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2007 Illinois Fighting Illini
2007 Recap:
When the Illini lost to Missouri, 40-34, on opening day, who would have guessed
that both schools would play bowl games on New Year's Day? In Illinois' case,
it copped a spot in the Rose Bowl, its first since 1983, after winning nine
games, finishing in a second place tie in the Big Ten, and authoring the
nation's biggest turnaround after going 2-10 in 2006. More than anyone in
Champaign, the storybook season was vindication for Ron Zook, a respected
recruiter, who proved that he can coach a little as well.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Rashard Mendenhall
Defensive Player of the Year: LB J Leman
Biggest Surprise: The Illini knocked off three ranked teams during the
season, none bigger than its upset of No. 1 and unbeaten Ohio State on Nov. 10.
Using a shrewd offensive gameplan to get QB Juice Williams into space, Illinois
held off the eventual Big Ten champs, beating a top-ranked opponent for the
first time since 1956.
Biggest Disappointment: Although Illinois' Cinderella season was safe no
matter what happened in Pasadena, getting embarrassed by USC left many wondering
if the Illini ever belonged in a BCS bowl game. The Trojans toyed with the
Illinois defense, scoring seven touchdowns and racking up a Rose Bowl-record 663
yards of total offense.
Looking Ahead: Mendenhall's early defection to the NFL hurts, but
Illinois has been recruiting so well, and has so much returning talent that
another nine-win season will catch no one off guard in 2008. Williams needs to
tighten up his consistency as a thrower, or else Eddie McGee will see his role
increase next fall.
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
2007 Record: 9-4
Sept. 1
Missouri (St.L) L 40-34
Sept. 8
Western Illinois
Sept. 15 at
Syracuse W 41-20
Sept. 22
at Indiana
Sept. 29 Penn
State W 27-20
Wisconsin W 31-26
13 at
Iowa L 10-6
Michigan L 27-17
Ball State
at Minnesota
10 at
Ohio State W 29-21
Rose Bowl
Jan. 1 USC L 49-14
Jan. 1
2008 Rose Bowl
USC 49 ... Illinois 17
USC got up 21-0 in the first half on two Chauncey Washington
scores and a 34-yard touchdown catch by Desmond Reed off a gadget
play from Garrett Green, but Illinois made it interesting for a few
moments. On the first drive of the third quarter, Rashard Mendenhall
tore off a 79-yard touchdown run to pull the Illini within ten. And
then came the game's drama as Mendenhall took a pass 55 yards into
scoring range, but soon after Jacob Willis lost a fumble in the end
zone, and after a mad battle, USC LB Brian Cushing recovered and
things were never the same. On USC's ensuing drive, John David Booty
threw a lateral to Joe McKnight, who took it off the turn and ran 65
yards leading to a Fred David two-yard touchdown catch to open up
the floodgates. The Trojans scored 28 straight points on two Booty
scoring passes, a six-yard McKnight run, and a three-yard Hershel
Dennis scoring run. Illinois had one last interesting moment with a
56-yard touchdown catch from Arrelious Benn, but it was far too
little, far too late.
Offensive Player of the
USC RB Joe McKnight ran ten times for 125 yards and a touchdown, caught six
passes for 45 yards, and returned three punts for 36 yards.
Defensive Player of the Game: USC LB Rey Maualuga made four
tackles, three sacks, forced a fumble and came up with an
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Isiah Williams, 21-35,
245 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 17-155, 1 TD. Receiving: Arrelious
Benn, 5-80, 1 TD
USC - Passing: John David Booty, 25-37, 255 yds,
Rushing: Joe McKnight, 10-127, 1 TD. Receiving:
Fred Davis, 7-87, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ...
5 Thoughts on the Rose Bowl ... The two teams combined for 1,078
yards of total offense with Illinois getting 190 of it 445 on three
plays. ... Illinois had no downfield passing whatsoever early on and
the USC defensive front seven teed off. The linebackers ate up
everything Juice Williams wanted to do. Outside of one big run and
the big screen pass to get in scoring range, Rashard Mendenhall
almost never got the ball in a place to do anything. ... This was
Mendenhall's showcase game. For all the talent on USC, Mendenhall
might turn out to be the best pro prospect. He showed speed and
hands to go along with his power and cutting ability. ... USC came
up with 14 tackles for loss and forced six fumbles, recovering two.
The defense was all over the Illinois running game. ... USC ran for
344 yards to 144. Illinois needed that number to be reversed.
Nov. 17
Illinois 41 ... Northwestern 22
Illinois ran for 321 yards and coasted after taking an early
21-0 lead on two one-yard touchdown runs from Juice Williams and a
three-yard Rashard Mendenhall dash. Northwestern scored late in the
first half on a one-yard Tyrell Sutton run, but the Illini ended any
excitement in the third quarter with a 42-yard Jeff Cumberland catch
and an eight-yard Mendenhall run for a 35-7 lead. C.J. Bacher threw
two late touchdown passes and finished with 310 passing yards for
the Wildcats.
Player of the game:
Illinois QB Juice
Williams completed 15 of 23 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown
with an interception, and ran 23 times for 136 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Isiah Williams, 15-23,
220 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Isiah Williams, 23-136, 2 TD. Receiving: Jeff Cumberland,
Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher, 29-49, 310
yds, 2 TD< 2 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Sutton, 13-71, 1 TD. Receiving:
Eric Peterman, 10-120
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Illinois kept on rolling with
an easy win over Northwestern thanks to the running game and a
strong performance from the defense against the Wildcat running game
early on. With Michigan losing to Ohio State, the Illini will likely
go to the Outback Bowl, but with nine wins, it's a near-lock for the
New Year's Day game to finish off a huge bounceback season. Rashard
Mendenhall finished off with a team-record 17 touchdown runs and
Juice Williams was unstoppable, but it was the play of the defensive
line over the last month that ended the season with a bang.
Nov. 10
Illinois 28 ... Ohio State 21
Illinois tore off 260 rushing yards, but it was the passing
game that killed Ohio State early on with Juice Williams throwing
four touchdown passes to four different receivers. A 31-yard strike
to Marques Wilkins late in the third quarter gave the Illini a 28-14
lead, but the Buckeyes marched right back going 76 yards in eight
plays with Chris Wells finishing it off with his second touchdown
run of the game. And Illinois decided to not let Ohio State have the
ball again. The Buckeyes ran two plays in the fourth quarter with
the second an interception by Marcus Thomas with 8:09 to play. And
then Illinois played keep-away, going 42 yards on 16 plays taking
off the rest of the time, highlighted by a two-yard quarterback
sneak on fourth and inches on the Illinois 33 to keep the drive
alive. Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis combined to make 30
tackles for the Buckeyes, while J Leman made 12 stops for Illinois.
Player of the game:
Illinois QB Juice
Williams completed 12 of 22 passes for 140 yards and four touchdowns, and ran 16 times
for 70 yards
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Isiah Williams, 12-22,
140 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Daniel Dufrene, 8-106. Receiving: Brian Gamble, 3-27, 1
Ohio State - Passing: Todd Boeckman, 13-23, 156
yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Chris Wells, 20-76, 2 TD. Receiving: Brian Hartline, 4-86
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Illinois just beat up the
number one team in America. From the word go, Illinois was more physical,
smarter, and far more efficient as it marched the ball on the seemingly
impenetrable brick wall of a Buckeye run defense. Now a New Year's Day bowl game
is all but assured after the stunning win over the Buckeyes, but first the team
has to take care of business against Northwestern to be in the hunt for a
ten-win season. Certainly this game was the official announcement that Illinois
is going to be one of the biggest players of 2008, and next year's "it" team.
Nov. 3
Illinois 44 ... Minnesota 17
Illinois ran for 448 yards with Rashard Mendenhall getting 201
of them with scoring dashes fro 64 and 33 yards out. The game was
broken open with three Jason Reda field goals and a seven-yard Isiah
Williams touchdown run as part of a 23-point outburst. Minnesota was
never it it after Williams threw first quarter scoring passes to
Jacob Willis from 47 yards out and Jeff Cumberland from 22 yards
away. Adam Weber threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ernie Wheelwright
and ran for a 29-yard score.
Player of the
Illinois RB
Rashard Mendenhall ran 17 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns,
and QB Juice Williams completed 14 of 21 passes for 207 yards and
two touchdowns with an interception, and ran 18 times for 133 yards
and a score..
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Isiah
Williams, 14-21, 207 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 17-201, 2 TD. Receiving:
Jeff Cumberland, 4-53, 1 TD
Minnesota - Passing: Adam Weber, 18-31, 208 yds,
Rushing: Duane Bennett, 12-35. Receiving: Ernie
Wheelwright, 9-123, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Beating up
Minnesota isn't any big deal, but this was an important win for
Illinois. Isiah Williams found a passing groove and was accurate and
effective, while the running game exploded with yet another
brilliant day from Rashard Mendenhall. If the Illini can throw like
it did in the Dome, it'll be an impossible offense to stop down the
stretch. If the safeties have to play off even a little bit,
Mendenhall dominates. Can Williams keep up the production against
Ohio State? It'll be an interesting showdown.
Oct. 27
Illinois 28 ... Ball State 17
Illinois ran for 324 yards with Rashard Mendenhall scoring
from two and 30 yards out, and Juice Williams adding scoring dashes
from ten and three yards away, but it was a fight. Ball State took a
10-7 lead on a 36-yard Mike Dorulla interception return for a
touchdown, and pulled within four in the third quarter on a 24-yard
Darius Hill catch, but the Illinois running game proved to be too
much to overcome. The Illini held on to the ball for close to 17
minutes in the second half, and 10:19 in the fourth.
Player of the game:
Illinois RB Rashard
Mendenhall ran 28 times for 189 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 16-33, 167
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Nate Davis, 12-64. Receiving: Darius Hill, 4-56, 1 TD
Illinois - Passing: Isiah Williams, 7-15, 145 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 28-189, 2 TD. Receiving:
Arrelious Benn, 4-97
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The Illinois secondary came up
with a nice day against Ball State, and the running game did what
the running game was supposed to do. It might not have been the
prettiest win, but when Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall can
get the spread-option working as well as it did, the offense is hard
to stop. Now that a bowl bid is all but certain, its time for a
better position. Winning at Minnesota next week has to be a must,
and then the big prize is up next: at Ohio State.
Oct. 20
Michigan 27 ... Illinois 17
Mike Hart was out, Chad Henne got hurt, and Illinois was
rolling with a 14-3 first half lead on a 26-yard Jacob Willis
touchdown catch and an eight-yard run from Daniel Dufrene, but then
the Michigan offense got the receivers involved as Mario Manningham
caught an eight-yard touchdown pass, later caught an 11-yard pass
from WR Adrian Arrington to break a 17-17 tie midway through the
fourth quarter. Arrington also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass as
part of the 24-3 run. K.C. Lopata nailed a 39-yard field goal to put
the Wolverines up ten late.
Player of the
Michigan QB Chad
Henne completed 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns
with an interception
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Juice
Williams, 8-14, 70 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 18-85. Receiving:
Arrelious Benn, 5-35
Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 18-26, 201 yds,
Rushing: Carlos Brown, 25-113. Receiving: Mario
Manningham, 9-109, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The Michigan loss made Illinois
look like it's not ready for primetime. From the ten penalties, many
of them silly, to the lack of of consistency to the passing game, to
the inability to control the Wolverine offense without Mike Hart.
Juice Williams wasn't awful throwing the ball, but he didn't connect
on enough top pass plays to throw any sort of a scare in the
Wolverine secondary. With Ball State and Minnesota ahead, the Illini
can get back on track in a big hurry before going to Ohio State.
Oct. 13
Iowa 10 ... Illinois 6
Iowa safety Brett Greenwood picked off Eddie McGee in the end
zone with just over a minute to play to close out a brilliant
defensive performance. The Illini gained just 287 yards of total
offense and was outgained 141 yards to 137 on the ground, getting
points on Jason Reda field goals from 46 and 23 yards out. Iowa tied
it at three just before halftime on a 28-yard Daniel Murray kick,
and took the lead for good at the end of the third quarter on a
29-yard Brandon Myers touchdown catch. The Illinois offense almost
got its home run to change things around on an 83-yard pass play to
Joe Morgan, but it was called back by an ineligible receiver
Player of the
Iowa LB Mike Humphal
made 18 tackles, sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and recovered a fumble
Stat Leaders: Iowa - Passing: Jake Christensen,
17-25, 182 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Albert Young, 25-99. Receiving: Albert Young,
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 9-15, 98
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 15-67 Receiving:
Arrelious Benn, 4-87
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Every once in a while, the Illini
running game is going to get stuffed, and someone will have to throw
it. Just when it looked like Eddie McGee would be the better answer
at quarterback of Juice Williams, he throws a lousy pass at the end
to let Iowa seal the win. That shouldn't take away from him getting
more and more playing time. Juice threw well against the Hawkeyes,
but McGee also showed off what he could do, yet again, with his arm
and his legs. The offense can't be afraid to start taking more shots
down the field.
Oct. 6
Illinois 31 ... Wisconsin 26
Illinois ran for 310 yards, with Rashard Mendenhall getting 160
of them, with scoring runs from 32 and five yards out, but it was a
nine-play, 71-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, finishing up
with a five-yard Eddie McGee score, that put the game out of reach.
The Badgers, battling with a banged up P.J. Hill, fought back
through the air, getting a nine-yard touchdown catch from Garrett
Graham with 1:31 to play, but they couldn't get the ball back,
failing to get the onside kick, and failing to come up with a stop
on fourth and short. Mendenhall also caught a five-yard touchdown
pass, while Wisconsin got 392 passing yards from Tyler Donovan and
two touchdowns.
Player of
the game:
Illinois RB
Rashard Mendenhall ran 19 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns,
and caught four passes for 33 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Juice
Williams, 12-19, 121 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rashard Mendenhall, 19-160, 2 TD. Receiving:
Arrelious Benn, 5-51
Wisconsin - Passing: Tyler Donovan, 27-49,
392 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 21-83, 1 TD. Receiving:
Travis Beckum,
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Illinois
almost pitched a perfect game against Wisconsin, except for the
inability to generate a consistent pass rush or stop the midrange
passes. The lines were more physical, the running game worked to
perfection, and Juice Williams was shockingly accurate. Most
importantly in a game that was all about momentum, Illinois didn't
turn the ball over. Now the spotlight will be on, and now the
pressure will be there for the Illini to produce like they have over
the past few weeks. If they play like they did this week, being
unbeaten until the late game at Ohio State is possible.
Sept. 29
Illinois 27 ... Penn State 20
Illinois answered a 26-yard Kevin Kelly field goal with a
90-yard kickoff return for a score from
Benn, got a two-yard Rashard Mendenhall touchdown run, and never
trailed the rest of the way. Benn also scored on a 29-yard catch
early in the second, but the Illini offense couldn't get back into
the end zone, settling for two Jason Reda field goals in the second
half. Penn State got in the end zone on a 24-yard Derrick Williams
catch and a seven-yard Austin Scott run, and had one final shot, but
a last-gasp Anthony Morelli pass turned into his third thrown
interception of the game.
Player of the game ...
Illinois WR
Arrelious Benn caught
six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff 90
yards for a score
Stat Leaders: Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 21-38,
298 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Rodney Kinlaw, 16-66 Receiving: Derrick Williams,
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 11-24, 120 yds, 1 TD, 2
Rushing: Rashad Mendenhall, 18-76, 1 TD Receiving: Arrelious
Benn, 6-84, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Now is it time to call Illinois legit? It might be, and
it couldn't come into next week's Wisconsin showdown on a higher
note. Beating the Penn State signals the first big win for Ron Zook,
and it also showcased the young talent with
Benn coming up with the huge plays everyone was hoping for when he
came in as one of the nation's top recruits. Now, Juice Williams has
to do something, anything, to be more accurate, and he has to avoid
Sept. 22
Illinois 27 ... Indiana 14
Illinois got out to a 13-0 fist half lead on two Jason Reda
field goals and two-yard Michael Hoomanawanui touchdown catch, but
Indiana was able to come back with a ten-play march culminating in a
seven-yard James Hardy scoring grab. Illinois QB Juice Williams came
up with his most efficient drive of the day, going 68 yards in 1:14
with a pass to Rashad Mendenhall closing out the first half.
Mendenhall put the Illini comfortably ahead with a five-yard scoring
run. James Bailey caught a 30-yard touchdown pass for the Hoosiers
in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game ...
Illinois RB Rashad Mendenhall ran 27 times for 214 yards
and a touchdown, and caught three passes for 18 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Indiana - Passing: Kellen Lewis, 26-51, 263
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bryan Payton, 5-40 Receiving: Andrew Means, 7-83
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 13-28, 98 yds, 2 TD, 2
Rushing: Rashad Mendenhall, 27-214, 1 TD Receiving: Arrelious
Benn, 5-50
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The Illini didn't come up with the prettiest of
performances to beat Indiana, but it was effective. Rashad
Mendenhall has now firmly established himself as one of the Big
Ten's premier offensive weapons, and he'll need to be with the
inconsistency of QB Juice Williams. Williams continues to struggle
mightily with his accuracy, and he's not doing anything to threaten
defenses with his arm. The offense worked against Indiana, but
unless Williams is on, the Penn State and Wisconsin games over the
next two weeks will be struggles.
Sept. 15
Illinois 45 ... Syracuse 20
Illinois jumped all over Syracuse with a 20-3 lead on a
22-yard touchdown catch from Jeff Cumberland and a two-yard Rashan
Mendenhall scoring run. The Orange appeared to get back into the game
halfway through the third quarter on a two-yard Jeremy Sellers run, but
the Illini put it away on a ten-yard Juice Williams run and two scores
from Mendenhall on runs from 50 yards and one yard. The Illini outgained
SU 508 to 286.
Player of the game ...
Illinois RB Rashad Mendenhall ran 16 times for 150 yards
and three touchdowns and caught three passes for 20 yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 17-26,
208 yds
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 18-54 Receiving: Curtis Brinkley,
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 13-18, 97 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rashad Mendenhall, 16-150, 3 TD Receiving: Arrelious
Benn, 4-26
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... As
long as Juice Williams doesn't have to throw the ball, he's dangerous.
Against Syracuse, all he had to do was run once in a while, make a few
key short throws, and not make big mistakes. Now that the Illini have a
road win, and a win over a non-FCS team, the confidence needs to be
there going into the Indiana game. The offensive line has to play as
well as it has over the last two weeks, and Rashad Mendenhall has to
keep producing as the focal point of the attack.
Sept. 8
Illinois 21 ... Western Illinois 0
The Illinois defense shut down and shut out Western Illinois,
allowing just 152 yards of total offense and four first downs. The
offense wasn't sharp, but it got a touchdown in each of the last three
quarters starting off with a 32-yard Daniel Dufrene run. Juice Williams
ran for a nine-yard score and Rashad Mendenhall ran for a 16-yard score.
J Leman led the Illini with 11 tackles.
Player of the game ...
Illinois RB Rashad Mendenhall ran 23 times for 139 yards
and a touchdown and caught a pass for 16 yards
Stat Leaders: Western Illinois - Passing: Matt Barr, 11-21,
71 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Herb Donaldson, 27-59 Receiving: Carl Sims, 5-53
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 12-24, 123 yds
Rushing: Rashad Mendenhall, 23-139 1 TD Receiving: Arrelious
Benn, 4-52
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Illinois didn't need to air it out to beat Western Illinois, but it should've
Juice Williams was back from injury and struggled yet again with his
accuracy. The running game was fine, as expected, but this needed to be
a time for Williams to find his passing tough and get Arrelious Benn
going. Benn had a decent day and Rashad Mendenhall ran well, and now the
passing game has to be better against Syracuse before the Illini dives
into Big Ten play.
Sept. 1
Missouri 40 ... Illinois 34
Missouri was on its way to an easy win after getting up 37-13
late in the third quarter helped by a 100-yard fumble return for a score
from Cornelius Brown, two Jeremy Maclin touchdowns, including a 66-yard
punt return for a score to apparently put the game way. And then
Illinois end on a run with Eddie McGee running for a 16-yard score and
connecting with Kyle Hudson for a 41-yard touchdown, and Rashad
Mendenhall scoring on a four-yard dash to pull within three. Mizzou got
a little breathing room on a 32-yard Jeff Wolfert field goal, and then
held on as Cornelius Brown picked off a pass at the goal line in the
final minute.
Player of the game
Missouri QB Chase Daniel connected on 37-of-54 passes for 359 yards and
three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Missouri- Passing: Chase Daniel,
37-54, 359 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Tony Temple, 17-33 Receiving: Martin Rucker,
Illinois - Passing: Eddie McGee, 17-31, 257 yds, 1
TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Daniel Dufrene, 6-58 Receiving: Arrelious Benn,
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Illinois was down big to Missouri and should've theoretically gone into
the tank after losing QB Juice Williams in the second quarter to a head
injury, but Eddie McGee came in and did a great job moving the offense.
LB J Leman came up with 20 tackles in a typical J Leman game, but while
he all but stuffed the Tiger running game, he didn't get much help from
the secondary. The Illini might be happy with the heart it showed in the
comeback, but it was still yet another loss in the Ron Zook era.
Sept. 1 - Missouri
Offense: If all the parts are working as expected, this should be
one of the nation's five most productive offenses with an embarrassment
of riches to work with. Junior QB Chase Daniel is growing into a star
leader with more than enough weapons to choose from. The tight end
combination of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman is the best in the
nation, Will Franklin can fly on the outside, and Tony Temple leads a
small, quick backfield that'll rip through the holes created by a
talented, experienced line. The problems? Consistency and proven play in
crunch time. The numbers are going to be there, but they have to come
against the top teams in the big games.
Defense: The whole will be greater than the sum of the parts. A
pass rush will emerge eventually from the outside linebackers as well as
end Stryker Sulak, while Brock Christopher has the makings of an All-Big
12 performer at middle linebacker. The secondary will be fine thanks to
the return of starting corners Darnell Terrell and Hardy Ricks, but
replacing safeties David Overstreet and Brandon Massey won't be easy.
There's tremendous speed and athleticism in the back seven, several good
young players to get excited about among the backups, and an excellent
tackle pair in Evander Hood and Lorenzo Williams to anchor things up
front. Now the D has to prove it can come through on a consistent basis
against the top teams.
Sept. 8 – Western Illinois
Sept. 15 – at Syracuse
The pieces are there among the skill players for a night-and-day
improvement from last year's putrid attack that cranked out a mere 264
yards and 17.4 points per game. The receiving cops, helped by the return
of Taj Smith from injury, should be one of the best in the Big East,
while Curtis Brinkley is a good back to work around. Sophomore QB Andrew
Robinson is a star in the making, but he'll have a hard time with his
consistency behind an offensive line that needs work even with three
starters returning in the interior.
Defense: It might take a little while, but the D will improve as
the season goes on, it struggled in every area but getting into the
backfield, and with a strong defensive line returning, led be end Jameel
McClain, generating pressure won't be much of a problem. The linebacking
corps will be a work in progress with three news starters, but the
excellent safety tandem of Dowayne Davis and Joe Fields should clean up
plenty of messes.
Sept. 22 – at Indiana
Offense: The IU spread offense has the pieces in place with
rising star quarterback Kellen Lewis about to come into his own as a
leader, and a good receiving corps to put up big numbers, led by James
Hardy. There's speed at running back, but Marcus Thigpen and Demetrius
McCray have to be more productive. The X factor is the line, which the
late Terry Hoeppner did a great job of putting together in the 2006
recruiting class. Rodger Saffold and Pete Saxon are just two who should
upgrade the front.
Defense: The IU defense has struggled over the last few years to
slow anyone down, but now the youth movement should produce results. The
goal is to bend but not break, and now there has to be less breaking.
It's still a young overall group, but there's experience and potential,
especially at corner where Tracy Porter and Leslie Majors should be
among the Big Ten's best. There's little proven pass rush up front,
while the linebacking corps is small and quick by design.
Sept. 29 - Penn State
Offense: Known for being button-down conservative, now
it's time for Penn State to open the offense up. At least, that's what
it has to do to play to the team's strengths. The receiving corps has
the potential to be the best in the league with three great targets in
Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood, and an all-star-to-be
in tight end Andrew Quarless. If senior quarterback Anthony Morelli is
consistent and gets the ball to his speedy receivers deep, the passing
game will be fantastic. The line, despite the loss of Levi Brown, will
be excellent with the expected emergence of tackles Dennis Landolt and
Gerald Cadogan, but the real question mark will be running back Austin
Scott. The one time star recruit Austin Scott has to finally show he can
be the workhorse for the running game. If not. it'll be throw, throw and
throw some more.
Defense: As always, the defense will revolve around the
linebackers. Paul Posluszny might be gone, but Dan Connor, who'll take
over in the middle, could turn into a better all-around playmaker, and
Sean Lee will be an All-Big Ten performer. The line doesn't have much
experience with only one starter returning, but there's plenty of
promise on the inside in beefy tackles Phil Taylor and Abe Koroma. The
secondary will be stellar if Anthony Scirrotto gets past his
off-the-field legal troubles. If not, corner Justin King and safety Tony
Davis, who moves over from corner, will keep the pass defense from
sliding after a good 2006.
Oct. 6 - Wisconsin
The offense wasn't always pretty, but it
produced. Now it welcomes back nine starters, led by power runner P.J.
Hill working behind a deep and talented offensive line. The receiving
corps is loaded with deep threats with Paul Hubbard, Luke Swan, and top
pass-catching tight end Travis Beckum returning. It's all there to have
a huge season as long as the quarterback situation is settled. Tyler
Donovan and Allan Evridge are each good enough to start, but one has to
break free and take the job by the horns. While this is one of the
deepest Badger offenses in a long time, most of the top reserves are
untested. That isn't going to be an issue for the line or the backfield,
but it could be a problem if injuries hit the receiving corps.
Defense: Seven starters return to the Big Ten's best defense that
finished fifth in the country. The corners will be terrific with Jack
Ikegwuonu and Allen Langford back on the nation's second best pass
defense (and first in pass efficiency defense), but the safeties have to
be replaced. Shane Carter is a future star at free safety, but strong
safety is a question mark. The front seven might not have any sure-thing
stars, but it'll be terrific as long as Elijah Hodge plays up to his
potential in the middle. The overall depth is talented, even though it's
young and relatively untested.
Oct. 13 – at Iowa
Offense: The Jake Christensen era starts after four years of the
Drew Tate regime, but backup quarterback Arvell Nelson is a terrific
prospect who could push hard this fall. With the 1-2 rushing punch of
Albert Young and Damian Sims, the ground game will be strong if the
questionable offensive line pulls out a better season than last year
(when injuries were a major problem). Dominique Douglas and Andy Brodell
are emerging targets, and they'll shine with a passer like Christensen
winging it. As good as Christensen might be, the offense will try to run
Defense: You basically know what you're getting with the Iowa
defense. It's not going to do anything fancy, it's not going to bring
any funky blitzes, and most teams should be able to get yards through
the air without a problem. However, everyone can hit and there are few
mistakes made. Eight starters return, led by end Ken Iwebema and one of
the Big Ten's best lines, while the replacements for the departed
starters are good. Forcing more turnovers, making more plays behind the
line, and generating more pressure are all vital to coming up with a
better year.
Oct. 20 - Michigan
Offense: Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord didn't change things
up much in his first year, and there aren't going to be a lot of bells
and whistles for an attack with all the stars returning. Chad Henne,
Mike Hart, and Mario Manningham form the best skill trio in America,
while tackle Jake Long and quarter Adam Kraus form one of the nation's
best left sides. The only issue is depth, which is stunning undeveloped
or a program like Michigan. Of course there are talented prospects
waiting in the wings, but there will be major problems if injuries
strike early on.
Defense: Defensive coordinator Ron English did a fantastic job in
his first season sending the dogs loose to attack more than previous
Michigan teams. Now the hope will be for overall speed and athleticism
to make up for the lack of experience and a few gaping holes. This won't
be the nation's number one run defense again, and it won't be fourth in
sacks, but it will create plenty of turnovers and force a ton of
mistakes. It'll also give up too many big pass plays. The safeties are
fine, the linebacking corps won't be an issue, even without David Harris
to anchor things anymore, and the line, in time, will grow into a
strength. The biggest issue will be at corner, where Morgan Trent isn't
a number one lockdown defender, and there are several untested prospects
waiting to get their chance to shine.
Oct. 27 - Ball State
Offense: The offense grew into something special as Nate Davis
emerged as one of the MAC's star passers. He should be even better after
surviving his true freshman season, and with four starters returning on
the line, he should have more time to operate. The receiving corps
should be fantastic led by tight end Darius Hill and receiver Dante
Love, who's growing into a good number one target. Don't expect too much
from the running game even with the expected emergence of quick
sophomore MiQuale Lewis.
Defense: Awful for the last two seasons, the defense started to
get a little better as last year went on and should make even bigger
strides with plenty of experience returning. Six starters are back, and
most of the new starters have seen enough time to be ready to hit the
ground running. The 3-4 is good at getting into the backfield, but there
haven't been enough sacks and not nearly enough consistent production
against power running teams. The pass defense has been non-existent for
the last two seasons. Corners Trey Lewis and Trey Buice have been
around, and can hit, but if they don't cover better, the Cardinals won't
be able to take the next step.
Nov. 3 – at Minnesota
New offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar and his
spread offense might seem like a radical departure for the Gophers, but
the pieces are there, for the most part, for the thing to work right
away with small, athletic linemen, quick running backs, and big
receivers. The one thing missing is a steady quarterback who can hit the
open receiver on a regular basis, meaning the Tony Mortensen vs. Adam
Weber battle will go on until fall. Basically, the offense will undergo
a change to achieve the same rushing results with a less effective
passing game.
Defense: What the Gophers lack in talent they'll try to make up
for in intensity and experience. For good and bad, ten starters return
along with loads of experienced reserves to give hope for a big jump in
overall production after finishing 113th in the nation in defense.
However, there was a method to the old coaching staff's madness as the D
allowed yards, but went for the big play forcing 32 turnovers. The new
regime will be far more aggressive and take far more chances; they can
do that with a veteran group like this. The linebacking corps will be
the strength, while Willie VanDeSteeg and the line should get into the
backfield more often. Can the Gophers shut down a power running attack
or a high-octane passing game? No and no, but it'll be better in all
Nov. 10 – at Ohio State
Offense: You don't get better after losing Ted Ginn,
Anthony Gonzalez, Antonio Pittman, and, oh yeah, some quarterback who
won a Heisman and owned Michigan. While many will predict doom and
gloom, the offense might crank out close to as many yards as last year
when it was 26th in the nation as long as Chris Wells holds up and
becomes the running back everyone's expecting him to be, and new
starting quarterback Todd Boeckman is merely above average. The
receiving corps is talented, but untested, while there's plenty of
reason to be excited about a line that'll field one of the best starting
fives in the nation. Tackles Alex Boone and Kirk Barton and guard Steve
Rehring will be first day draft picks. Welcome back to Tressel ball with
more running and fewer shots taken down the field.
Defense: A question mark last year thanks to a ton of turnover,
the defense reloaded and should be fantastic as long as the tackles and
safeties shine and a second corner emerges on the other side of Malcolm
Jenkins. There are stars to build around, with Jenkins, LB James
Laurinaitis and end Vernon Gholston among the best in the country, while
there are emerging stars, as always around OSU, in like linebackers
Larry Grant and Ross Homan and end Lawrence Wilson. Don't expect too
many bells and whistles; this D will beat teams by simply being far more
Nov. 17 – Northwestern
After a year of trying to get the quarterback situation straight, mostly
due to an injury to C.J. Bacher early on, the offense should start to
shine as long as there aren't major injury problems up front. The line,
with four good starters returning led by center Trevor Rees and tackle
Dylan Thiry, will be one of the most effective in the Big Ten, but the
developed depth isn't quite there yet. Tyrell Sutton will once again be
one of the nation's best all-around backs and should be a lock for 1,000
yards for the third straight season. The big improvement should be in
the passing game, as long as Bacher is healthy, with an interesting and
promising group of receivers ready to emerge.
Defense: Even though there wasn't much in the way of a pass rush,
there weren't any plays in the backfield, and the run defense struggled,
the defense made major strides after a disastrous 2005. Now this should
be one of the better Wildcat defenses in years with a big, talented
front four that should start generating some sort of consistent
pressure. Adam Kadela leads a decent linebacking corps, while the safety
tandem of Brendan Smith and Reggie McPherson should be rock-solid. This
isn't a fast defense and it's thin in key areas like free safety and
tackle, but there's enough all-around talent to keep the mediocre
offenses under wraps.


text:
Oct 19, 2013
Good news: MMRDA finally receives bids for Sewri-Worli corridor
Urban town planning authority Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has received bids from five engineering giants comprising Gammon India, Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), NCC Ltd and Simplex Infrastructure for the project. #Larsen & Toubro #MMRDA #HCC #Sewri #Worli #corridoor
Oct 09, 2013
HC to decide on transfer of Lavasa case to green tribunal
The Bombay High Court today said it would decide whether the case pertaining to alleged irregularities by Lavasa township near Pune can be transferred to the National Green Tribunal, set up to handle environment protection related issues. #NewsTracker #Bombay High Court #HCC #National Green Tribunal #Lavasa land scam
Sep 11, 2012
HCC bags Rs 1,534 crore tunnel project in J&K
Infrastructure major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) said it has bagged two major contracts worth Rs 1,534 crore in various business segments including one in Jammu & Kashmir for construction of a tunnel. #J&K #CompanyWatch #HCC #Tunnel #Infrastrcutre
Jul 27, 2012
HCC posts net loss of Rs 31 crore
Engineering and construction major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) reported a standalone net loss of Rs 30.99 crore for the first quarter ended 30 June as against a net profit of Rs 2.87 crore in the year-ago period. #EarningsShow #Q1 Results #Engineering #HCC
Jun 27, 2012
HCC shares up as banks agree to restructure debts
HCC's loans to the tune of Rs 3,300 crore will be restructured by a consortium of 27 lenders, including ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank and Punjab National Bank #BSE Sensex #ICICI Bank #State Bank of India #StockWatch #HCC

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The already highly popular iPad Mini is proving to be a top seller, even before being announced by Apple. Everyone is looking to the Cupertino company to release a smaller version of their market crushing iPad this Fall alongside the release of the next-generation iPhone. We have heard September 12 for the event, but it seems the tiny iPad will be announced in October. Previous September events have been the home of iPod refreshes, always being dubbed the "Music" event. Apple shook things up in 2011 when they pushed the iPhone release back to October, completely forgetting about the struggling iPod hardware.
According to sources of iMore and AllThingsD, Apple is again changing up their events and providing us with an LTE packed iPhone as well as an iPod refresh in September, while giving the iPad Mini it's own event this October, along with the rumored iPad 3 update with smaller dock connector. With the latest "confirmed" rumor at AllThingsD showing a separate even in October, iMore's sources could possibly be wrong. But, AllThingsD's sources might also be wrong. Nothing is set in stone until after the event ends and we're all left drooling over the live blogs we might follow.
Until the dates in September and October pass, who knows what we'll see. Who knows what shiny new product draped with an Apple Logo will be filling our pockets and getting all mucked up by our fingers. But if you read below, you'll see what I am hoping for, and how I can't lean towards all the hype of the smaller iPad supposedly being released this year.
During an earnings call back in 2010, then CEO Steve Job's gave us a look into his feelings of a 7″ tablet:
"7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad." Moving on to saying that competing manufacturers were struggling to meet the price point of the iPad, which starts at $500. The 7″ tablets about to be released were going to be "dead on arrival."
This has be proven true, not one manufacturer to date has even come close to rivaling the iPad, 3 years running. YTD 2012, the iPad holds a 64.4% market share for tablets, in a distant second is Samsung at 9.9% with Amazon even further behind at 4.9%. Obviously Apple is dominating, and always has been. Samsung has fallen from over 10% they held in the first-quarter. Things aren't looking too good for any manufacturer out there – except for Apple.
With the release of the Kindle Fire from Amazon back in October 2011, Amazon has done a great job at capturing a market for a smaller entry-level price point. Google was able to start their climb with the Nexus 7 only a short time ago. Obviously there is a market for the 7″ size tablet. Well, could it be a market for an entry-level tablet? I'm leaning towards the market on a cheaper price point. With sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note being somewhat of a success with 10 million units sold World-Wide, would those same customers want a device only 1.5″ bigger? Are all of the Android users sporting 4.3″ and bigger screens really want a 2-inch upgrade between phone and tablet?
With the release of the new iPad, Apple was able to drop the price of the iPad 2, and continue to sell the device along side the new iPad, as they do with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 currently. Sales for both of these devices, while not being as high as the 4S or as they were when initially launched, people jumped at the chance to own such a great device, no matter the age. And this is where I think Apple should go, move towards dropping the price point, not creating a brand new device.
By creating a 7-inch tablet, Apple will be fighting for second place. Does anyone remember when rumors were floating around of the iPhone Nano? You might, or you might not, but if you do, you'll know that it died quickly. Creating an entire new device to compete with entry-level devices is absurd. I know that an iPad Mini is completely different than an iPhone Nano, but it's close to the point I am trying to make.
Why devote so much time, energy, and resources just to compete with 2nd place. And not even a close rivaling 2nd place, a very distant score that is held by Samsung. The Nexus 7 is currently dominating the small tablet share, do they even hold a candle with competing against Apple's current offering? Will Google bypass everything the Kindle Fire has done over the past year and leap across the gigantic playing field Apple has placed between itself and it's competition?
Rumors are flying around as Amazon has sent out a press invite for a September 6th event. A week ahead of the 'not-yet-to-be-confirmed' Apple event, Amazon is possibly sending another blow to whatever Apple has in store for us. The Kindle Fire 2 being announced might give Amazon an extra boost to compete with the Nexus 7. But remember, we aren't competing with the iPad any longer. Manufacturers know that their 7-inch device isn't going to compete with the new iPad. Sure, the Nexus 7 was compared to the iPad, but in reality, a comparison with the Kindle Fire or even a Galaxy Tab 7″ makes more sense.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 was just released, something that actually might rival the iPad, has had some so-so reviews. And that is the normal consensus behind any tablet to date, it is compared to the iPad, and then thrown aside. My point being that Apple rules the tablet market. They do, and there isn't anyone that can really argue that.
This brings me back to the iPad Mini, is this a device that needs to be released? Is the reason you don't own an iPad now because of the size, or the price point? Would you rather spend $250 on a current-sized iPad or $200 on a 7″ version? A lot of decisions might be made because there isn't a 7″ iPad to date. It isn't something we have to ogle over – yet. We all love to be surprised and blown away by Apple, so the thought of a device that doesn't exist yet – except for all the "leaked" parts and cases – intrigues us. We lust after what we can't have.
We all know that Apple really doesn't cater to the public. If that were true, we would of had copy-and-paste a lot sooner than we did. We would of seen a larger iPhone screen, or an iPod with 3G capabilities, or even a touch screen MacBook. Whatever the case may be in the past, Apple doesn't base every design and product on the public. Why start with a 7″ tablet? Why compete for a distant second place. Why not continue the trend they have set with their phone hardware, once we see the next-generation iPad, make the iPad 2 a <$200 price point, then dropping the no-longer-new-iPad to a $399 price point, or possibly lower. Why take the resources away from innovation to compete with a non-stellar 7" market.
I know that Apple has an iPod line that started at one size, and then has changed drastically, all while creating smaller and more compact devices. There are different sizes in the MacBook Family, so why not do the same for the iPad. Why not create a smaller brother to give people more choice. I get this, I know it helps the case of a smaller iPad. I just don't want to believe it. Will there even still be a 7" tablet market as smartphones continue to grow in screen size? What is the point of a 4.5" phone and a 7" tablet?
I know in a month or two, I will be proven wrong. But I'll sink my teeth deep into my foot then. I'll wait until Apple says so. A monopoly in the tablet market might be where Apple is heading. It might make other manufacturers innovate and create products that blow Apple out of the water. Maybe we do need to see Apple compete in a market they have already dominated, just like we need to see other manufacturers compete in a market where they've been crushed. September will come around, and we'll see what Apple has in store for our pockets, and then October will show It's face and we'll possibly be given something for our hands. Who knows, well, every site around has their sources who know for sure. I'm just some guy sitting behind a screen.
Thanks for allowing me to rant uncontrollably at your eyes. I hope I am right, but I do hope I am wrong. I'd like to see a gorgeous miniature iPad. I would never own one though, the iPad as it stands is plenty portable for me. I can pull it out anywhere and hold it with one hand or two hands. I don't have an issue with the size like others do. That is my personal opinion. Whatever it may be called, the iPad Mini being the latest confirmed name, it'll most likely be released and crush any competition. Apple hasn't really flopped at any release in quite some time, so this will just add to their massive mound of cash. Who knows, with the recent ruling against Samsung, manufacturers might even have to charge more for their 7″ tablets because of any patents they might be infringing on. Then we'll see Apple completely dominate the entire market with a 99.99% market share.
How do you really feel about a 7″ iPad? Are you only excited because it is something we don't have? Or is that the right size for you? If the iPhone's screen grows even further past the rumored 4″ next-gen release, will that 7″ iDevice still feel good in your hands? Who knows, it be just be an iPod Largererr (you heard it here first!). We'll just have to wait and see…


text:
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Jeffrey Chester is executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy (www.democraticmedia.org), a Washington-based nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining the diversity and openness of the new broadband communications systems. He is the author of Digital Destiny: New Media and the Future of Democracy, published by The New Press.
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If Senator Ted Stevens defies mounting public opposition and succeeds in killing net
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text:
|Keselowski comes a long way since Hamlin feud
|Written by Admin
|Wednesday, 28 September 2011 06:52
The battle raged on for the final two months of the season, and fans quickly decided if they were ``Team Denny'' or ``Team Brad.'' Although they went tit-for-tat on the track, Hamlin continually won in the court of public opinion as he railed against Keselowski's impatience and lack of racing etiquette.
That seems so long ago now.
Keselowski returns to Dover this weekend as a bona fide title contender. He opened the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with consecutive top-five finishes to vault from 11th in the standings to third. Going into Round 3 of the Chase, he trails leader Tony Stewart by 11 points.
So what's changed?
``The way he drives,'' Hamlin said. ``You can ask him and tell him I said so. I think he drives 100 percent better than what he used to. He used to have the all-out speed, but he was very anxious in traffic, and he's not like that now. I think he's matured 100 percent, and he's showing his talent now.''
Hamlin always thought Keselowski was talented. Everybody did, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., who gave Keselowski the flagship No. 88 at JR Motorsports midway through the 2007 season. The next year, his first full season in NASCAR, Keselowski won two races and finished third in the Nationwide Series standings.
Then came 2009, a breakout of sorts of Keselowski.
Contact with Carl Edwards on the final lap at Talladega nearly sent Edwards' car into the grandstands, and Keselowski sailed by for a stunning first Sprint Cup Series win. He racked up four Nationwide wins driving for Earnhardt, and had a development deal with Hendrick Motorsports.
But there's never any open seats with NASCAR's top Cup team, and Keselowski wanted to get to the top level. Unsure of what his future held, and anxious to get to Cup, Keselowski developed an aggressive and unapologetic reputation that rubbed some veteran drivers the wrong way.
``I think he was showing his talent in a different way in 2009, in a defiant way in that he had to go prove he was good,'' Hamlin said. ``I think people got over that, and he realized he didn't need to do that to be successful. Now I think ... he's more relaxed, even though he's probably more confident in himself than ever.''
But it wasn't easy for Keselowski.
Penske Racing offered him a Sprint Cup ride, and Keselowski had a decision to make. Sit around waiting for the day something might open at Hendrick, or move to a high-end organization that, despite its resources, has never won a title at NASCAR's top level.
He jumped at the challenge, and all parties involved have been better off since.
Keselowski got Penske to put more emphasis on the Nationwide program and rewarded the organization with six victories and last year's championship. That softened the blow of how badly he struggled at the Cup level - just two top-10 finishes all year and a 25th-place finish in the final points standings.
He asked at the end of the year for Nationwide crew chief Paul Wolfe to be moved up to his Cup team, and Penske obliged. It took until May for the No. 2 team to see any results, but once they turned the corner, it's been a mad dash to the front.
Strangely, Keselowski's turnaround really heated up after he broke his ankle testing his Dodge in August. He won at Pocono four days after the accident, and followed it with a second-place finish at Watkins Glen, a third at Michigan and then a win at Bristol. He's had just one finish outside the top-10 since the accident - a 12th at Richmond. His climb from 25th in the standings after Charlotte has been nothing short of remarkable.
``He's just a racer, and his crew chief seems like he's a racer and they do their own thing and they don't get caught up in a lot of the tricks of the week of what's around them in the garage,'' said Kevin Harvick. ``They stick to what works for them, and it is working for them. It will be interesting to see how it plays out eight weeks from now.''
The trick now is to see if Keselowski can maintain his pace over the final eight weeks of the season. Some have noted that Keselowski's climb in Cup was linked to him skipping Nationwide races as he nursed his ankle. Keselowski, who won two weeks ago at Chicago in Nationwide, says no way.
``I don't think it's fair,'' he said. ``Sometimes you have look at it in a bigger picture. I don't see where the two are connected. I see the bigger picture, which is why I came into the Nationwide Series with Penske to begin with - the bigger picture of training people and giving opportunities to superstars in our sport ... the next tire changer, the next great mechanic or crew chief, whatever position that might be. I want to be a part of that training process.
``Maybe it's as simple as putting a part on the Nationwide car that we've been running on the Cup car and it breaks and we take it off before the Chase starts. There is just so may ways where it helps.''
The next eight weeks will show what Keselowski's got. Then again, he's shown plenty over the last two years.


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Diabetes Health Center
Childhood Diabetes Ups Kidney Risk
July 25, 2006 -- Children and teens who develop type 2 diabetes may face a higher risk of life-threatening kidney disease and early death than people diagnosed as adults.
Those are the findings from a study of a very high-risk Native American population, published in the July 26 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers found that adults with diabetes who were diagnosed before age 20 (early onset) were nearly five times as likely to develop end-stage kidney disease as those diagnosed in their 20s and beyond.
The early-onset group was also twice as likely to die of health-related causes in early adulthood or middle age as diabetes patients with adult-onset disease; they were three times as likely to die of such causes as those without diabetes from the same population.
Worldwide Rise
Study researcher Robert G. Nelson, MD, tells WebMD there has been a sixfold increase in diabetes rates among children and young teens living in the southwestern Native American community in the past four decades.
During this period, the population has had one of the highest obesity rates in the nation. As a result, it was among the first communities in the U.S. to see large numbers of type 2 diabetes cases in children and teens.
This study is one of the first to examine the long-term outcomes among people who develop type 2 diabetes before reaching adulthood.
"This is a growing problem around the world," Nelson says. "I have seen 25-year-olds with diabetes on dialysis machines in the Western Pacific. We used to call [type 2 diabetes] adult-onset diabetes, but we don't anymore, for obvious reasons."
Numbers Aren't Known
It is not clear how many children and teens in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes. But pediatric endocrinologist Larry Deeb, MD, says it is obvious the numbers are skyrocketing.
A recently published national study found that the number of type 2 diabetes drug prescriptions written for children doubled between 2002 and 2005.
Another recent study predicts nearly half of all children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010, a jump from about a third today. As obesity increases, so will type 2 diabetes, Deeb says.
"I would certainly call childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes in children an epidemic," he tells WebMD.
Early-onset type 2 diabetes led to "substantially increased complication rates and mortality in middle age," Nelson and colleagues write in their study.
"Anyone who thinks early diabetes is no big deal or that young age is protective against the ravages of this disease needs to get over it," says Deeb, who is president-elect for medicine and science of the American Diabetes Association.
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Always best to get those kinda things over with soon as you can! lol
Always best to get those kinda things over with soon as you can! lol
Well, my only other snake story is when I was about 13 or 14, I was helping my grandpa out for the summer in NW New Mexico. I got out of the truck to open a gate that was on top of a cattle guard and about the time I unlatched the gate, I heard the snake start to rattle. If you ever want to see a chubby white kid jump like MJ, put a snake under a cattle guard! I ended up hopping on top of the gate and "riding" it across the cattle guard. Of course, my grandpa was wondering what was going on at that point. I motioned him to come across, but he insisted I cross back over, not knowing what trouble was waiting at the cattle guard. Again, chubby white kid long jumped the cattle guard, which was a feat in itself for me. I grabbed the .22 rifle my grandpa always had with him and searched for the snake. He never rattled again, but I finally saw him about 6 inches away from the barrel of the gun when I was staring into the cattle guard. If I remember right, the snake was almost 4 foot and had a bunch of rattles. I actually still have the rattles today packed in a box full of keepsakes from hunts.
Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.
Genesis 27:3 (NKJV)
Buddy decided to take his ranch truck into the city one day and had a rattler crawl out from behind his dash and into the floorboard while doing 75 down I-10. He claims he like to have wrecked.
Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.
Genesis 27:3 (NKJV)
It seems to guessing bc it's the warmest place they can find. Best case scenario is they keep squirrels from getting in there and chewing up your wiring.
"Now two flags fly above my land that really sum up how I fee. One is the colors that fly high and proud The red, the white, the blue. The other one's got a rattlesnake With a simple statement made "Don't tread on me" is what it says and I'll take that to my grave. Because this is me. I'm proud to be American and strong in my beliefs. And I've said it before but I'll say it again 'Cause my family's always fought and died to save this land. And a country boy is all I'll ever be."


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55,000 in SD underwater on mortgages
Nearly five years after the Great Recession, more than 55,000 San Diego County homeowners are still underwater on their mortgages, says an analysis released this week by the real-estate website Zillow.
The report found that in the first quarter of the year, 12.6 percent of homeowners with mortgages in San Diego County owed more on their properties than they were worth, down from 21 percent a year earlier.
The drop in those underwater was aided by big home price appreciation in 2013, which during the summer peaked at 24.1 percent year-over-year. Still, the annual gains slowed in the second half of the year, and weren't enough to get everyone's value to recover to a point that they could sell their home for a profit or at least break even to get out of their loan.
By March, the end of the first quarter, median home values had reached what was then a post-Great Recession high of $427,000, a 12 percent jump from a year earlier. Appreciation, however, is expected to flatten out more this year, and because of that Zillow predicts that by the first quarter of 2015 that 10.9 percent of homeowners with a mortgage will still be underwater in San Diego County.
Many of the areas with the most negative equity contain tract homes, built during the housing boom that led to the recession. These include eastern Oceanside, Otay Mesa, and Chula Vista, where many overpaid for tract homes, aided by loans that required little to no down payment.
"Those houses got bid up the farthest, the fastest. They're the ones who were the most vulnerable to swings of the market" said Mark Goldman, a loan officer and real-estate lecturer at San Diego State University. "A lot of the people who bought there bought way beyond their means to repay and they were using the nothing down, stated-income loans and those were the markets that got hit the hardest."
Nationwide, 18.8 percent of homeowners with a mortgage, or 9.7 million, were underwater on their loans, down from 25.4 percent in the first quarter of 2013.
Negative equity is especially hitting the lower end of the market, Zillow chief economist Stan Humphries said in a statement. That's because people who owe more on their homes than they are worth don't list them for sale. That drives prices higher and can keep first-time buyers out of the market.
"The unfortunate reality is that housing markets look to be swimming with underwater borrowers for years to come," Humphries said. "It's hard to overstate just how much of a drag on the housing market negative equity really is, especially at the lower end of the market, which represents those homes typically most affordable for first-time buyers."
In San Diego County, homeowners collectively had $7.3 billion of negative equity in the first quarter. Additionally, more than 3,162 of them were at least 90 days late on their mortgages, generally the time a bank files a notice of default, triggering the 90-day foreclosure process. Both default notices and foreclosures are currently at pre-recession levels, real-estate tracker DataQuick reports.


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In a major reshuffle in the State's Council of Ministers of the eighteen month-old- Trinamool Congress government here on Wednesday, eight new faces were inducted in the Ministry while the portfolio of eight existing Cabinet Ministers were changed and one Minister of State dropped.
The Governor M K Narayanan administered the oath of office and secrecy to 13 ministers who included five existing ministers at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan.
The reshuffle was made with an eye on the upcoming rural elections in the State with the Trinamool Congress government bringing in new faces elected predominantly from the rural constituencies, political circles believe.
While six of new Ministers are Trinamool Congress MLAs, two former Congress MLAs who recently joined Trinamool Congress were also inducted in the State Council of Ministers. One was made a cabinet Minister, given charge of the Tourism portfolio, the other a Minister of State for Animal Resource Development.
A number of slots in the State Council of Ministers had fallen vacant after six Congress Ministers resigned on September 22, after the Trinamool Congress withdrew its support from the Congress- led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre.
Four Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charge -Madan Mitra, Arup Biswas, Subrata Saha, Manjul Krishna Thakur - were upgraded to the rank of a Cabinet Minister while MoS for Health and Family Welfare Chandrima Bhattacharya was given the additional responsibility as MoS (independent charge) of the Department of Law and Judicial Affairs
Among the inductions in the Ministry Trinamool Congress MLA from Domjur in the State's Howrah district Rajib Banerjee was made Minister of Irrigation and Water Wways while six Trinamool Congress MLAs were given MoS status.
In another significant development two Cabinet Ministers, Agriculture Minister, Rabindranath Bhattacharya was shunted to the Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation while the Department of Technical Education and Training was taken away from Minister Rabiranjan Chatterjee.
The State's former chief secretary Manish Gupta who was Minister for Planning and Power and Non-conventional Energy Sources was divested of his Planning portfolio. Rachhpal Singh who was Tourism Minister for the last 18 months will look after the Planning Department. Mr Singh was also divested of the Tourism portfolio.
Manturam Pakhira replaced Shyamal Mondal as MoS for Sunderban Affairs and given independent charge.