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Nebraska's defense could use a boost from a star player after a lackluster Week 3 showing against Fresno State. Whether cornerback Alfonzo Dennard can provide one remains to be seen. Huskers coach Bo Pelini isn't sure whether Dennard will make ...

My team-by-team breakdown of each Big Ten schedule continues with the league's newest member, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nonconference opponents (with 2010 records) Sept. 3: Tennessee-Chattanooga (6-5) Sept. 10: Fresno State (8-5) Sept. 17: Wa...

Illinois didn't have to put the game in the hands of a WAC officiating crew. The Illini could have shown up in the first quarter rather than fall behind 16-0. They could have displayed grit on defense before the halftime break. They could have fin...

After looking disinterested and disoriented for the first quarter, Illinois has started to show a pulse against Fresno State. Make no mistake: the Bulldogs are very much in control of this game. Illinois' offensive line really struggled against th...

The Pig and the Bucket got me. While players from Minnesota and Indiana raised rivalry trophies Saturday afternoon, my record took a dive. A 3-2 week simply isn't good enough, although my decision to switch the Michigan State-Penn State prediction...

It's time to update your calendars again. Illinois' 2010 regular-season finale at Fresno State has been moved to Friday, Dec. 3. The Fighting Illini and Bulldogs will kick off at 10:15 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by ESPN2. The game had...

Illinois' 2009 football schedule was less than ideal for head coach Ron Zook, who started off with a rivalry game against Missouri and finished with games against both Cincinnati and Fresno State after Big Ten play had concluded. Though Illinois had ...

Ron Zook put it best after Fresno State offensive tackle Devan Cunningham scored a 2-point conversion off of a deflected pass with two seconds remaining to hand Illinois a 53-52 loss on Saturday. "The way the season was going," Zook said, "it's no...

Two more wins to pad the record before imploding in bowl picks. FRESNO STATE-ILLINOIS The pick: Fresno State 33, Illinois 30 Actual score: Fresno State 53, Illinois 52 20-20 hindsight: If I predicted that a 350-pound Fresno State offensive...

It's hardly a surprise that Illinois and Fresno State shattered the Memorial Stadium record for combined scoring today, combining for 105 points in Fresno State's 53-52 win. The previous record had been 89 points, set in 1996 during a 46-43 Illino...

This has turned into running back showcase in Champaign, as Illinois' Mikel Leshoure and Fresno State's Ryan Mathews own the stage. We're tied at 45-45. Wow. Leshoure is making a strong case for Illinois' starting running back spot in 2010. He has...

Maybe Illinois should play all of its games in December. An offense that looked beyond anemic earlier this fall has shown up in a big way today. Quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who shared a national awards Web site (7-...

We've got a good one brewing at Memorial Stadium, as Fresno State rallied from a 10-point deficit to tie things up at 31-31, only to see Illinois go back on top. Both teams have capitalized on mistakes from the other side. Fresno State has turned ...

The Illinois offense is cooking for the second consecutive game, though big mistakes continue to hurt Ron Zook's team. The Illini have more than twice as many yards as Fresno State early in the second quarter but had to rally from a 14-7 deficit a...

Take a wild guess at which of these places I'd like to be today. Champaign, Ill. (Fresno State at Illinois, 12:30 p.m. ET): Mostly sunny, temperatures between 30 and 34 degrees, winds at 7 to 9 mph. Honolulu (Wisconsin at Hawaii, 11:30 p.m. ET)...

The Big Ten faces the WAC this week, as I get two more chances to pad my record before the inevitable disaster known as my bowl picks. Both of the contests this week were tough to call. Fresno State 33, Illinois 30: Ryan Mathews will be the differ...