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May 5, 2000 Front
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S
P O R T S > STORY
Players
aim to avoid injury in scrimmage
Scrimmage
an opportunity for players to compete
for starting positions
by
Larry Hawley
Senior writer
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Leslie
Harms
Daily
Illini file photo
Sophomore
wide receiver Brandon Lloyd runs against Iowa on Nov.
6, 1999 in Iowa City. Lloyd and the rest of the football
team will be able to compete for starting positions in
the upcoming Orange and Blue Scrimmage.
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For Illinois
head coach Ron Turner, the bottom line of this spring's Orange
and Blue Scrimmage is keeping players healthy.
Talk about a nice change of pace from the past three seasons.
"We just want to come out of the game with no one injured," said
Turner of the game, which kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Memorial
Stadium. "We want to have a good competitive scrimmage and get
some things done."
The contest will also bring the first sign of live, game-type
competition for many players, some who have not seen a game situation
since leaving high school.
One of these is redshirt freshman Eric McGoey, who said he is
eager to get the game underway.
"I can't wait for the spring game, because I'm finally going to
get a chance and compete in a real game," McGoey said.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Dustin Ward will also get his first
taste of competition at the college level Saturday.
"It's been a while since I have been in a real situation, so that
will be good," Ward said.
It is not just the younger players who are anxious to get things
started on Saturday. Veterans are hungry for competition, too.
One of these players is sophomore flanker Brandon Lloyd, who said
he is just as excited to have competition for position.
"It's a big deal because people's positions are at stake," Lloyd
said. "Players have been getting and losing positions, and the
spring game is an end to that."
Last season, the spring game didn't go as well as hoped. Turnovers
and offensive inconsistency plagued the annual game.
After what happened last season, in a game that saw the Illinois
offense stall to the tune of 96 total yards in the second half,
Turner said that he hopes things will go a lot better this spring.
"Last year we had a bad game, both teams turned the ball over
a lot, and that may have been because we had a very physical practice
Wednesday, and the players may have not had the same enthusiasm,"
Turner said. "Hopefully we can change that this season."
Illinois junior quarterback Kurt Kittner said he hopes for more
improvement out of the Illini this time around.
"Hopefully we'll have a big crowd out there, and going out and
ending spring ball with a big game, which can do a lot of good
for us," Kittner said.
Unlike last season, the Illini will not have to worry about their
starting quarterback.
Kittner, then-freshman Walter Young and then-senior Kirk Johnson
were locked in a duel for the starting position last spring. In
the scrimmage, each performed well enough for Turner to say, "I
had no idea of who the starter would be."
Fast forward to this season. With the starting job locked up,
Kittner said that without the pressure of fighting for his job,
he still has to go out and perform.
"It's the same as last year," Kittner said. "I am still working
to get better, but it's nice not to have that pressure."
Notes
> Former Illinois great Dike Eddleman and University Dean of Students
William Riley were selected as the honorary coaches for Saturday's
game.
> A few of the Illini will not be able to practice because of
injuries: Redshirt freshman Kenny Boyle is questionable with a
sprained ankle; senior linebacker Mon Long has a stiff neck but
is likely to play; junior fullback Jameel Cook injured his hand
in practice Thursday and is questionable.
> The game will be similar to a real game, as the regular point
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