Nathan Scheelhaase was a revelation for Illinois last season. As a redshirt freshman quarterback, he threw for 17 touchdowns and rushed for five more, and led his team to victory in the Texas Bowl. Scheelhaase got better as the season went along and had a 13-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his final seven games as the Illini offense hit a new level. Head coach Ron Zook and offensive coordinator Paul Petrino have raved about Scheelhaase’s work this offseason. I recently caught up with the second-year quarterback as he and his teammates prepared to open the season against Arkansas State at home. Your coaches have gushed about your development this offseason. How do you feel about your progress as a quarterback and a leader? Nathan Scheelhaase: It’s been exciting for me, too. Last season, with 13 games and getting that under your belt, you learn a whole lot about the game, about the conference and about what it takes to win games. In the offseason, I wanted to focus on becoming as good a player as I can. So it has been exciting, whether it’s developing as a quarterback and being more consistent and working on different passes. Then also as a leader, and being that guy on our team. How much more comfortable are you heading into this second year with the same offensive system and coaches? NS: It’s been great being able to work with Coach Petrino a second year. He’s a guy who definitely has a great sense of the game, a great football mind. With us being more on the same page this year, I’ve been able to learn more about how he’s thinking, from game to game and from call to call during the game. Any time your quarterback and offensive coordinator are thinking on the same level and the same page, I think it helps your offense. A quarterback always has to lead the team, but it’s sometimes tricky when you’re a freshman. How much easier is it to lead now?
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Friday Q&A: Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase
Filed under Football by on Sep 2nd, 2011. Comment. 
Nobody expected what happened to SMU last season, least of all coach June Jones. Even now, he says his team is a year away from having the depth it needs to have sustained success. So was 2009 an aberration? Hardly. With 15 starters returning, including sophomore Kyle Padron , SMU is poised to have another good season, even if depth on the lines is an issue. “As a coach, the expectations are always the same,” Jones said in a phone interview. “They don’t change year to year. You always expect to do your best and win every year. Everybody’s excited at the school. I think everybody understands we’re a little ways away; we probably need another recruiting class to be highly thought of, but … It’s going to be a fun year.” Expectations are higher after the Mustangs went 8-5 last season and made a bowl game for the first time in 25 years. Before the breakthrough, they had won two of their previous 24 games
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SMU poised for more success
Filed under Football by on Aug 26th, 2010. Comment.
