Spring practice recap: Day 11

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Ron Zook's team continued practice Saturday. A look:

TODAY'S NOTES

— This time, the defense won.

A week after struggling at Oak Park-River Forest, the Illinois defense stopped the run better and disrupted the passing game during Saturday’s scrimmage at Memorial Stadium.

“The offense kind of got into us last week,” Illinois linebacker Ian Thomas said. “We couldn’t let it happen again. We just wanted to come out and play with more emotion. We always can get better though.”

— Illinois junior Jarred Fayson was helped off the field during Saturday’s scrimmage with an apparent foot injury.

The Florida transfer got hurt on a run play. He went to the sidelines, where the team’s medical staff checked out the injury. After ice was taped to his left foot, he used crutches to leave the stadium.

“They took him to get X-rays to find out,” Illinois coach Ron Zook said. “Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious.”

— Early in Saturday’s scrimmage, running back Troy Pollard was knocked down near the sideline. Safety Bo Flowers tagged Pollard after the whistle and receiver Arrelious Benn came to Pollard’s defense.

Flowers was called for a personal foul, but remained in the game. Benn, who had a chat with Zook after the skirmish, stayed on the sideline the remainder of the workout.

“I didn’t even realize he was out,” Zook said. “He would have been thrown out of the game. That’s the stuff you can’t do. Those are things that hopefully you learn. I love the competitiveness. They are sticking up for each other and sticking up for their buddies, but that doesn’t do us any good if he’s over there beside us.” 

— Late in the scrimmage, junior receiver Chris Duvalt made a diving catch in the end zone for a touchdown. The 20-yard score came with tight coverage by safety Ashante Williams.

“I kind of have one every scrimmage, a spectacular catch,” Duvalt said. “That’s the kind of receiver I am. I like to make diving grabs and jumping grabs like that. I just love that excitement of going down to get the ball or going up to get the ball.”

“That was all him,” Juice Williams said. “He went down and got the ball. I just had to put it in area where he could go make a play.”

Duvalt came up celebrating, showing the ball to the officials and to the defense.

“It was a little bit for Ashante,” Duvalt said. “I got excited for a second there. But that’s my teammate.”

— Defensive tackle Corey Liuget has seen a rotation next to him at defensive tackle.

“Sirod (Williams) is getting better,” Liuget said. “Reggie Ellis is coming off the ball. We’ve got a bunch of guys who are going to step up.”

Liuget didn’t give himself a high grade for Saturday’s scrimmage.

“I had an all right day,” Liuget said. “I didn’t have the day that I wanted to have.”

— Linebacker Ian Thomas made six tackles and knocked passes away during Saturday’s scrimmage. Like Liuget, he didn’t go overboard in self praise.

“I think I had a pretty good day,” Thomas said. “I’ve got still a lot of things to improve on, just reading plays faster, reacting faster. I feel like I’m starting to pick the defense up inside and out.”

Thomas is being used at more than one linebacker spot.

“It’s so much better for people to know all the positions,” Thomas said. “You never know what’s going to happen in a game. It’s good for our depth.”

Thomas has been working to improve his coverage skills.

“I could always run and hit,” Thomas said. “But I’m trying to slow it down a little bit, see receivers, cover them  and be able to make plays on the ball.”


TODAY’S QUOTES
— “We’re used to sleeping at this time. Everyone’s testosterone was going in everything, so there’s going to be little scuffles every now and then,” defensive tackle Corey Liuget explaining a scrimmage skirmish between Bo Flowers and Arrelious Benn.

— “It wasn’t the best day as far as coming out and executing for both sides on a consistent basic. The offense started off with some good things, then the defense turned it up a little bit. It evened itself out a little bit,” Illinois quarterback Juice Williams on Saturday’s scrimmage.

— “That was a good throw. If (Juice Williams) would have threw it any different from the way he threw it, I probably wouldn’t have been able to catch it. It probably would have hit Ashante (Williams) in the back of the head,” Illinois receiver Chris Duvalt on his diving touchdown catch.

— “I think we’re better. We got a little better from last week and that’s what you want to do is improve. I thought defensively we got better. Offensively, we still showed some signs of being able to be pretty productive,” Illinois coach Ron Zook on Saturday’s scrimmage.

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