Illini Homecoming Spoiled By Hoosiers With 31-17 Loss--What Went Wrong?

The University of Illinois Fighting Illini came into their homecoming game against conference rival Indiana desperate for a good game, at least.  Sporting their all-blue uniforms, early in the game it looked like that might be possible. But, as the game went on, it became more apparent that this Illini team might be one of the worst in years. 

Illinois' last Big Ten win was October 8th of 2011, a 41-20 win at Indiana. Unfortunately, the Illini were not able to give Indiana the same fate as that game.

First Half

The Illini quickly discovered early in the first quarter the running game was the best way for them to be successful today. It only took them 8 games to figure it out, but they are at their best when they are running the option with quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and sophmore running back Donovonn Young. 

Scheelhaase and Young worked very well together, running a quick offense and moving down the field. They managed to rack up 124 yards on 26 carries together in the first half alone. 155 yards on 30 yards total as a team. 

A roll out pass in the first quarter led to the Illini's hitting the scoreboard first, a two-yard pass from Scheelhaase to tight end Eddie Viliunas. Indiana struck back quickly with a three-yard touchdown run by Hoosier running back Stephen Houston, his 9th straight game with a TD.  

The Illini began the second quarter quickly moving the ball down the field yet again, which led to a five-yard option run for Scheelhaase to put the Illini up 14-7. But Hoosier back Houston was not content with just one score. He followed it up with a 10-yard reception and 7-yard run, both for touchdowns, putting the Hoosiers up 21-14 at the half. 

Mental miscues led to all three Indiana scores. The first and second scoring drives, a 15 yard personal foul penalty that kept the IU drive alive, leading to a score shortly after. The third, a fumbled punt in the second quarter by Illini returner Tommy Davis gave Indiana the ball back. Not only that, but a terrible offsides jump  on a 4th-and-1 on about the 12 yard line led to IU and Houston's third score of the game. 

The first half showed a few things for the Illini. First, it showed that they do not need to go for big plays to score on offense.  They need to be consistent with the run game and throw short, efficient passes every so often. Scheelhaase had just 10 pass attempts in the first half, completing 6 of them for 52 yards and a touchdown. Obviously, the running game with Young and Scheelhaase is their best option. 

Second, it exposed how terribly undisciplined the Illini are on defense. Two personal fouls and an offsides on a 4th-and-1 is just unacceptable, plain and simple. The Illini defense was praised for having talent all across the board prior to the season, but when they began giving up about 35 points every game, people couldn't figure out why. Well, now we know. Anyone who watched this game can tell you, they are undisciplined. That is the best way to describe it. 

Second Half

The second half was not nearly exciting. A field goal each from both teams and a 17-yard pass from Nate Sudfeld to Shane Wynn were the only scores in the second half. 

Indiana dominated the Illini's shaky offensive line. To say Scheelhaase got beat up would be an understatement. He couldn't move back there. Any time he dropped back, he had three defenders in his face. The O-line was absolutely dreadful. After seven sacks, Scheelhaase even appeared to be limping late in the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately for Scheelhaase, lost yards on sacks count against your rushing yards. He ended up with 32 yards on 26 carries, but that is quite misleading. Scheelhaase ran the ball well all game, but was sacked enough times to drop his rushing yards to where they were.

However, Donovonn Young was still able to run the ball somewhat successfully. He ended up with a career high 124 yards on 21 carries.  He ran with power and determination all day. The sophmore back was one of the very few bright spots for the Illini.

Total Recap

Essentially, the Illini couldn't get it done and lost 31-17 against a not very good Indiana team. The Illini brought their Big Ten losing streak to 10, as Indiana snapped their 11-game loss streak. The win being the Hoosiers first conference win under coach Kevin Wilson. 

Mental miscues in the first half and terrible offensive line play in the second led to what seemed to be a lack of interest for the Illini players, as well as fans, who flocked out of the stadium early in the 4th quarter. 

Illinois was able to hold Indiana to 1 for 12 on 3rd down conversions, but it was to no help, as they still gave up 31 points. 

Let's not take away anything from Indiana's performance. They rushed the quarterback on defense and running back Stephen Houston had 87 total yards and 3 total touchdowns.

The Illini take on a very impressive undefeated Ohio State team in Columbus next week. The Illini always play well against the Buckeyes, so let's hope they can come out with an impressive performance. 

For those of you already looking forward to basketball season, they play their first exhibition game against Lewis tonight at Assembly Hall. 

Do The Illini Appeal Enough To Their Fanbase?

Football season is in full form and basketball season is just around the corner. I think I can speak for many when I say I am excited.

Four our Fighting Illini, football season was....well, you know. Not great. Basketball looks to be a bit more intriguing.

But you aren't hearing too much about it, are you? Yeah, a few things about new head coach John Groce. But mainly, it involves recruiting for future years. Not too much about Groce and his new system and how he wants the players to perform. Spurts here and there, but not much.

You hear nothing about coming out to support basketball, or even football. This really brought up an issue in my mind. Do the University of Illinois appeal to their fans enough?

Other colleges such as Kentucky, Alabama, and others are always doing things to get people to support them. That is how they built themselves up to where they are now. That and very good recruiting.

Midnight Madness for basketball is one of the greatest things created, in my mind. Fans come out and enjoy late-night festivities. Festivities include dunk contests, coach participation, pep rallies, scrimmages, and many other things. It really appeals to recruits for the team, who are often invited to come and watch.

The Illini had the right idea when the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball and women's basketball teams hosted scrimmages at Memorial Stadium after a game between the Illini and Minnesota Golden Gopher football team. I believe that was in 2008 and it was somewhat successful. But other than that, they haven't done much at all to encourage fans from outside the immediate area to come and support them.

It is tough to do a lot and stay within the restrictions of the rules, but other teams tend to do just fine.

This just kind of popped into my head.  Obviously there are issues with doing things like that, such as the Offseason Workout Rules.

But I really would like to know if you guys had any ideas and what you think.

What do you think? What can the Illini do to appeal more to their fans in-and-out of state? Comment below and tell me.

Why EA Sports Should Bring Back A College Basketball Game

As the College Basketball season begins to roll around, fans everywhere are getting more and more anxious. College basketball season is one the greatest times of the year for any sports fan. But for many people, one problem exists--there is no video game.

I remember back a few years ago, playing NCAA March Madness 2005. The intro gave me chills every time. Playing with my favorite team, University of Illinois, with my favorite players. I was only about 8 or 9 years old at the time, so being able to play with my favorite team was amazing.

But now, every year when this time rolls around, millions of video game and college basketball lovers have to deal with the fact that there is no game we can play.

From Tim Duncan being on the cover of NCAA March Madness 98 to Blake Griffin being on the cover of NCAA Basketball 10, we simply miss the chance to play a college basketball video game.

I think I can speak for everyone when I say,  BRING BACK A COLLEGE BASKETBALL VIDEO GAME!

Whether you're a fan of Illinois, Kentucky, UCLA, or Valporaiso, don't you wish you could play with your favorite team again?

EA Sports cited lack of sales and lawsuits because of how players were portrayed in the game as reasons they cancelled the series, among other things.

Over the past few years, we haven't gotten a chance to play with guys like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Jimmer Fredette, or Meyers Leonard. It is really disappointing, as a fan and gamer.

From a player perspective, I bet players wish they could play with themselves in the game as well. Especially ones that know they don't have much of a chance to make it to the NBA.

The excitement of March Madness and the entire college basketball season and atmosphere put into a video game is exciting. It was back in 2005, and still is now.

There is still a college football game and there was even a college baseball game a few years ago. So where is the basketball?

Do you miss a college basketball video game? Comment below and tell me what you think. Should they bring it back?

2013, 2014 Recruiting Key To Future Success For Illini & Groce

New men's basketball coach John Groce has been red hot on the recruiting trail lately. Groce &  Co. managed two grab two guards, both from Simeon Career Academy in Chicago. Kendrick Nunn committed on September 15th and Jaylon Tate committed just recently on October 4th.

That makes four 2013 commits. The other two being Maverick Morgan and Malcolm Hill.  Groce is progressively trying to shape the future of the Illini. He is doing a pretty decent job too. But just a few commitments are not going to bring the Illini back to what they were a few years ago.

Groce has the right idea--center your recruiting in Chicago. The Illini has something to offer that few other schools in the nation do. If you can grow up in Chicago, be a successful high school basketball player, then go to an in-state top program (Illinois) and be successful there, you become a legend. Take former Illini guard Dee Brown for an example. Dee grew up in Maywood, which is not far from Chicago at all. He played high school ball at Proviso East. While at Proviso East, Brown received Illinois Mr. Basketball, Illinois' Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002, and McDonald's All-American. Brown became a legend and a role model to all Illini fans during his four-year career at Illinois. To this day, Brown is still recognized as an Illini basketball legend, even though his NBA tenure was very short. 

It just goes to show Chicago loves their own, but only if they stay loyal. A Chicago kid committing to Illinois does that exactly. 

Basing your recruiting in Chicago is a great idea for Groce. Chicago/Chicagoland is home to a plethera of top recruits in the nation, as it always has been. I could name all the top NBA and college players from Chicago, but that might seem a bit redundant. The point I am making her is--recruiting in Chicago is the smart thing to do for Illinois.

The Chicago Public League, AAU, and even suburban high schools are among the best in the country. Groce is trying to do something Bruce Weber did, but not well enough. Weber got plenty of players from Chicago, but missed out on the top ones. 

Recruiting in 2013 and especially 2014 is going to be the key if the Illini want to get back on top and Groce wants to keep his job.

2013

Groce has done a decent job already in recruiting the Class of 2013, nabbing Tate and Nunn. It is late in the recruiting process for 2013 recruits, but not too late. He missed out on Demetrius Jackson and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who were huge losses. Also, they missed out on Ben Moore and Proviso East star Sterling Brown, who recently committed to Larry Brown & former Illini assistant Jerrance Howard at SMU. Obviously, a tough year for the Illini. They still have about three very good recruits left. (Demetrius Henry, Gavin Schilling, and Austin Colbert.)

2014
The Class of 2014 will be the biggest year for Illini recruiting and Groce MUST do a good job here. The Illini have already offered to 10 players in this class, 8 of which are ranked inside the ESPNU Super 60 for their respective class.

Their biggest targets will be big men Jahlil Okafor, Cliff Alexander, and guard JaQuan Lyle. 

Okafor is a 6'9, 270-lb monster. Ranked the #1 player in the state of Illinois and #3 in the nation by  ESPN, Okafor is blessed with size. He can bully just about anyone down in the paint and work for rebounds and easy points. Some compare his to Jared Sullinger. An understandable comparison, however, Okafor has the talent and potential to be even better. 

Alexander is another 6'9, 240-lb absolute beast. I can recall watching a Curie game on TV last season thinking, "Wow, Alexander is a man among boys." Being only a sophomore at the time, I picture how he can dominate the Chicago Public League in the upcoming years. 

Lyle plays for Bosse HS in Evansville, Indiana. He is a crafty guard with an all-around game. He handles the ball and pressure very well and is athletic. He would fit the Illini great, as Groce wants a team that can run up and down the floor. 

Recruiting isn't all about getting the top players. It is about getting players that can play in your system. Groce's system is open enough that anyone can be successful with it. 

With so many top recruits considering Illinois, Groce needs to be able to wrap them up and get them to commit. 

#IlliniNation. 

Follow on  Twitter @fgasper21 and @Illini_Sports . 

Red Hot Recruiting; Simeon Guard Jaylon Tate Commits To Illinois

It did not take long for coach John Groce to get over losing top recruit Demetrius Jackson.

While on an unofficial visit, Simeon point guard Jaylon Tate was offered a scholarship by Groce and the Illini. It did not take long for Tate to decide, accepting the scholarship rather quickly.

Tate is a talented pure point guard. He joins Simeon teammate Kendrick Nunn, who committed just two and a half weeks before.

Groce is staying active on the recruiting trail as he tries to build the Illini up to where they should be--a top program in the nation. If Groce wants to be successful, continuing to recruit in Chicagoland is a great idea.

Tate has some potential and could be a great player for the Illini in a few years. For now, let's hope Coach Groce can grab Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who is expected to make his decision on October 13th.

Inconsistency Leads To Another Loss Against PSU

The Fighting Illini opened conference play today with a rough 35-7 loss against Penn St.

The Nittany Lions stayed hot, winning their third straight. They played rather efficiently, with few penalties, no turnovers, and 23 first downs.

The Illini, on the other hand, struggled to even put the ball in the endzone. Their only touchdown came off a pass from Josh Ferguson, a freshman running back from Joliet Catholic.

Quarterback Nathan  Scheelhaase once again struggled as well. Putting the ball in the air 46 times, Scheelhaase had just 270 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The question that ran through my mind all game; Is it time to give Reilly O'Toole the starting job?

O'Toole has played terrific, when he has actually played. Nearly an 80% completion percentage, O'Toole finds his receivers. Not as much of a running threat as Scheelhaase, O'Toole still has the ability to move out of the pocket.

The Illini had a terrible day running the ball. One word to describe their efforts on the ground? Pathetic.

 Donovonn Young broke off a 52 yard run, but only had 5 carries other than that. Take away the 52 yard carry, the Illini had 21 carries for just 22 yards.

It is tough to describe the Illini this year, except for inconsistent. Two good wins and three really bad losses.

They show tendencies of being undisciplined at times, but can also seem like one of the better teams in the B1G Ten at other times.

As they prepare for their toughest opponent yet, the Wisconsin Badgers, the Illini have to think about being more consistent, more disciplined, and smarter team all together.

At 2-3, it is obvious the Illini most likely won't make a bowl game this season. Not even the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.