ESPN College Football

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Paul Petrino wasn't present for the disastrous 2009 season at Illinois, but he knew things had changed with the Fighting Illini very early this spring.

Petrino, the team's new offensive coordinator, needed only one practice to see a difference. Actually, half a practice.

"You could see it as they hit the wall in the middle of practice," he said. "Just the speed and the intensity that we went about practice with, it shocked their system."

The wall got pushed back throughout the spring, to the point where players could complete a workout without falling flat. But the demands that Petrino, new defensive coordinator Vic Koenning and four other new assistants brought to spring practice never let up.

Last Tuesday, in practice No. 12 of 15 this spring, Illinois ran 93 plays during team drills. Koenning determined that the defense's performance in those 93 plays was unacceptable, so he made the entire unit do 93 up-downs.

"I've never done 93 up-downs after practice [before]," senior linebacker Martez Wilson said. "And the only reason we're doing it is because we aren't doing what we need to do."

After a poor defensive effort in one of the scrimmages this spring, Koenning had players do a pursuit drill until he "got tired of blowing the whistle."

"I wanted to see who was going to tap out," Koenning added. "We had a couple guys try to tap out and that exposed 'em."

Illinois has been exposed the last two seasons as one of the nation's biggest underachievers.

The program appeared to have turned the corner in 2007. Illinois made a surprise run to the Rose Bowl, and head coach Ron Zook continued to sign nationally ranked recruiting classes, bringing in the No. 12-rated class in 2007 and the No. 16-rated class in 2008. The talent was in place to take another step, but Illinois, as has been the case too often in the last quarter-century, backslid and went 8-16 the next two years.

"We didn't reach our potential, and there are a lot of reasons for that," Zook said. "That's the thing that we have to do this year."

Many thought a 3-9 season would signal the end for Zook, whose ability to convert heralded recruits into winners also came into question at Florida. Ultimately, athletic director Ron Guenther not only stuck by his head man but gave Zook the resources, specifically two-year contracts with competitive salaries, to revamp his staff and attract top candidates. Zook fired four coaches, including offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, demoted both of his defensive coordinators and hired six new assistants.

The new coaches boasted impressive credentials, none more so than Koenning, who had rebuilt or enhanced defenses at Kansas State, Clemson, Troy, Wyoming and Memphis. Petrino had coached some of the nation's most dynamic offenses at Arkansas and Louisville, and was looking to branch out from older brother Bobby and take total control of a unit.

This spring, Koenning and Petrino began installing their schemes and terminology, which will take time to sink in. But their instant impact on the team went beyond X's and O's.

"We've turned the wick up," Zook said. "When we say something, this is what we want, this is what we're going to get. There's pretty much a line drawn in the sand now."

After last Monday's practice, Zook went into the locker room and started talking with the wide receivers, the group that Petrino directly oversees.

"Coach Petrino, he coaches hard now, and it's great, and they love it," Zook said. "And [the receivers] said, 'Man, where'd you get that guy?' Because the time they walk out that door until the time they walk in the door, they're held accountable for every single thing."

It's a welcome change for the players after two disappointing years.

"A lot of times, you see guys in the pros and they go to another team and people say, 'Oh, their career is revitalized,'" defensive end Clay Nurse said. "It's the same thing here. You've got a new coach coming in here, he's snapping that whip, he's not taking any nonsense from us.

"And that's good for us. It's something we need."

To call this season pivotal would be an understatement for Illinois, and there are plenty of question marks. The Illini lose quarterback Juice Williams, a four-year starter, and have virtually no experience back at the position. They also must find answers along both lines, in the secondary and with the kicking game.

Some talent remains, but talent has never been the problem at Illinois. Coaching must be a bigger factor for the Illini, and the process has started this spring.

"The thing I like is seeing us come together as a team," Zook said. "That all comes from the coaches. We're all saying the same things, we're all about the same things, and the players are buying in. They're realizing, too, that the best chance of them reaching their goals is everyone having the same goal."

Middle Tennessee senior quarterback Dwight Dasher burst onto the national scene last season by leading the Blue Raiders to a 10-3 season and a win in the New Orleans Bowl.

Dasher, who had never been a fulltime starter, thrived under first-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and finished seventh in the country in total offense. He led the Blue Raiders in both passing and rushing and was second on the team in scoring.

But with Franklin gone to Louisiana Tech, Dasher must take what he learned last year and apply it to new offensive coordinator Mike Shultz’s system.

Dasher took a couple minutes to answer a few questions about Franklin, his senior season, and moving forward.

How do you feel about coach Franklin leaving?

Dwight Dasher: He had to do what he had to do. No one’s mad about it. Coach Franklin had to do what he had to do at the time and I’ve still got a lot of respect for him.

How much of what coach Franklin taught you last year do you continue to use especially with the amount of success you had?

DD: It’s a lot of adjustment with a new coach because he’s trying to do some more things. But I’m still going to use what coach Franklin taught me to do. I’m confident and like I said, he was a good coach. He taught me really the main thing about being a quarterback. So, I’m going to still stick with that.

How hard has it been for you learning under three offensive coordinators in three years?

DD: It’s kind of difficult. It’s just a lot of things. Each coach wants to do different things and it’s just a lot of adjustments. I’m just going to work through it.

So what did you do in the offseason when coach Franklin was gone and you were waiting to hear about another coordinator?

DD: I was just working out. Just going out there and doing the drills that coach Franklin taught me. Working on my footwork. Just keeping everything in place.

Now that you’re the cemented starter, what do you need to do this spring to have an even better season that last year?

DD: Everybody trusts me now and I’m just out there giving my all. Everybody looks up to me. I’m making sure everybody’s doing their job. We’ve all been working hard building relationships on the field this offseason.

Are you working on a certain part of you game?

DD: I’m trying to get better each and every day and every day I want to learn something new. Hopefully someone teaches me something new every day that I wake up.

I know you were unhappy with the amount of interceptions you had last year. Is that something you’ve been thinking about?

DD: I’m trying to work on my passing and keep turnovers out of sight. I turned the ball over a lot last year, but I’m not trying to do that this year. It comes with experience. Like I said, you learn something new every day. That was a mental thing. Hopefully this year it won’t be the same.

For you individually, was last year better than what you thought it would be or about what you thought it would be? What’s your assessment of your play last year?

DD: Everything was good about last year especially coming out with a 10-3 record. After we lost to Mississippi State, everyone said we weren’t going to lose anymore. Everybody got tired of losing. The biggest game that we lost last year was Troy and I still think about that one. Now, we’re looking at this year and to beat them. I’m trying to beat everybody, but I want to beat them the most.

Is that because that’s what standing in the way of you guys and a conference title? The one thing you didn’t get last year.

DD: Yes, ma’am.

So with a new offensive coordinator, how different do you think your role in this offense is going to look as opposed to last year?

DD: I don’t think it’s going to change too much. We’re still doing the same thing, just throwing in some new stuff. I’ve just got to adjust to that and adjust to [coach Schultz]. We’re doing that. We’ll get those vibes from each other. He’s teaching me something new, I’m learning, and hopefully it’s going to be a good thing.

Tuesday was Mike Schultz’s first day on the field as Middle Tennessee’s new offensive coordinator -- two weeks after he accepted the job.

Schultz’s introduction to the Blue Raiders has been a whirlwind.

He’s spent long days and nights learning the offense former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin installed last year, as well as personnel and the names of his fellow coaches, who have done some major handholding to get Schultz ready for the first day of spring practice.

“Today was my first practice and I wasn’t sure where the field was until about 2 o’clock this afternoon,” Schultz said jokingly.

Schultz had just a few days to meet his offensive players before most of them went on spring break last week. Schultz used that time to bunker down in his office and watch all of the film he could get his hands on. He watched every cut-up of Franklin’s spread offense, every cut-up of every game from last year’s 10-3 campaign, and every game in its entirety, sometimes two or three times.

“And I’ve been trying to get myself in a position to move,” Schultz said of moving himself and his wife into their new home.

But Schultz doesn’t mind the cram session. After all, he was unemployed when Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill called him about the position. Schultz was fired in mid-December after one season as the offensive coordinator at Illinois. Prior to that, he spent 11 years as an offensive coach at TCU, including eight as the offensive coordinator.

So, Schultz is doing his best to make this move stick and so is Middle Tennessee, which is on its third offensive coordinator in the past three seasons.

Schultz said he has no plans to change the offense that made the Blue Raiders so successful last season. He’ll make slight adjustments to fit his personal style, but nothing that will be that noticeable.

“There will be some tweaks in the run game and there will be some tweaks in the pass game, but I don’t think, unless you’re in on the meetings, you’ll see the difference,” Schultz said. “It will be very similar to what they were doing [before]. They’ve had great success here and [quarterback] Dwight [Dasher] has a great feel for the offense and knows what we’re trying to get done. The only thing that we’re trying to do is take a few of Tony’s ideas and build on that. Believe me, there’s not going to be a major overhaul. It’s going to be very minimum and we’ll try to stay within the system that was established here before.”

It helps that Middle Tennessee returns eight offensive starters, including Dasher, who ranked seventh in the country in total offense averaging 303.31 yards per game. And Dasher will have some extra help this year with running back Phillip Tanner back from a knee injury he suffered in the second game of the season.

The biggest losses are center Mark Thompson, and Patrick Honeycutt and Chris McClover, who were two of the team’s top three receivers.

Because there are so many returners, Schultz said he didn’t want to do anything too drastic.

“The one thing that I think Coach Stock wanted to do and I wanted to do was come in and keep our zone,” Schultz said. “Our kids, I think, we’re in a comfort zone; they had confidence, and that’s just me observing from the outside. So, it was very important to try and keep things as similar as we could so their comfort level would stay intact.”

Shultz said as difficult as the change is on him, it’s probably worse on the players, but even they’ve helped the new coach find his way. Schultz said during the first practice, Dasher recommended that the team run a drill similar to the way it was run last year and Schultz had no objection.

Other assistant coaches helped walk Schultz through certain parts of practice as well.

“The guys that I’m working with are unbelievable,” Schultz said. “There were four guys here that were left and those guys have been unbelievable about helping me. I’m going to have some of those growing pains early. Hopefully, I’m going to work my way through this.

"But right now, I’m concentrating on short-term goals and that’s get to the film room tonight and then trying to get through tomorrow’s practice.”

Middle Tennessee has hired Mike Schultz to replace Tony Franklin as the team’s offensive coordinator.

The hire is pending approval by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Schultz spent one year as the offensive coordinator at Illinois before being let go by Ron Zook after a 3-9 campaign.

"I am really excited about Mike and his wife, Cindy, and family joining our staff," coach Rick Stockstill said. "I really wanted to take my time in making this hire. Mike has everything I was looking for from his experience as a coordinator, coaching the quarterbacks, and is a fit to what we want to be offensively to being a very good recruiter. I look forward to rolling up our sleeves and going to work."

While Schultz has worked with both quarterbacks, he spent nine of his 11 season with TCU working with the running game. Under Schultz, the Horned Frogs were consistently among the best rushing teams in the country. Last season, the Illini ranked 17th in the nation in rushing.

Schultz inherits another run-heavy team in Middle Tennessee and a dual-threat quarterback in Dwight Dasher. Last season, Dasher was one of the nation's top offensive threats and led the Blue Raiders in both passing and rushing.

While Schultz is lauded for his work with the running attack, he did help TCU quarterback Andy Dalton set single-season TCU records for pass completions (222) and attempts (371) in 2007, his first season working exclusively with signal-callers.

However, he didn’t have the same luck at Illinois with junior dual threat Juice Williams. The Illini ranked 87th in passing offense last season after ranking 20th the year before. Illinois averaged almost 100 fewer yards passing than in 2008.

Schultz will be asked to pick up where Franklin left off, which won't be an easy task. Schultz does have the benefit of returning several offensive players from last year's 10-win team.

The Big Ten was the only major conference to avoid head-coaching changes this offseason, but the league certainly had its share of staff shuffling with assistants coming and going. Indiana's hiring of Mo Moriarity as offensive line coach on Monday marked one of the last turns on this year's Big Ten coaching carousel. Wisconsin still needs to hire a defensive assistant, but things are just about wrapped up.

Barring any late coaching changes, here's a look at who's gone, who's back and who's in new roles.

ILLINOIS

Offensive coordinator

• Who's out: Mike Schultz (fired)
• Who's in: Paul Petrino (previously offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Arkansas)

Defensive coordinator

• Who's out: Dan Disch and Curt Mallory both were demoted to position coaches. Disch is staying on staff as linebackers coach.
• Who's in: Vic Koenning (previously co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State)

Quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Kurt Beathard (fired)
• Who's in: Jeff Brohm (previously quarterbacks coach at Florida Atlantic)

Tight ends coach

• Who's out: Jim Pry (fired)
• Who's in: Greg Nord (previously running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Louisville)

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Reggie Mitchell (left to become running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Kansas)
• Who's in: DeAndre Smith (previously running backs coach at UNLV)

Other moves

• Mallory left his position as secondary coach to become defensive coordinator at Akron.
• Special-teams coordinator Mike Woodford was fired along with Schultz, Beathard and Pry.
• Ron West was hired as a defensive assistant. His official responsibilities have not been announced.

INDIANA

Offensive line coach

• Who's out: Bobby Johnson (left to become assistant offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills)
• Who's in: Myron "Mo" Moriarity (previously served as head coach at Carmel (Ind.) High School

IOWA

No staff changes, but recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson was named tight ends coach. Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell previously had worked with the tight ends, while Johnson had helped Darrell Wilson with the linebackers.

MICHIGAN

Linebackers coach

• Who's out: Jay Hopson (left to become defensive coordinator at Memphis)
• Who's in: Quality control assistant Adam Braithwaite was promoted to outside linebackers/strong safeties coach. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will take a more active role with the linebackers in 2010.

Other moves

• Secondary coach Tony Gibson will continue to work with cornerbacks and free safeties, and also serve as special-teams coordinator.

MICHIGAN STATE

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Dan Enos (left to become head coach at Central Michigan)
• Who's in: Brad Salem (previously served as head coach at Augustana College)

MINNESOTA

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Jedd Fisch (left to become quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks)
• Who's in: Jeff Horton (previously served as quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions)

Wide receivers coach

• Who's out: Richard Hightower (left to become assistant special-teams coach for the Washington Redskins)
• Who's in: Steve Watson (previously served as associate head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2008)

Other moves

• Running backs coach Thomas Hammock was named co-offensive coordinator

NORTHWESTERN

No coaching changes

OHIO STATE

No coaching changes

PENN STATE

No coaching changes

PURDUE

Defensive line coach

• Who's out: Terrell Williams (left to become defensive line coach at Texas A&M)
• Who's in: Gary Emanuel (previously served as defensive line coach at Rutgers). Emanuel also was named co-defensive coordinator with a focus on run defense.

WISCONSIN

Defensive backs coach

• Who's out: Kerry Cooks (left to become outside linebackers coach at Notre Dame)
• Who's in: Chris Ash (previously served as defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Iowa State)

Other moves

• Randall McCray, who served as Wisconsin's recruiting coordinator and assistant secondary coach, left to become defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee. Wisconsin has yet to fill the vacancy.

Ron Zook didn't waste much time in finding one of Illinois' new coordinators.

Illinois is expected to name Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino to the same position early this week, sources tell ESPN Scouts Inc.'s JC Shurburtt and The (Champaign) News-Gazette. Petrino, the brother of Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino, will replace Mike Schultz, one of four Illinois assistants fired Friday following a 3-9 season.

Zook also might find a defensive coordinator after demoting Dan Disch and Curt Mallory. Former Kansas defensive coordinator Bill Miller, who served under Zook at Florida, is a possibility.

An Illinois official couldn't confirm Petrino's hiring Sunday night.

Petrino, who was in the mix for Western Kentucky's head-coaching vacancy, guided a Razorbacks offense that leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in scoring (37.3 ppg). Arkansas ranks 10th nationally in passing and 14th in total offense, and quarterback Ryan Mallett, a transfer from Michigan, has developed into a superstar under the Petrino brothers.

This is an interesting move for Petrino, who has a much more stable situation at Arkansas but likely will be making much more at Illinois. He would join a coaching staff in Champaign that likely needs to reach a bowl in 2010 to keep their jobs.

Petrino's power spread offense is much more pass oriented than the system both Schultz and Mike Lockley ran at Illinois. The Illini lose several receivers but could get Arrelious Benn back next year.

Illinois' offense showed up Friday at Nippert Stadium. Unfortunately for the Illini, so did some of the problems that have plagued them all season.

If Juice Williams and his wide receivers performed like this all year, Illinois wouldn't be sitting at 3-8. Though Williams had several costly incomplete passes, including a sure touchdown to Chris Duvalt early in the third quarter, he performed well overall against a vulnerable Cincinnati defense.

The missed pass to Duvalt was one of several plays that seemed to sum up Illinois' disappointing season in Friday's 49-36 loss to the fifth-ranked Bearcats. Linebacker Nate Bussey was flagged for an inexcusable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave Cincinnati a fresh set of downs inside the Illinois 10-yard line. (The Bearcats converted for a touchdown.) Illinois drew eight penalties for 69 yards, as it remained the Big Ten's most penalized team.

Special teams also continued to hurt Illinois. While Derek Dimke went 3-for-3 on field goals, Cincinnati racked up 210 return yards, including a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Mardy Gilyard.

Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther said last month that changes would be coming in Champaign, although head coach Ron Zook was safe. First-year offensive coordinator Mike Schultz might be saving himself with the offense's progress down the stretch, but Zook might need to shuffle his defensive staff. Illinois had no answer for a one-dimensional Cincinnati offense, as Tony Pike shredded the Illini for 399 pass yards and six touchdowns. The back seven couldn't keep pace with tight end Ben Guidugli (149 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns) and Gilyard (102 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns).

It's nice to see a class act like Williams play well down the stretch, but the future of the Illinois program seems very shaky right now. The Illini finish up next week against Fresno State as they try to avoid going 3-9.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Well, it's safe to say Juice Williams wasn't the problem for Illinois.

Williams is on the bench today after losing his starting spot to Eddie McGee, but he's watching an offense that continues to sputter. The Illini generated no points, three first downs and just 60 total yards in the first half against Michigan State, which leads 17-0 at Memorial Stadium. McGee is just 2-of-6 passing on the day, but the problems on offense obviously go much deeper here. Illinois can't generate a run game, and coordinator Mike Schultz still hasn't found a way to exploit the team's wide receivers down the field.

Michigan State, meanwhile, appears to be turning its season around. Playing without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has an ankle injury, the Spartans have stormed ahead behind young running backs Larry Caper and Glenn Winston. Both backs have 64 rush yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Keith Nichol overcame a bit of a slow start to complete 9 of 14 passes for 132 yards.

MSU has outgained Illinois 281-60 and held the ball for 21:28.

The Spartans could be ahead by much more right now. Illinois needs to wake up in the second half. Zook and the Illini can't afford another noncompetitive loss.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Illinois faced fourth-and-inches from its own 33-yard line, clinging to a 28-21 lead over top-ranked Ohio State at Ohio Stadium.

	AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
	After 38 consecutive starts, Ilinois quarterback Juice Williams has been benched.

Juice Williams knew he could move the chains, so he made a convincing plea to Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, who put his faith in the sophomore quarterback. Williams lunged for the first down and drained the clock as Illinois stunned Ohio State. It would be the defining moment for both Williams and Zook at Illinois, as the team went onto the 2008 Rose Bowl.

Less than two years later, Williams can no longer convince Zook that he should remain on the field. After watching his quarterback struggle for three games, Zook announced Monday morning that junior Eddie McGee will replace Williams as the team's starter.

McGee will make his first career start Saturday against Michigan State (Big Ten Network, noon ET). Though he has made 19 career appearances, Williams has started the last 38 consecutive games for Illinois at quarterback.

“Believe me, this is not all on Juice,” Zook said Monday his radio show. "The poor guy has at times played extremely well, but the thing you try to do in athletics is you’re trying to get a spark.

"This is not a knee-jerk reaction. This is a lot of thought and what-if, what-if, what-if. But the bottom line is we're in a part of our schedule now where we’ve got to go play."

Zook said Sunday that changes were possible at every position, including quarterback, but the move to bench Williams is still somewhat surprising. It's not every day that you see a four-year starter and the Big Ten's most experienced quarterback get relegated to clipboard duty.

Williams has struggled mightily this season, ranking last in the Big Ten in pass efficiency and throwing four interceptions and only one touchdown, but he also boasts amazing career numbers. He was Zook's first major recruit at Illinois, and his close relationship with the head coach has been well documented. Plus, there's a lot of debate about whether the offensive scheme under new coordinator Mike Schultz is the bigger problem in Champaign.

Even as the pressure mounts on both Zook and Williams, it seemed like the coach and the quarterback would sink or swim together.

Zook's decision simply emphasizes the obvious, that these are desperate times for him and the Illini program. If things don't get turned around fast, Illinois is headed for its fourth losing season in Zook's five years as coach. The momentum from the Rose Bowl run in 2007 has all but vanished, and despite a one-year contract extension this summer, Zook finds himself very much on the hot seat.

He puts his faith in McGee, the Big Ten's most experienced backup. McGee led Illinois to its lone win this season Sept. 12 against Illinois State after Williams went down with a thigh injury. The junior from Washington D.C. has provided a spark in the past, most notably against Missouri in 2007, and Zook is looking for the same thing on Saturday.

If Williams remains on the bench, he'll end one of the more unusual careers in recent Big Ten history. Last week he became Illinois' record-holder in career total offense, and in 2008 he set total offense records in three separate stadiums, including Michigan Stadium.

But you know what they say about desperate times.

Zook made a move that might save the season or seal his fate.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

A quick check of the vital signs shows that Penn State's running game has a pulse again.

Illinois, meanwhile, could be flat-lining.

After getting manhandled by Iowa's defensive front last week, Penn State's offensive line turned in the type of performance it needed in a 35-17 win against Illinois. The Lions' front five wore down Illinois as the game went along and created running room for quarterback Daryll Clark and running backs Stephfon Green and Evan Royster. Head coach Joe Paterno insists that Clark didn't play poorly last week, but the senior signal-caller needed a rebound performance like this one. Also, credit Galen Hall and Jay Paterno for some nice adjustments at halftime.

Green and Royster both eclipsed 100 rushing yards and Clark added 83 yards and two touchdowns as Penn State piled up 338 rush yards and five touchdowns in the victory. If the Lions' new-look line can build off of this performance, Penn State should be in good shape when the schedule gets tougher later this month. The defense did a great job today and will only get better when linebacker Sean Lee returns.

As for Illinois, things are getting very desperate for head coach Ron Zook and his senior quarterback, Juice Williams. The Illini (1-3) have been outscored 102-26 in three games against FBS opponents, and the offense didn't reach the end zone until just 8:46 remained. Whether it's new offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, a more conservative game plan or Williams' continued inconsistency, there's something very wrong with the Illini offense.

Will Zook stick with Williams? He's extremely loyal to the senior, his first major recruit at Illinois, but his job seems to be in jeopardy, and it might be time for Eddie McGee.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

I guess we shouldn't be totally surprised that Penn State and Illinois have combined for only 10 first-half points. The Lions have struggled up front all season, while Illinois came into the game with just one touchdown against an FBS team.

Defense has ruled the day so far as Penn State leads 7-3 at halftime. Both teams have actually moved the ball, combining for 392 total yards, but both have stalled in plus territory. While Evan Royster has been kept at bay, Stephfon Green sparked the Lions' offense with a 52-yard touchdown run. He received a great block from lineman Lou Eliades on the play, and the sophomore has 81 yards on just seven carries. Credit Illinois' defense for hanging tough in this one.

For Illinois, it seems pretty simple: Turn Juice Williams loose and stretch the field. When Illinois attacks downfield to wideout Arrelious Benn and others, the offense seems to move well. When Mike Schultz gets conservative and calls zone run after zone run, the offense seems to stall. Penn State's linebackers have done a decent job, but the secondary looks vulnerable to me. Illinois really missed an opportunity for more points at the end of the half.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

A sense of pride splashed over Ron Zook Monday as the Illinois head coach stood in the back of the offensive meeting room.

Zook watched as senior quarterback Juice Williams and offensive coordinator Mike Schultz reviewed practice tape. Schultz quizzed Williams on his every move, and Williams countered with the right responses.

	Scott Boehm/Getty Images
	Juice Williams is looking forward to the Illini’s matchup with Missouri on Saturday.

"A lot of times Coach Schultz will say, ‘Why did you go there?’" Zook recalled. "And as you hear [Williams] regurgitate the answer, it makes you feel good, a little pride that, ‘Hey, here’s a guy who’s come an awful long way.’ He’s able to explain that this is why he went with the ball some particular place and why he did what he did with no hesitation.

"To me, that’s a guy who has a pretty good grasp on what we’re trying to do.”

It's a good sign for a player who often draws mixed reviews. Everyone has an opinion on Juice Williams.

They admire his natural gifts and question his decision-making skills. They laud his mobility but rip his passing mechanics. Some remember his brilliance at Ohio State in 2007, when he convinced Zook to go for a fourth-and-1 in Illinois territory late in the fourth quarter, moved the chains and then ran out the clock to upset the top-ranked Buckeyes. Others recall the total offense records he set in three different stadiums last fall, including the Big House.

He has been called a catalyst and an underachiever.

But Williams has made it difficult to totally buy into him. Take last season, for example.

In Illinois' first seven ballgames, he passed for 16 touchdowns, ran for five scores and threw seven interceptions. In the final five games, he passes for six touchdowns, ran for none and tossed nine picks.

“That’s just part of life and playing the position of quarterback," Williams said of the conflicting views on his play. "Everybody’s going to have things to say. Some things are going to be positive, some will be negative. You’ve got to take the good with the bad and try to make the best out of it.”

As Williams begins his final season Saturday against Missouri in St. Louis (ESPN, 3:40 p.m. ET), there's a growing sense that he'll finally put together all the pieces this fall. He's the Big Ten's most experienced quarterback, and he has the league's best wide receiving corps at his disposal.

Most importantly, a player who had no quarterbacks coach in high school and admits he was extremely raw when he arrived in Champaign has a much stronger hold on the position.

"Being a fourth-year senior, a guy who has been through this a few times, I’m probably more mentally prepared than ever before," Williams said. "That comes along with experience. The more mentally prepared you are, the better off you are in a game situation.

"I know what to expect for the most part, and we’ll see what I can do come Saturday.”

Williams will operate in more or less the same offense that led the Big Ten in passing (269.3 ypg) and ranked third in scoring (28.7 ppg) last fall. Rather than install a new scheme, Schultz adapted to what Illinois had used under previous coordinator Mike Locksley.

As Schultz learned the system, Williams was right there with him.

"It was my challenge to learn what they called everything," Schultz said. "They may call a four route a four route, and I might have called a four route a dry route. So we’d sit there and he’d tell me the terminology and how they called things. He helped me through that."

Zook has often said Williams took too much blame for Illinois' shortcomings last year, but the coach acknowledges that limiting turnovers is the top priority for the quarterback this fall. Illinois is deeper at both wide receiver and running back, with additions like wideout Jarred Fayson and the physical maturity of backs Jason Ford and Mikel LeShoure.

Schultz wants to make sure Williams uses all of his weapons and manages the game the right way.

"Managing the offense to me means getting the ball to the right people, being in the right place with the ball, getting into the right play," Schultz said. "That’s basically what we’ve been trying to work on with Juice since I’ve been here, making sure we do a great job of managing the offense.

"There’s no doubt we have some kids that we feel have a chance to be good performers, but for them to be good performers, we need to get them the ball in the right situations."

The Missouri game has brought a mixed bag for Williams. Last year, he set the total offense record at Edward Jones Dome with 461 yards, racking up 451 pass yards and five touchdowns. But Illinois lost, 52-42.

In 2007, Williams was knocked out of the game after completing 6 of 9 passes in another Illini defeat.

"Somehow, we have to come up with a victory this time," he said. "It's one of the more anticipated games of the year for our program. The atmosphere of the crowd is probably second to none, playing in a pro stadium, you’ve got half [Illinois] and half [Missouri] fans out there, the trash-talking goes on."

Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon got an early start on the trash talking through his Twitter page. Not surprisingly, Williams was Weatherspoon's target.

"Squeeze the pulp out of Juice," Williams recalled. "That was very unique and original. It's what makes the game fun. You’ve got to have some trash-talking going on. I know, coming from him, it was nothing personal.

"I didn’t take it as disrespectful at all. I found it kind of funny.”

Having fun is a goal for Williams in his final season. He didn't have enough as an overmatched freshman, and last season brought more lows than highs.

But with an increased knowledge of the game, Williams expects to enjoy his final spin around the Big Ten.

"It’s a lot easier to have fun with the game because you know what you’re doing, you know what to expect," he said. "You have had some success in the past, and it’s a whole lot easier to go out there and have fun and do what you love to do.

"I realized that the more I smile, the more I enjoy myself out there, the better I play.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

There were no pre-planned head-coaching changes in the Big Ten this year, but six new coordinators join the league for 2009. Last season, teams like Northwestern and Minnesota saw the benefits of new coordinators as Mike Hankwitz and Ted Roof made major improvements on the defensive side of the ball.

College Football News' Robert Cirminiello recently ranked the top 20 coordinator hires during the offseason. Two Big Ten arrivals make the list in Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson and Purdue offensive coordinator Gary Nord.

Robinson checks in at No. 11.

11. Greg Robinson, Michigan (defensive coordinator) -- Long before Robinson would was a washout as a head coach, he was widely considered to be a pretty good defensive assistant. Rich Rodriguez is holding out hope that a 10-37 record in four years at Syracuse didn't rob him of his passion for the game. With far more talent than he had at his disposal in New York, Robinson hopes to install an up-tempo system that'll get after the quarterback and create plenty of turnovers. He's being shielded from heavy recruiting, which was not a strength, in favor of his expertise as an X's and O's guy.

Nord rounded out the list at No. 20.

20. Gary Nord, Purdue (offensive coordinator) -- Nord has been brought on board by Danny Hope to ignite a Boilermaker offense that reached a low point in the Joe Tiller era a year ago. With more than a quarter-century of college coaching, he comes armed with experience and a reputation as one of the game's brighter offensive minds. His ability to recruit the state of Florida and comfort level with Hope from their decade together at Louisville and Oklahoma were also key factors in this hire being made.

Roof, who left Minnesota for Auburn in January, ranks No. 10 on Cirminiello's list.

I was a little surprised not to see Minnesota's new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch or Illinois' new offensive coordinator Mike Schultz on the rundown. Fisch will facilitate a dramatic shift in Minnesota's offensive philosophy, as the team returns to a pro-style system after two years in the spread. Schultz hopes to continue Illinois' success in the spread and improve the team's rushing attack, which dropped off last fall after leading the Big Ten in 2007 and 2008.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Very light day in link land. Can spring ball start already? Please? 

• Illinois was willing to shell out big bucks for Larry Johnson, and the school is paying decent coin for three new assistants, including offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, Bob Asmussen writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette.  
• Toledo's athletic department is set to profit big time off of Ohio State fans interested in rooting on their team this fall in Cleveland, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  

"Toledo -- with an average home-football attendance of 17,000 and athletic department revenues of $18 million -- could make between $4 million and $5 million off this game, depending on its expenses for using Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Ohio State, a school with an average attendance of 105,000 per home game and athletic department revenues of $118 million, could be looking at making less than $1 million off this game."

• After concerns about his weight dogged him in college, former Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill has transformed his body in preparation for the NFL draft, the Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Mulhern writes in his blog.  
• Five Big Ten teams remain in the mix for the services of top recruit William Gholston.
• Indiana's coaches are out in Reno checking out Nevada's pistol offense, the Reno Gazette-Journal's Dan Hinxman writes in his blog. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Juice Williams enters 2009 as one of the Big Ten's most recognizable players, a proven quarterback in a league starved for them.

	Chuck Rydlewski/Icon SMI
	Juice Williams was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last fall.

Williams has experienced just about everything at Illinois: A 10-loss season as a raw, yet talented freshman, a thrilling Rose Bowl run as a sophomore and a very disappointing campaign as a junior last fall. Illinois led the Big Ten in passing and ranked second in total offense but struggled to a 5-7 finish. Williams, a second-team All-Big Ten selection last fall, wants to end his college career on a good note, and perhaps for the first time he has truly taken ownership of the team.

Earlier this week, Williams discussed his up-and-down 2008 season, his outlook for the future and his legacy at Illinois.

What's been the mood for you and the guys during offseason workouts after things didn't go the way you wanted them to last fall?

Juice Williams: The attitude of this year's team is completely different from what we had last year at this time. Obviously, we didn't end up the way we should have or what we thought we should have. But that's affected this team in such a positive way. [The struggles] may be one of the best things to happen to this team.

Guys now are realizing that if we don't come to play every week, we're not going to be successful. And in order to come out there and play like that, we have to train and prepare our bodies to play 12 games to the maximum potential. Guys have really taken on that role, and I think we'll be ready by the time the season comes around.

Do you think guys were taking things for granted a little bit last year, especially coming off a Rose Bowl run?

JW: I think it had some type of affect on it. Guys kind of slacked off a little bit. We didn't really have the same intensity in the offseason as we should have. But like I said, I think it was probably the best thing that happened to us, not going to a bowl game. Us bringing back so many seniors and so much experience for this year, it's going to really prepare this team in the right direction.

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