Illini football using bye week for self-evaluation

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois football is catching its breath with a bye week after its first loss of the season.

The Illini fell to 4-1 on the year with a loss to Penn State, 21-7, on Saturday. They’ve got week six of the college football season off before returning to action at home against Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The bye week is being used for a number of things. The to-do list for Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and his staff includes recruiting, a brief look ahead at the Boilermakers and a whole lot of self-scouting.

“When this schedule first came out when it was five weeks, bye week, four weeks, bye week, three. I knew those were going to be nice little snippets of self-scouts,” Bielema said. “In today’s world we [self-scout] after every game but I think to have five games, three ranked opponents, two Big Ten games plus the Kansas game to truly feel what we are and who we are. Absolutely been a lot of self-scout through the first five.”

Bielema says he was intentional in making sure he and his coordinators got time together, in between recruiting trips, to assess where the team can improve for its final seven games.

The week off will feature an emphasis on player development for guys who may not typically get a lot of reps when the Illini are preparing for a game.

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