The University of Illinois defense is finding out the had way that sipping from the Fountain of Youth can be just as ruinous as refreshing. The Illini (0-4 Big Ten, 2-5 overall) have allowed an average of 46 points per game over their last five, a period during which they were winless. Twice, they have allowed over sixty points, the first time to Michigan State (61) and then last week against Penn State (63), where the Nittany Lions led 56-3 at the half.
The Illini start one senior at defensive tackle and one junior at defensive end, while the other nine positions are occupied by underclassmen whose growing pains have put Illinois' chances of going .500 in critical condition. The rest of the Big Ten has not been sensitive to the maturation process that is in order for the young defense, and the Badgers (4-1, 7-1) do not plan to take it easy on them either.
'The thing is with young guys, there are a lot of different coverages and sometimes the coverage may break down when they forget an assignment,' senior wide receiver Brandon Williams said. 'Hopefully, we can take advantage of things like that when they happen.'
Williams and fellow senior receiver Jonathan Orr, the Badgers' two biggest pass-catching threats, combine for nearly 1,000 of the team's 1,682 receiving yards so far this season. As seniors, they have grown into dynamic receivers and have learned to exploit defensive backs that lack what they did formerly lacked: experience.
'A lot of times if they make a bad play they tend to get rattled and it affects them for the next play or even for the rest of the game sometimes,' Orr said. 'They have a tendency to be over-aggressive because they want to make a name for themselves and to make plays so they will bite on things like double-moves.'
There is more to winning a game against a young team than double moves and head games. But of course, nobody has to explain that to Orr or Williams'their years of experience have given them each a cerebral approach to the game, and they are now armed with the memory of last year and the determination to not let history repeat itself. Williams says this resolve gives UW an edge because of Illinois' fortunes so far this season.
'Being young, they are starting to look forward to next year already,' Williams said. 'They're like, 'Okay, this season was a bust. Next year we will be sophomores and juniors and be able to get a lot better.''
Whereas, as Williams points out, 'We've been here before. We know what to expect and we are very hungry. We've been 9-0 before and then just fell from there. Right now we are just really focused on trying to keep improving every week.'
Ironically, Wisconsin can only bolster their confidence'and conference record'with a win Saturday, but cannot, even with a win, improve in the eyes of the Bowl Championship Series because Illinois is such an unworthy opponent on paper. The two words 'on paper' are words Badger veterans like Orr put essentially no stock in. With a dream senior season on the line, he is going to make sure they do not overlook the Illini.
'They are 2-5 and they might be out of the Big Ten hunt,' Orr explained, 'but they are looking to surprise somebody.'
The Badgers will take a pair of receivers with nine touchdowns between them into this week's game against a team which has made a habit of allowing almost nine touchdowns per game. Orr and Williams will likely team up'with the help of their geriatric teammates, senior tight ends Owen Daniels and Jason Pociask'to teach Illinois' defense to respect their elders.
