Illini venturing to new turf at 94th Rose Bowl

Mark Tupper mark.tupper@lee.net | Posted: Monday, December 31, 2007 12:00 am | Loading…

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buy this photo Illinois' Antonio Steele jokes with teammates at his table during the Rose Bowl football game media day in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007. The players were conducting fake interviews using water bottles as microphones. Illinois faces Southern California on Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Daily Illini, Josh Birnbaum)

PASADENA, Calif. - Enough of the hype. No more small talk and obligatory niceties. It's time for two highly motivated college football teams to get busy cracking helmets. | Illini special section

Two very different teams take the field today when the University of Illinois lines up opposite Southern California in the 94th Rose Bowl Game.

The veteran Trojans are appearing in an unprecedented sixth straight BCS bowl game, including three of the last four Rose Bowls. This has become a routine assignment for a program at ease on a grand stage.

Not a single player for the Illini has ever played in a bowl game. This is all new for the wide-eyed visitors from the Midwest.

If Southern Cal is college football's gold standard, Illinois is a fast-rising wannabe that managed to hit college football's lottery this season.

So the question hanging in the air when a crew of Big East Conference officials blows the whistle this afternoon is this: Is Illinois ready for the glitz and glamour of college football's most historic stage?

Not even the Illini know for sure.

The best Illinois coach Ron Zook could hope for was a productive week of practice, and on Monday, he said that goal has been achieved.

"I'm excited about the way we have prepared, the way our players are focused and dialed in," Zook said. "They understand the importance of the game not only from the University of Illinois' standpoint but from the Big Ten Conference's standpoint."

Understanding that the Big Ten has taken some hits for recent bowl failures, Commissioner Jim Delany even addressed the Illini team on Sunday, telling them to play with pride.

The biggest edge in Southern Cal's favor would seem to be its experience in this setting. Big-time bowl games are a routine for the Trojans, and as a result, they have a clear understanding of the mentality that comes with playing in a game of this magnitude.

"We are familiar with it," USC coach Pete Carroll said Monday. "We want to be familiar with it. It's part of what our program is all about."

Southern Cal has been preparing for Illinois' spread-option, no-huddle offense, and coaches and players have mentioned both Oregon and Washington as teams with a similar style.

That could bode well for the Illini, since USC lost to Oregon 24-17 and barely survived a tough test from Washington with a 27-24 win.

Facing Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon and Washington QB Jake Locker gave USC experience going against signal callers who can run as well as pass, which will be the challenge today while confronting Illini sophomore QB Juice Williams.

"It's good that we faced those guys and got to see what worked and what didn't work," USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. "Some of the things we did against them were good, some not so good. We have learned how to adjust our containment and make our defense better."

Even the Illini expect that USC will try to take away Illinois' ability to run the football, zeroing in on Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, even if that makes their defense more susceptible to the pass.

"If I was the defensive coordinator for USC, I would say our strength is running the ball and they will try to find a way to outnumber us or stop the run to make us left-handed, to force us to do things we don't do as well," Illinois' offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said. "I know Coach Carroll and Coach Holt and what they do defensively. They will do some things to force us to make plays in the passing game."

The strength of USC's defense is up front where the line is anchored by All-America nose tackle Sedrick Ellis.

"You have to watch him to understand what he does," Holt said. "He gets blocked by a lot of guys, but because of him, we get a lot of other guys in one-on-one matchups. If you ask our players who's our best guy, they will say Sedrick Ellis. He will dominate his guy, whoever that is."

Both teams are relatively healthy. USC is not planning to get much from wide receiver Patrick Turner, who has yet to practice at full speed.

Zook said everyone is healthy for the Illini, including fullback Russ Weil, linebacker Brit Miller and wide receiver Arrelious Benn, all of whom have battled minor, nagging injuries.

Zook said he will use Vontae Davis and Benn as kick returners and, for the first time this season, he could use Benn as a punt returner.

"He has caught a lot of punts this week, but we'll start out with DaJuan Warren (as the punt returner)," Zook said.

While Williams has never played in a game of this significance, USC quarterback counterpart John David Booty threw four touchdown passes and passed for 391 yards in last year's 32-18 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.

"We're ready," Carroll said. "We're comfortable being here."

Finding a comfort level will be just part of the challenge for a young Illinois team stepping into unchartered territory.game of this magnitude.

"We are familiar with it," USC coach Pete Carroll said Monday. "We want to be familiar with it. It's part of what our program is all about."

Southern Cal has been preparing for Illinois' spread-option, no-huddle offense, and coaches and players have mentioned both Oregon and Washington as teams with a similar style.

That could bode well for the Illini, since USC lost to Oregon 24-17 and barely survived a tough test from Washington with a 27-24 win.

Facing Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon and Washington QB Jake Locker gave USC experience going against signal callers who can run as well as pass, which will be the challenge today while confronting Illini sophomore QB Juice Williams.

"It's good that we faced those guys and got to see what worked and what didn't work," USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. "Some of the things we did against them were good, some not so good. We have learned how to adjust our containment and make our defense better."

Even the Illini expect that USC will try to take away Illinois' ability to run the football, zeroing in on Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, even if that makes their defense more susceptible to the pass.

"If I was the defensive coordinator for USC, I would say our strength is running the ball and they will try to find a way to outnumber us or stop the run to make us left-handed, to force us to do things we don't do as well," Illinois' offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said. "I know Coach Carroll and Coach Holt and what they do defensively. They will do some things to force us to make plays in the passing game."

The strength of USC's defense is up front where the line is anchored by All-America nose tackle Sedrick Ellis.

"You have to watch him to understand what he does," Holt said. "He gets blocked by a lot of guys, but because of him, we get a lot of other guys in one-on-one matchups. If you ask our players who's our best guy, they will say Sedrick Ellis. He will dominate his guy, whoever that is."

Both teams are relatively healthy. USC is not planning to get much from wide receiver Patrick Turner, who has yet to practice at full speed.

Zook said everyone is healthy for the Illini, including fullback Russ Weil, linebacker Brit Miller and wide receiver Arrelious Benn, all of whom have battled minor, nagging injuries.

Zook said he will use Vontae Davis and Benn as kick returners and, for the first time this season, he could use Benn as a punt returner.

"He has caught a lot of punts this week, but we'll start out with DaJuan Warren (as the punt returner)," Zook said.

While Williams has never played in a game of this significance, USC quarterback counterpart John David Booty threw four touchdown passes and passed for 391 yards in last year's 32-18 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.

"We're ready," Carroll said. "We're comfortable being here."

Finding a comfort level will be just part of the challenge for a young Illinois team stepping into unchartered territory.

Posted in Illini on Monday, December 31, 2007 12:00 am Updated: 2:03 pm.

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