LeShoure, Thomas among bright spots for Illini football in a dreary season

After a grueling eight-week stretch that saw them go 2-6, head coach Ron Zook and the Illini are getting a much deserved weekend off. But I’m not sure this will make the rest of the season any easier with Cincinnati and Fresno State looming as the team’s final two opponents. The Bulldogs are bowl-bound and the Bearcats are expected to win the Big East for the second straight year.

But regardless, Illinois’ players can (if they choose) use some of their free time this weekend to take a step back and ponder the last three months. Yes, many will probably think about how much of a disaster this season has been. I mean, losses to Indiana and Purdue? That speaks for itself.

But during a year where so much went wrong for the Illini, a few players who have sparkled have slipped through the cracks of all the negative attention.

Anyone who reads this column regularly knows I was the first of many to jump on the Mike LeShoure bandwagon after Illinois’ victory against Michigan. So it should come as no surprise that, if we’re talking about bright spots on a pretty depressing Illini squad, LeShoure gets the first mention.

The sophomore tailback has appeared in nine games this season, racking up 536 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He’s fifth in the conference in rushing yards per game and possesses the kind of size most runners only dream about (6-foot, 225 pounds). The Illinois offense has undoubtedly failed to live up to its gaudy preseason expectations, but LeShoure has had an outstanding year.

LeShoure’s fellow sophomore, Jason Ford, has also played well at running back in recent weeks. He’s garnered 74 carries for 496 yards and three touchdowns on the season, and his 6.7 yards per carry average leads the team. Ford also ranks third on Illinois’ roster in all-purpose yards with 596, putting him behind only LeShoure and wide receiver Arrelious Benn.

Another sophomore, receiver Jack Ramsey, has also had a quiet but solid season. Despite all the preseason hype surrounding Benn, Jarred Fayson, Jeff Cumberland and even sophomore A.J. Jenkins, Ramsey has managed to establish a spot for himself in the wideout rotation in recent weeks. He ranks third on the squad in receiving yards with 182 (putting him ahead of the highly touted Fayson and the seasoned veteran Cumberland) and second in receptions with 16.

I know Ramsey’s 182 yards don’t look like much, but keep in mind the Illini passing game has struggled all year, juggling quarterbacks in and out and failing to establish a consistent rhythm. Even Benn (who working under a competent offensive coordinator would have shattered every receiving record in Big Ten history this season) has managed only 370 yards and one touchdown.

On defense, sophomore linebacker Ian Thomas emerged as the main playmaker in a year when Martez Wilson (who through no fault of his own went down for the season with an injury) was supposed to steal the show. Thomas is eighth in the Big Ten at 7.9 tackles per game and became a mainstay in defensive coordinator Dan Disch’s starting 11 while the linemen and defensive backs around him have been constantly shuffled around.

Finally, I have to again mention freshman Terry Hawthorne, who may have provided Illini fans with the best back-to-back game performances they have seen since Rashard Mendenhall wore the orange and blue.

While most will remember Hawthorne’s first year here for his goal-line chase and tackle against Michigan or his pick-six against Minnesota, I want to point out he’s recorded a total of 23 tackles — pretty impressive considering Hawthorne saw almost no playing time on defense prior to the end of October.

So like I said, Illinois’ 2009 season has been full of underachievement and disappointment.

There’s no point avoiding the obvious.

However, that doesn’t mean players who have enjoyed success (especially during the team’s recent 2-1 stretch) do not deserve their due recognition. LeShoure’s numbers would be impressive even if he was playing for Illinois State, as would Thomas’.

It remains to be seen whether the Illini will add any more wins to their record this year. But expect the players mentioned above to make a few more big plays before the season concludes.

Peter Zervakis is a junior in Media. He can be reached at pzervak2@illinimedia.com.