The Illini took to the turf Tuesday for the first time this spring, moving inside Memorial Stadium because rain had drenched the practice field. Amid the construction chaos of cranes, wire fences and disassembled bleachers, the playing field remained largely untouched.

After a shaky start during the first week of workouts, the offense seemed to be clicking better.

“I think overall practice went a lot smoother, guys knowing where to be, what to do,” senior receiver DaJaun Warren said. “As receivers we caught the ball better, the quarterbacks made better reads, the defense ran to the ball well. As a whole it was a good practice.”

Warren said the offense intentionally stepped up its effort this week after starting the season below form.

“We took it upon ourselves to be a little more intense since the defense beat up on us the first few days,” Warren said. “We were rusty. But we tried to come out here, no excuses, and dig in.”

While the cooler weather and change of scenery threw a twist in the practice session, head coach Ron Zook said he was happy with the team’s performance.

“I thought defensively we were seeing some athleticism,” Zook said. “The receivers, once again, the young guys, especially Rejus, it looked like the light came on a few times. You could see things happening.”