Josh Reed
The Biletnikoff Award winner has developed into the most prolific major conference wide receiver in NCAA history. He's fifth all-time in NCAA history in receiving yards. And what's really scary is that Reed converted from running back to wide receiver seven games into his freshman season, and he's still a junior!
Reed may be the best college football player after the catch that the game has ever seen. He has unbelievable lower body strength, tremendous quickness and the instincts of a first-rate tailback. It is not unusual to see Reed carrying linebackers and defensive backs for extra yards throughout a game.
He's a shrewdly intelligent player with amazing route-running skills, and has shown a great feel for finding open areas within zone pass coverages. Against man-to-man, his combination of strength, cutting ability and natural football instincts make him almost impossible to catch.
LSU is very deep at the wideout position with true freshman Michael Clayton (47 catches, 754 yards, 6 TDs) and junior Jerel Myers (132 career receptions), forcing defenses to respect the entire field. This balance, along with Rohan Davey's full arsenal of throws, make Reed that much more dangerous.
Illinois' attacking defense under new defensive coordinator Mike Cassity has been a huge hit in the Big Ten. Illinois improved its sack total from 18 to 39, and the play of cornerbacks Eugene Wilson and Christian Morton have keyed Cassity's penchant for turning up the heat on quarterbacks.
If the Illini can get into the backfield and pressure Davey into some bad throws and turnovers, the Fighting Illini will have the upper hand. It will be interesting to see if LSU can continue to run the ball effectively with Domanick Davis and Devery Henderson filling in for LaBrandon Toefield. Remember, Davis and 22-year-old freshman QB Matt Mauck were the heroes in the SEC Championship game victory over Tennessee.
Like the Illini, the Tigers' offense cannot be stopped, only contained.
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Kurt Kittner
Kurt Kittner threw for as many touchdowns and more yards than Miami's Ken Dorsey and Oregon's Joey Harrington … but wasn't even considered a serious contender for the Heisman.
He's clearly the most experienced of the nation's top-shelf quarterbacks. There isn't a blitz, coverage or defensive scheme that Kittner hasn't already seen. He may be the best deep ball passer in college football today. LSU better be very careful matching up in the secondary against the Fighting Illini's receivers.
Kittner is uncanny with arm fakes, which take advantage of tight coverage by opposing cornerbacks. The double moves by his wideouts, combined with Kittner's pump fakes, have supplied plenty of fireworks over the course of the 2001 season.
What makes Kittner most dangerous is his ability to stay patient when a defense takes away the deep passing game. Kittner will hit short and intermediate routes, move the chains and methodically drive the ball down the field through the air. He has the size, accuracy and field vision to go in the first round of the draft.
Defensively, LSU has a very tough task in stopping Kittner and the Illinois offense. To slow down this attack, the Tigers need to take away the run, make Illinois one-dimensional and disrupt Kittner in the pocket on obvious passing situations. Easier said than done with Illinois' talented offensive line, which has given up only 13 sacks this season and has been exceptional in creating yards for running backs Rocky Harvey and Antoineo Harris.
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