Illini, Tigers renew border rivalry at Edward Jones Dome

September 03, 2008
By Marcus Johnson
Sports writer

Saturday’s Illini-Mizzou football game showed the college world that these two schools are on the rise. The two teams, who first met in 1896, used their high powered offenses to combine for a total of 94 points with Mizzou coming out on top 52-42—quite the difference from the 10-0 win the Illini scored over Mizzou in 1896. Both teams have come a long way over the last couple of years with their talented coaches bringing in quality players that are helping build the teams into national powerhouses. Sophomore All-American Tiger wide receiver Jeremy Maclin ended up with 206 total yards, which included a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and also a 45-yard punt return for a touchdown. Juice Williams had his best game ever in an Illini uniform completing 27 of 41 passes for 452 yards and 5 touchdowns. This game kept many watchers on their feet with the amount of star power that was on the field for both teams. These two teams didn’t just come into the national spotlight overnight though. The hard work that th two coaches put into the teams have helped power the teams.

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Gary Pinkel, in his eighth year as head coach at Mizzou, has been known to recruit players that are not as well known on the national radar. He doesn’t have the recruiting classes that schools such as USC and Texas are known to have, but currently he is showing colleges out there that you don’t have to have the best recruiting class in order to be the best. Star quarterback Chase Daniel was under the radar coming out of high school in Texas. Many schools didn’t want to recruit him because of his height. (He’s about 5’11” with shoes on). Pinkel took the gamble on recruiting him and it has turned into a positive one with Daniel being a Heisman finalist last season. The Tigers also return three All-Americans from their 12-2 team that destroyed Arkansas 38-7 in last years Cotton Bowl.

Ron Zook, in his fourth year as the Illini coach, has bought the team back into their glory days. Zook, the former coach at Florida, is one of those coaches that can bring in the talent. Ever since he has been the head coach, he ha been bringing in recruiting classes that rank in the top 25 nationally every year. The Illini defense has two of the hardest hitting athletes in the country in defensive back Vontae Davis (brother of current NFL player Vernon Davis) and linebacker Martez Wilson. The two players showcase Zook’s scope in recruiting with Davis hailing from the D.C. area and Wilson a Chicago product. They also boast one of the best young wide receivers in the country in Arrelious Benn, also from Washington D.C. The school has lots of young talent and is trying to continue to become a better team then their 9-4 season last year in which they lost in the Rose Bowl to USC.

This success that both teams have had recently doesn’t seem like it is going to stop anytime soon.

Both coaches have their teams positioned at the forefront of college football for years to come. These teams showed last Saturday that they are ready to take on the world.