Clay Nurse News

Along with playing for the win, in-state bragging rights and a chance to go to a bowl game, the Illini players will be playing for something else on Saturday - a hat.

Sporting News' Derek Samson covers the best and worst performances of Week 10 in college football.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg Thumbs up, defensive end Cameron Heyward: I should have listed him as co-Defensive Player of the Week with Illinois' Clay Nurse, and I'm glad the league acknowledged the Buckeyes' star defensive lineman .

MINNEAPOLIS - Terry Hawthorne returned an interception for a touchdown and Clay Nurse had four of Illinois' seven sacks to lead the Illini to a 35-32 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

Record: 1-5 Remaining schedule: at Purdue, vs. Michigan, at Minnesota, vs. Northwestern, open, at Cincinnati, vs.

Seeking a source of hope in a season that has offered little, Illinois players turned to the second half of Saturday's 24-14 loss to Michigan State.

One look around the film room was all Illinois defensive end Clay Nurse needed as a barometer of his teammates' moods.

Football is a simple game to understand. You block, tackle, run, pass and kick. And you need to find the quickest way to the end zone.

Anyone expecting a reprise of the epic battle staged by Illinois and Ohio State two years ago left Ohio Stadium all wet and sadly disappointed.

It's obvious that the Illinois football team didn't start the season off as it would have liked.

The last thing Ron Zook needed to see after leaving the Edward Jones Dome last week was the score of Iowa's meeting with Northern Iowa.

Illinois quarterback Juice Williams tries to escape from an Ohio State player last November in Champaign.

The Illini football team heads off to Rantoul today for the beginning of their two-week camp.