Inside College Football

Spring Fever  

The reigning Big Ten champion, Illinois, is itching to discover a new quarterback

By Kelley King

Minutes before his defending Big Ten champs burst onto the muddy turf for their first spring practice, Illinois coach Ron Turner corralled his five young quarterbacks in his office and stared each of them in the eye. Then Turner said something he hasn't needed to say in the last four years: "I'm looking for someone to step up and be a leader."

Beutjer (above) and Ward seem likely to finish spring practice sitting one-two on the Illini depth chart. Tom Pidgeon

It matters little that Illinois has one of the nation's slickest receiving duos in Brandon Lloyd and Walter Young, and a defense as well-rounded as any in the league. To make a run in next fall's ultracompetitive Big Ten race, the Illini need someone who can operate Turner's fast-moving, pro-style offense as smoothly as four-year starter Kurt Kittner, who last season guided Illinois to its first outright conference title since 1983.

Heading into the Illini's spring game on Saturday, juniors Jon Beutjer and Dustin Ward have separated themselves from the pack. While Ward better understands the offense, Turner says that Beutjer, a transfer from Iowa who completed 61.6% of his throws for 841 yards for the Hawkeyes in 2000, is the more promising athlete. "They both need more reps," says Turner. "Not flash, just consistency."

Beutjer's shaky but improving grasp of the Illini offense is the only factor preventing him from clinching the starting job. What isn't in question is his desire to reestablish himself after throwing a state-record 60 touchdown passes at Illinois's Wheaton-Warrenville South High in 1998. He was redshirted his first year at Iowa and threw 125 passes as a backup to Scott Mullen the following season. He expected to start for the Hawkeyes in 2001 but suffered two setbacks. First, he was knocked unconscious in a parking lot last July by his roommate and teammate, Sam Aiello, over a cable bill. No charges were filed, but Beutjer felt the coaching staff let Aiello, Iowa's starting center, off too easy by requiring only that he apologize. Beutjer decided to move on shortly afterward when he lost the quarterback battle with senior Kyle McCann. "We joke with Jon that he should have come here in the first place," says Lloyd. "He can be an explosive player for us."

Determined to take command of the first team, Beutjer reviews Turner's prodigious playbook before bed each night. Last week he was joined in the film room by Kittner, who was between predraft workouts. For two hours he tutored his likely successor on everything from making reads to calling audibles. "No one can replace Kurt," says Beutjer, "but I know I can win games for Illinois."

Issue date: April 22, 2002

For more Inside College Football see this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, April 17. Click here to subscribe to SI.

 

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