CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (MCT) — On the first day of October, the Illini already were using the wicked word “snowball.”

And, no, they weren’t talking about winter coming. They were referring to the mistakes that piled up during a 35-7 loss to Penn State on Saturday and that can multiply during a losing streak.

Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase witnessed “the snowball effect” during Illinois’ six-game losing streak last season. But he said Monday the Illini have time to prevent a similar slide this season, even though they’ve lost three of the last four games and play at Wisconsin and Michigan the next two weeks.