Illinois at a glance

2001 schedule Sept. 1 at California Sept. 8 vs. Northern Illinois Sept. 15 vs. Louisville Sept. 22 at Michigan Oct. 6 vs. Minnesota Oct. 13 at Indiana Oct. 20 vs. Wisconsin Nov. 3 at Purdue Nov. 10 vs. Penn State Nov. 17 at Ohio State Nov. 22 vs. Northwestern 2000 results (5-6, 2-6 in Big Ten) Middle Tenn. St. W 35-6 San Diego State W 49-13 California W 17-15 Michigan L 35-31 Minnesota L 44-10 Iowa W 31-0 Penn State L 39-25 Michigan State L 14-10 Indiana W 42-35 Ohio State L 24-21 Northwestern L 61-23

OFFENSE
Now, with Lloyd back at full strength and coming off a great spring, seasoned signal caller Kurt Kittner could be ready to garner some Heisman Trophy consideration. Keep in mind that Lloyd, a gifted 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, opens up everything for the Illini offense. The super blue-chip sophomore is the consummate deep threat, figuring to open up more running lanes for the talented duo of Rocky Harvey and Antoineo Harris as defenses won't be able to pinch up and surround the box, as was the case last year.

In addition to Lloyd, the Illini also have several other excellent options at WR, with Dwayne Smith, Greg Lewis and Walter Young the primary headliners. By the way, Lloyd and Smith are just sophomores, and Lewis and Young are juniors, meaning the future is bright at this spot.

As for Kittner, he's primed for a huge senior campaign after a spectacular spring that saw the 6-foot-2, 212-pounder deliver accurate strikes all over the field in every spring session. I'm told he never had an off day. While sophomore Justin Ward is a serviceable backup, worth keeping a close eye on in future years will be sophomore Christian Morton and true freshman Matt Dlugolecki, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder out of the prep ranks in California.

Morton, a highly skilled 6-foot-1, 180-pounder, moved from QB to CB during the final week of spring practice and drew rave notices. He's the fastest player on the Illini squad and is being penciled in as a starter at CB heading into the fall. Next year, though, depending upon how things turn out at CB, the possibility exists that Morton could switch back to QB with Kittner moving on to the NFL. However, if Morton is as good as expected at CB, then Ward and Dlugolecki would be in a position to battle for the starting QB job depending on what recruits come in next season.

With all the skill-position talent on hand, the key will be the play of the offensive line. That's where everything begins and ends for an offense. Going into the fall, the Illini will be looking to replace two key starters, LT Marques Sullivan and OG Ray Redziniak. At LT, the battle will be between sophomore Sean Bubin and junior David Diehl for the starting job. At RG, redshirt freshman Patrick Babcock is vying for the starting job with sophomore Aaron Hodges. With the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Babcock viewed as a potential future All-American, this spot should be in excellent shape. The other three spots will be handled by proven veterans of the collegiate wars. Luke Butkus does an outstanding job over the ball at center, with senior Jay Kulaga at LG and battle-tested junior Tony Pashos returning to his RT spot.

At tight end, you could see three players all see significant playing time, with a TE-by-committee situation possibly developing. In the equation at that spot are senior Brian Hodges, sophomore Kenny Boyle and redshirt freshman Anthony McClellan.

DEFENSE
The defense must show significant improvement for the Illini to challenge for the Big Ten title. Mike Cassidy, who was on the Oklahoma State staff last year, takes over as defensive coordinator. The new system will be more aggressive, with the hope that more turnovers will be created. With more of a high-risk, high-reward type system, the opportunity for big plays by the opposition is always a concern.

Working in their favor will be the athleticism and speed of the defense. DE Terrell Washington will be counted on to provide a steady pass rush from the outside, while hard-working, consistent junior Jerry Schumacher shifts from OLB to the mike-man spot. Ty Myers, a speedy, athletic 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore will work at one OLB spot, with juco transfer Mario Ivy looking to hold down the other.

The Illini secondary could be a strong area, provided of course that Washington and company generate the necessary heat on opposing signal callers. Junior CB Eugene Wilson shows All-Star potential, while the sky seems to be the limit for sophomore Morton. Currently, he's needed the most at CB, and all indications are that he could be a big-time performer at that spot. In seniors Bobby Jackson and Muhammad Abdullah, the Illini have a pair of proven, veteran safeties to really solidify the deep patrol. Providing quality depth at FS behind Abdullah is junior Marc Jackson.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Steve Fitts will handle the punting duties, with J.J. Tubbs in a battle with Peter Christofilakos for the placekicking job. A major plus for the Illini figures to be the return game. Morton, Wilson and Lloyd figure as punt returners, while Morton, Harvey and Harris have the ability to provide excellent field position on kickoffs.

Overview: If Bubin or Diehl are the answer at LT, the Illini offensive line will be able to allow the awesome skill-position talent to do their jobs. Kittner, Harvey, Harris and Lloyd are top-flight performers and scary weapons for the opposition to deal with. There is no question that Lloyd's return is monumental. He has the ability to impact the Illini offense just as David Terrell did the last three years in the Big Ten at Michigan.