Recap

Illinois Postgame Notes
Illinois 27, Middle Tennessee State 25
Memorial Stadium  //  Sept. 26, 2015  //  Attendance: 44,366

TEAM NOTES

1. With today's victory, Illinois moved to 3-0 all-time against Middle Tennessee State. The win also moved the Illini to 22-2 in August/September home games since 2007, a record that ranks third in the Big Ten (Wisc: 28-0 and OSU: 29-2).  
2. Illinois opened the game with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take the early lead. The Illini have scored on three of its four game-opening drives this season.
3. The Illinois defense, which entered the game with one sack on the season, recorded three sacks against Middle Tennessee. The Illini defense also totaled 10 tackles for loss. On the season Illinois has 35 TFLs (8.75 TFLs per game)
4. Illinois held the Blue Raider offense to 368 total yards and a season-low 38 rushing yards. Entering the game, MTSU averaged 513.0 total yards per game and 202.7 rushing yards per game.
5. With 9:07 left in the first half, junior DB Caleb Day blocked a punt and senior FS Clayton Fejedelem recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. The Illini have three total blocks (two punts, one field goal), including two blocked punts returned for  touchdowns this season, the first occurring against Western Illinois (blocked by Jaylen Dunlap punt and returned by Marchie Murdock).
6. The Illini forced seven three-and-outs today. On the season, Illinois has forced 24 three-and-outs, averaging 6.0 per game.
7. The Illini forced one turnover in today's game, giving the Illinois defense a total of 14 forced turnovers over the past six games, dating back to last season against Northwestern (Nov. 29, 2014).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

8. Senior CB V'Angelo Bentley became Illinois' all-time kickoff return yardage leader on Saturday as he recorded three kickoff returns for 65 yards against MTSU. He broke the record with an 18-yard kickoff return with 11:44 on the clock in the fourth quarter. Bentley now has 1,530 kickoff return yards.
9. With 2:09 left in the game, senior PK Taylor Zalewski made a 51-yard field goal to take a 27-25 lead. It marked the third field goal of 50 or more yards of his career and first 50+ yard field goal since he made a 54-yarder vs. Purdue on Nov. 17, 2012.
10. Freshman RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn rushed for 80 yard on 13 carries in the game, including an 8-yard touchdown. Vaughn totaled the most rushing yards in a game by a true freshman since Donovan Young's 100 yards against Western Michigan on Sept. 24, 2011.
11. Senior WR Geronimo Allison turned in the fourth 100-yard receiving game of his Illini career, leading UI with a career-high 10 catches for 127 yards. His 42-yard reception on the opening drive was Illinois' longest of the season.
12. On Illinois' opening drive, Sophomore WR Malik Turner caught his first touchdown of the season on a five-yard pass from Lunt.
13. Junior LEO Dawuane Smoot recorded his first career forced fumble on a second-quarter sack. Smoot had a career-day totaling two sacks and three TFLs, both career-highs.  
14. The true-freshman duo of Vaughn and Desmond Cain combined for 131 of Illinois' 380 total yards (34.5%).
15. Senior RB Josh Ferguson totaled 83 rushing yards, moving him into 11th on the Illinois all-time career rushing yards list with 2,209 yards. He also upped his all-purpose total to 3,891, which ranks fourth all-time in Illini history.