As Illini fans celebrate the football team going “4-0”:https://www.dailyillini.com/index.php/article/2011/09/illini_football_goes_40_for_1st_time_since_03951 for the first time in 60 years, an undercurrent of apprehension should be percolating throughout the greater Champaign-Urbana area.

The source of this worry is up for debate — is it the uninspiring victory over a largely inferior Western Michigan squad, or maybe the poor attendance numbers for a nationally ranked team?

Yes, the Illini struggled against Western Michigan and its misshapen linemen and yes, 40,000 people attending a home game for a ranked Big Ten team after a marquee victory is inexcusable. But if you’re smart, Illini fans, you’ll be worried about something else entirely.

You’ll be worried about Dan Persa.

Persa is the All-Big Ten starting quarterback for Northwestern who is slated to make his first start Saturday since rupturing his Achilles 10 months ago in an upset victory at Iowa. That upset happened to be the game before Illinois squared off with Northwestern at Wrigley Field, which might be why some are unfamiliar with the talented Wildcat quarterback. Allow me to explain his importance.

Persa is the Purple Messiah for Northwestern fans — they adore him. Actually, I’m not exactly sure how they managed without him. The fans, that is — the team floundered during his absence, going 2-4 in just about the ugliest way possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if those brainiac students up in Evanston, Ill., dropped everything to try and find a cure for a ruptured Achilles just to ensure he made it back in time for the start of the season.

Even with injury concerns heading into the season, Northwestern still decided to start a promotional campaign for Dan Persa as a Heisman candidate, making a website titled “Persa Strong” and erecting “billboards”:http://www.laketheposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/PersaStrongBboardChicago-300×109.jpg for his candidacy in Chicago and outside ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. A quarterback from Northwestern gunning for a Heisman might sound like a stretch to some, but if you caught a Northwestern game last year or took a peek at the stat sheet Persa stuffed on a regular basis, you would start warming up to the notion.

The main statistic that jumps out is Persa’s passing efficiency. He set a Big Ten record last year, notching a 73.5 percent completion percentage, an astounding number for any college quarterback but especially for one’s first year as a starter. For comparison, Andrew Luck, a universal lock to be drafted No. 1 in next year’s NFL Draft, completed only 70 percent of his passes last year. If you watched a Northwestern game last year or have seen a “highlight reel”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi7J7ED675I of Persa, you might typify his passes with words like “forced” or “gutsy.” In reality, they should be given their own phrase (a “Persa Pass” maybe?). The football leaves his hand like it’s shot out of a cannon and then ends up in the only conceivable place his receiver can catch it and the defensive back cannot. He’s not a one-note quarterback either; once the pocket collapses or a hole opens, he tucks the ball in and runs with a head of steam, looking more like a running back than a quarterback who completes three-fourths of his passes.

With such weaponry at its disposal, why did Northwestern wait so long before allowing Persa to return? He wasn’t medically cleared to play until two weeks ago heading into the Wildcat’s matchup against Army in West Point, but he was held out of that game as well, barring an “emergency situation.” Apparently, a loss to Army did not constitute an emergency. As the Wildcats offense struggled in the second half against Army, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald turned to freshman backup quarterback Trevor Siemian instead of inserting Persa into the lineup, and the Wildcats first loss ensued.

In interviews since the loss, Persa said he was not “comfortable” with the offense yet and did not want to hurt the team because of it. That’s an admirable admission from the star quarterback, but I’m fairly certain Persa’s presence could’ve been the difference between a win and a loss. Why risk a nonconference loss even though your best offensive weapon is medically cleared to play?

Like the Illinois football team it is about to face this weekend, Northwestern finds itself in a curious place within the Big Ten. The Legends Division is mired in mediocrity with the exception of Nebraska, and a solid team like Northwestern could easily find itself contending for a division title later in the season. In my mind, Fitzgerald held out Persa in the Army loss because he’s thinking about the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. Yes, the loss against Army doesn’t look good on any résumé, but it has no bearing on the Big Ten standings.

Which is why Illini fans should be getting a little nervous about Saturday’s game. The Wildcats are coming off a bye week and are looking to exact revenge from that thumping they received last year at Wrigley Field. They’ll have Persa, too; with two weeks more rest and a chip on his shoulder in his season debut. If the Illini hope to extend their undefeated record, they will start with stopping Persa. And that won’t be easy.

_Thomas Bruch is a junior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasBruch._