Illini Look To Homecoming Against Minnesota
October 12, 1999 | Football
Oct. 12, 1999
ILLINOIS (3-2) vs. MINNESOTA (4-1)Oct. 16, 1999 - 11:10 a.m. CT Memorial Stadium (70,900) Champaign, Illinois
ILLINI LOOK FOR FIRST BIG TEN VICTORY ON HOMECOMING
Ron Turner's 3-2 Fighting Illini look for their first Big Ten victory of 1999 when they host Minnesota in the 89th Homecoming game at Memorial Stadium. Illinois has a 38-48-2 all-time record on homecoming and are in search of their first homecoming win since 1993. The game marks the first meeting between Minnesota and Illinois since 1996, when the Golden Gophers won 23-21 at the Metrodome. In that game, Illinois running back Robert Holcombe established an all-time UI single-game record with 315 yards rushing. Minnesota holds the all-time series edge, 26-25-3, while Illinois leads in games at Champaign 15-10-1. Illinois has won three of the last four meetings and the last six games played at Memorial Stadium, dating back to 1980. The game is the first meeting between coaches Ron Turner and Glen Mason. Illinois enters the game looking to rebound from a tough overtime loss at Indiana. Minnesota enters the game 4-1, 1-1, in the Big Ten coming off an overtime loss of its own to Wisconsin. Minnesota will bring the nation's fourth-best defense to Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Led by All-American safety Tyrone Carter, the Gophers are third in the nation in pass efficiency defense and second in scoring defense. Gopher running back Thomas Hamner is 12th in the nation in scoring and 16th in all-purpose yards.
RADIO
Illinois Sports Network
Jim Turpin, play-by-play
Jim Grabowski, color
TELEVISION
espn2, 11:10 a.m. CT
Rich Waltz, play-by-play
Gino Torretta, color
Don McPherson, sideline
TICKET SALES
Tickets can now be purchased on the world wide web. Visit www.fightingillini.com for tickets to the 89th annual homecoming game. Ticket sales for Saturday's game are estimated at 40,000.
THE COACHES' CORNER
RON TURNER - Turner is in his third season with the Illini with a record of 6-21 at Illinois, 13-25 overall as a head coach. Turner came to Illinois after a four-year stint as the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears (1993-96). In 1992, he was the head coach for San Jose State where he turned in a 7-4 record and a second-place finish in the Big West Conference. Turner served as an assistant at Stanford, Texas A&M, Southern California, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and Arizona working mainly with quarterbacks and receivers.
GLEN MASON - The one-time Illinois assistant coach is in his third season with the Golden Gophers. His record at Minnesota is 12-16, and 71-80-1 in his 14 year head coaching career. Prior to coming to Minnesota, Mason was the head coach at Kansas for nine years, taking the Jayhawks to two Aloha Bowl appearances. He began his head coaching career at Kent where he served for two seasons. Mason has been an assistant at Ohio State, Iowa State, Ball State and Allegheny College.
INJURY UPDATE
players that appear on the depth chart
Mike Craciunoiu (knee) questionable
Nathan Hodel (knee sprain) probable
Brett Kautter (hamstring) probable
Greg Lewis (ankle) questionable
Mike McGee (hamstring pull) questionable
Chip Nicastro (shoulder) out.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
| IL | MINN | |
| Overall Record | 3-2 | 4-1 |
| Conf. Record | 0-2 | 1-1 |
| Total Offense | 391.2 | 415.8 |
| Points Scored | 32.2 | 34.6 |
| First Downs | 20.0 | 18.6 |
| Rushing Yds. | 148.2 | 217.8 |
| Passing Yds. | 243.0 | 198.0 |
| Time of Possession | 30:16 | 27:56 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 36.0 | 36.0 |
| Points Allowed | 22.0 | 9.6 |
| Yards Allowed | 359.4 | 242.2 |
| Rushing Yds. Allowed | 120.4 | 115.8 |
| Passing Yds. Allowed | 239.0 | 126.4 |
STATISTICAL LEADERS
RUSHING LEADERS (yds.)
| IL | |
| Havard | 78.2 |
| Harvey | 35.0 |
| MINN | |
| Hamner | 108.8 |
| Cockerham | 56.8 |
PASSING LEADERS (yds.)
| IL | |
| Kittner | 239.0 |
| MINN | |
| Cockerham | 177.0 |
RECEPTION LEADERS (yds.)
| IL | |
| Dean | 78.6 |
| Lloyd | 36.0 |
| MINN | |
| Hamner | 41.4 |
| Leverson | 39.6 |
TACKLES LEADERS
| IL | |
| Clark | 10.4 |
| Guenther | 6.6 |
| Francis | 4.4 |
| Pleas | 4.2 |
| MINN | |
| Carter | 10.6 |
| Jones | 7.8 |
| Hoffman | 7.2 |
| Schlecht | 5.8 |
INTERCEPTION LEADERS
| IL | |
| Abdullah | 0.40 |
| Three with | 0.20 |
| MINN | |
| Brewer | 0.4 |
| Three with | 0.2 |
POINTS SCORED
| IL | |
| Rackers | 9.0 |
| Dean | 5.2 |
| Havard | 4.8 |
| MINN | |
| Hamner | 9.6 |
| Nystrom | 7.4 |
| Cockerham | 6.0 |
ILLINOIS/MINNESOTA CONNECTIONS
The Illinois/Minnesota connections begin at the top as Minnesota head coach Glen Mason served as the offensive line coach at Illinois in 1977 under Gary Moeller. Minnesota has four players from Illinois: Freshman QB Tony Patterson (Belleville/East HS), Sophomore LB Astein Osei (Bolingbrook/Romeoville HS), Junior receiver Ryan Keller (Chicago/Stevenson HS) and senior P Steve Kemph (Chicago/Mt. Carmel HS). Illinois long snapper Nathan Hodel went to the same high school as Patterson, while Illini LB Jerry Schumacher and Kemph both attended Mr. Carmel.
ILLINOIS - THE BIRTHPLACE OF HOMECOMING
The tradition of homecoming is celebrated on college campuses across the nation every fall, but it has extra meaning at the University of Illinois. The birth of homecoming occured during the weekend of October 14-16, 1910, in Champaign-Urbana. The focus of the celebration was the football game between Illinois and the University of Chicago, won by the Fighting Illini, 3-0. Since then, the homecoming tradition has carried on for 89 years, with only one exception. In 1918, homecoming was canceled due to a flu outbreak. This season's game against Minnesota marks the last homecoming of the century. Illinois has posted a 38-48-2 mark in homecoming games with many memorable games and players through the years.
October 15, 1910: Illinois 3, Chicago 0. The tradition of homecoming is born at the first homecoming game ever. More than 1,500 graduates, one-third of all UI's graduates at the time, return to Champaign-Urbana for the weekend. The Illini's Otto Seiler scores the only points of the game on a drop-kick.
November 3, 1923: Illinois 7, Chicago 0. The game marks the first homecoming at Memorial Stadium. 60,632 spectators are on hand for the first-ever game at the stadium. The Illini are victorious, beating the Chicago Maroons 7-0. Illinois goes on to finish the season 8-0 overall, 5-0 in the Big Ten, and captures its third of four national championships.
October 18, 1924: Illinois 39, Michigan 14. 66,609 fans watch Red Grange steal the show at the Memorial Stadium dedication game. The "Galloping Ghost", in his most memorable performance, scores four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes, including a 95-yard score on the opening kickoff. He goes on to run for a fifth touchdown and throws for a sixth later in the game.
October 19, 1963: Illinois 16, Minnesota 6. The No. 3 ranked Fighting Illini coached by Pete Elliott and led by Dick Butkus and Jim Grabowski, defeat the Golden Gophers behind stellar defensive play. Later in the season, Illinois wins the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl, finishing 8-1-1 overall, 5-1-1 in the Big Ten.
October 27, 1973: Illinois 50, Iowa 0. In the biggest rout in homecoming history, the Illini demolish the Hawkeyes. Illinois sets marks by scoring the most points for an Illini team on homecoming and posting their largest margin of victory on homecoming.
October 15, 1983: Illinois 17, Ohio State 13. The 19th-ranked Illini upset No. 6 Ohio State in a thrilling game that sparks Illinois' run to the Big Ten Championship. The seesaw affair goes down to the wire as Ohio State led the Illini 13-10 late in the fourth quarter. On Illinois' last posession, running back Thomas Rooks breaks free and dashes down the sideline for a 21-yard touchdown run with just 1:06 remaining. A sellout crowd of 73,414 are in attendance while an additional 2,302 fans watch a closed circuit telecast of the game at the Assembly Hall. After the game, both goal posts are torn down, a first in Memorial Stadium history.
October 20, 1990: Illinois 15, Michigan State 13. Illinois celebrates its centennial season of football by honoring Illini legends from the 1960's. This epic game is attended by 70,398 and broadcast to three-quarters of the nation by ABC and legendary announcer Keith Jackson. The back and forth contest ends in dramatic fashion after Michigan State takes a 13-12 lead with just 1:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. Illinois' two-minute offense is put to the test, beginning their final possession at their own 20 yard line. The final drive is keyed by Jason Verduzco's 26-yard completion to Steven Mueller that puts the ball at the Spartan 32 yard-line. Four plays later, Doug Higgins boots his fifth field goal of the game, a 48-yarder that turns out to be the game-winner, giving the Illini the lead with 0:42 on the clock.
HOW THE OPPONENTS HAVE FARED ?
| TEAM/RECORD | LAST WEEK | THIS WEEK |
| Arkansas State (1-5) | L, 20-14 at Utah State | vs. Idaho |
| San Diego State (2-4) | L, 24-21 vs. New Mexico | at Colorado State |
| Louisville (3-3) | L, 59-52 at Army | at Memphis |
| Michigan State (6-0) | W, 34-31 vs. Michigan | at Purdue |
| Indiana (3-3) | W, 34-17 vs. Northwestern | at Wisconsin |
| Minnesota (4-1) | L, 20-17 vs. Wisconsin | at Illinois |
| Michigan (5-1) | L, 31-34 at Michigan St. | Bye |
| Penn State (6-0) | W, 31-7 at Iowa | vs. Ohio State |
| Iowa (1-4) | L, 31-7 vs. Penn State | at Northwestern |
| Ohio State (4-2) | W, 25-22 vs. Purdue | at Penn State |
| Northwestern (2-4) | L, 34-17 at Indiana | vs. Iowa |
FIGHTING ILLINI LOOK TO END HOMECOMING LOSING SKID
Illinois will be looking for its first homecoming victory since 1993 when the Illini defeated Northwestern 20-13 on Oct. 24, 1993. Illinois fell to Purdue in '94, then began a streak of four homecoming losses to nationally ranked teams: 17-14 loss to No. 8 Northwestern in 1995, 31-21 to No. 25 Iowa in 1996, 48-3 to No. 22 Purdue in 1997 and 37-3 loss to No. 9 Wisconsin last season.
STREETFEST ACTIVITIES CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND
The highly successful Illini Streetfest will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. and last until 11 a.m. with a live band from 9-10, the marching illini at 10 a.m. and the women's basketball street scrimmage at 10:30 a.m. Following the game, the Illini men's basketball team will scrimmage at Assembly Hall.
ILLINOIS SPORTS NETWORK
Aledo, WRMJ-FM 102.3
Canton, WBYS-AM 1560
Canton, WBYS-FM 107.9
Centralia, WILY-AM 1210
Centralia, WRXX-FM 95.3
Champaign, WDWS-AM 1400
Champaign, WHMS-FM 97.5
Chicago, WSCR-AM 1160
Clinton, WHOW-AM 1520
Clinton, WHOW-FM 95.9
Danville, WDAN-AM 1490
Danville, WDNL-FM, 102.1
Davenport, Iowa, WLLR-AM 1230
Decatur, WSOY-AM 1340
Effingham, WCRA-AM 1090
Effingham, WCRC-FM 97.5
Fairfield, WFIW-AM 1390
Galesburg, WGIL-AM 1400
Galva, WHHK-FM 102.5
Geneseo, WGEN-AM 1500
Jacksonville, WJIL-AM 1550
Jacksonville, WJVO-FM 100.5
Kankakee, WKAN-AM 1590
Lincoln, WVAX-AM 1370
Litchfield, WSMI-FM 106.1
Mt. Carmel, WYER-AM 1360
Mattoon, WLBH-AM 1170
Mattoon, WLBH-FM 96.9
Marion, WQUL-FM 97.7
Monmouth, WRAM-AM 1330
Monmouth, WMOI-FM 97.7
Olney, WSEI-FM 92.9
Ottawa, WCMY-AM 1430
Paris, WPRS-AM 1440
Paris, WACF-FM 98.5
Paxton, WPXN-FM 104.9
Peoria, WIRL-AM 1290
Pontiac, WPOK-AM 1080
Pontiac, WJEZ-FM 93.7
Princeton, WZOE-AM 1490
Quincy, WTAD-AM 930
Quincy, WBRJ-FM 106.7
Robinson, WTAY-AM 1570
Robinson, WTAY-FM 101.7
Rockford, WROK-AM 1440
Rock Island, WKBF-AM 1270
Shelbyville, WRAN-FM 98.3
Sparta, WHCO-AM 1230
St. Louis, KFNS-AM 590
St. Louis, KFNS-FM 100.7
Springfield, WTAX-AM 1240
Taylorville, WTIM-AM 1410
Watseka, WGFA-AM 1360
Watseka, WGFA-FM 94.1
THE 4-H'S
A majority of the Illini's offense can be credited to Illinois' version of the 4-H's: the Illini backfield Elmer Hickman, Steve Havard, Rocky Harvey and Antoineo Harris. Hickman, starting fullback, scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard pass from Kurt Kittner in the Illini's loss to Michigan State. He has 22 receptions for 176 yards for the season. Havard recorded his fourth touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run against Indiana. He is averaging 78.2 yards a game and leads the team with 391 rushing yards. Harvey, the all-purpose back, has two rushing TDs and one receiving. He has compiled 175 yards rushing and 150 yards receiving, including a team-season long catch of 67 yards vs. Louisville. Harris posted his first career touchdown against Indiana on an 11-yard run. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and erupted for a 47-yard run against Louisville.
ILLINI NOTEBOOK
? Did you know ? the homecoming tradition that is celebrated on college campuses everywhere began at the University of Illinois.
? Did you know ? with 161 points scored in five games this is the highest scoring squad since the 1982 squad put up 164 points through the first five games.
? Did you know ? Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner has connected with eight different receivers for 11 touchdown passes this season.
? Did you know ? quarterback Kurt Kittner's 323 yards passing against Michigan State is the first 300+ yard passing game since Jason Verduzco threw for 341 vs. Houston in 1991.
? Did you know ? 18 Illini made their collegiate debut vs. Arkansas State, including five true-freshmen.
? Did you know ? only 16 games into his career at Illinois punter Steve Fitts ranks ninth on Illinois career punting yardage list. He also etched his name into the books with his single season marks of 77 punts (4th), punting yardage (4th), and punting average (3rd) in 1998.
? Did you know ? that Rocky Harvey was named a "Top 10 Rookie" by Sports Illustrated last season, leading the Illini with 634 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
FORCING TURNOVERS
After starting the season without turnovers in the first two games, the Illini defense has forced nine in the last three games combined. The Illini took advantage of three Indiana turnovers for two touchdowns and a field goal in the contest. Junior defensive lineman Jason Eberhart forced four fumbles vs. the Hoosiers, while safety Muhammad Abdullah has two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Senior linebacker Eric Guenther recorded his first career interception in the second half against Michigan State, while Danny Clark got his first of the year in the fourth quarter. Senior safety Asim Pleas had the team's first turnover of the season with an interception against Louisville. The Illinois offense has had six total turnovers: five fumbles and one interception.
ILLINOIS' SIGNAL CALLER
Five games into the 1999 season, Illinois starting quarterback Kurt Kittner has already surpassed his numbers from the entire 1998 season. Kittner has thrown for 1198 yards (691 in '98) and thrown 11 touchdown passes (one last season), connecting with eight different receivers for TD receptions. He is completing 57 percent of his passes and went 106 attempts without an interceptions until MSU's Robaire Smith's interception in the third quarter of the contest. Kittner threw a career-high 54 attempts for 323 yards (also career high) in the Illini's loss to Michigan State. He ranks 29th in the nation in total offense and 23rd pass efficiency. Kittner has thrown seven 30 yard-plus passes and four have gone for touchdowns.
EXTRA SPECIAL TEAMS
Sophomore sensation Steve Fitts ranks eighth in the nation in punt yardage average with 45.91, while the team ranks fifth in net punting. Fitts has blasted punts of 74, 70 and 58 yards, and has landed 10 punts inside the 20 yard line. Senior placekicker Neil Rackers is a perfect 18-for-18 in PATs and is 9-for-11 in field goals with his longest of the year being a 45-yarder vs. Arkansas State. Of Rackers' 31 kickoffs only eight have been returnable, 22 have been touchbacks and the average starting field position for opponents is on the 23 yardline.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
USA TODAY/COACHES POLL
| 1. | Florida St (53) | 6-0 | |
| 2. | Penn St (6) | 6-0 | |
| 3. | Nebraska | 6-0 | |
| 4. | Virginia Tech | 5-0 | |
| 5. | Tennessee | 4-1 | |
| 6. | Florida | 5-1 | |
| 7 | Michigan State | 6-0 | |
| 8. | Kansas St | 5-0 | |
| 9. | Georgia Tech | 4-1 | |
| 10. | Michigan | 5-1 | |
| 11. | Texas A&M | 4-1 | |
| 12. | Mississippi State | 6-0 | |
| 13. | Alabama | 4-1 | |
| 14. | Georgia | 4-1 | |
| 15 | Syracuse | 5-1 | |
| 16. | Marshall | 5-0 | |
| 17. | Ohio St | 4-2 | |
| 18. | Wisconsin | 4-2 | |
| 19. | Texas | 5-2 | |
| 20. | BYU | 4-1 | |
| 21. | Purdue | 4-2 | |
| 22. | Mississippi | 5-1 | |
| 23. | East Carolina | 5-1 | |
| 24. | Miami Fla | 2-3 | |
| 25. | Air Force | 4-1 |
ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL
| 1. | Florida St (63) | 6-0 | |
| 2. | Penn St (6) | 6-0 | |
| 3. | Nebraska | 6-0 | |
| 4. | Virginia Tech (1) | 5-0 | |
| 5. | Michigan State | 6-0 | |
| 6. | Tennessee | 4-1 | |
| 7. | Florida | 5-1 | |
| 8. | Georgia Tech | 4-1 | |
| 9. | Kansas St | 5-0 | |
| 10. | Michigan | 5-1 | |
| 11. | Alabama | 4-1 | |
| 12. | Mississippi State | 6-0 | |
| 13. | Texas A&M | 4-1 | |
| 14. | Georgia | 4-1 | |
| 15. | Marshall | 5-0 | |
| 16. | Syracuse | 5-1 | |
| 17. | Wisconsin | 4-2 | |
| 18. | Ohio St | 4-2 | |
| 19. | Texas | 5-2 | |
| 20. | Purdue | 4-2 | |
| 21. | BYU | 4-1 | |
| 22. | Mississippi | 5-1 | |
| 23. | East Carolina | 5-1 | |
| 24. | Miami Fla | 2-3 | |
| 25. | Southern Miss | 3-2 |
DEAN OF RECEIVERS
After three years without a touchdown reception, senior receiver Michael Dean has four touchdown receptions in five games. Dean has led all receivers in four of the five games and has had two 100-yard receiving games (100 yards vs. Indiana, 124 yards vs. Louisville). He has 27 catches for 393 yards. His first collegiate touchdown came on a 12-yard strike from QB Kurt Kittner against Arkansas State, then followed that up with a spectacular 38-yard grab vs. San Diego State. His third came on an eight-yard catch against Louisville. His fourth made ESPN Plays of the Week on a eight-yard, one-handed grab around the defender.
FIGHTING ILLINI DROP TOUGH DECISION IN OT
Quarterback Antwaan Randle El led Indiana to a 34-31 comeback victory in overtime against the Fighting Illini on Oct. 2. Illinois jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Kurt Kittner's 8-yard TD pass to Michael Dean. Dean's one-handed catch around a Hoosier defender for the score garnered attention from ESPN's "Plays of the Week". The Illini went ahead 10-0 when Neil Rackers booted a 42-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Indiana cut the lead to 10-7 before halftime when Randle El scored on a one-yard run. Illinois stormed out of the lockerrom scoring the first 18 points of the second half on a 41-yard Rackers field goal, a Steve Havard one-yard TD run and two-point conversion pass to Dean, and Antoineo Harris' 11-yard TD run, his first collegiate touchdown. The Hoosiers rallied with three touchdowns in the last 17:09 of the game, including two TD runs by Randle El, to knot the score at 28-28 and sending the game into overtime. Illinois found themselves in an overtime game for only the second time in their history, both against Indiana. With the first posession in OT, Illinois scored on Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal to gain a 34-31 lead. On the first play of the ensuing Indiana posession, Randle El threw a 25-yard TD pass to Levron Williams to win the game for the Hoosiers, 34-31.
WHERE THERE'S A WILSON THERE'S A WAY
With a punt return for a touchdown against Arkansas State and a near-touchdown return against San Diego State, true-freshman Eugene Wilson has become a huge asset to Illinois' special teams. Wilson's 65-yard return for a touchdown was Illinois' first since 1982 when Kirby Wilson took a punt 42-yard for a score. Eugene also had a 56-yard return vs. SDSU which took him to the two yardline. He has returned 20 punts for 224 yards, averaging 11.2 yards a return and ranks 30th in the nation.
COLLEGIATE DEBUT
By the near-flawless play of the Illini vs. Arkansas State you would have never guessed that 18 Illini made their collegiate debut, including five true-freshmen. Illinois went without a penalty until late in the fourth quarter and had no turnovers, while at the same time starting two redshirt-freshmen. The players making their debut were: starting flanker Greg Lewis, starting right tackle Tony Pashos, Marc Jackson, Brandon Lloyd, Trayvon Waller, Walter Young, Quincy Washington, Eugene Wilson, Antoineo Harris, Carlos Lattimore, Brett Kautter, James Brown, David Diehl, Brian Scott, Terrell Washington, Aaron Moorehead and Mike O'Brien.
ILLINOIS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT PRAISED
According to The Sporing News, Illinois ranks among the top 20 of the 1999 Best Collegiate Athletic Departments. Released in USA Today, Illinois ranks 18th in a list of 20 dominated by the Big Ten Conference. The Fighting Illini were one of nine Big Ten schools selected in the top 20, Penn State took top honors. The 112 participating Division I schools were graded on win-loss record, graduation rates, fan support and ethics. Illinois received A- marks in fan support, graduation rates and ethics.
CLARK TABBED FOR NATIONAL AWARD CONSIDERATION
For the second year in a row, linebacker Danny Clark has been named as a Butkus Award candidate in a preliminary list of 65 which was announced by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. Clark led his Fighting Illini in '98 with 115 total tackles, including 10 for loss. He had 84 solo stops, seven passes broken up and two interceptions, including one against Purdue QB Drew Brees. Clark was named the team's Most Valuable Player and an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick. The award is named for one of the greatest linebackers to play the game former Illini Dick Butkus. Since the inception of the award in 1985, two Illini linebackers have been recipients, Dana Howard in 1994 and Kevin Hardy in 1995.
CLARK AND KITTNER GARNER BIG TEN ACCOLADES
Illinois senior linebacker and Butkus Award Candidate Danny Clark was named the co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after his 17-tackle performance against San Diego State on Sept. 11 and sophomore QB Kurt Kittner landed the offensive award a week later for his four-touchdown performance in the Illini's win over Louisville. Clark had 5 solo tackles and 12 assisted tackles and two tackles for loss in the SDSU win, while Kittner completed 17-of-24 passes and set a single game career-high for completion percentage (70.8%). His 67-yard TD pass to Rocky Harvey was a career-long. The last time the Illini had back-to-back winners was in 1994 when Simeon Rice was honored following the Washington State game (9/1/94), and the entire Illinois defense won the award for their performance vs. Missouri (9/10/94) when they allowed only one first down and 46 yards total offense.
THE JACKSON THREE
The Jackson Three, two-year starter Bobby, true-freshman Marc and first-year coach Robert have been reunited. The Harvey, Illinois natives have come home to Illinois after stints in Corvallis, Oregon. Bobby and Marc both enjoyed standout careers at Crescent Valley High School, while Dad was the receivers coach and director of football operations at Oregon State. After the departure of Illini offensive coordinator Buddy Teevens, who also served as receivers coach, it seemed only right to bring back a natural coach at the position who also had ties with recruiting in the state of Illinois (coached at Northern Illinois 1985-89). Marc is listed in the two-deep at safety this season, while Bobby underwent knee surgery and is expected to be out indefinitely.
ILLINI WINS GAIN INTEREST
Busey Bank's "Illini Fan CD" has fans banking on the team's fortunes. The certificate of deposit's annual percentage yield climbs with each Illinois victory on the gridiron. A minimum $2,500 deposit is required on the 10-month CD with a starting 5.70 percent annual percentage yield. Each time the Illini win, a 0.03 percentage point is added to the rate. A bowl bid adds another 0.05 percentage point, while a trip to the Rose Bowl adds 0.10 percentage points.
RON TURNER TELEVISION SHOW
The Ron Turner Show, taped after each week's game, will air on the following dates and times:
| Alton | AT&T Cable | Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Belleville | AT&T Cable | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | |
| Thursday | 10 p.m. | |||
| Friday | 9 p.m. | |||
| Champaign | WCIA | Sunday | 10:30 a.m. | |
| Chicago | Fox Sports | Tuesday | 3 p.m. | |
| Davenport, Iowa | KWQC | Monday | 12:30 a.m. | |
| Flora | WNOI | Thursday | 9 p.m. | |
| Maryville | Charter Communication | Wednesday | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Mt. Carmel | WCJT | Thursday | 9:30 p.m. | |
| Mt. Vernon | CableVision | Wednesday | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Peoria | AT&T Cable | Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Wednesday | 11 a.m. & 11 p.m. | |||
| WAOE | Friday | 9 a.m. | ||
| Springfield | WCFN | Sunday | 10:30 a.m. | |
| St. Louis | AT&T Cable | Tuesday | 10:30 p.m. | |
| Thursday | 9:30 p.m. | |||
| Friday | 7 p.m. | |||
| Taylorville | Falcon Cable | Thursday | 6 p.m. |
RON TURNER RADIO SHOW
The Ron Turner Show will air every Monday during the season at 6:05 p.m. Each week the radio show travels to different locations on campus. The following is a list of locations for the show:
| Oct. 11 | Phi Kappa Psi fraternity |
| Oct. 18 | Beta Sigma Psi fraternity |
| Oct. 25 | 4-H House sorority |
| Nov. 1 | Koinonia Christian Group |
| Nov. 8 | Alpha Tau Omega fraternity |
| Nov. 15 | Delta Delta Delta sorority |
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
ncaa TEAM rankings
| IL | MINN | |
| Rushing Offense | 60th | 14th |
| Passing Offense | 35th | 67th |
| Total Offense | 50th | 28th |
| Net Punting | 5th | 21st |
| Punt Returns | 30th | 13th |
| Kickoff Returns | 111th | 114th |
| Scoring Offense | 28th | 22nd |
| Rushing Defense | 34th | 28th |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 40th | 3rd |
| Total Defense | 56th | 4th |
| Scoring Defense | 40th | 2nd |
| Turnover Margin | 25th | 16th |
NCAA INDIVIDUAL rankings
| CATEGORY | PLAYER | RANK |
| Pass Efficiency | Kittner | 23rd |
| Total Offense | Kittner | 29th |
| Receptions | Dean | 34th |
| Receiving Yards | Dean | 44th |
| Net Punting | Fitts | 8th |
| Punt Returns | Wilson | 30th |
| Scoring | Rackers | 20th |
| Field Goals | Rackers | 11th |
BIG TEN team rankings
| RANK | STAT/PG | |
| Total Offense | 8th | 391.2 |
| Rushing Offense | 7th | 148.2 |
| Pass Efficiency | 3rd | 136.3 |
| Passing Offense | 5th | 243.0 |
| Scoring Offense | 5th | 32.2 |
| Total Defense | 6th | 359.4 |
| Rushing Defense | 6th | 120.4 |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 3rd | 113.1 |
| Pass Defense | 9th | 239.0 |
| Scoring Defense | 6th | 22.0 |
| Kickoff Returns | 10th | 15.9 |
| Net Punting | 1st | 41.2 |
| Punt Returns | 7th | 11.2 |
| Turnover Margin | 4th | 0.60 |
BIG TEN individual rankings
| CATEGORY | PLAYER | RANK |
| Rushing | Havard | 9th |
| Pass Efficiency | Kittner | 5th |
| Passing | Kittner | 2nd |
| Total Offense | Kittner | 3rd |
| Receptions | Dean | 3rd |
| Hickman | 6th | |
| Reception (yds) | Dean | 5th |
| Scoring | Rackers | 6th |
| Scoring (kick) | Rackers | 3rd |
| Net Punting | Fitts | 1st |
| Punt Returns | Wilson | 8th |
| Kickoff Returns | Harvey | 8th |
| Scoring (TD) | Dean | 9th |
| Field Goals | Rackers | 4th |
| PAT Kicking Pct. | Rackers | 1st |
| Field Goal Pct. | Rackers | 5th |
| Tackles | Clark | 5th |
| Interceptions | Abdullah | 3rd |
