Quick hits: Chunk run plays a focus for Illini offense
- Story byThe News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
- Quick hits: Chunk run plays a focus for Illini offense
Sep. 16—Select offensive players and assistant coaches were available after Illinois ' Tuesday practice at Gies Memorial Stadium. Here's some of what they had to say as the Illini prepare to face Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon, courtesy Illinois beat writer Scott Richey:
Looking for greater gains
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The read on Illinois' ability to run the ball through two games has been mostly positive. The 1-2 punch of Ca'Lil Valentine and Aidan Laughery has provided moments of complementary football to the Katin Houser-led passing game. What offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. is looking for is more big plays. The chunk plays. The gains of 10-plus yards.
Through a 1-1 start to the season Illinois has managed three chunk plays on the ground. Valentine posted a 17-yard carry and a 51-yard touchdown run against UAB on Sept. 3, while Houser scrambled for a 16-yard gain. No big gains on the ground happened last Saturday against Duke.
"If you look at the majority of a game, the running backs are going to be bottled up," Illinois running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley said. "How do you get those longer runs? You keep chipping away at it, and then all of a sudden it creases and it gives it to you. ... You get used to a person breaking it or you want a long run, but this is the Big Ten. We played a good, stingy opponent last week. We had some runs of four to five or eight to nine-plus yard runs. Those are good runs. That's what we want."
Keeping the QB on his feet
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Illinois has managed to keep Houser upright in both games this season. Zero sacks allowed. That ties the Illini with nine other teams, including Big Ten rival Iowa and SEC powerhouses Georgia and Florida , in their ability to keep their quarterback clean. At the other end of the spectrum are Northern Illinois, Old Dominion and Sam Houston . Their quarterbacks have all been sacked nine times through the first two weeks of the season.
Houser's quick release has helped him negate pressure. The moments Illinois' pass protection has broken down have also seen the 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback scramble his way to safety.
"If there is a guy in front of him, he does a great job of climbing the pocket and using his legs, which is a great thing for a quarterback to do two to three times a game when some things break down," Illinois quarterbacks coach Art Sitkowski said. "He does a great job climbing the pocket, getting vertical and taking care of the football and also taking care of himself, as well. That's a great thing for other teams to see that he has the ability to use his legs because they have one more thing to think about it."
Injuries testing offensive line
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The chemistry and connection being built by the Illinois offensive line remains a work in progress. Progress made in that regard during spring practices, summer workouts and fall training camp ran into both actual games that can expose unforeseen issues and injuries to Brandon Henderson , Maika Matelau and TJ McMillen that have tested the Illini's interior lineman depth.
Matelau was injured early enough in Illinois' preparation for last week's game against Duke that his backup, Brandon Hansen , was at least able to take the majority of the reps at left guard before the Illini played the Blue Devils. It allowed Hansen and left tackle Christian Martin to get on the same page playing next to each other for the first time this season.
"I pulled him aside and said, 'Hey, man, we're in this together,'" Martin said. "Brandon and I talked during the summer and leading up to the season. We have a great relationship. It's 'next-man' mentality. I just try to instill confidence in those guys. Nobody came here to sit on the bench. It's a chance for that person to step up and show what they're about. It's a great opportunity."
