Eyes on quarterbacks when IU meets Illinois

Senior middle linebacker Jeff Thomas remembers last year’s 43-13 loss to Illinois well.

Though the IU defense held the Illini to 289 total yards, Illinois nabbed four interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns.

“I remember that game pretty vividly,” Thomas said. “I think that was one of our best defensive games, even though they scored all those points.”

That storyline might sound familiar. Last week against Penn State, the defense forced three turnovers and held the Nittany Lions to three field goals in five trips into the red zone, but the offense’s lack of production spelled doom for the Hoosiers as they lost 16-10.

“We focus on that we lost,” Co-Defensive Coordinator Mike Ekeler said. “I don’t care how many yards we give up, I don’t care how many points we give up. As a team, you just want to score one more point (than the opposition), and that’s our biggest focus.”

Quarterback play has been a factor in the last two clashes between Indiana and Illinois, which might not bode well for the Hoosiers when they square off against Illinois at 2:30 Saturday at home. While IU’s Ben Chappell had 333 yards and three touchdowns in the 2009 contest, the quarterback situation for both schools has gone in opposite directions.

Chappell and current sophomore quarterback Dusty Kiel combined for four interceptions during the 2010 loss, and in the past two seasons, Illinois’ sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has developed to the point of being on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given to the country’s best quarterback.

While at Oklahoma, IU Coach Kevin Wilson recruited Scheelhaase, and he said with his skill set, he won’t be easy to defend.

“He’s got some great qualities and he’s well coached by (Illinois Offensive Coordinator) Paul Petrino,” Wilson said. “He’s developing into being a quality quarterback. He’s very athletic. He can make plays with his feet. He can make plays on the run. He’s going into being a very solid quarterback. He’s got a great future.”

Scheelhaase ranks eighth in the country in passing efficiency and has thrown 20 touchdowns with four interceptions over his last 12 games. His career-best 391 passing yards last week helped Illinois defeat Northwestern and maintain a 5-0 record. It’s the best start for Illinois since a 7-0 start in 1951.

While IU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in passing yardage, consistency has been an issue for the Hoosiers at quarterback. Sophomores Edward Wright-Baker and Kiel have exchanged chances under center following Chappell’s graduation.

Wilson said that as of Wednesday, Kiel will be the starter, but nothing is set in stone. Whoever plays will face an Illinois defense that leads the Big Ten with 17 sacks.

“They don’t just line up in one vanilla look,” Wilson said. “They make you mentally work as an offensive lineman, and they make you mentally work as a quarterback to understand where your protection is and how to kick your protection and how to get rid of the ball.”

Both Wilson and Ekeler said the Hoosiers have had a good week of practice and have stayed positive despite a 1-4 start going into the matchup, which will be televised on Big Ten Network.

“If you come to our practice right now, you would think that we’re undefeated,” Ekeler said. “Our guys have kept a tremendous attitude. They’re working hard. They believe in what we’re doing, and they know that we haven’t even scratched the surface.”