>>Illini Punter Named Special Teams Player of the Week
Illinois senior punter Justin DuVernois was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Illini to a 28-24 win over No. 24 Minnesota on Saturday. It is the third weekly honor of the 2014 season for Illinois players after Wes Lunt was named co-Offensive Player of the Week and Mike Dudek Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8. It marks DuVernois' second career weekly honor from the Big Ten, as he also was named Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 16, 2013.
DuVernois was a key factor in Illinois' upset of the Golden Gophers, helping give the Fighting Illini a nine-yard advantage in average starting field position by posting a 48.7 yard-per-punt average on nine boots, including two 61-yard punts and four over 50 yards. He had four punts downed inside Minnesota's 20 yard line, including two downed inside the 10.
DuVernois is having a stellar senior season, averaging 45.8 yards per punt through eight games, which leads the Big Ten, ranks seventh in the nation and is ahead of Steve Weatherford's single-season school record of 45.4. DuVernois is currently tied for second on the UI career punting average list (41.7 ypp) behind only Weatherford's 43.5 career average.
>>Lunt On The Mend, But Illini Continue With O'Toole
Illinois coach Tim Beckman says he expects to get starting quarterback Wes Lunt back from injury in time for the Nov. 15 game against Iowa.
That means the Illini (4-4, 1-3 Big Ten) may again use some version of the formula that backup quarterback Reilly O'Toole used in last Saturday's 28-24 win over Minnesota. Illinois faces No. 13 Ohio State (6-1, 3-0) on Saturday before getting a bye week ahead of the game against the Hawkeyes.
Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit told O'Toole he didn't need to be the strong-armed Lunt and pass Illinois to a win over Minnesota. Instead Cubit built a game plan that stressed O'Toole's running.
O'Toole carried the ball for 59 yards and a touchdown. He threw for 118 more and another touchdown.
