Postgame Notes: @IlliniFootball vs. Northwestern

Football November 28, 2015

TEAM NOTES

Illinois fell to 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten.
Today's game was the 109th meeting between Illinois and Northwestern. Illinois leads the series 55-49-5 overall. The Illini have won three of the last six overall and are 27-27-1 when playing the Wildcats in the Illini's Big Ten finale.
Today marked the third meeting between the Illinois and Northwestern outside Evanston and Champaign. Illinois beat Northwestern twice at Wrigley Field, taking down the Wildcats 29-0 at Wrigley in 1923 and 48-27 in 2010.
Illinois is 0-3 all-time at Soldier Field. The Illini lost to Washington State in 1994 (10-9) and Washington in 2013 (34-24) at Soldier Field.
Illinois announced today Bill Cubit and the school agreed to a two-year agreement making Cubit the head football coach, pending approval by the U of I Board of Trustees. Cubit was named interim head coach on Aug. 28.
The Illini defense forced five three-and-outs to total 54 on the season (4.5 per game).

Senior LB Mason Monheim scored his second career touchdown – and second against Northwestern – on a 58-yard interception return in the third quarter. Monheim had a 49-yard pick-six late in the fourth quarter of last year's win at Northwestern.
Junior LB T.J. Neal Jr. had career highs in tackles (17) and TFLs (4.0).
Senior DB Clayton Fejedelem had 16 tackles, his second-most of the season (19 vs. Wisconsin) and seventh game of 10 or more in 2015. Fejedelem ends the year as Illinois' leading tackler with 140, the most by an Illini since J Leman had 152 in 2006.
Senior RB Josh Ferguson moved to sixth on the Illini's career rushing list with 40 rushing yards today to total 2,586 for his career. Ferguson is Illinois' all-time leader in receiving yards by a running back with 1,507, including 100 receiving yards on seven receptions today. It was Ferguson's second career 100-yard receiving game. Ferguson finished second on Illinois' career all-purpose yards list with 4,474, behind only Robert Holcombe's 4,737.
Junior QB Wes Lunt registered his first career rushing touchdown to put Illinois up 6-0 in the first quarter.
The Fighting Illini offensive line had the same five starters all season – Junior LT Austin Schmidt, senior LG Chris Boles, junior C Joe Spencer, senior RG Ted Karras and sophomore RT Christian DiLauro.
Consecutive start streaks of 20+: Monheim 47, Spence 37, Neal 25, Ward 25, Spencer 2