Football
Illinois Football: An Concerning Update Reguarding Xavier Scott
Senior DB Xavier Scott Questionable for Saturday Night’s big matchup with No. 19 Indiana
Just days after expectations were set for a mid-week return prior to a big one in Bloomington (IN), Illinois Football head coach Bret Bielema now believes that senior defensive back Xavier Scott will be OUT vs Indiana.
On Monday, Bielema stated, “Xavier Scott — all the X-rays were normal. So, he might be sore tomorrow, but I would expect him to practice on Wednesday or Thursday.”
Since then, however, developments have shifted. When asked by Illini Inquirers’ Joey Wagner if he expected Scott to compete against the 19th-ranked Hoosiers, Bielema responded, “He had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. He’s got another one. I’ll get a second opinion on where he’s at with things. I don’t know where he’ll be back for Saturday, or where it’s going to be in the season. But, right now, no.”
He added, “I guess that’s why we have the injury report on Saturday. You guys will find out when I find out.”
With a game of this magnitude, Illinois Football will want to be all hands on deck if they want to take down the Hoosiers in front 52,000+ in Bloomington. The loss of Scott is certainly a significant one, and could have an impact on this game when facing a potential first-rounder in Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza. That puts pressure on rotational pieces like sophomore Tanner Heckel — who had a big game against Duke — and senior Tyler Strain, to step up and fill some pretty big shoes.
Can Aaron Henry’s secondary hold strong in week 4, despite their leader?
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