We've Won Three Games!

Which is thinnest - stone soup, Kate Moss or the 2005 Illini depth chart?

Today's Post-Dispatch article on the Illini brings good news:

Will Davis (Defensive End-Illinois) is 4th in the country in sacks and isn't even a starter...Davis already has equaled Walker's team-leading sack total of 2006, and the Illini are focused on making their pass rush a team strength. That didn't seem possible in recent seasons. Illinois had 12 sacks in Zook's first season to rank 116th out of 117 teams. Last year the Illini pushed that number to 23, good for 82nd nationally. Seven players have at least one sack through four games, and a deep defensive line has helped keep players fresh.

"We bring a bunch of defensive linemen to play every game," Davis said. "So there's always a good rotation. Coach tells us to go full speed, and if you get tired you tap your head because we have a lot of people that can go in."

And this new-found depth brought some hysterical snark from The Goat:

"Depth?!? Ladies and gentlemen, I'm just a simple Illini fan. I've been in a coma since the 2002 Sugar Bowl and recently awoke. Your world frightens and confuses me! I don't understand these complicated terms."

Comments

Salt Lake Follies

More on the saga of Real Salt Lake : On the third day, it was risen. A bill emerged Thursday on Utah's Capitol Hill that could bring a Real Salt Lake stadium to Sandy and salvage Utah's two-year-old soccer franchise, which is being aggressively courted by investors in St. Louis. If the measure passes - it was crafted behind closed doors this week with the blessing of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and legislative leadership - it would snatch at least $20 million for the project out of Salt Lake County coffers, which critics allege could result in a countywide property-tax hike. The move to revive a stadium in Sandy spells the end of talk to relocate RSL to the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City or the former Geneva Steel site in central Utah County. Late Thursday, RSL released a statement saying the Geneva location, owned by Anderson Development, is "not a viable option for our team or the stadium project." "We are no longer ent...

Ticking Off My Friend From Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake seems to be holding on by the skin of it's teeth. Now you've got prominent folks out in Salt Lake bitch slapping Checketts in the press . I'm sure that is a BIG help. Then when you read things like the following : "I expect it to come together quickly or not at all," Valentine said, suggesting a deal could come within a week. All or nothing??? In a week? Sounds ominous. Or, Meanwhile, MLS sources say Checketts has received clearance from the league to explore relocating his two-year-old franchise and possibly selling it to "serious" investors in St. Louis. Salt Lake City's mayor referred to such a possible sale as reason to cancel Wednesday's council meeting. "Mr. Checketts may have sold the team by this afternoon," Anderson said. The mayor also didn't want to discuss soccer in public, saying the news media could "screw things up for us." That's right. It would be the media's fault. So Re...

Early Thoughts on City 2025

There are few things harder to keep track of than an MLS side in their off-season, at least for me. Despite the fact it takes place roughly during the time the MLB Hot Stove season is in full swing, it is nowhere near as easy to follow along with as baseball. Part of it is how disconnected MLS is with the international soccer calendar. St. Louis City SC is still digesting the moves it made last summer even though those players have already played important games for the club. It is all weird and disjointed, and I always feel like I am playing catch-up. Happily, the moves made in the off-season this year were not numerous. German Timo Baumgartl comes over from Europe as an option at center back, which is good because that was a position that was a little rocky for City last season. Given his own troubles over the last few seasons (cancer and uneven play in the aftermath of that), a spell with City can give Baumgartl a chance to have a re-set. Given his pedigree and the fact City si...

(Get) A Sporting Life

Search This Blog