Spring Break
Football: Another dose of the spread
Scott Richey/Sports Editor
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: Sports
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The Panthers can expect the same thing Saturday when they travel to Champaign to play No. 24 Illinois.
But just a little different.
"They're both real zone-oriented, lateral teams," Eastern red-shirt senior defensive tackle Jeff Sobol said. "Illinois is just a bigger, stronger version of Central Michigan with a lot more athletes."
Despite the differences in personnel, Sobol said the Panthers' 31-12 loss to Central Michigan was good preparation for the game at Illinois because the Fighting Illini use a similar style offense.
Eastern red-shirt senior defensive end Pierre Walters agreed with Sobol.
Walters said Central Michigan had a dynamic offense like Illinois and that the Panthers played well defensively against the Chippewas.
"Obviously, Illinois, they bring the same sort of package, but they're a little bit more explosive," Walters said. "They have, in my opinion, a little bit better athletes. It's going to be a huge challenge this week, but I believe Central Michigan prepared us well for it."
Illinois' offense starts with junior quarterback Juice Williams. Williams completed 26-of-42 passes for 451 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in the Fighting Illini's 52-42 loss against Missouri last week.
"I'd trade it all for a win on Saturday," Williams said of his performance and being named the Big Ten Player of the Week.
William's aerial display was somewhat unexpected because he was more of a mobile quarterback during the 2007 season.
He rushed for 755 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
But he said he wants to concentrate more on his passing game this season.
"A lot of the yardage I pick up is from a lot of scrambles and broken plays," Williams said. "You just want to take off when you see green grass. That's something I struggled with as a freshman. I was so quick to run the ball I wasn't aware to throw the ball down the field."
With Williams focusing more on his passing game, Walters said it would be important to put pressure on Williams in the pocket. He said an effective pass defense starts with a good pass rush from the defensive line.
"The quarterback can't throw from his back, and that's what we're going to try and enforce," Walters said.
Sobol said it is difficult to get good pressure on a quarterback as mobile as Williams because if a defense gets too far into the backfield, an athletic quarterback can gain yardage on the ground easily.
"You've got to make sure you stay in your passing lanes because (Williams) can just tuck it and run any time he wants," Sobol said. "If we get up the field too much and widen out, he's just going to run all day on us."
One Illinois player who benefited from Williams' solid passing performance against Missouri was junior tight end Michael Hoomanawanui, who caught three passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. Hoomanawanui said Eastern's zone coverage defense could open up the middle of the field for him to catch more passes.
But despite Illinois' solid game through the air, Hoomanawanui said the Fighting Illini would focus more on its running game against Eastern.
"We had a good passing game, but Juice would be the first to tell you he would turn that game in for a 'W' is a heartbeat," Hoomanawanui said. "People know us as a rushing team, and we didn't really show that (against Missouri)."
Illinois rushed for 81 yards on 35 carries for an average of 2.3 yards per rush - down from the 5.6 yards per rush average they had in 2007. The Fighting Illini rushed for 345 yards and six touchdowns against the Panthers in 2006.
"I anticipate us being able to run the ball a little better since we've played our first game," Williams said. "We should be more productive on the ground."
Eastern red-shirt freshman defensive tackle D'Angelo McCray, who transferred to Eastern from Illinois this summer, said he might not know Illinois' plays but he does know the Fighting Illini's tendencies on the offensive line - an insider tidbit that could help when Illinois tries to establish its running game.
"I know they like to run zone block," McCray said. "They don't really like running straight at you. They try to zone you and keep you off balance."
Regardless of whether Illinois' passing or rushing game dominates, the Panthers are traveling to Champaign for one reason.
"We're going up there to win the game," Sobol said. "Coach (Roc Bellantoni) says there's no such thing as moral victories."
Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.
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