Note: The original publication of this article identified Rashard Mendenhall as being recruited by Ron Zook. He was actually recruited by Ron Turner. The Daily Illini regrets the error.

Rashard Mendenhall

One of the first players to be brought in by Ron Zook, running back Rashard Mendenhall has been arguably the biggest part of the offensive turnaround for the Illini.

After two seasons of limited playing time behind Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey in his first two years on campus, the junior exploded statistically this year. The five-star running back in high school proved that he bears mentioning when talking about the best running backs in the history of Illinois.

The Skokie native rushed for 1,526 yards on 245 attempts for 16 touchdowns. The season totals for rushing yards and touchdowns both set new Illinois records for the categories, besting the former holders, Antoineo Harris and Howard Griffith, respectively.

Highlights of Mendenhall’s season were five games of 150 rushing yards or more, with two of those being for 200-plus yards.

Mendenhall also set a new Illini mark for 100-yard games in a season with seven, topping Jim Grabowski’s record of six.

“It means a lot to be up there with these guys who held these records,” Mendenhall said after the Minnesota game. “It’s definitely a blessing and I look forward to doing more. We’ve come a long way in the last two years and now it’s showing.”

Mendenhall’s play will be crucial against the Trojans, both in gaining much-needed yardage against a stingy USC defense, and in setting up the pass for the Illini. The Men of Troy are only allowing 2.4 yards per carry and let up a meager 950 rushing yards on the season.

If Mendenhall can have another great game in the Rose Bowl, expect him to be talked about not only as the best running back in school history, but possibly as one of the best players to come to Champaign.

Chauncey Washington

For Chauncey Washington and the USC Trojans, running the ball is a physical affair.

“I go out there and punish people,” Washington said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “I make people feel my pain without getting in trouble.”

Although the Trojan offense has a stable of talented running backs in Washington, Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson, Washington was the featured back, getting 183 rushing attempts on the year for 894 yards.

The senior from Torrance, Calif., had nine touchdowns on the year.

Although Washington’s numbers on the year weren’t staggering, he more than showed his ability to punish a defense on Nov. 10 against California.

Washington rushed for a career-best 220 yards on only 29 attempts on a soggy Memorial Stadium field in Berkeley, Calif.

The immensely talented freshman, McKnight, may be compared more to the Trojans’ last Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush, but Washington is seen as the Trojans’ most well-rounded back.

The Southern Cal offense has run a similar offense in years past with its running backs, using Bush as a speed and receiving back and the hefty LenDale White as a bulldozing change-of-pace back.

The powerful 220-pound Washington not only packs a punch when he is running, but he also has a 4.5-second 40-yard dash speed, giving USC a sort of hybrid of White and Bush in the backfield.

Said USC coach Pete Carroll to the Daily Trojan: “There’s nothing that he can’t do that we expect him to do.”

Editor’s note: This is the second of a four-part breakdown of the 2008 Rose Bowl between the Illini and Trojans. Tomorrow: wideouts and tight ends.