CHAMPAIGN - Before the season began, coach Ron Zook said he felt Illinois would be a better football team than the one that made it all the way to the Rose Bowl last season.

How that would be reflected in the Big Ten standings, Zook admitted, he could not say.

On Sunday, he said he still sees some very encouraging signs, including an offense that is chewing up yardage in big chunks. But a lack of consistency is reflected in a 3-3 record that Zook says is keeping Illinois from some of its main goals.

"At times we are a better football team," Zook said one day after Illinois suffered a painful 27-20 homecoming loss to Minnesota. "But we have a long way to go.

"One of the things you have to do before you're considered an elite football team is you have to win the games you are supposed to win. In the Big Ten you'd better be ready to go every single game."

Zook said he cannot fault the effort Illinois gave in the loss to a Minnesota team that improved to 6-1 and is now poised on the edge of the Top 25. Minnesota is receiving the 28th most points in Sunday's balloting.

"We played hard. There are so many good things out there. We won the time of possession. We gained 550 yards and held them to (312). But we turned it over and didn't win the game."

Zook said the players he spoke with Sunday were still feeling the sting of disappointment.

"It's a feeling of hurt," he said. "The guys I have seen are upset."

Some of the problems Illinois encountered can be traced to breakdowns on the offensive line, and Zook sympathetically talked about Jeff Allen, who has moved in a starting role at left tackle even though he's a true freshman.

"Jeff Allen, poor guy, he played against two awfully good defenses the past two games and all of a sudden he ran into what was probably a freshman game," Zook said. "You go through it in the growing stages. It's a tough (position) to play and he will get better for it."

Illinois gave up five quarterback sacks and had its second worst rushing performance of the season with just 88 yards on the ground. Two of Illinois' three turnovers can be traced to pressure that hit quarterback Juice Williams from behind or on his blind side.

And the offensive line at least shares some of the blame for failing to help punch the ball over the Gophers' goal line from inside the 1-yard line in the third quarter.

Zook said he'll also use this week to reevaluate his special teams personnel.

Kicker Michael Cklamovski had two kickoffs sail out of bounds and Rejus Benn, who had a huge day as a receiver, is averaging just 15.7 yards on kickoff returns. Plus Benn muffed a kickoff that made a poor decision to run the ball out of the end zone, getting tackled on two-yard line.

"(Benn) is not producing the way you would like for him to do," Zook said of Benn in the kick returner's role. "It's not entirely his fault. But at the same token, he has been told numerous times if the ball goes into the end zone and you muff it, you leave it in there. Those are mistakes in the kicking game you can't have."

Zook said his team needs to expect another inspired effort from this week's home opponent, Indiana (7 p.m., Big Ten Network).

"Whatever you've seen in the past from Indiana, this won't be the same team you'll see here. This will be a team that comes in and plays like the Indianapolis Colts. We have to make our guys understand that." mtupper@herald-review.com|421-7983