Illini, Gophers say last week was no fluke

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MINNEAPOLIS – The supposedly high-performance offenses at Illinois and Minnesota spent most of the first seven weeks of the season stuck in the shop, sputtering and struggling to get going.

Until last week.

The Illini rushed for 377 yards in a 38-13 victory over Michigan. The Gophers racked up 505 yards of total offense in a 42-34 win over Michigan State.

Now they’re both looking to show that was no fluke.

The Gophers (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) can become bowl eligible with a win over Illinois (2-6, 1-5), where coach Ron Zook is on the hot seat.

“I hope it will carry over from Saturday. I want it to carry over from Saturday,” Zook said. “That’s what we have to do. We have to go forward. Take the rearview mirror off and go forward. We’re still out there and we have a ways to go. We have to build on Saturday.”

The decisive victory over the Wolverines snapped a five-game losing streak in which the Illini averaged just 11.8 points per game. Senior quarterback Juice Williams was benched during the skid, but rebounded Saturday with 220 total yards to become just the second Illini quarterback in the modern era to beat Michigan twice in his career.

“I allowed the plays to come to me instead of being so aggressive,” Williams said. “I think that’s something playmakers do sometimes – try to do too much and be too aggressive out there.”

Adam Weber certainly knows how that feels. The Gophers managed just seven total points in two straight losses to Penn State and Ohio State, and Weber has struggled all season to get the hang of a new throwing motion and a new offensive system.

Minnesota’s career leader in passing yardage went three straight weeks without a touchdown pass and hasn’t looked like the player who has surged to the top of the school’s passing charts in less than three seasons.

Last weekend, he was back to his old self. Weber threw for a career-high 416 yards and five touchdowns, never missing a beat without star receiver Eric Decker, who is out for the season with a foot injury.

“Last year, we struggled to produce on offense when he was out,” Weber said. “We knew that this was a critical game for the team and for our season and what we want to do when it comes to a bowl game. It was the start to a three-game home stretch, and we knew we had to come out with a lot of fire, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of focus and really put together a game that we could watch on tape and be proud of.”

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