Tate: Plan B at QB is A-OK for Illini
RANTOUL — If for any reason Nathan Scheelhaase does not take snaps this football season, it projects as a psychological body blow to a fragile Illini offense.
He's a two-year starter and the face of the program. He is smart and mature, an established leader who guided two bowl wins. He fits the spread system and led the team in rushing last year with 624 yards.
So, yes, his absence would be a blow. But not a knockout blow. Coach Tim Beckman is preparing for all eventualities. Like you, he realizes that quarterbacks who carry the football a lot are vulnerable. And like you, he knows Scheelhaase's aerial production slipped from an Oct. 1 high of 391 yards against Northwestern to meager late-season numbers: 63 at Penn State, 170 vs. Michigan and 99 vs. Wisconsin as he shared time with Reilly O'Toole in that game, and was benched early at Minnesota.
Clearly, as the season wore on, opposing secondaries crowded UI receivers and dared Scheelhaase to go deep.
So a new show-me staff has backups poised if Scheelhaase either (1) hits another slump or (2) is incapacitated.
Understand now, this is not a call for QB No. 2. That's a fan thing. In most cities outside of New Orleans, Chicago (the Bears learned better) and Foxborough, Mass., fans believe the No. 2 guy could excel if the coach would just give him a chance.
Miles ahead
There is more to quarterbacking than throwing a tight spiral. That said, to the untrained eye, suburban products O'Toole and Miles Osei throw a stronger ball. Quarterbacks coach and co-coordinator Chris Beatty, who arrived from Vanderbilt in January, saw this right away.
"Osei has been underrated as a passer," Beatty said. "His arm is as live as anybody's, and he showed this in the spring as well. I think people overlook him.
"We have a No. 1 in Nathan. I don't look at Miles as No. 3. I feel we have two No. 2s. This is a process. We can't jump to conclusions."
Osei was extraordinarily versatile in the spring, bouncing around the field as a receiver, ball carrier and passer. The UI coaches are not ready to reveal their tricky stuff, but it's a good bet Osei and Scheelhaase will appear at times together. Osei is a 200-pound southpaw whose darting skills earned him a few kickoff returns in 2011. He is tough enough to play on special teams and can easily transition from one position to another.
"It seems like I'm more in the mix," Osei said. "All the quarterbacks have different qualities and arm strengths. There's a lot being thrown at all of us right now, and it's different playing so many positions. I'll play anywhere to get on the field."
O'Toole (6-4, 220) arrived from Wheaton a year ago as a dropback passer but says: "I run well enough to keep them honest. I picked up this offense quicker than last year's. There's a little more shotgun to it. Last year helped me understand how to study the playbook. On the field, I'm trying to speed up my release."
Point is, there is more here than meets the eye. If Scheelhaase doesn't move the team against Western Michigan or at Arizona State, it is clear from Beatty's words that he believes he has alternatives.
Catching on?
Meanwhile, everyone is wondering: Are Illini receivers sufficiently elusive to make the quarterbacks effective? Athlon Magazine rated them 11th in the Big Ten (UI's O-line 8th, running backs 9th).
When defenses doubled A.J. Jenkins (90 catches) late last season, the other receivers either couldn't get open or the QB couldn't find them. Downfield connections virtually disappeared during the six-game losing streak.
"When you have a first-round talent (Jenkins), a lot of the schemes are naturally designed to him," Beatty said.
"I think we have some guys ready to break out. They don't have a lot of catches, but they are experienced in the speed of the game and in playing before large crowds. It's customary for guys to emerge during their junior years."
Beatty referred to his three junior starters: Floridians Ryan Lankford and Darius Millines and an Arkansas native, Spencer Harris. All three saw action as freshmen. In two seasons and 27 combined starts, they show 69 receptions. Beatty also has mobile tight end Jon Davis and cornerback Terry Hawthorne up his pass-catching sleeve, among others.
"As a group, we hope they take advantage of what we give them, and that some of them will step up," Beatty said. "Millines has a skill set that includes catching and lateral quickness. We hope to take advantage without Jenkins' numbers."
Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.
The Great Tater needs to review the film of the last six regular season of 2011 in which sub-par offensive line play combined with mystifying conservative game plans from Paul Petrino put Nathan in a very difficult place. Extremely few quarterbacks could succeed under those circumstances. The Great Tater clearly does not like Nathan ( anyone who listened to his tongue-lashing of Nathan on the radio broadcast of the Spring Football game can attest to that). If you read between the lines of his present column, he's really calling for a different signal-caller. He's acting like those Illini fans whom he criticizes for believing that a second unit QB will cure all ills. According to the Great Tater, change is good..........unless it involives the removal of his good buddies Ron Guenther, Bruce Weber andRon Zook.
It's pretty clear that peter and moonpie see everything a little differently than every other reader on this site. Maybe they have some severe inadequacy issues, that would be my guess as to why they always feel the need to run down Loren and Asmussen. I honestly hope it's because their both old, senile, and retired with nothing else better to do. At least they find their own comments clever because it's clear no one else does.
"Clearly, as the season wore on, opposing secondaries crowded UI receivers and dared Scheelhaase to go deep."
Tate hit the nail on the head with this quote. Thats exactly the problem. Once teams learned how to cover AJ Jenkins, our offense was a disaster. With AJ gone, that issue will be even worse unless NS can start throwing some deep balls. Just like defenses adjusted to Juice and made him throw short/intermediate passes (which he couldnt throw accurately or read defenses quickly enough), they have adjusted to NS and are daring him to throw deep and keeping their CBs up close to the line to take away the option pitch and flat pass. NS is a good young man, a fine leader, tough as nails, a good runner, but unless we can at least be a threat on deep passes, its going to be a long year in the passing game.
And btw, the obsession with RG/Zook/Weber by a few posters here is beyond weird. Its a new season, let it go already. NS's strengths and weaknesses at QB have nothing to do with the change in coaching.
Hah! Obi Wan Tate just couldn't pass up a chance to be snotty as usual and hate fans. What, me suggest a different QB, Obi Wan says. Why--that's the sort of treason we get from fans.
The guy never changes. A jerk for decades.
And to the jamoke above who claims everyone on this site loves Obi Wan Tate -- read some comments, Mr. Lockstep. And listen to the snarly fan-hater on his radio show.
Pete B....The simple solution to your unending complaining about every column LT writes is to
do yourself (and most of us as well) a favor and stop reading them. Your heartburn would decrease
and you could devote your insightful brilliance to some other site. Dittos to mooncakes.
Every other individual? You must be new to Illini HQ . . .If only you could review the submissions to this site concerning Loren's articles over the past year. If only you could listen, as well, to a tape of Loren's half-time radio rant against Nathan during the Spring Football game. Sorry, I am not a believer like you in the "Gospel According to St. Loren . . . " Maybe one day you'll realize that Loren thinks Illini fans are all stupid and that he knows all, sees all . . Just find a copy of his article after the Basketball Team's win over Ohio State early this year in which he ripped every Illini fan who dared to criticize Coach Weber. He's already gone on record stating that if Coach Beckman loses the Western Michigan game, his program is done . . .I guess I should ignore ridiculous and offensive stuff like this, but I cannot. . . . Lo Siento . .
peterboring, why are you and Moonpie so negative? It gets really old. Tate is right about a lot of things. He certainly wants Illinois athletics to excel. Do you? The fans contributed mightily to the Illini basketball meltdown last year. 20 year olds read. They feel pressure. Do you grasp anything about college athletics? Try to write something positive once in a while.
I'm beginning to wonder if Moonbeam and peterboreustodeath are one and the same. I am sick and tired of their/his stupid comments. I don't really care what they think of Loren or Bob.
I read their(Loren & Bob's) posts to find out more about the Illini. I certainly don't always agree with what they say but so is life.
GO ILLINI!!
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