Ron Zook wants to give his beleaguered team a break. The Illini have a bye week before hosting Penn State Oct. 22, so Zook is not going to work his team too hard for now.

That's the kind of philosophy that usually is associated with a winning team, but the Illini have dropped four in a row since opening the season with two wins.

Zook said he has been pushing his players extremely hard through the first half of the season and that he wants to make sure they have something in the take for their stretch run. Nobody's talking about a miracle turnaround that will lead to a bowl game, but Zook wants to see a team of playmakers when the Illini return to action.

Despite the change in coaches at the end of last season, the Illini really aren't performing any better under Zook than they did the three previous years for former coach Ron Turner. The offense lacks enthusiasm and a legitimate running game, while the defense struggles in the basic fundamental of the game -- tackling.

The Illini gave up 205 rushing yards to Indiana last week and the Hoosiers are not even an average team in that category. Tackling was again the issue.

There was one positive development that Zook can build off of as the team gets ready for the unbeaten Nittany Lions. Illinois forced a season-high three turnovers against the Hoosiers.

If they can keep up the kind of aggressiveness that led to Alan Ball's interception and forced fumbles by J Leman and Remond Willis, the Illini could cause problems for Penn State QB Michael Robinson, who is far from a polished product.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Illini thought they would have a solid offensive team this year if QB Tim Brasic proved to be a solid leader. He has been a solid presence in the huddle and done a nice job throwing the ball, but the Illini rank 60th in total offense and 53rd in rushing. That's a major disappointment. Ron Zook thought that Pierre Thomas, E.B. Halsey and Rashard Mendenhall would provide a credible ground game, but they have been quite ordinary so far.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Illini have given up huge yardage totals in losses to California, Michigan State and Iowa. Tackling and positioning are big issues. The Illini simply don't have the same kind of athletic prowess that their opponents bring to the field. Illinois ranks 109th in total defense and 115th in run defense. Those are nearly impossible numbers to overcome.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I want them to get away from football. We are squeezing everything we can out of them. They need some time off." -- Head coach Ron Zook on his plan for the bye week.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: Bye week -- The Illini return to action Oct. 22 vs. Penn State.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Pierre Thomas -- He has rushed for 369 yards and three touchdowns. The Illini need Thomas to become a big-play threat and he has just been a decent performer. Thomas is averaging 5.1 yards per carry so Ron Zook needs to make a concerted effort to get him the ball.

QB Tim Brasic -- He has completed 132-of-206 passes for 1,271 yards with seven TDs and seven interceptions. Brasic is really not getting much help from the running game or the team's ordinary crew of wide receivers. He is hanging in there and is playing respectable football.

LB J Leman -- He is a hard hitter who forced a fumble at Indiana. Leman has 30 tackles, 2.5 TFL and two forced fumbles. He is one of the few Illini defenders who plays with emotion every game.

DB Kevin Mitchell -- The leading Illini tackler with 35 stops. He also has two TFL and two passes defensed.

ROSTER REPORT: The Illini are relatively healthy heading into their bye week and will use the extra time off to heal bumps and bruises.