Cal Football: Illinois Beat Writer Answers 5 Questions about the Fighting Illini

Each week during Cal’s football season we get the thoughts a beat writer who covers the Bears’ opponent to get a closer look at that team.

Cal faces Illinois on Monday in the Redbox Bowl, so today we provide the insights of Bob Asmussen, who covers the Fighting Illini for the Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette.

We asked Bob five question about Illinois, and here are those five questions:

1. Who do expect to start at quarterback for Illinois, and how much difference would it make if Brandon Peters does not play? (Illinois coach Lovie Smith annunced Friday that No. 1 quarterback Brandon Peters has cleared the concussion protocol and is ready to go. Asmussen answered the question before it was clear Peters would play.)

I expect Brandon Peters to start after he was unable to go against Northwestern. The fact that Illinois announced he will be available at a bowl press conference tells me a lot. If they didn't think he was going to be able to play, they would not have him participate in the press conference. I was told he was close to being able to play against Northwestern. It will be more than a month since that game and even longer since he got hurt against Iowa.

Illinois has a much greater chance to win the game with Brandon Peters as the starting quarterback. He is the best passer on the team and also has made some key plays with his legs.

Matt Robinson might be a good player in time. But he is not at Peters' level right now.

2. What did Illinois do against Wisconsin that enabled the Illini to pull off the upset?

A couple of things. First, it didn't throw in the towel, like past Illinois teams might have done, when falling behind at halftime. But more important, Illinois held its own on both lines of scrimmage. Wisconsin has traditionally dominated Illinois on both sides of the ball. But in this game, Illinois was often times winning at the point of attack.

Last thing, Wisconsin made some really odd play calls late in the game. Had the wrong guy running the ball on one play and threw a key interception when a run would have been a better call. Stunning decisions that Illinois took advantage of.

3. Was Lovie Smith in danger of losing his job if Illinois did not make it to a bowl game this year, and how would you characterize his job status going forward?

Despite outside reports that he was on the hot seat, Lovie Smith was never in trouble. He has the full backing of AD Josh Whitman, who made Smith's hiring his first move when he took over the program. Whitman was always going to give Smith every chance to show he can coach at this level.

Illinois gave him a two-year contract extension after 2018 as a sign of support.

I think Lovie Smith will have the job at Illinois as long as he wants it. He is a young 61 and takes very good care of himself. I believe this will be his last job.

Illinois should win more than six games in 2020 against a very friendly schedule. That will cement Smith's position.

4. How would you assess Illinois’ offense and defense, and who are the standouts on each side of the ball?

Offensively, the team wasn't as productive in 2019 as it was in 2018. Scoring dropped a bit and yards dropped a lot. Injuries were a factor.

Brandon Peters is the best part of the offense when he is on, which he was in most of the Illinois wins. The offensive line will be hampered if center Doug Kramer can't play. He hurt his knee against Northwestern and his status is unclear, If he doesn't go, Kendrick Green jumps in at center and he is a really good player.

Running back is another strength with Reggie Corbin, who went over 1.000 yards in 2018, leading the way. Backup Dre Brown is one of the best stories on the team, overcoming two torn ACLs to become a major factor. He is a threat as a runner and as a returner. This will be his last game as an Illini.

On defense, start with senior linebacker Dele Harding, who had a monster year. One of best seasons for an Illini linebacker in school history. He will pile up tackles and also has a nose for the ball. So does safety Stanley Green, who is tied for the lead nationally in fumble recoveries.

Defensive tackle Jamal Milan is having a big senior season.

Overall, the defense made good strides this season with Lovie Smith serving as coordinator. The unit forces turnovers at a high rate, That has always been a Smith staple.

5. Was a 6-6 record about what was expected, and what is (was) the most surprising thing about Illinois’ 2019 season?

It's about where I figured Illinois would end up. The team had a chance to win two more, but dropped close home games to Eastern Michigan and Nebraska.

By far, the most surprising moment in the season was the win against No. 6 Wisconsin. Illinois was 2-4 at that point and looked to be on its way to 2-5. When Wisconsin took a halftime lead, you thought it would roll in the second half. The crowd and the media were stunned by the win. It definitely changed the feelings in Champaign about the program. Remember, Illinois was a 31-point underdog. All the big upsets in the past three decades came on the road.

The fans stormed the field, which doesn't happen here in football. In basketball? Often. But not in football.