Illinois Fighting Illini football
| Illinois Fighting Illini football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1890 | ||
| Athletic director | Mike Thomas | ||
| Head coach |
Tim Beckman 4th year, 12–25 (.324) | ||
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 60,670 | ||
| Stadium surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Champaign, Illinois | ||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||
| Division | West | ||
| All-time record | 592–559–51 (.514) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 8–10 (.444) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 5 | ||
| Conference titles | 15 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 24 | ||
| Colors |
Orange and Blue | ||
| Fight song | Illinois Loyalty and Oskee Wow Wow | ||
| Marching band | Marching Illini | ||
| Major Rivals |
Northwestern Wildcats Missouri Tigers Purdue Boilermakers Indiana Hoosiers Ohio State Buckeyes | ||
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference.
Current staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Tim Beckman | Head Coach |
| Bill Cubit | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach |
| Mike Bellamy | Receivers Coach |
| Tim Banks | Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach |
| Tim Salem | Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach |
| Alex Golesh | Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach |
| Tom Brattan | Offensive Line Coach |
| Al Seamonson | Outside Linebackers Coach |
| Mike Ward | Inside Linebackers Coach |
| Greg Colby | Defensive Line Coach |
Head coaches
All-time win/loss/tie record
- 592–559-51[1]
Head-to-head Big Ten records
| Team | Total Meetings | Overall Record |
| Indiana | 71 | 45-23-3 |
| Iowa | 70 | 38-30-2 |
| Maryland | 0 | 0-0 |
| Michigan | 94 | 23-69-2 |
| Michigan State | 45 | 17-26-2 |
| Minnesota | 67 | 29-35-3 |
| Nebraska | 12 | 2-9-1 |
| Northwestern | 108 | 55-48-5 |
| Ohio State | 101 | 30-67-4 |
| Penn State | 22 | 5-17 |
| Purdue | 90 | 43-41-6 |
| Rutgers | 2 | 1-1 |
| Wisconsin | 81 | 36-38-7 |
National championships
The University of Illinois has five national championships in football: 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, and 1951. The Fighting Illini now officially recognize the 1951 National Championship by the Boand selecting body,[2] but as recently as 2006 this was not mentioned officially by the school.[3]
| Year | Coach | Selector | Record | Bowl Game |
| 1914 | Bob Zuppke | Parke H. Davis | 7-0-0 | |
| 1919 | Bob Zuppke | Billingsley, Boand, Football Research, Parke H. Davis | 6-1-0 | |
| 1923 | Bob Zuppke | Boand, Football Research, Helms, National Championship Foundation, Parke H. Davis | 8-0-0 | |
| 1927 | Bob Zuppke | Billingsley, Dickinson, Helms, National Championship Foundation, Parke H. Davis | 7-0-1 | |
| 1951 | Ray Eliot | Boand | 9-0-1 | Won Rose Bowl |
| National Championships | 5 | |||
Big Ten championships
| Year | Coach | Big Ten Record | Overall Record | Bowl Game |
| 1910 | Arthur Hall | 4-0-0 | 7-0-0 | |
| 1914 | Bob Zuppke | 6-0-0 | 7-0-0 | |
| 1915 | Bob Zuppke | 3-0-2 | 5-0-2 | |
| 1918 | Bob Zuppke | 4-0-0 | 5-2-0 | |
| 1919 | Bob Zuppke | 6-1-0 | 6-1-0 | |
| 1923 | Bob Zuppke | 5-0-0 | 8-0-0 | |
| 1927 | Bob Zuppke | 5-0-0 | 7-0-1 | |
| 1928 | Bob Zuppke | 4-1-0 | 7-1-0 | |
| 1946 | Ray Eliot | 6-1-0 | 8-2-0 | Won Rose Bowl |
| 1951 | Ray Eliot | 5-0-1 | 9-0-1 | Won Rose Bowl |
| 1953 | Ray Eliot | 5-1-0 | 7-1-1 | |
| 1963 | Pete Elliott | 5-1-1 | 8-1-1 | Won Rose Bowl |
| 1983 | Mike White | 9-0-0 | 10-2-0 | Lost Rose Bowl |
| 1990 | John Mackovic | 6-2-0 | 8-4-0 | Lost Hall of Fame Bowl |
| 2001 | Ron Turner | 7-1 | 10-2 | Lost Sugar Bowl |
| 15-time Big Ten Champions | ||||
Bowl Game history
| Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA |
| January 1, 1947 | Rose Bowl | W | UCLA | 45 | 14 |
| January 1, 1952 | Rose Bowl | W | Stanford | 40 | 7 |
| January 1, 1964 | Rose Bowl | W | Washington | 17 | 7 |
| December 29, 1982 | Liberty Bowl | L | Alabama | 15 | 21 |
| January 2, 1984 | Rose Bowl | L | UCLA | 9 | 45 |
| December 31, 1985 | Peach Bowl | L | Army | 29 | 31 |
| December 29, 1988 | All-American Bowl | L | Florida | 10 | 14 |
| January 1, 1990 | Florida Citrus Bowl | W | Virginia | 31 | 21 |
| January 1, 1991 | Hall of Fame Bowl | L | Clemson | 0 | 30 |
| December 31, 1991 | John Hancock Bowl | L | UCLA | 3 | 6 |
| December 30, 1992 | Holiday Bowl | L | Hawai'i | 17 | 27 |
| December 31, 1994 | Liberty Bowl | W | East Carolina | 30 | 0 |
| December 30, 1999 | MicronPC.com Bowl | W | Virginia | 63 | 21 |
| January 1, 2002 | Sugar Bowl | L | LSU | 34 | 47 |
| January 1, 2008 | Rose Bowl | L | USC | 17 | 49 |
| December 29, 2010 | Texas Bowl | W | Baylor | 38 | 14 |
| December 31, 2011 | Fight Hunger Bowl | W | UCLA | 20 | 14 |
| December 26, 2014 | Heart of Dallas Bowl | L | Louisiana Tech | 18 | 35 |
| Total | 18 Bowl Games | 8-10 | 436 | 403 |
Rivalries
- Missouri
- Northwestern
- Ohio State
- Purdue
All-time statistical leaders
Career leaders
- Passing Yards: Jack Trudeau (8,146)
- Rushing Yards: Robert Holcombe (4,105)
- Receiving Yards: David Williams (3,392)
- Total Yards: Nathan Scheelhaase (10,634)
- Touchdowns: Howard Griffith (33)
- Touchdown Passes: Kurt Kittner (70)
- Receptions: David Williams (245)
- Tackles: Dana Howard (495)
- Interceptions: Al Brosky (30) *NCAA Record
- Sacks: Simeon Rice (44.5) *NCAA Record
Season leaders
- Passing Yards: Tony Eason (3,671 in 1982)
- Rushing Yards: Mikel Leshoure (1,697 in 2010)
- Receiving Yards: David Williams (1,278 in 1984)
- Touchdowns: Mikel Leshoure (20 in 2010)
- Touchdown Passes: Kurt Kittner (27 in 2001)
- Receptions: David Williams (101 in 1984)
- Tackles: John Sullivan (202 in 1977)
- Interceptions: Al Brosky (11 in 1950 and 1951)
- Sacks: Simeon Rice (16 in 1994), Whitney Mercilus (16 in 2011)
Game leaders
- Passing Yards: Dave Wilson (621 vs. Ohio State in 1980) *Big Ten Record
- Rushing Yards: Mikel Leshoure (330 vs. Northwestern in 2010)
- Receiving Yards: A. J. Jenkins (268 vs. Northwestern in 2011)
- Touchdowns: Howard Griffith (8 vs. Southern Illinois in 1990) *NCAA Record
- Touchdown Passes: Dave Wilson (6 vs. Ohio State in 1980)
- Receptions: David Williams (16 vs. Purdue in 1985)
- Tackles: John Sullivan (34 vs. Minnesota in 1977)
- Interceptions: Mike Gow (4 vs. Stanford in 1974)
- Sacks: Simeon Rice (5 vs. Washington State in 1994)
Recruiting
Illinois Fighting Illini Football Scout.com team recruiting rankings:
|
Class |
Scout.com Rank |
Commits |
Top Commit |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2014 |
71 | 18 | Jihad Ward | |
|
2013 |
42 | 25 | Aaron Bailey | |
|
2012 |
68 | 18 | T.J. Neal | |
|
2011 |
40 | 27 | Jon Davis | |
|
2010 |
57 | 22 | Chandler Whitmer | |
|
2009 |
35 | 22 | Andrew Carter | |
|
2008 |
19 | 28 | Corey Liuget | |
|
2007 |
20 | 21 | Arrelious Benn | |
|
2006 |
28 | 27 | Isiah Williams | |
|
2005 |
45 | 19 | Rashard Mendenhall | |
|
2004 |
44 | 24 | Xavier Fulton | |
|
2003 |
31 | 28 | Kelvin Hayden | |
|
2002 |
47 | 22 | James McGill | |
Individual honors
- Dick Butkus - 1964
- Jim Grabowski - 1965
- Jeff George - 1989
- Dana Howard - 1994
- Kevin Hardy - 1995
- Whitney Mercilus - 2011
- CFPA National Defensive Performer of the Year
- Whitney Mercilus - 2011
- CFPA Running Back Trophy
- Mikel Leshoure - 2010
- Buddy Young - 1944... 5th
- Bill Burrell - 1959... 4th
- Dick Butkus - 1964... 3rd
- Jim Grabowski - 1965... 3rd
- George Halas - 1919
- Buddy Young - 1946
- Julius Rykovich - 1946
- Bill Tate - 1951
- Jim Grabowski - 1964
- Red Grange - 1924
- Alex Agase - 1946
- Bill Burrell - 1959
- Dick Butkus - 1963
- Jim Grabowski - 1965
- Don Thorp - 1983
- Rashard Mendenhall - 2007
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
- Moe Gardner - 1990
- Darrick Brownlow - 1990
- Dana Howard - 1993 & 1994
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- Simeon Rice - 1992
- Arrelious Benn - 2007
- Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
- Moe Gardner - 1989
- Simeon Rice - 1994
- Mike White - 1983
- Ron Zook - 2007
- Mike White - 1983
- John Mackovic - 1988 & 1989
- Ron Turner - 2001
- Ron Zook - 2007
Retired numbers
| Illinois Fighting Illini retired numbers | |||
| No. | Player | Position | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Dick Butkus | LB | 1962-64 |
| 77 | Red Grange [4] | HB | 1923-25 |
Consensus All-Americans
- Ralph Chapman - 1914
- Perry Graves - 1914
- Bart Macomber - 1915
- John Depler - 1918
- Chuck Carney - 1920
- Jim McMillen - 1923
- Red Grange - 1923, 1924, 1925
- Bernie Shively - 1926
- Alex Agase - 1946
- Johnny Karras - 1951
- J.C. Caroline - 1953
- Bill Burrell - 1959
- Dick Butkus - 1963, 1964
- Jim Grabowski - 1965
- David Williams - 1984, 1985
- Moe Gardner - 1989, 1990
- Dana Howard - 1994
- Kevin Hardy - 1995
- J Leman - 2007
- Whitney Mercilus - 2011
College Football Hall of Famers
- Alex Agase (Guard, 1941–1942; 1946)
- Bob Blackman (Head Coach, 1971–1976)
- Al Brosky (Safety, 1950–1952)
- Dick Butkus (Center/Linebacker, 1962–1964)
- Chuck Carney (End, 1918–1921)
- J.C. Caroline (Halfback, 1953–1954)
- Jim Grabowski (Fullback, 1963–1965)
- Red Grange (Halfback, 1923–1925)
- Ed Hall (Head Coach, 1892–1893)
- Bart Macomber (Halfback, 1914–1916)
- Bernie Shively (Guard, 1924–1926)
- David Williams (Wide Receiver, 1983–1985)
- George Woodruff (Head Coach, 1903)
- Claude "Buddy" Young (Halfback, 1944, 1946)
- Bob Zuppke (Head Coach, 1913–1941) [5]
Pro Football Hall of Famers
- Red Grange, Class of 1963
- George Halas, Class of 1963
- Hugh "Shorty" Ray, Class of 1966
- Ray Nitschke, Class of 1978
- Dick Butkus, Class of 1979
- Bobby Mitchell, Class of 1983
Current NFL players
| Fighting Illini Currently in the NFL[7] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Hometown | Draft Year | Pick (Round) | Pro-Bowls | Super Bowls | Current NFL Team |
| Jeff Allen | Guard | 6'4" | 315 | Chicago, IL | 2012 | 44 (2nd Round) | 0 | 0 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Jon Asamoah | Offensive guard | 6'4" | 305 | Matteson, IL | 2010 | 68 (3rd Round) | 0 | 0 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Alan Ball | Cornerback | 6'2" | 191 | Detroit, MI | 2007 | 237 (7th Round) | 0 | 0 | Chicago Bears |
| Michael Buchanan | Outside linebacker | 6'5" | 250 | Homewood, IL | 2013 | 226 (7th Round) | 0 | 0 | New England Patriots |
| Jeff Cumberland | Tight end | 6'4" | 260 | Columbus, OH | 2010 | Undrafted | 0 | 0 | New York Jets |
| Vontae Davis | Cornerback | 5'11" | 215 | Washington, D.C. | 2009 | 25 (1st Round) | 1 (2014) | 0 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Justin Green | Cornerback | 5'11" | 195 | Louisville, KY | 2013 | Undrafted | 0 | 0 | New England Patriots |
| Glenn Foster | Defensive end | 6'4" | 285 | Chicago, IL | 2013 | Undrafted | 0 | 0 | New Orleans Saints |
| Michael Hoomanawanui | Tightend | 6'4" | 265 | Bloomington, IL | 2010 | 132 (5th Round) | 0 | 0 | New England Patriots |
| A. J. Jenkins | Wide receiver | 6'0" | 192 | Jacksonville, FL | 2012 | 30 (1st Round) | 0 | 0 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Corey Liuget | Defensive end | 6'2" | 300 | Miami, FL | 2011 | 18 (1st Round) | 0 | 0 | San Diego Chargers |
| Brandon Lloyd | Wide receiver | 6'0" | 200 | Kansas City, MO | 2003 | 124 (4th Round) | 1 (2010) | 0 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Whitney Mercilus | Outside linebacker | 6'4" | 252 | Akron, OH | 2012 | 26 (1st Round) | 0 | 0 | Houston Texans |
| Jay Prosch | Fullback | 6'1" | 254 | Mobile, AL | 2014 | 211 (6th Round) | 0 | 0 | Houston Texans |
| Akeem Spence | Defensive tackle | 6'1" | 307 | Fort Walton Beach, FL | 2013 | 100 (4th Round) | 0 | 0 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Pierre Thomas | Running back | 5'11" | 215 | Chicago, IL | 2007 | Undrafted | 0 | 1 (XLIV) | New Orleans Saints |
| Hugh Thornton | Offensive Guard | 5'11" | 215 | Oberlin, OH | 2013 | 86 (3rd Round) | 0 | 0 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Steve Weatherford | Punter | 6'3" | 215 | Crown Point, IN | 2006 | Undrafted | 0 | 1 (XLVI) | New York Giants |
| Tavon Wilson | Safety | 6'0" | 210 | Washington, D.C. | 2012 | 48 (2nd Round) | 0 | 0 | New England Patriots |
| Fighting Illini in the NFL/AFL | |
|---|---|
| NFL Draft Selections | |
| Top 5 Draft Picks | 8 |
| 1st round: | 23 |
| Total Currently Playing: | 18 |
| Total NFL Players: | 237[8] |
| Notable Achievements | |
| Illini in the Super Bowl: | 35 |
| Pro Football Hall of Famers: | 6 |
| College Football Hall of Famers: | 15 |
Other notable players
- Clarence Appelgran - APFA Tackle
- Tim Brewster - Former Head Coach, University of Minnesota
- Bill Brown - Former NFL Running Back
- Bill Burrell - Former NFL player
- Darryl Byrd - Former NFL linebacker
- Bobby Dawson - Former CFL player
- Doug Dieken - Former NFL Left Offensive Tackle
- Ken Dilger - Former NFL Tight End
- Tony Eason - Former NFL Quarterback
- Dwight Eddleman - Former Olympian and NBA player
- Greg Engel - Former NFL player
- Kevin Hardy - Former NFL Linebacker
- Jeff George - Former NFL Quarterback
- Howard Griffith - Former NFL Fullback
- John Holecek - Former NFL Linebacker
- Brad Hopkins - Former NFL Offensive Tackle
- Jesse Jackson - Political Activist
- Kurt Kittner - Former NFL Quarterback
- Ryan McPartlin - Actor
- Ed O'Bradovich - Former NFL Defensive End
- Preston Pearson - Former NFL RB, WR, KR
- Simeon Rice - Former NFL Defensive End
- Jack Trudeau - Former NFL Quarterback
- Jack Squirek- Former NFL Linebacker
- Scott Studwell - Former NFL Linebacker
- Dave Wilson - Former NFL Quarterback
- Eugene Wilson Former NFL defensive back
- Kirby Wilson - Running backs coach NFL Pittsburgh Steelers
- Michael Hopkins - Current NASA Astronaut
Media
Illini football games are shown via the Illini Sports Network, which brings the Illini to stations across Illinois. Locally, the team's games are shown on WDWS-AM 1400 and WHMS-FM 97.5. WDWS has been the Illini's exclusive radio station in Champaign since 1935. WHMS has aired Illini games since the 1950s. The team's student newspaper is the Daily Illini, while outside coverage is handled by The News-Gazette.
Future non-conference opponents
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| vs Kent State | vs Murray State | vs Ball State | vs Kent State | at Connecticut | vs Connecticut | at Virginia | vs Virginia | at Kansas | vs Kansas |
| vs Western Illinois | vs Western Michigan | vs Western Kentucky | vs Western Illinois | vs Eastern Michigan | |||||
| at North Carolina | vs North Carolina | at South Florida | vs South Florida | ||||||
| vs Middle Tennessee |
References
- ↑ Annual Team Records
- ↑ "The Record Book" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ↑ "Records" (PDF). Graphics.fansonly.com. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ↑ Harold E. "Red" Grange biography
- ↑ College Football Hall of Famers
- ↑ Pro Football Hall of Famers
- ↑ "NFL Players by College - I - National Football League - ESPN". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ↑ "The Illinois Fighting Illini Football Team | Scores, Stats, Tickets, and More". College-football.findthedata.org. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- ↑ "Illinois Fighting Illini Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Illinois Fighting Illini football. |
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