Illinois' woes continue

By Arlie Rahn
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 16, 1996

The Illinois football team entered Saturday's game with Arizona thinking it had hit rock bottom after a 55-3 loss to Southern Cal last weekend.

But the offense gave an encore performance Saturday night in the Illini's 41-0 loss.

The offense has now been held without a touchdown for 16 quarters, dating back to the final game of last season. After running back Robert Holcombe had 76 yards in the first quarter, he managed just 11 more yards the rest of the game. Add that to five interceptions by backup quarterback Mark Hoekstra, and you have a recipe for disaster.

"It's hard to try and come back after the first three (interceptions)," Hoekstra said. "But you have got to have faith in our offensive scheme."

It's an offensive attack that has amassed just 11 points in three games in 1996, with no touchdowns.

But Illinois coach Lou Tepper said he thinks the effort is there, so results will come. The Illini had 289 yards passing and 129 yards for 418 total yards.

"This week was a little better because we had so many yards against a tough Arizona defense," Tepper said. "We tried to open it up a little in the end but that backfired on us."

Mentally it is tough for a defense to come out and do its job if the offense can't get in the end zone, Tepper said. Consider also that the defense is still trying to find an identity after losing linebackers Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice, both first-round NFL draft picks.

"It's a little frustrating," said junior cornerback James Williams, who had one interception. "We try and do our job and you can't control what happens on offense."

"This is hard for us," said Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Schudel. "We have to punch it in there."

It will be easier next week when the Illini square off with Akron, which finished 1-10 last year with a win over perennial doormat Kent State. The Illini are confident their streak will end next week.

"I think if the coaches weren't there, these guys would have been like, 'Wow, we're done for this season,'" Tepper said. "When it was 13-0 in the fourth quarter it hurt us to throw that interception on Arizona's 5 (yard line). We could have been back in the game at 13-7, but instead they had the ball."


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