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Catching the football has been a point of emphasis at Illinois practices this week. Assistant coaches are throwing tennis balls and receivers are catching them one-handed in an attempt to sharpen their skills. “We need guys to catch the ball,” said coach Ron Zook, looking back on several dropped passes in the loss to Iowa. “It’s frustrating to me; it’s frustrating to the quarterback. To me it’s a mental thing. I know they can all catch. I’ve seen them make great catches.” . . . Indicative of the prowess of the attack the Illini will face Saturday is the rushing yardage of Michigan State tailback Javon Ringer. He has gained 432 yards, only 51 fewer than the combined total of the Illini’s Pierre Thomas, E.B. Halsey and Rashard Mendenhall.
