By Shannon Ryan
Illinois' recent practices haven't been what most people probably imagine, coach Ron Zook said.Despite having no bowl aspirations, having finished their conference season more than a week ago and heading to play No. 5 Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0 Big East) on Friday, the Illini (3-7, 2-6 Big Ten) have practiced through the bye week with a sense of purpose."I'm sure a lot of people thought it was going to be drudgery out there," Zook said. "There was a lot of excitement, a lot of energy, a lot of emotion."
The Illini are trying to squeeze reasons for optimism out of the opportunity to take down an undefeated team.But there are reasons the Illini should be a little worried. Like most football fans, Illinois didn't realize at the start of the season that Cincinnati would put together such an impressive record.
The Bearcats have beaten opponents by an average of 21.5 points per game. Their offense racks up 478 yards per game, while their 3-4 defense has allowed only one opponent to score more than 21 points.
"I don't know that it's so much we want to be the spoiler," Zook said. "We have the opportunity to play a great football team ... and maybe redeem ourselves a little bit."
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