After a narrow escape over Rutgers and then a convincing victory over San Jose State, the Illini take a huge step up in class when they go to California to take on Jeff Tedford's high-scoring Bears.

California put 55 points on the board while blasting Washington last week and it's clear that Ron Zook's team will have one of its toughest assignments of the season. The chances for registering an upset are probably slim, but they are a lot better than they were before the opener. While it's not clear how much better this year's Illinois team is compared to last year's, it does seem to have a lot more fight and confidence than last year.

So far, the team has been impressive with its balanced approach on offense. QB Tim Brasic continues to impress. He was a razor sharp 17-of-22 in the 40-19 win over San Jose State and has been coolly efficient whenever the Illini have gotten to the red zone. So far they are 12-of-12 whenever they have gotten inside the 20.

The running game could make Zook's team significantly better. Not only can the Illini depend on speedy Pierre Thomas and versatile E.B. Halsey, they have a potential superstar in freshman Rashard Mendenhall. He got his first significant opportunity when he 11 times for 64 yards.

Halsey believes the Illini will be able to trade punches with the offensively potent Bears. "Absolutely, we're ready," Halsey told the Chicago Sun-Times. "This is a barometer game for us. We're going to see where we're at as a team.

"You can look at this as a bandwagon game. There are still some people who are saying, 'Should we go Illinois? I don't know.' We feel every week we're going to be the underdogs, and we wouldn't have it any other way. With that mentality, we're going to put our best foot forward and go out there and start throwing some punches."

The game will not be televised anywhere even though it features two 2-0 teams. That is at least partially due to Illinois' poor showing the past two years, which led network executives to believe the game would not be worth telecasting. A Champaign TV station toyed with the idea of producing a broadcast, but the costs were prohibitive.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Illinois has shown balance the first two weeks of the season -- averaging 36.5 ppg -- and they will try to continue to execute its game plan the same way against the Bears. Ron Zook also knows that the running game must produce a couple of long scoring drives or California will have the opportunity to overwhelm the Illini with its high-powered pass offense. Look for a heavy dose of E.B. Halsey, Pierre Thomas and Rashard Mendenhall.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Illini gave up only 241 yards to San Jose State after giving up more than 500 the week before to Rutgers. Jeff Tedford is probably licking his chops at the chance to solve the Illini defense, but Illinois has shown life when challenged. In eight red zone opportunities, Illinois has given up just two TDs.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We've made a lot of improvements the first two games. But we can't be satisfied. We have to continue to make them." -- Ron Zook on his team's progress during the early part of the season.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: at California, Sept. 17 -- The Illini will have to play a near-perfect game in order to have a chance at beating explosive California. The Bears put 56 points on the board against Washington last week and are led by QB Joe Ayoob, who threw four TD passes. The Illini will need a heavy dose of ball control offense in order to stay in the game for 60 minutes.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Rashard Mendenhall -- He is a highly touted freshman who averaged 9.1 yards per carry during his high school senior year. He ran 11 times for 64 yards vs. San Jose State and should get significant opportunities against the Bears.

QB Tim Brasic -- He is getting better with every snap. Brasic was 17-of-22 against San Jose State and has impressed his coaches and teammates with his coolness in the huddle.

PK Jason Reda -- He is 6-of-7 in field goal attempts this season, which ranks third in the NCAA. His 12.5 points per game ranks 11th nationally.

DB Morris Virgil -- He is the leading tackler through the first two games. He has registered 15 stops and been credited with two passes defensed.

ROSTER REPORT: Wide receiver Kendrick Jones (foot), punter Steve Weatherford (ankle), offensive lineman Jim LaBonte (back) and defensive back Justin Harrison (hip) are questionable against California. Quarterbacks Sharriff Abdullah (suspension) and Kisan Flakes (suspension) are sidelined indefinitely.