A 10-2 record and a Sugar Bowl berth in 2001 had Ron Turner feeling good about the job he had done as Illinois' head coach since taking over the moribund program four years earlier.
A year later, it is back to square one. From the depths of a winless 1997 to the pinnacle of last year's Big Ten championship season Turner said, even he cannot believe how much his team has struggled this season.
\I think we all expected to win,"" he told the State Journal-Register. ""You can't ever assume you're going to win, but we expected to, and it just didn't happen.""
Entering Saturday's game at Wisconsin (1-4 in Big Ten, 6-4 overall), all Illinois (2-3, 3-6) can hope for is to salvage a season once filled with great expectations.
If Illinois is going to indeed salvage the 2002 season, it will most likely rest on the shoulders of junior wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd has been nothing short of spectacular in his three seasons in Champaign, Ill., using his speed and agility to become one of the top receivers in the Big Ten.
He is currently near the top of Illinois all-time receiving records in almost all major categories: receptions (fourth), receiving yards (second) and touchdown receptions (second).
Similarly, he has blazed Big Ten defenses this season as well, averaging more than 100 yards per game and leading the conference in receptions per game.
""Nobody has stopped him,"" UW Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. ""They are moving the ball and we can't let him get the big hits. We have to make sure they earn every thing that they get.""
Adding to the offensive punch is senior running back Antoineo Harris. Harris is poised to break the 1,000-yard mark this season as he needs only 68 more yards to accomplish that feat.
However, since a Big Ten Championship last season, the Illini have experienced a fall from grace.
The Illini's ills can be traced to their defensive struggles, a contrast from last season where the defense was a big reason for the program's success. It also does not help to have the tall task of replacing one of the greatest quarterbacks in conference history, Kurt Kittner, with inconsistent prospects.
Talented defense crumbles
A woeful performance from the unit in 2000 led to the hiring of Mike Cassity, a former Wisconsin assistant, as Illinois' defensive coordinator. The change paid dividends almost immediately as his defense went from punchless to punch-packed.
Surprisingly, the defense, which returned seven starters from last year, has regressed greatly this year. It is allowing 432.2 yards of total defense per game, including a whopping 203.6 yards on the ground.
The team's defensive play this season has been plagued by untimely penalties, blown coverage and missed tackles. The low point was a 38-35 home loss to a 24-point underdog San Jose State team Sept. 21, in which Illinois allowed 543 yards. Turner recognizes the mistakes and vows to improve.
Inconsistency behind center
In his three years as the Illini starter, Kittner became the absolute and undisputed leader of the offense.
With Kittner now in the NFL, Illinois has to find a replacement to run Turner's complex pro-style offense.
Kittner's two replacements, freshman Dustin Ward and junior Jon Beutjer, are not short on talent, but lack the consistent play that comes with experience.
After a 0-2 start, Turner benched Ward, who had won the starting job in the spring over Beutjer. After leading Illinois past Arkansas State in September, Beutjer lost three straight starts. That slide led to the reinstatement of Ward after bringing the Illini back to beat Purdue Oct. 19. He is expected to start the rest of the season.
Although both quarterbacks have committed their share of mistakes'the two have combined for 15 turnovers'Beutjer has more touchdowns (12) than Ward (3).
The impressive attribute to the Fighting Illini football team is that despite their inconsistency at quarterback, they are still the No. 1 passing offense in the Big Ten, which presents obvious problems for the Wisconsin secondary.
""We have to be consistent against them,"" Cosgrove said. ""We have to be consistent for four full quarters. Consistent on every down.""
