The Wolverine Now

OCT. 10, 2012 REGROUPING W ith Illinois in a tailspin following 52-24 and 35-7 losses to Louisiana Tech and Penn State, respectively, seniors Michael Buchanan, Terry Hawthorne and Tommy Davis called a players-only meet- ing to discuss the current plight of the Fighting Illini, seeking to rally the team before their Oct. 6 showdown at Wiscon- sin. Though just five games into the 2012 season, the veterans were determined to refocus their teammates before two losses became three, four, five or more. "We just talked about how much hard work we've put in, the offseason, the way we were competing in one-on-one battles, and that we just need to stop making the mistakes that beat ourselves," said Bu- chanan, a standout defensive end. "I think the guys responded to that. "We talked about little things. It wasn't calling people out, but putting an emphasis on the fact that everyone is important. Even the guy that isn't playing, he needs to give energy to the team. "We did a good job getting our juice back, our fire back." Illinois played with intensity, but also played relaxed and was seemingly having fun against the Badgers, but only for three quarters, failing to sustain their effort for 60 minutes. Wisconsin pulled away to a 31-14 victory with a 21-7 final frame in which UW gained 177 of its 427 total yards. Head coach Tim Beckman is just 2-4 in his first season as head coach at Illinois, having taken over from Ron Zook. PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ATHLETICS The fourth-quarter production did not come as a surprise to Orange and Blue fans, who have already seen this same act play out in three previous losses; Illinois has been outscored 86-28 in the second half of its four defeats this year, including a 45-14 margin in fourth quarters. "You have to finish and we have to be able to respond to plays or situations in a GAME FACTS Illinois Is Looking To End Its Three-Game Losing Streak BY MICHAEL SPATH game in a positive manner instead of let- ting it knock us down," said first-year head coach Tim Beckman, who was an unpopu- lar choice to replace Ron Zook. "Our inten- tion is to move this program forward, learn from our past game and make ourselves a better football team. "I like winning. That's why we do this. I know every one of our players likes win- ning, too. They work extremely hard 12 months a year to win football games, and that's what I want. We're making strides, but we're not there yet." On the surface, the Illini appeared to be a team capable of winning seven or eight games this year — they returned eight de- fensive starters from a unit that ranked sev- enth nationally in 2011 while junior Nathan Scheelhaase is one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country — but instead they are 2-4, likely headed for a losing re- cord. "It's hard to put a finger on it defensively because they have a lot of talent on that side of the ball," OrangeandBlueNews.com publisher Doug Bucshon said. "They're struggling with the scheme under a new defensive coordinator. They won't admit this, but it doesn't look like they're buying in, and then they've had a couple blowout losses, and when that happens you start questioning everything. "If you look at the offense, it's not like the defense — there isn't much talent over- the game live. The contest can be heard on the Michigan Sports Net- work (950 AM in the Detroit area, SiriusXM channel 192, Armed Ser- vices Radio channel 92). Coaches: Michigan: Brady Hoke What: Michigan vs. Illinois. When: Oct. 13 • 3:35 p.m. Radio-TV: ABC will broadcast (14-4, second season). Tim Beck- man: (2-4, first season). History: Michigan leads the se- ries with Illinois 68-23-2, last beat- ing the Fighting Illini 31-14 in 2011. Illinois Notes: Illinois has faced the 21st-toughest schedule so far and will face the 10th-toughest schedule the rest of the way, with future opponents a combined 19-9 against Football Bowl Subdivision schools … The Fighting Illini have scored 110 combined points in their past two visits to Michigan Stadium, breaking their previous best of 59 points in back-to-back games (2003 and 2008) … UI is looking to make its third straight bowl appearance, a feat that hasn't been done since playing in five consecutive postseasons from 1988-92.

• Cover