Ron Turner

But I think if they win the individual battles, they have a chance to win the game.

All right, well, let's see what Coach Ron Turner's been telling the Illini this week.

Let's go to Jack Arood.

Well,

We're going to give them one big play already, the penalty on the touchdown, but they need three big plays somewhere in this football game to stay in it.

You know, on that play, remember you said he's got to be more aggressive? He had the curl play on Jackson on that last throw, and he settled for the halfback.

That's what Ron Turner's talking about, the quarterbacks.

And the crowd found it extremely curious.

so that's pre John Turner what are we talking about

Ron Turner came my last year there so it was quite Lou Tepper

Lou Tepper

Lou Tepper

It's been 18 years since the last outright Big Ten title, and four seasons ago, the school's worst ever, 11 games, 11 losses.

But the next year, Ron Turner brought in quarterback Kurt Kittner.

Now he teams with Brandon Lloyd for the Big Ten's best pass catch combo, and for the first time ever, the team from Champaign is popping its New Year's cork in New Orleans.

[upbeat music] It is the champions of the Southeastern Conference, Louisiana State University, and the champions of the Big Ten, Illinois, here in the Big Easy for the 2002 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

Throws the deep ball better than anybody in the country.

Loves to set up cornerbacks out on the outside with arm fakes and big plays to his big play wide receivers.

He's really good, and Ron Turner's pro-style offense.

Ron is now with Jerry Parks.

And wide receivers were getting in trouble on the field, getting screamed at, getting moved back and forth.

And it wasn't just Devin, right? Shit, Ron Turner.

Ron Turner, in his own Ron Turner way, would speak in between the lines code like, "Hey, it's not all their fault." And Ron Turner had to go shortly after that.

Okay, so I've been here before.

I never in my wildest dreams would imagine that y'all would take this route with Tyson Bagent.

Joe Paterno going for career win number 293.

Ron Turner, the first-year head man for the Illini, going for a career win, for the Illini at least, number one.

Number two Penn State and the Illini coming up.

[upbeat music] College football on ESPN-2 is brought to you by new Tagamet HB200.

The Illini with an O and four start, bringing in the nation's second-longest losing streak at 10, and Penn State, as we said, eight straight wins.

That is currently the longest win streak in the nation.

Ron Turner in his second year as a head coach, one year at San Jose State, now trying to establish what his program will be all about here at Champaign.

And for more on that, down to the sidelines and Dave Ryan.

Those were...

Let's see, 2003 was the Ron Turner era.

2005 was the first year of the Zook era.

And so, you know, you had – this was two years for – 2003, right after the last – Big Ten championship for Illinois.

I, I, I, I really felt like I had people that, uh, believed that.

You know, I, I had Ron Turner, Norv's brother was my offensive coordinator.

You know, w- we had a lot of success, and then he got the head coaching job at Illinois, so we, we, I had good people, and particularly on offense, I wasn't worried about the defense.

But Bill Parcells told me this one.

When I got the Bears job, we were at the combine, he says, "Who are you gonna hire as your offensive coordinator?" He says, "'Cause you're gonna hire a lot of them being a head coach." And I told him, I said, "Ron Turner, Ron and I were together at USC, and, you know, I know his brother.

His brother and I worked together at Dallas and, and USC." And he said, "Okay, good" He says, "Because all these offensive coordinators, Dave, in the interview are gonna tell you how much they wanna run the ball.

Very few of them believe it."