The Daily Illini: Touchdown Times

Touchdown Times A publication of THE DAILY ILLINI Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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THE

ROSTERS EYE ON THE ILLINI: WIDE RECEIVERS

With freshman Mike Dudek primed to break 1,000 receiving yards on the season and plenty of nice weather in the forecast, look for Illinois to throw the ball all over the Cotton Bowl. Reilly O’Toole has established himself as a running threat, and with Louisiana Tech playing the run, Dudek and Company should be able to get open against a Bulldogs defense that allowed more than 300 yards through the air against Marshall in the Conference USA championship. If the Illinois have success on offense, it is likely to be through the air.

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ILLINOIS DEFENSE The Illini defense will look to shut down a Louisiana Tech offense that averages just over 400 yards per game. Led by junior linebacker Mason Monheim, who leads the team with 108 tackles and two interceptions, the Illini defense stepped up in the final weeks of the season. Coming into the final two weeks with the Big Ten’s worst defense, Illinois held Penn State to just 14 points and then forced five turnovers against Northwestern.

Of note: Illinois allowed opponents an average of 489.9 yards per game coming into the final two weeks of the season. But the Illini defense only allowed an average of 318.5 total yards in its final two games.

ILLINOIS LEADERS PASSING Reilly O’Toole 98-for-167, 1,049 yards, 9 TDs Wes Lunt 149-for-233, 1,729 yards, 14 TDs

RUSHING Josh Ferguson 139 carries, 685 yards, 8 TDs Donovonn Young 88 carries, 361 yards, 5 TDs Reilly O’Toole 77 carries, 261 yards, 1 TD

RECEIVING Mike Dudek 69 catches, 965 yards, 6 TDs

ILLINOIS STARTERS OFFENSE

QB Reilly O’Toole 4 RB Josh Ferguson 6 RB Donovonn Young 5 WR Geronimo Allison 8 WR Mike Dudek 18 TE Matt LaCosse 11 TE Jon Davis 3 LT Austin Schmidt 57 LG Michael Heitz 74 C Alex Hill 52 RG Joe Spencer 71 RT Christian DiLauro 67 K David Reisner 38

DEFENSE

DE Jihad Ward 17 NT Austin Teitsma 44 DT Rob Bain 96 LEO DeJazz Woods 90 WLB Mason Monheim 43 MLB T.J. Neal, Jr. 52 STAR Earnest Thomas III 9 CB V’Angelo Bentley 2 CB Eaton Spence 27 SS Zane Petty 21 FS Taylor Barton 3 P Justin DuVernois 18

CARTER CARROLL THE TECH TALK

HOW LOUSIANA TECH GOT HERE The Bulldogs lost a 26-23 nail-biter to Marshall in the Conference USA championship on Dec. 6. Louisiana Tech quarterback Cody Sokol threw a late interception that capped a scoreless fourth quarter for the Bulldogs, who held a 23-16 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Sokol completed just 7-of-20 passes, but running back Kenneth Dixon racked up 156 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The Bulldogs finished the season at 8-5, while the Thundering Herd ended at 12-1. Louisiana Tech lacked impressive wins on its schedule. But three of the Bulldogs’ five losses did come against Oklahoma, Auburn and Marshall. At one point during conference plan, Louisiana Tech won five straight games.

BULLDOGS SCHEDULE AUG. 30 AT NO. 4 OKLAHOMA

OCT. 25 AT SOUTHERN MISS

L: 48-16

W: 31-20

SEPT. 6 AT LA. LAFAYETTE

NOV. 1 VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY

W: 48-20 SEPT. 11 AT NORTH TEXAS

W: 42-21

W: 59-10 NOV. 8 AT UAB

W: 40-24

SEPT. 20 VS. NORTHWESTERN ST.

NOV. 22 AT OLD DOMINION

SEPT. 27 AT AUBURN

NOV. 29 VS. RICE

L: 30-27 L: 45-17

OCT. 4 VS. UTEP

W: 55-3 OCT. 18 VS. UTSA

W: 27-20

L: 30-27 (OT) W: 76-31

DEC. 6 AT MARSHALL

W: 26-23

DEC. 26 VS. ILLINOIS

Noon, ESPN

EYE ON THE ENEMY: HOUSTON BATES The former Illinois defensive end-linebacker hybrid is playing in his fourth and final year of collegiate eligibility and transferred to Louisiana Tech in the spring of this year. Bates was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season for the Illini and followed that with second-team All-Conference USA honors this season. He has started every game for the Bulldogs, who need to put pressure on Reilly O’Toole and force the Illinois’ quarterback to make quick decisions. Bates will be a big part of that pressure, as he plays in his final collegiate game against his former team.

LOUISIANA TECH OFFENSE In the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas bowl, Illinois will face a quarterback that has Big Ten experience. Louisiana Tech is led by Cody Sokol, a redshirt senior transfer from Iowa. After transferring to Iowa from junior college, the quarterback redshirted the 2012 season and saw action in only one game in 2013. With Louisiana Tech, Sokol enters the postseason 11th in the nation in passing touchdowns (29) and 22nd in the nation in passing yards (3,189). He was named Conference USA’s Newcomer of the Year. He’s played in all 13 games going 246-for-420 passing with 13 interceptions.

Of note: Sokol has led the Bulldogs to 40 or more points in six games this season. Three games have seen more than 50 points.

LA. TECH STARTERS OFFENSE

QB Cody Sokol 19 RB Kenneth Dixon 28 WR Paul Turner 3 WR Hunter Lee 36 WR Trent Taylor 5 WR Sterling Griffin 4 WR Carlos Henderson 1 LT Jens Danielsen 77 LG David Mahaffey 55 C Kirby Wixson 73 RG Joseph Brunson 62 RT Richard Greenwalt 57 K Kyle Fischer 39

DEFENSE

DE Houston Bates 94 DT DeAngelo Brooks 90 DT Vernon Butler 9 DE Vontarrius Dora 8 LB Mitch Villemez 32 LB Nick Thomason 24 LB C.J. Cleveland 29 CB Le’Vander Liggins 13 CB Adairius Barnes 21 S Kentrell Brice 23 S Xavier Woods 7 P Logan McPherson 43

LA. TECH LEADERS PASSING Cody Sokol 246-for-420, 3,189 yards, 29 TDs

RUSHING Kenneth Dixon 240 carries, 1236 yards, 21 TDs Jarred Craft 78 carries, 278 yards, 3 TDs

RECEIVING Trent Taylor 62 catches, 814 yards, 9 TDs Paul Turner 39 catches, 476 yards, 4 TDs Sterling Griffin 29 catches, 408 yards, 2 TDs

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Heart of Dallas Bowl a ‘revenge’ game

BY CHARLOTTE CARROLL STAFF WRITER

Reilly O’Toole sent a text when he found out the news.

Donovonn Young received a Snapchat, and Mason Monheim got a mix of both that he says basically the whole team seemed to receive.

The sender: former Illinois defensive lineman Houston Bates, who now plays for Louisiana Tech.

The reason: all found out they would be playing their former teammate and his new ones at Louisiana Tech (8-5, 7-1 Conference USA) in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 26.

Those snaps and texts are just one of the many story lines taking hold as the Illini (6-6, 3-5 Big Ten) prepare to head to Dallas for their first bowl game appearance since 2011.

The last time Illinois faced Louisiana Tech, it was Beckman’s first season with the Illini in 2012. The Illini lost 52-24. At the time, the Bulldogs were coached by Sonny Dykes. In the win, Louisiana Tech forced six turnovers and scored seven touchdowns. After injury forced former quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase to the sidelines, Reilly O’Toole went 19-for-25 passing with 120 yards with no touchdowns.

This year, the teams faced only one common opponent: Western Kentucky. The Illini defeated the Hilltoppers 42-34, where the

Bulldogs recorded a 59-10 victory.

Louisiana Tech is led by Cody Sokol, who transfered from Iowa over the offseason. The quarterback has played in all 13 games, completing passes at a 58.6 percent clip with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He’s helped lead the Bulldogs to 3,284 passing yards, but the team also ran for 1,966 yards.

“They’re similar to our last game, Northwestern, as far as offense,” sophomore defensive end Taylor Barton said. “We play in the Big Ten, so we’re used to a lot of running teams, and they’re a mixture of both.

They’re pretty balanced, so it’s a little different in that aspect, but it’s something we game plan for.”

Illinois is heading into the bowl game with pressure to finish the season well. The Illini finished the regular season averaging 117.1 rushing yards per game and 243.2 passing yards per game, switching mainly between quarterbacks Wes Lunt and Reilly O’Toole.

Lunt went 149-for-233 for 1,729 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games. O’Toole finished the season throwing 98-for-167 for 1,049 passing yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games.

With former teammates facing off, three Texas natives on the Illini roster, a former Big Ten quarterback guiding the Bulldogs and pressure to finish the season well, Illi-

DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Illinois’ Houston Bates, 55, makes a call during the Homecoming game against Michigan State at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. on Oct. 27, 2013. The Illini lost, 42-3. nois has a lot going on. But Young summed it up rather simply.

“It’s a revenge game,” the Texas native said. “I get to play against my old teammate. And I like playing teams from down south. It’s a little different taste of foot-

ball, and I’m excited to see what these guys have got.”

Charlotte can be reached at cmcarro2@dailyillini.com and on Twitter @charlottecrrll.

THE

MATCHUPS

BY ERIK PRADO STAFF WRITER

Record-wise, this game looks to be in favor of the Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs, with their 8-5 record, will play a 6-6 Illinois team.

However, the Illini are peaking at the right time, having won two of their last three games to reach the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. While it may not be the most exciting bowl of the postseason, it’s still a bowl nonetheless.

Erik can be reached at eprado3@dailyillini.com and on Twitter @e_prada.

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Donovonn Young and Josh Ferguson vs.

Louisiana Tech defense The Illini running game was virtually nonexistent earlier in the season. That’s not the case, as Young and Ferguson managed to grind away and relieve pressure off Reilly O’Toole. They’ll need to continue to get decent yardage to balance out the offense.

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Fans vs. Travel

RB Kenneth Dixon vs. Illini defense

The trip to Dallas, by car, comprises of a drive nearly 15 hours. That, plus the bowl being the day after Christmas, will likely discourage the Illini fan base from making the trip, especially students. With the creation of a “fan council” that looks to improve the gameday experience, this bowl could serve as the first case study on how to get legions of fans to road games at an affordable price.

Another team, another top running back the Illini have to contain. Dixon is 30th in the country after notching 1,236 yards and 21 touchdowns in the regular season and is part of an offense that averages 37.5 points per game. The defense showed improvement down the stretch by not allowing as many big runs and will need to do that and force turnovers.

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A STEP IN THE R

Head coach Tim Beckman takes Illini

Illinois’ head coach Tim Beckman during the game against Northwestern at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill. on Nov. 29. The Illini won 47-33.

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RIGHT DIRECTION

i football to 1st bowl game since 2011

BY SEAN NEUMANN STAFF WRITER

I

llinois head football coach Tim Beckman watched as quarterback Reilly O’Toole took the snap and kneeled on the ground at Northwestern’s Ryan Field.

It was the moment he finally knew Illinois had won its sixth game. The moment he knew the Illini reached their preseason goal of achieving a six-win season — a goal seemingly unreachable with a 4-6 record and just two games left.

When O’Toole’s knee touched the ground, Beckman finally knew Illinois was going to a bowl game.

Before the team left Champaign to play Northwestern, the third-year Illini head coach told his team the one thing he wanted to see was the “victory formation” to run out the clock.

To Beckman, seeing that formation meant the Illini had reached a bowl game for the first time in his tenure, despite the odds stacked against them: an injured starting quarterback, an inconsistent defense, the lack of fan support and the looming questions surrounding the program — When will things change?

“There were tears,” Beckman said, remembering the final snap. “They’ve been through a lot — probably more than a lot of football teams have been through.

I was very proud.”

Chants of “Beck-man! Beck-man!” rose from the Illini fans who gathered around the barrier to get as close as they could to the team’s celebration on the field. Two weeks prior, the fans and the media were calling for his job.

Now, Beckman and his Illini football team have an opportunity at a bowl victory.

Another opportunity to continue building the program — something Beckman has gradually done since his 2-10 debut season with Illinois.

“Six wins is what we had to achieve,” Beckman said. “That’s a start. And that’s probably a realistic start — a reality check for this program.”

Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas said there still needs to be work done to build the football program, despite giving Beckman a vote of confidence after the bowl-clinching win.

“I’d rather not be 4-6 and have to win the last two games,” Thomas said. “It’s better to be the one being chased than to be the chaser.”

Thomas said the goal for the program is to one day make it hard to get a ticket to a home game week-in and week-out.

“You have to win and you have to win consistently,” Thomas said. “If you build that kind of foundation and that kind of tradition, I don’t think we’ll be sitting here talking about the attendance and the lack of people showing up for University of Illinois football games.”

Illinois had the second-worst attendance average in the Big Ten, with a reported 43,757 fans per game. If you counted the actual fans at Memorial Stadium each Saturday, that number would likely be lower.

But with the team’s turnaround performance resulting in a trip to the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl against Louisiana Tech, a new confidence

surrounds the team.

“This could really start something and get something rolling for this team and for this program,” defensive back Earnest Thomas said. “It’s going to be very important that (returning players) keep on trying to elevate their game and elevate the culture around this program.”

Beckman said he believes the seniors have elevated that culture and laid the necessary groundwork for Illinois to continue improving in the win column and reintroduce itself to relevancy in the Big Ten. A month ago, Beckman was all but laughed out of a press conference when he estimated his then 4-6 Illini could win eight games next season. A month later, Beckman’s prophecy has become believable.

There’s no question in the coach’s mind that playing in a bowl game already puts momentum into his upcoming fourth season in Champaign.

“I said to this football team: ‘Let’s make this a habit,’” Beckman said. “‘Let’s make sure that the seniors that are leaving us have realized that they’ve built something.’”

But what’s being built at Illinois is not yet finished — as Thomas stressed again and again, not by any means. And what’s under construction may not be a Tim Beckman empire but a sustainable program, which he’s proved has the ability to make gradual — yet undeniable — improvements.

Sean can be reached at spneuma2@ dailyillini.com and on Twitter @Neumannthehuman.

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December 16, 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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College football bowl schedule for 2014-15 season After coming empty in two impressive seasons as the head coach at Ohio State, Urban Meyer finally captured the Big Ten championship in his third year. The Buckeyes routed Wisconsin in the championship game and earned themselves a shot at the national championship. Ohio State had been ineligible for the conference title in 2012 and lost the 2013 championship game to Michigan State.

What’s even more impressive, Ohio State succeeded most of the year with its backup quarterback J.T. Barrett after

Braxton Miller went down with a season-ending injury in the summer. The Buckeyes then lost Barrett and won the Big Ten title game with third-string playcaller Cardale Jones.

This season saw three household names rule the Big Ten in Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Minnesota was a surprise contender and finished a game short of reaching the conference championship game.

Ten Big Ten teams were selected for bowl games this year.

Illinois and Penn State scraped by at 6-6. Rutgers surprised

many, winning seven games overall and finishing with three Big Ten wins. Ten teams matches the most the Big Ten has ever had reach bowl games. It helped that the conference expanded from 12 to 14 teams with the addition of Rutgers and Maryland.

Last season, the Big Ten finished 2-5 in seven bowl games.

The Big Ten has not had a winning record in its bowl games as a conference since the 2009-10 bowl season, when the conference won four of seven bowls it appeared in.

December 20

December 27

January 1

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL NEVADA VS. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE, 11 a.m.

MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN CINCINNATI VS. VIRGINIA TECH, 1 p.m.

OUTBACK BOWL No. 19 AUBURN VS. No. 18 WISCONSIN, NOON

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL UTAH STATE VS. UTEP, 2:20 p.m.

HYUNDAI SUN BOWL No. 15 ARIZONA STATE VS. DUKE, 2 p.m.

GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC No. 8 MICHIGAN STATE VS. No. 5 BAYLOR 12:30, p.m.

ROYAL PURPLE LAS VEGAS BOWL No. 22 UTAH vs. COLORADO STATE, 3:30 p.m.

DUCK COMMANDER INDEPENDENCE BOWL MIAMI (FL) VS. SOUTH CAROLINA, 3:30 p.m.

BUFFALO WILD WINGS CITRUS BOWL No. 16 MISSOURI VS. No. 25 MINNESOTA, 1 p.m.

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. AIR FORCE, 5:45 p.m.

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL BOSTON COLLEGE VS. PENN STATE, 4:30 p.m.

ROSE BOWL GAME - SEMIFINAL No. 2 OREGON VS. No. 3 FLORIDA STATE, 5 p.m.

RAYCOM MEDIA CAMELLIA BOWL SOUTH ALABAMA VS. BOWLING GREEN, 9:15 p.m.

December 22

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY BOWL NEBRASKA VS. No. 24 USC, 8 p.m.

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL - SEMIFINAL No. 1 ALABAMA VS. No. 4 OHIO STATE 8:30, p.m.

December 29

MIAMI BEACH BOWL BYU VS. MEMPHIS, 2 p.m.

December 23 BOCA RATON BOWL MARSHALL VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 6 p.m.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL NAVY VS. SAN DIEGO STATE 9:30, p.m.

December 24 POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY, NOON HAWAI’I BOWL FRESNO STATE VS. RICE, 8 p.m.

December 26 ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL ILLINOIS VS. LOUISIANA TECH, 1 p.m.

QUICK LANE BOWL RUTGERS VS. NORTH CAROLINA, 4:30 p.m.

BITCOIN ST. PETERSBURG BOWL NORTH CAROLINA STATE VS. UCF, 8 p.m.

January 2

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL TEXAS A&M VS. WEST VIRGINIA, 2 p.m.

LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL HOUSTON VS. PITTSBURGH, NOON

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL OKLAHOMA VS. No. 17 CLEMSON, 5:30 p.m.

TAXSLAYER BOWL IOWA VS. TENNESSEE 3:20, p.m.

ADVOCARE V100 TEXAS BOWL ARKANSAS VS. TEXAS, 9 p.m.

VALERO ALAMO BOWL No. 11 KANSAS STATE VS. No. 14 UCLA, 6:45 p.m.

December 30

TICKETCITY CACTUS BOWL WASHINGTON VS. OKLAHOMA STATE, 10:15 p.m.

FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL NOTRE DAME VS. No. 23 LSU, 3 p.m.

January 3

BELK BOWL No. 13 GEORGIA VS. No. 21 LOUISVILLE, 6:30 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM BOWL EAST CAROLINA VS. FLORIDA, 1 p.m.

FOSTER FARMS BOWL MARYLAND VS. STANFORD, 10 p.m.

January 4 GODADDY BOWL TOLEDO VS. ARKANSAS STATE, 9 p.m.

December 31 CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL No. 9 OLE MISS VS. No. 6 TCU, 12:30 p.m.

January 12 CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PRES. BY AT&T TBD vs. TBD* 8:30 p.m.

VIZIO FIESTA BOWL No. 20 BOISE STATE VS. No. 10 ARIZONA, 4 p.m.

CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL No. 7 MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. No. 12 GEORGIA TECH, 8 p.m.

E t /' d E >K'K^ /' d E WZ/D Zz >K'K

EAST DIVISION CONF

STANDINGS /' d E dϬhZE D Ed >K'K^

OHIO STATE MICHIGAN STATE MARYLAND RUTGERS MICHIGAN PENN STATE INDIANA

8-0 7-1 4-4 3-5 3-5 2-6 1-7

WEST DIVISION

OVERALL 12-1 10-2 7-5 7-5 5-7 6-6 4-8

WISCONSIN MINNESOTA NEBRASKA IOWA ILLINOIS NORTHWESTERN PURDUE

CONF

OVERALL

7-1 5-3 5-3 4-4 3-5 3-5 1-7

10-3 8-4 9-3 7-5 6-6 5-7 3-9

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

DEC. 6: OHIO STATE 59, WISCONSIN 0

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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OURPICKS SEAN NEUMANN

WISCONSN VS. AUBURN

MISSOURI VS. MINNESOTA

NEBRASKA VS. USC

IOWA VS. TENNESSEE

PENN STATE VS. BOSTON COLLEGE MARYLAND VS. STANFORD RUTGERS VS. NORTH CAROLINA

TORRENCE SORRELL

ALEX ORTIZ

ERIK PRADO

Sports editor

On-air sports editor

Assistant sports editor

On-air reporter

34-16

30-20

36-14

35-15

29-21

35-21

34-28

34-28

28-21

24-21

27-21

ILLINOIS VS. LOUISANA TECH

MICHIGAN STATE VS. BAYLOR

SEAN HAMMOND

31-19

Staff writer

OHIO STATE VS. ALABAMA NATIONAL CHAMPION?

CHARLOTTE CARROLL

35-21

FLORIDA STATE

Staff writer

27-24

42-35

42-24

38-34

17-14

OREGON

OREGON

28-14

21-14

28-24

31-24

38-31

48-24

35-24

24-21

34-28

28-24

35-17

35-17

21-17

24-21

38-30

ALABAMA

ALABAMA

OREGON

28-27

28-14

24-21

42-38

24-17

35-24

28-21

38-28

31-24

28-14

24-14

24-14

17-14

24-21

21-14

42-28

38-14

31-20

34-21

17-14

35-31

42-21

27-17

17-14

27-14

28-24

28-25

35-24

35-17

35-32

21-17

31-17

38-21

42-32

17-14

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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‘Enjoy Illini football in December; it doesn’t happen often’ SEAN HAMMOD Sports columnist

H

ere we are. It’s finals week, the end of the semester, and somehow Illinois football is still playing.

No, in the grand scheme of things, the outcome of the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl against Louisiana Tech means nothing. PreNew Years bowl games have always been meaningless, and they are even more so now that the college playoff has expanded to four teams.

But don’t tell the players that this game doesn’t matter. You would care about this game, too, if you had poured hours upon hours in the weight room and on the football field. Plus, 7-6 sounds better than 6-7, doesn’t it?

You can bet the Illini players are going to lay it all on the line, especially the seniors.

After four years, this will be the last time we will see Reilly O’Toole as an Illini quarterback. Through all the adversity, the turnovers and the poor play of his sophomore and junior seasons, it was O’Toole who led the Illini to a bowl appearance. O’Toole will play his heart out, as will running back and close friend Donovonn Young.

Other seniors playing in their last game include punter Justin DuVernois, offensive linemen Michael Heitz, Alex Hill and Simon Cvijanovic, tight ends Matt LaCosse and Jon Davis, and defensive lineman Austin Teitsma. There are, of course, more.

And they all deserve your applause for turning this season around. Things looked dire when the Illini sat at 4-6 with two games remaining.

If you are a senior at this University, this is your last game, too. Sure, the outcome of this bowl game is irrelevant, but watch the game anyway. Seniors will never have another chance to watch your team play as a student.

Here’s the best advice for enjoying the Heart of Dallas Bowl to the maximum effect: Don’t sleep in too late, or you might miss the noon kickoff. Grab yourself a big plate of left over Christmas dinner and as many Illini friends as you can find. Then sit down and enjoy the fact that the Illini are playing in December.

I don’t know if the Illini will beat the Bulldogs. The last time Illinois played Louisiana Tech (in 2012), I picked the Bulldogs because they were the better team. This time, I’ll pick the Illini because they have the hot hand.

Yes, the Bulldogs nearly topped 12-1 Marshall in the Conference USA championship game, and, yes, their 8-5 record sparkles more than Illinois’ 6-6. But O’Toole started all three of the Illini’s Big Ten wins.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Cody Sokol — an Iowa transfer — can sling it. He has 29 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions and has thrown for more than 3,000 yards.

Former Illini lineman Houston Bates will be out to get his former teammates on the defensive end.

One could probably argue that the Bulldogs are better than every team Illinois beat this season except for maybe Minnesota.

But bowl games aren’t about who has had a

FOLAKE OSIBODU THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois’ Matt LaCosse celebrates after scoring the only touchdown during the game against Penn State at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 22. The Illini won 16-14. better year. They’re about who has a better game on a given day.

Louisiana Tech is the favorite, but it’s probably a toss-up. If the Illini can slow the Louisiana Tech attack, they’ll stand a chance.

Either way, enjoy Illini football in December; it doesn’t happen often.

Sean is a senior in Media. He can be reached at sphammo2@dailyillini.com and on Twitter @sean_hammond.

Holtz, Beckman: Fathers made football a family business

BY SEAN HAMMOND SPORTS EDITOR

Like many football players across America playing in bowl games this winter, Skip Holtz is just happy his dad will be on hand to watch.

It will be a rare opportunity when Holtz, the Louisiana Tech head coach, will guide the Bulldogs in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 26 against Illinois with his dad Lou watching.

Lou Holtz, the ESPN commentator, will announce the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl for ESPN on Dec. 24 and fly to Dallas for the Louisiana Tech vs. Illinois game before heading back to the Bristol, Connecticut, studio on Dec. 28.

“It will be a special treat for me because I think he has had the opportunity to go to only about two games in the last 10 years because of ESPN,” Skip said at the Heart of Dallas Bowl press conference last week.

“Obviously, Saturday is his busy day.”

Lou has been working for ESPN since

2005 after retiring from a coaching career of more than 40 years. He is well known for leading Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship.

When Skip was born in 1964, Lou was an assistant at Connecticut — where Skip would eventually become head coach 30 years later. The two coached together in the early 1990s at Notre Dame — Lou as the head coach, Skip as the wide receivers coach and eventually the offensive coordinator. The two would also coach together in the early 2000s when Lou took the head job at South Carolina.

But Skip has made a career of his own out of coaching. The Notre Dame alumnus had head coaching jobs at Connecticut, East Carolina and South Florida before taking the Louisiana Tech job in 2013.

Though his dad might be a more familiar face, Skip won’t be the only coach in Dallas on Dec. 26 who is following in his dad’s footsteps. Illini coach Tim Beckman comes from a similarly football-focused

background — though on a lesser stage.

Beckman’s father, David, was an assistant coach under Bob Commings at Iowa in the late 1970s and spent six years in the Cleveland Browns front office, followed by two years with the San Diego Chargers front office.

“What a unique thing this is,” Beckman said. “I do not know that there are really two coaches’ sons battling each other in a bowl game, which is kind of neat.”

Beckman, who has been a coach since 1988, likes to joke that he really has 49 years of football experience, thanks to his dad.

“We are creatures of the people we have been around,” Beckman said. “I cannot be blessed more to have a father that took this game and coached this game for the student-athletes. It was kind of a no-brainer.

I knew what I wanted to be.”

“It’s in your blood,” added Holtz. “You do it because you love it. You do not do it for any other reason. You do it because you love

it and (because of) the relationships you are able to build with the student-athletes.”

Holtz remembered a time when his dad was a coach for the Jets, and he was the ball boy as a seventh grader. The Jets legendary quarterback Joe Namath took him to lunch one day.

“He took me to a Jack in the Box,” Holtz said. “No offense to Zaxby’s.”

It’s those types of opportunities that having a coach for a dad affords a young football player. For Beckman and Holtz, coming from a family of football lovers wasn’t a choice. But they both realize where it has gotten them.

“I am just very blessed to have had these opportunities,” Holtz said. “I know my son — who is on the football team at Texas right now — if you ask him today, he will tell you he is getting into the family business.”

Sean can be reached at sphammo2@ dailyillini.com and on Twitter @sean_hammond.