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State of the Nation

Episode Segments

Talking Illini April 13 Hour One

Mr. G & Kurt Kittner discuss what they saw last week at the Illini Football Spring Scrimmages. Howard Griffith from the Big 10 Network also checks in with his thoughts on Ron Zook\'s squad & where they stack up against the rest of the Big 10.

TALKING ILLINI 4/13 HOUR TWO

Mr. G & Kurt debate the state of Illinois athletics; where they are now, where they could and should be, and the job Ron Gunther has been doing. Then, the Chicago Sun-Times Herb Gould gives his thoughts on the spring scrimmages, and compares Kurt Kittners receiver corps to the one playing for the Illini now. They also take a look at the Illinis tough 2009 schedule.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Herb Gould

Herb Gould has covered Illini athletics for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 15 years. He also has written about the Blackhawks, Bears, Cubs, White Sox and Notre Dame extensively for the Sun-Times. A Chicago native, he holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Howard Griffith

During his playing days at the University of Illinois, Howard Griffith set an NCAA record with eight rushing touchdowns in a single game. A retired NFL fullback, he played for two seasons each with the St. Louis Rams and the Carolina Panthers before joining the Denver Broncos in 1997. Griffith was part of two Super Bowl Championship teams and was a major contributor during the Broncos' Super Bowl XXXII win. Griffith is currently a studio commentator for the Big Ten Network.

Kurt Kittner

Kurt Kittner played quarterback for Illinois from 1998 to 2001. In his senior season in 2001, Kittner led the Fighting Illini to a 10-win season, the Big 10 Title and a trip to the BCS. Kittner still holds school records for total career offense (8,880 yards), single-season (27) and career (70) touchdown passes thrown. Kittner was drafted in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played in seven games for the Falcons in the 2003 season, throwing for 391 yards, including 2 TDs and 6 interceptions. After that season Kittner was released by the Falcons and had short stints with four other NFL teams, before landing in the now defunct NFL Europe. In 2005, Kittner quarterbacked for the Amsterdam Admirals and led them to the NFL Europe World Bowl title. He was then invited to training camp for the Chicago Bears and earned a roster spot as the team's 3rd string QB. Kittner never played a down for the Bears, and was eventually released in November of 2005. Kittner currently resides in Chicago and works in commercial real estate. In 2007, Kittner joined the Illini Sports Network as an expert analyst, providing color commentary for Illinois football games on the radio. Kittner and play-by-play announcer Brian Barnhart call the action on the 45-station Illini Sports Network for fans across the Midwest.

Friday • March 20

CST 9:11 | EST 10:11 | MST 8:11 | PST 7:11 | GMT 6:11

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