At this point in Josh Ferguson’s Illinois career, the term “tantalizing” feels like the best way to describe his play. As fans we have been teased with the sight of a skillset that has thus far not translated to consistently high level performances game in and game out.
For Illinois to find success this season the offense is going to have to be more prolific, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt if Ferguson would showcase some of the talent that helped him produce 28 touchdowns and 1,868 yards on 145 carries as a junior at Joliet Catholic.
The good news, however, is that Ferguson still has 3 more seasons in the orange and blue, thanks to a medical hardship waiver granted during his freshman season, to prove that the talent he possesses is much more than just the occasional flash of brilliance.
In 2012, Ferguson led the Illini in all-purpose yardage with 907 yards, but over one third of those yards came via kickoff returns. On one hand, having Ferguson returning kicks as a redshirt freshman made a lot of sense because the Illini were getting one of their more talented players a chance to get the ball in his hands more often.
Obviously, with more touches comes more opportunities to break one for a long gain and that was what the Illini coaches were hoping for when they made the decision to allow Ferguson to be the primary kick returner. It’s never a bad thing getting the ball into the hands of a talented player, but with the running back depth, and previous injury history, it was certainly a risky proposition.
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Injuries cost Ferguson the chance to play against Charleston Southern and Ohio State, but overall the gamble appeared to work as Ferguson managed to play in 10 games last season. His two best performances of the season both came in lopsided losses during the non-conference schedule.
Against Arizona State, Ferguson used a three pronged attack to amass 203 all-purpose yards. As a RB, he set a personal collegiate career single game rushing high while carrying the ball 14 times for 101 yards.
On the surface this looks like a rock solid game, but he buoyed his overall total with over half of these yards on one 51 yard carry. To round out his performance, Ferguson returned five kicks for a total of 85 yards, and he caught three passes for 17 yards.
Against Louisiana Tech, Ferguson once again displayed his versatility en route to 180 all-purpose yards. This time, it was his pass catching ability that took center stage as he set personal collegiate career highs in passes caught (10) and receiving yards (84). The final 96 yards came via kick returns (4 returns for 69 yards) and rushing (seven carries for 27 yards).
So, what can we take away from Ferguson’s first full year in an Illini uniform, and how does it impact this year’s Illini squad?
First and foremost, he needs to touch the ball. Good things will happen when he does, and the offensive coaching staff needs to make it a priority to find the right balance in getting him touches and keeping him fresh so there are no further injuries to prevent him from maxing out his potential.
The best way to get him touches, and minimize the hits he is going to absorb, is to utilize his obvious pass catching abilities. Integrating Ferguson as a quick out option from the backfield will force the defense to go with more single coverage looks on the other receivers, and it should open the field up for the rest of the receiving corps to find open space.
In the past, Coach Cubit’s offense has shown a tendency to sling the ball all over the field, and Cubit can be heard in numerous interviews discussing the need for the QB to get the ball out fast. Running occasional quick hit routes to the RB seems like a perfect way to satisfy this desire, and it’s not something that Cubit has completely shied away from in the past.
From 2006-2008 at WMU, the primary running backs accounted for 42, 54, and 47 catches totaling 260, 412, and 376 total yards respectively. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibilities that Donovonn Young and Ferguson could combine for 50+ catches this season with a receiving corps that’s lacking in B1G game experience.
If Ferguson can stay healthy, I feel like he is poised to be a solid #2 contributor from the RB position as he enters his 3rd season as a B1G Football player, and he should definitely register his first career collegiate rushing touchdown this season.
2013 Projected Statistics:
Rushing: 120 carries for 540 yards and 4 TD.
Receiving: 35 catches for 305 yards and 2 TD.
Returns: 20 Kick Returns for 440 yards.
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