Juice trying to regain confidence

Juice Williams is handling the role of sharing the quarterback job well, coach Ron Zook said Tuesday. Zook wants to see how practice goes before formulating a plan for how Williams and redshirt freshman Jacob Charest will divide the QB job against Michigan on Saturday.

“They’ll both play,” Zook said. “Juice understands that. Jacob gave us some things [at Purdue] that I’m excited about. The ball came out of his hand quick, and he stuck it in there well.”

Zook said he’s helping Williams regain his confidence amid the shocking disappointment of Illinois’ 1-6 start.

“No one saw this coming,” the coach said. “But the way he’s handled, it, I’m not sure there a lot of adults who could have handled it as well. Juice wants to win. I told him, `Everybody’s piling on you. You somehow have to separate that stuff.’ It’s a confidence issue. He has to overcome that, and that’s something we as a coaching staff have to help him do. He’s done it before, he can do it again.”