Nine months and 13 days since Illinois’ last game — a time filled with five-star recruiting, apartment burglarizing, defensive-coordinator ditching and optimism rising — Ron Zook’s fellas finally take the field today. Good seats, apparently, still available.
If I was a betting man — and I’m not — I might skip trying to pick a winner (Missouri’s a 4.5- to 5-point favorite) and look at the over-under. That’s at 57- to 57.5 points, which is among the highest in the country today. However, the Tigers are proven point-producers while the Illini are improved at every skill position. Plus, don’t forget we’re back to the old rules where the clock doesn’t start until the kick returner catches the ball. Also, the clock doesn’t start immediately on change of possession.
In any case, I’m no betting expert and I didn’t mean to turn this into a dissertation on such. Instead, I wanted to focus on what the Daily Herald intends to supply with its Illini coverage this fall.
We’ll have two stories from St. Louis in Sunday’s paper. Plus, if you check in around 8-9 p.m., I should have an extensive blog entry from the Edward Jones Dome pressbox.
If you’re Jonesin’ for what I wrote heading into this week, here are the links to the new Herald website. It’s a little busy (to put it mildly), but give it a whirl.
Today: Illini open with bowl aspirations
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=29538&src=289
Aug. 31: Illini D, Mizzou offense on collision course:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=28963&src=289
Aug. 29: Illinois notes (Benn, C.J., etc.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=27341&src=289
Aug. 28: Feature on TEs Jeff Cumberland and Michael Hoomanawanui
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=26120&src=289
Aug. 29: A little hoops action, re: Quinton Watkins
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=26908&src=289
Aug. 25: The Official Illinois overview
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=25161&src=289
Let’s get some feedback going here. Keep it clean, but bring it on.
LW
