It's almost unfair to heap on Juice Williams the amount of pressure he'll need to shoulder in today's Rose Bowl game.

Simply put, Illinois can't beat Southern Cal without Williams rising to the occasion and playing with the same amount of efficiency and cold-blooded courage he showed when Illinois won at Ohio State on Nov. 10.

Despite having played in 24 games in his two seasons at Illinois, Williams remains something of an unproven mystery, especially as a thrower. No one doubts his ability to run the option, but over those 24 games, only three times has Williams passed for more than 200 yards.

Also beyond question is that Williams has hit a point in his career where his personal improvement is visible from game to game. Illinois surged into the national spotlight based in large part on Williams' sharp play in the final three games, victories over Minnesota, Ohio State and Northwestern.

That breakthrough in his career path came about in part because of the relationship Williams enjoys with his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Mike Locksley. The maturation of Williams has tested all of Locksley's teaching skills, his patience and his ability to communicate with a sensitive young man who had only rudimentary training in the passing game at Chicago Vocational High School.

The fact that Illinois has made it to the Rose Bowl proves how much progress they've made, and if Williams can continue to take his learning to another level today, Illinois will have a chance.

I've come to believe none of the Illini coaches realized how much Williams had to learn when he arrived as a freshman last season.

"Juice is coming from a program where he wasn't trained in the passing game so that he could come in and read defensive coverages at a 12th-grade level," Locksley said. "Juice has always been an athlete back there and just now is he learning the nuances of the passing game.

"The biggest thing we've stressed with Juice was having confidence, and confidence has been an issue with him. We had to convince him he didn't have to win the game himself. Let others make plays around him. Once he accepted that, his passing started to come around, and that's when we saw the kind of player he can be for us."

Even Williams admits confidence has been elusive. But he and Locksley have learned how to bolster his self-image, and Williams has made positive reinforcement a big part of his preparation for today's Rose Bowl game.

Reviewing Illinois' victory over Ohio State has been part of that preparation.

"I've gone back and watched some game films and even listened to the TV commentators, trying to visualize myself as being successful out there," Williams said. "I've tried to imagine how I was feeling at that precise moment, listening to some of the positive comments the commentators were making.

"That provides me with confidence and gives me something to look forward to, because I want to hear some of the same comments when we play USC and I go back and watch the TV tape of that game."

Williams said he has been filling himself with upbeat thoughts, especially since he hasn't played in a game since Nov. 17.

"I worry that over six weeks you might start losing the confidence," he said. "I've tried to keep filling myself with positives."

When their relationship began, Locksley tried to coach Williams with tough love. Now, Locksley has learned Williams responds better with a different approach.

"He has a pretty good feel for me now," Williams said. "Last year, it wasn't so much that he came down hard on me. But he was real tough and strict.

"Now, he understands my character and how I am as a person. Now we laugh at more situations. He'll make a joke out of something because he knows he can get better results that way.

"As the coach, he has to be comfortable with his quarterback. The relationship is critical in a situation like this, and we have definitely developed a bond."

Head coach Ron Zook thinks Williams will withstand the pressure of an excellent USC defense today, and he has counseled his team on holding together through early difficulties.

"One of the things we've been able to do is that when bad things happen, we maintain our poise," Zook said. "They don't panic. I will be very, very surprised if our guys panic. They have really looked forward to this."

Poise and confidence will be critical today. Especially for quarterback Juice Williams, whose good play helped get Illinois to this stage.

Mark Tupper covers University of Illinois sports for Lee News Services. Contact him at mark.tupper@lee.net.