You know your two most famous Lovie Smith catch-phrases: “we get off the bus running” and “(insert QB1 name here is our quarterback.” This upcoming season QB1 is Chayce Crouch and hopefully for Illini football and their base, he’ll do light years better than the Wes Lunt/Jeff George Jr. combination did last season.
Illinois was actually “balanced” offensively last season, as they were very poor in both running and passing the ball. They were next to last in the B1G in total offense, rushing offense and scoring offense. In passing they were 11th, but that was still not even remotely close to being considered a strength of the team.
This year offensive coordinator Garrick McGee will try to implement some zone-read option and hopefully, Chayce Crouch cab be a bit of a poor man’s Juice Williams, and Kendrick Foster can be knockoff version of Rashard Mendenhall. No, they won’t be productive like the 2007 team that ran the system all the way to the Rose Bowl, but they will be implementing a lot of the same scheme, formations and plays.
Yes, as Smith has repeatedly said this talking season: “Chayce is our quarterback.” So let’s take a look at the main stars on the offense for Illini football. Go to this link for our four Illini football defensive players to watch in 2017.
Malik Turner
He had a solid season last year with 712 yards receiving and six TDs. In fact, he pretty much was the only real bright spot in a rather lackluster receiving corps. Still, you pair him with Mike Dudek and you really have the start of something, as that’s a solid 1-2 punch.
Have a listen to the Malik Turner media availability over at this link.
Christian DiLauro
Have a listen to the DiLauro media availability over at this link, and one thing really jumps at you. Pay close attention to around the 3:10 mark, where DiLauro is pretty much making a joke about his fiancee having her period. Asked by a reporter about adjustment to life as an engaged man, DiLauro responds with:
“living with a female kinda changes things up a bit, you got to kind of change your schedule a bit so that at certain times of the month, you’re not around.”
It’s 2017 and we’re still hearing menstrual cycle jokes at Media Days? What?
The reporter asking the question is no better, as he laughs along.
Actually, you can hear a couple more reporters laughing at DiLauro’s very bad joke about women having their periods, and it all sounds like the banter of meatheads. That said, it’s just a stupid comment and a Media Day gaffe that, in this moment, makes him rather unlikable.
Apparently, he was a very poor choice to represent the school at this event because obviously his media skills are lacking. (Earlier in the interview Christian himself admits he really isn’t into talking) The reaction from the journalists present at the time of the remark (I was not present, only my recorder was) was also very disappointing. It could be that the journos around the table were just laughing nervously along not because they liked or even agreed with senior’s joke, but just because sometimes pretending to find the humor is what you need to do in an awkward situation like that.
DiLauro is good at football and one of the best players on this Illini football team, but after hearing that unfunny and pointless remark, we’re not in the mood to further hype up this guy, so let’s just move on to the next Illini football player already.
Mikey Dudek
He was known as Mikey Dudek the last time he played two years ago, and some today still refer to him as “Mikey,” but no matter what first name one uses, we can all agree that he’s a play-maker. He’s a dangerous wide receiver who stretches the field and gives Illinois the vertical passing game element that they have sorely lacked in the two years that he’s been absent.
This is a topic that we’ve already covered in detail over at this link.
Kendrick Foster
In almost every Lovie Smith press conferences this summer he’s brought up Kendrick Foster’s name. It’s kind of like a year ago at this time when Smith kept on saying that “Ke’Shawn Vaughn will be our bell cow.” Foster will be the go to back this season after establishing himself well in 2016, rushing for 720 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll be the focal point of the offense.
Others to keep one eye on, instead of both:
Reggie Corbin- Illini football will be run first in ’17, especially so with a dual threat QB. Even if Foster stays healthy all season long, you still need good solid running backs and Corbin should see plenty of action even as the number two.
Chayce Crouch- “a football junkie who is the undisputed leader of our team,” is how Smith described Crouch. Now of course, the starting quarterback is among the players to watch, in fact he’s THE player to watch, but this article, like our defensive players article, lists out the best players on the team. Unfortunately, the 6’5”, 240 pound dual threat isn’t all that stellar. In fact, Athlon rated all 130 starting QBs in FBS and Crouch was ranked 107th.
That’s a bit bearish, but at the same time, it’s not easy to feel real optimistic about an offense run by him right now.
Nick Allegretti and Gabe “Gooey” Megginson- Both have the talent and potential to step up and join DiLauro as stars on this offensive line. We’ll see if one, or both can manage to do that.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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