Settled at QB, Illini try to regain sense of urgency

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The quarterback shuffle is over at Illinois.

Jon Beutjer will be the starter when this season begins, and barring injury will be the starter when the season ends, says coach Ron Turner.

"He knows he's the starter. He knows if he makes a mistake or whatever he's not going to be pulled," said Turner, now in his seventh season in Champaign-Urbana.

That was not the case last season, when Turner switched starters three times. Dustin Ward was yanked after starting the first two games, Beutjer (pronounced BYOOT-jer) started four in a row before a bad outing in Minnesota put Ward back in the starting lineup. Ward started the next three games before Turner replaced him with Beutjer again.

Despite the shuffle, Beutjer wound up playing in 11 games and led the Big Ten in passing yardage with 228.3 per game. He also threw 21 touchdown passes in his first season with the Illini after his 2001 transfer from Iowa.

Another year in Turner's system has boosted his confidence going into Saturday's opener in St. Louis against Missouri.

"I'm a confident person, but getting the experience of playing in college football another year and also being in the offense another year is huge," he said. "Doing it all summer, doing it all winter, doing it all spring is really big for me."

Just a year after winning the Big Ten title and going to the Sugar Bowl, the Illini stumbled to a 1-5 start in 2002 and wound up 5-7 overall, 4-4 in the conference.

Beutjer will play behind an experienced offensive line, which returns starters Sean Bubin, Bucky Babcock and Duke Preston. Junior Bryan Koch also saw plenty of action last season, and Anthony McClellan returns at tight end.

Tailback Antoineo Harris was virtually a one-man show last season, carrying the ball 278 times for 1,330 yards. But Turner said he's not worried about replacing him.

"I think we have the best overall talent and depth that we've had since I've been here" at running back, he said.

Fullback Carey Davis contributed 517 yards in total offense last season. Junior tailback Morris Virgil, who has recovered from a broken leg, and sophomore James Cooper bring some experience. And true freshmen Pierre Thomas and Ibrahim Halsey have impressed their coaches in practice and will see action, Turner said.

Beutjer won't have Walter Young, Aaron Moorehead and Brandon Lloyd to throw to this season, but he said he's excited about the group of receivers battling to replace them.

Kelvin Hayden, last year's national junior college Offensive Player of the Year, and true freshman Lonnie Hurst won the starting jobs early in camp.

Four starters return to the Illini defensive line, which will be anchored by senior end Derrick Strong, who led the team with 12 tackles-for-loss and five sacks last season. He is playing healthy for the first time since high school after having shoulder surgery last December.

"He was in so much pain" last season, Turner said. "Ninety percent of the guys on this team, or probably the country, wouldn't have played."

The Illini open against Missouri on Saturday in St. Louis.