CHAMPAIGN - Minnesota is where Illinois was.

That's the message both head coaches are talking about this week as Illinois prepares to play at Minnesota, where first-year head coach Tim Brewster is going through the growing pains many first-year mentors experience during a period of transition.

That said, Brewster sounded upbeat and full of resolve Tuesday when talking about a Golden Gophers team that is 1-8 and last in the nation in total defense.

"I think our team is doing great," said Brewster, who was a tight end at Illinois during coach Mike White's glory years in the early 1980s. "We have very resilient kids, a great group character-wise.

"We're all very disappointed with our won-loss record, but I'm not disappointed with these kids. We have improved, and hopefully we'll play well on Saturday night."

Illini coach Ron Zook went through a similarly challenging debut at Illinois in 2005, when his first team won two games and struggled learning a new offense and defense. Illinois was much more competitive the following year, and this season Illinois can move to 7-3 with a victory Saturday night against Minnesota.

"They are probably way ahead of where we were our first year," Zook said Tuesday. "They have improved every week. I'm very impressed with their football team.

"Their program is going to take off. They have already done a great job."

Brewster offered some of the same observations Zook shared during his first season at Illinois.

"Change is hard. First years are tough," Brewster said. "We're instituting a new system offensively, defensively, the way we get things done. It takes time, and I couldn't be more proud of the way our kids are working at it."

While Minnesota has struggled defensively, the offense has been encouraging under the direction of redshirt freshman quarterback Adam Weber, and that gives Brewster hope.

"He has really done some great things," Brewster said. "He has been a very, very confident, level-headed kid. His decision-making has been for the most part very, very good. I think he'll be a heck of a player here in the Big Ten."

Brewster said he's been very impressed with Illinois' quarterbacks, and he mentioned two of them even though Isiah "Juice" Williams played start-to-finish last week against Ball State.

"I look at Isiah Williams and he's a talented kid without question, physically and athletically. Then I see Eddie McGee and I saw, 'Wow!' This guy is a 6-5 kid who is very, very athletic who can run and throw. I tell you, McGee just jumps out at me.

"Illinois is fortunate to have two outstanding quarterbacks."

But there's another player who has captured Brewster's attention.

"Eddie McGee is just a really impressive young guy. And Isiah is doing some great things, too. But the key is not the quarterbacks. The key is (tailback) Rashard Mendenhall. I think Rashard Mendenhall is the best back in the Big Ten."

Mendenhall is coming off a 189-yard rushing performance against Ball State, and he needs 218 yards to break Illinois' single-season rushing record, held by Antoineo Harris (1,330 yards in 2002).

Mark Tupper can be reached at mtupper@herald-review.com or 421-7983.