CHAMPAIGN – An early impression from Bret Bielema’s offense in his first season on the job a year ago was bruising freshman running back Josh McCray.
The Mountain of a Man was a bruiser, a stiff arm waiting to happen and a throwback to those glory days of running the ball, three yards and a spray of Field Turf pellets.
He’s the kind of power football specimen brought to town by the guy who kept the Wisconsin bulldozer rolling for nearly a decade, and it was a first impression on Bielema’s philosophy upon his return to the Big Ten Conference. McCray’s power is another reason to feel confident in the Illini running game.
More than likely, the Illini have the running backs and the offensive line to keep that running game going, one of the things the Illini were able to do under former coach Lovie Smith and something expected to continue under Bielema.
But when it comes to making the biggest improvement with the Illini offense, the focus turns to the passing game.
With roughly a couple weeks before the Illini host Wyoming on Aug 27 in the season opener at Memorial Stadium (3 p.m., BTN), the curtain is pulled on the offense of Barry Lunney, Jr., the big offseason upgrade for a program trying to climb into bowl season for the first time since 2014.
With that running game likely on solid ground, the Illini passing game has the challenge of moving the program over the hump.
“Across all positions, we’ve got enough talent,’’ Lunney said, “if we play within the system and stay disciplined. Togetherness, chemistry details. We’re going to be fighting, scratching, clawing in a lot of games. ‘’
Ranked last in the Big Ten last season in passing, the Illini have nowhere to go but up. It was nails on the chalkboard last season despite a veteran line and an experienced quarterback. Bielema didn’t waste time, pulling the plug on one of his first hires, offensive coordinator Tony Petersen, and the Illini were aggressive in the transfer portal, quickly landing Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito.
Bielema recognized the obvious elephant in the room. The Illini passing game must be better.
DeVito and returning quarterback Art Sitkowski are Jersey kids, old friends who first met during summer quarterback camps on the East Coast. Outwardly, they get along, and there’s a nice contrast between the two.
DeVito is the scrambler, the playmaker who likes to improvise and make plays on the run. He can move out of the pocket, and he has good command over the offense and a cool confidence about him.
After leading Syracuse to wins over Florida State and North Carolina as a freshman in 2018, DeVito stepping into the starting role the following season. He threw for 3,478 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while also rushing for three scores. His season ranked him statistically among the best in school history.
A broken ankle and damaged rib cartilage slowed him down at Syracuse, and by the middle of last season, he told Syracuse he was packing his bags because the coaching staff had moved in another direction.
DeVito was hunkered down in the Illinois football complex by the start of spring semester.
“Staying healthy,’’ DeVito said, when asked about his goals this season. “That’s No. 1 for sure. Taking care of my body.’’
Sitkowksi was a part-time starter, but his lukewarm results weren’t enough to keep him in the job. A shoulder injury kept him from performing at his highest level, Bielema eventually said, and Sitkowski is a natural born leader who had his teammates on his side.
Now he’s healthy, he said.
“I feel more confident in my arm,’’ Sitkowski said. “I feel great. I can throw it how I want. Last year was tough for me. I knew my limitations.’’
Based on the buzz emanating from inside training camp, there has been progress. DeVito appears to be an upgrade, and a healthy Sitkowski is better than last year’s model.
“They are different,’’ Lunney said. “Art is a big, powerful guy. Tommy isn’t as big, but maybe a little quicker, twitchier. Art is more powerful, more of a prototypical quarterback. Tommy is a little bit shiftier, to some degree. The thing about our system, those guys both fit what we do.’’
Lunney’s known for the new era of offense – creating tempo while still remaining balanced between the run and the pass. This isn’t basketball on grass, a wide-open spread, but Lunney’s scheme is based on controlling the pace of play.
He’s still working on tempo. After struggling with it mainly because of the necessary communication and decision-making during the scrimmage, it’s been a point of emphasis this week.
“We want to control the tempo,’’ he said. “That’s what it boils down to. Whatever that might be: no-huddle, huddle, speed break, 4-minute, 2-minute. We want to dictate the pace. In order to do that, you have to execute because you have to stay on the field. No matter the tempo and what you want to do, it’s about execution and me having the ability to change the tempo to the game.
“That’s ideal for us, the ability to control the pace and being able to mix that up.’’
The passing game will be better. The new scheme under Lunney at least gives them a fighting chance, and DeVito is step in the right direction. It will take a perfect storm to make a big move offensively. The Illini will need solid protection from the offensive line, a couple of wide receivers having breakout seasons and DeVito staying healthy.
The possibilities are there. Establishing the run is Bielema's MO and he won't drift far from that. But improving the passing attack is the key to the season offensively.
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