Champaign, Ill.-native, has played a key role as a back up the last three seasons.
The key to the improvement of the defensive line will be in its depth. Returning for spring ball following injuries are end Mike O'Brien and tackle Jeff Ruffin. Both linemen played in the first two games of the season before being sidelined. Junior tackle Brett Kautter played a significant role on the line last season as he tallied three tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in his 11 games. Sophomores Jemari Perry and Derrick Strong were both thrown in during their true-freshman seasons at defensive end and recorded nine and five tackles respectively. Also adding depth to the line will be junior college transfer Jamie Hanton at defensive tackle, who was a juco all-conference performer at Chaffey College in Corona, Calif.
Turner on the defensive line: "The defensive line can be a much-improved area for us this year. We have recruited that position very successfully over the last few years working to improve depth. We have two starters back, Brandon Moore and Terrell Washington, who have good experience as well as many players who have contributed last year like Brett Kautter, Charles Gilstrap and Robby Long. With the return of Jeff Ruffin and Mike O'Brien, two potential starters last season, we feel we will be able to rotate more people in at those positions. There are also many young players we feel will make a huge impact on the line this year."
LINEBACKER Of the six players listed on the 2000 depth chart at linebacker only one remains for the 2001 season. The linebacking position holds many questions for the Illini, but have many athletes who will be competing for those two top spots in spring practice.
Junior Jerry Schumacher is the only returning starter and was a vital part of the 2000 defense. He was the second-leading tackler on the team with 104 tackles as a true-sophomore. The team's Butkus Award candidate will lead the group of young linebackers vying for a spots in the starting lineup. Expected to back up Schumacher is redshirt-freshman Mike Gawelek, who led his high school team with 189 total tackles his senior season and 451 for his career. Pushing Schumacher and Gawelek will be sophomore Brad Haywood, who will work out at both fullback and linebacker this spring, and freshman Jim Goranson, who graduated early from high school to enroll at Illinois in January.
Junior college transfer and second-team JUCO All-American Mario Ivy will look to fill one of those roles. The Ellsworth College graduate will move to linebacker after playing most of his career on the defensive line. Competing with Ivy will be redshirt-freshman Lamont Holden. Holden, an all-conference performer at Stevenson High School, posted 76 tackles his senior season as a defensive lineman. Also looking for playing time is redshirt-freshman Estus Hood.
Leading up the charge at the third linebacker position is sophomore Ty Myers. Myers played primarily on special teams last season working on the kickoff, kickoff return and punt block units. Pushing Myers for a starting spot will be redshirt-freshman Lee Sicinski. Sicinski is a graduate of Joliet Catholic who made a name for himself with his 18-tackle, one interception performance leading his team to a state championship in 1999. The all-conference performer also posted 112 tackles at linebacker his senior season. The two will be pushed by sophomore Joe Bevis, who played extensively on special teams as a true-freshman contributing on the kickoff, kickoff return and punt block teams, and redshirt-freshman Mike Parro.
Turner on the linebackers: "We are really excited about the ability of this group, but we are concerned about the lack of experience. We will have to replace five of six linebackers off last year's depth chart. We will be extremely young at linebacker although I think we have some guys who will step up and get better and better as time goes on. Obviously, the experience factor will make for great competition in the spring."
DEFENSIVE BACKS Safeties: Three-year starters Bobby Jackson and Muhammad Abdullah both return for the Illini in 2001. The duo has recorded 10 interceptions in their careers, including five by Abdullah in 1999 and two for Jackson in 2000. Jackson's pick and return for a score was the Illini's sole touchdown against Michigan State. Abdullah ranked third on the team in total tackles, while Jackson posted the team's fourth-most. Backing up at the two safety positions will be redshirt freshman Kevin Anderson and senior Nick Piazza. Anderson was an all-conference performer at East St. Louis High School, while Piazza has played a key role on special teams over the past three years. Also vying for time will be redshirt freshman Chris Jack.
Turner on the safeties: "We have a great group of safeties, two players in Bobby Jackson and Muhammad Abdullah who have a lot of experience and talent. They also provide a lot of the leadership on this team. They give us the attitude that you need to win at this level."
Cornerbacks: The cornerback position last season was one of much quality and very little depth. At one spot junior Eugene Wilson was a solid 11-game starter, however when Trayvon Waller broke his leg against Minnesota, the second cornerback spot became a revolving door of starters. Wilson will head into spring as the starter following a stellar season where he posted 16 pass deflections and four interceptions, including three interceptions in the last three games. He ranked eighth in the Big Ten for his picks and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. Junior Marc Jackson made the move from safety to start the last two games of the season at cornerback. Jackson totaled 52 tackles, one for loss and three passes broken up for the season.
The Illini will look for senior Anthony Hurd, sophomore Nana Agyeman and redshirt-freshman Matt Henderson to serve as back ups. Hurd started two games at corner in 2000 before suffering a torn hamstring. Agyeman saw time at corner as a true-freshman last year, recording his first collegiate interception and a 55-yard return in the season opener against Middle Tennessee.
Turner on cornerbacks: "Cornerback is a great concern for us right now. We need to find out who our other corner will be opposite Eugene Wilson. We think Eugene will be one of the top corners in the country. But we need to find someone who can play very efficiently at the other cornerback position which will allow us do the things we want to do defensively. There will be good competition between Marc Jackson, Anthony Hurd, Nana Agyeman and Matt Henderson."
SPECIAL TEAMS Kickers: The Illini return both kickers from a year ago in punter Steve Fitts and placekicker JJ Tubbs. Fitts began the season handling both duties and was a perfect 25-of-25 in extra point attempts and averaged 40.9 yards per punt. He attempted 10 field goals making five, including a career-long 47 yarder against Minnesota. Tubbs took over placekicking duties against Penn State and converted a 22-yard field goal against Michigan State, the only one of the season. He also made 13-of-13 PATs.
Turner on the kickers: "JJ Tubbs goes into spring as our kicker and will be competing with Peter Christofilakos and Patrick King and we hope that produces good competition. Steve Fitts looks to be our punter for the fourth straight year and I am really excited and think that he will be one of the top punters in the country now that he is concentrating only on his punting. Matt Minnes has been pushing Fitts over the last year and it has only improve the performances of both punters."
Return Specialists: "Illinois will have three return specialists back from the 2000 squad, including Wilson who has handled punt returns for the last two seasons and Harvey who has been returning kicks for three years. The Illini also discovered the speed of Christian Morton as both a punt and kickoff returner last season. Morton averaged 20.0 yards per punt and 24.4 per kick return as well as scoring on an 80-yard punt return against Indiana."
Turner on the return specialists: "We feel really good with the players we have returning this spring. We have some very explosive athletes, Christian Morton, Eugene Wilson, Rocky Harvey and Brandon Lloyd, who can make big plays on special teams."
Specialists: The Illini will look for a new long snapper this spring after three years of Nathan Hodel handling the duties. Looking to push for the spot will be senior Pat Rouse and junior Mike Malczyk. Rouse played in two games in 1999 taking over for the injured Hodel, while Malczyk got some playing time this season on the kickoff return unit.
Turner on the specialists: "This year we will be looking to replace Nathan Hodel at long snapper after three years at that position. We have had stability and consistency at that position for a long time and will look to Patrick Rouse and Mike Malczyk to fill that role. Fitts will be our holder with Kittner backing him up."
