Oct. 1, 2001
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FOR OPENERS
Illinois looks to bounce back Saturday against Minnesota after opening Big Ten Conference play with a loss at Michigan ... The Fighting Illini are trying to improve to 4-1 on the season for the first time since 1991 ... Illinois has lost three in a row to Minnesota, but have won six of the last seven meetings at Memorial Stadium ... Illinois has not lost four in a row to the Gophers since a seven-game Minnesota winning streak from 1900-13 ... Illinois senior punter Steve Fitts, already the Illini career leader in punting average, moved into first place on the school career chart for punting yards, and is poised to take the top spot in number of punts ... Illinois cornerback Eugene Wilson leads the Big Ten with 12 passes broken up in 2001, and has a streak of seven straight games with a PBU ... The Fighting Illini continue to lead the Big Ten, and rank fifth nationally, with a turnover ration of 13-4 ... The Gophers rank ninth in the league with a 4-6 turnover ratio ... Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner leads the Big Ten in passing yardage with an average of 270.8 yards per game, while the Illini lead the Big Ten as a team with an average of 278.5 yards per game.
THE COACHES' CORNER
RON TURNER, Illinois (19-30 in his fifth year at Illinois, 26-34 overall) - Ron Turner is in his fifth year at Illinois and enters the Minnesota game with a 26-34 coaching record, including 19-30 at UI. Turner is 0-2 against the Golden Gophers after a 37-7 loss at Champaign in 1999 and a 44-10 loss at Minneapolis last season.
After sub-par seasons in 1997 and 1998, Turner led the Illini to an 8-4 record and a 63-21 thumping of Virginia in the Micronpc.com Bowl in 1999. For his efforts, Turner finished fourth in the Associated Press Coach of the Year voting. 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 has served as an assistant at Stanford, Texas A&M, Southern California, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and Arizona working mainly with quarterbacks and receivers during his 20+ years in college coaching.
GLEN MASON, Minnesota (23-27 in his fifth year at Minnesota and 82-91-1 in his 16th year as a collegiate head coach) - Mason is in his fifth year as head coach at Minnesota after serving nine years as head coach at Kansas and two seasons as head coach at Kent. He also had stops at Ball State, Iowa State, Illinois and Ohio State as an assistant. Mason was the offensive line coach at Illinois in 1977 under Gary Moeller. Mason is 2-0 against the Illini as a head coach.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
Minnesota head coach Glen Mason served on Gary Moeller's Illinois staff as offensive line coach in 1977 before moving to Ohio State. Illinois was 3-8 in Mason's single season in Champaign. Illinois tight ends/special teams coach Greg McMahon was a graduate assistant on the Golden Gopher staff in 1983 and 1984 under Joe Salem in 1983 and Lou Holtz in 1984. Gopher defensive coordinator Moe Ankney and Illini offensive line coach Harry Hiestand were on the same Missouri staff from 1994-96. Ankney and Illini head coach Ron Turner were on the same Arizona staff in 1980. Illini defensive coordinator Mike Cassity and Minnesota receivers coach Richard Wilson were on the same Oklahoma State staff from 1999-2000.
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota leads the all-time series by a 28-25-3 margin, although the Illini own a 15-11-1 advantage at Champaign. Illinois leads with a 5-4-1 mark over the last 10 meetings. The Gophers, however, have won the last three meetings. Illinois has not lost four in a row to Minnesota since a seven-game Gopher winning streak from 1900-13.
GENERAL TEAM NOTES
Through four games, the Illini's average starting field position is on the 37 yard line and have started 13 drives in plus territory, while opponents are beginning their drives at the 27 yard line and have only started six drives on the Illinois side of the field and have started 10 drives within their own 20.
With its 34-10 win over No. 25 Louisville, Illinois won its 10th straight game over non-Big Ten foes and registered its third straight season with an undefeated record heading into conference play.
Five true-freshmen have seen action through four games: FB Cory Flisakowski, S Taman Jordan, DB Sedrick Davenport and LB Matt Sinclair. Both Flisakowski and Jordan got on the field in the Illini's 44-17 win at Cal and have played in all four games. Sinclair joined the special teams units against Northern Illinois. Davenport has gotten special teams work against Louisville and LB Brian Schaefering saw some defensive snaps at linebacker at Michigan.
Redshirt freshman Patrick Babcock and junior college transfers Mario Ivy and Michael Hall are the only first-year players to start for the Illini this season. Babcock is Illinois' starting right guard, Ivy started at linebacker in the first two games and Hall made his first start at cornerback against Louisville.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
The Illini offense has always worked towards a balanced attack and that couldn't be more evident with the current breakdown of 154 passing and 140 rushing plays.
Illinois' passing offense ranks first in the Big Ten and 18th in the nation with a 278 yards per game average. Although sophomore Brandon Lloyd has topped 100-yards receiving in two games, 10 Illini players have hauled in catches including junior Walter Young who is averaging 59 yards per game.
F The Illini offensive line has allowed only four sacks, which ranks third in the conference, to their senior quarterback Kurt Kittner and is leading the top-ranked passing offense in the Big Ten.
The Illini offense is averaging 29.5 points per game over the last three seasons (1999-2001) and has topped the 40-point mark eight times during that same span.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
In the past four games, the Illini have forced 13 turnovers which ranks third in the nation (tied with four other teams). The team also ranks fifth in the nation in turnover margin with 13 turnovers forced and only four given up. The Illini have scored 34 points off turnovers, putting points on the board following six of the 13 take-aways. Three defensive backs, Eugene Wilson, Christian Morton and Muhammad Abdullah, have two interceptions apiece. With Morton's two picks vs. Louisville, it marked the second straight game an Illini defender had two interceptions and third time in the last six games (dating back to 2000).
The Illini defense is second in the Big Ten in sacks with 16 for a loss of 125 yards through four games. The squad tallied six in the season opener and got through the Michigan offensive line for five more last weekend. Ten Illini defenders have recorded sacks with defensive tackles Brandon Moore and Jeff Ruffin leading the way with three apiece. In addition to the 16 sacks, Illinois has 13 other tackles for loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
Senior punter Steve Fitts is averaging 43.2 yards per punt ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation. He has increased the team's net punting average from 36.3 last season to 38.7 this year. He has booted a long of 68 yards this season and placed three inside the 20 yardline.
Special teams play was key in the Illini's 17-12 win over Northern Illinois as defensive end Terrell Washington "single-handedly" took six points off the board by blocking two field goal attempts by NIU placekicker Steve Azar (44 yards and 29 yards).
The Illini kickoff unit forced a fumble (Muhammad Abdullah forced, Jamaal Clark recovered) on the 26 yardline to set up a 7-yard TD by Antoineo Harris in the Illini's 44-17 win over Cal.
ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS
The Illini broke into both the Associated Press and ESPN/Coaches Polls following their win over No. 25 Louisville with No. 22 and No. 23 rankings, respectively. The team began receiving votes in both polls in the preseason. Below is a list of the Illini in the Top-25 this season.
To begin the year, the Football Writers Association ranked Illinois 22nd, while ESPN The Magazine picked the Illini 24th in their preseason polls.
The squad opened the 2000 season ranked 24th and jumped as high as No. 17 following a three straight wins in non-conference play.
Week Associated Press ESPN/USA Today/Coaches
Preseason RV (36) RV (46)
Week 2 RV (36) RV (51)
Week 3 RV (30) RV (33)
Week 4 RV (35) RV (33)
Week 5 *RV (35) *RV (33)
Week 6 22 23
Week 7 RV (33) RV (30)
* No polls changed due to cancelled games in college football
KITTNER EARNING NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Averaging 270 yards per game, Kittner leads the Big Ten in passing offense and ranks second in total offense. He also ranks 19th in the nation in total offense.
Kittner, with 32 starts under his belt, has amassed over 6,700 yards passing and 49 touchdowns in his career. He is six touchdown passes shy of the Illinois career record, currently held by Jack Trudeau (55). Illini teams are 15-5 when Kittner throws a touchdown pass, dating back to 1999.
With 244 yards passing against Michigan, Kittner topped the 1,000 mark (1,083) for the season and recorded his 17th career 200-yard passing game.
For the second straight year, Illini quarterback Kurt Kittner has been named to the 30-man watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the nation's top collegiate quarterback.
He also appears on the 20-player list as a Johnny Unitas Award Candidate, given to the top senior quarterback.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., lists Kittner as the No. 21 player on his "Big Board" of the top-25 senior prospects in the 2002 NFL Draft. He is rated the No. 1 quarterback and the third-highest Big Ten athlete.
He was an honorable mention Football News All-American in 2000 and was named the ESPN Player of the Game with his career-high 352-yard performance against Michigan last season. In 1999, he led the Illini's record-breaking offense and engineered road wins at Ohio State and Michigan.
LLOYD'S BACK AND EARNING HONORS
In the Illini's first game of 2001 and sophomore Brandon Lloyd's first back after a one-year hiatus, the receiver caught eight passes for 178 yards, the fifth-highest single-game receiving total in Illinois history.
Lloyd followed that up with 126 yards on seven catches, marking the first time since 1999 that an Illini player has put together back-to-back 100-yard receving games (Michael Dean 129 yds. vs. Michigan State and 100 yds at Indiana).
Lloyd is averaging 96.4 yards per game which ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation.
For his performance at Cal, Lloyd earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
California head coach Tom Holmoe was quoted as saying, "He was the difference-maker. We knew that going in. But he just dominated situations."
Lloyd's two touchdowns against Cal matched his entire scoring output from his freshman season in 1999.
In four games this season, Lloyd has hauled in five passes over 30-yards bringing his "Big Play" total to 18 in 16 career games played.
BUTKUS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
Illinois senior center Luke Butkus was named to the Scripps Howard preseason All-American team. He has also been selected to the Lombardi and Rimington Award Watch Lists.
Butkus started his 27th consecutive game for the Illini against the Michigan Wolverines and has helped the Illini become one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten. The Illini lead the Big Ten in passing and the offensive line has allowed only four sacks in the first four games.
Against Cal, the offensive line also aided in the Illini's three rushing touchdowns and a perfect 4-of-4 on fourth down conversions. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last season in leading Illinois to a second straight 2,000-yard passing, 1,700-yard rushing season.
FITTS ON RAY GUY WATCH LIST
With 466 yards punting against Michigan, Fitts became the school's career punt yardage leader with 9,183 as a four-year starter. He needs just nine punts to top the career punt list and since his freshman season has had the highest punting average in school history (41.7)
With a 43.3 season average, senior punter Steve Fitts has been named to the Ray Guy Award watch list for the second straight year. The Ray Guy Award is in its second season and is given to the nation's best collegiate punter.
Fitts, who has been the team's regular punter for the last four seasons, has been an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection for the last two. He has landed 43 career punts inside the 20 yardline and has a net punting average of 38.7 yards in 2001.
With a 46.6 punting average against Michigan, Fitts has averaged over 40 yards a punt in 26 career games.
ILLINI VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
The Illinois football team defeated No. 25 Louisville, 34-10, and fell to No. 17 Michigan 45-20 to record a 1-1 mark against opponents ranked in the Top-25 this season. Currently the Illini have two ranked future foes on the schedule with a contest at No. 18/21 (Coaches/AP) Purdue on Nov. 3 and vs. No. 16/14 Northwestern on Nov. 22. The last time an Illini squad beat two ranked teams was in 1999 when it defeated both No. 9 Michigan and No. 25 Ohio State. Illinois is 25-87-3 all-time against opponents ranked in the Top-25.
CONVERTED QUARTERBACKS
Two of the players of the game in the Illini's 34-10 win over No. 25 Louisville were wide receiver Walter Young and cornerback Christian Morton. Young had four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Morton picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown. These players have one more thing in common - they came to Illinois as quarterbacks.
During the 1999 season, Young was competing for a back-up QB spot with senior Kirk Johnson. To get some playing time on the field, Young worked out part-time with the receivers. During that season, he caught 14 passes for 267 yards and a key touchdown at Michigan. In 2000, he moved to the position permanently, recording 403 yards receiving and a 14.9 yard per catch average. This season he is the team's second leading receiver with 238 yards on 15 catches and two touchdowns.
Morton had dreams of being an NFL quarterback, but was competing behind Kittner and current QB back-ups Dustin Ward and Mark Kornfeld. After talking with head coach Ron Turner, Morton decided the best way to get on the field was to go to the opposite side of the ball, turning the cornerback position from a concern to a strength. Through four games he has 24 tackles, two interceptions and five passes broken up.
Senior tight end Brian Hodges also reported to Illinois as a future quarterback, but was moved to tight end during his freshman season. He started 11 games as a redshirt freshman and has notched two starts this season. He has four career touchdown receptions.
COACHING STAFF CHANGES
Four new coaches joined the Illini staff for the 2001 season, including three on the defensive side of the ball.
New defensive coordinator Mike Cassity came to Illinois after two seasons at Oklahoma State, where the Cowboy's held the national champion, Oklahoma Sooners, to a season-low 12 points last season. He has 18 years experience as a coordinator and shares the defensive backfield with new secondary coach Mike Mallory.
Mallory, the son of longtime Indiana head coach Bill Mallory and an All-American linebacker at Michigan in 1985, works primarily with the safeties.
Donnie Thompson, a 26-year veteran defensive line coach, came to Illinois after 12 seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels. During his time with the Tar Heels, Thompson tutored 13 defensive linemen to pro careers, including three first-round draft picks. He also developed current Tar Heel, Julius Peppers, who is the top-rated defensive end in the country.
Cassity and Thompson served as co-coordinators together at Western Kentucky in 1985-86.
Dan O'Dell is the lone change on the offensive side of the ball, in his first season with the Illini quarterbacks. He spent the last two seasons at Illinois as the offensive graduate assistant.
TURNER TO COACH EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME
Illinois head coach Ron Turner has been named the East Coach for the 2002 East-West Shrine All-Star Game, along with Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, who will lead the West. The 77th annual game, which is scheduled for Jan. 12 at 12:30 CT on espn2, features the best senior collegiate all-stars. This is the second straight year Turner has been chosen to coach a senior all-star game. He coached in the Blue-Gray Game in 2000.
IT'S IN THE BLOOD
Here is a list of current Illinois football players with NFL lineage:
Luke Butkus, Sr., C - nephew of Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, Father, Ron, played for the Chicago Cardinals ... Lamont Holden, Fr., LB - father, Renwick Atkins played one year with Detroit Lions ... Estus Hood, Fr., TE - Father, Estus Hood, played for Green Bay.
Aaron Moorehead, Jr., WR - Father, Emory Moorehead, played 12 years in NFL with Giants, Broncos and Bears ... Duke Preston, Fr., OL - Father, Raymond Preston, played nine years with San Diego Chargers ... Matt Dlugolecki, Fr., QB - Cousin of QB Ron Powles, Uncle, Bobby Glazebrock, was DB for the Atlanta Falcons ... Mario Ivy, Jr., LB - Cousin of Dallas Cowboy DE Ed "Too Tall" Jones ...Taman Jordan, Fr., DB - Uncle, Jim Moore, played for Baltimore Colts.
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Softball-playing football players. That's what the Illini were this summer when the senior class formed a six-team softball league made up solely of football players. The seven-week league began in an effort to give the team a bonding activity off the football field. The Huff City Riders team, made up of players such as linebacker Jerry Schumacher and running back Rocky Harvey, won the league in the championship game played during training camp.
MEMORIAL STADIUM FACELIFT
During the offseason, Illinois' Memorial Stadium got a facelift replacing the 15-year old Astroturf with the state-of-the-art AstroPlay? surface. The artificial turf has the look and feel of natural grass and is the same surface that was installed in the Illini's indoor practice facility last fall. AstroPlay? is a new concept in filled turf systems - a grass-like, non-abrasive, polyethylene fiber matrix is filled with special rubber or rubber granules. Memorial Stadium is one of only a few NCAA football venues to switch to AstroPlay? along with schools such as Oklahoma State and Kansas.
IT'S ALL RELATIVE
For the second straight year, the Illinois secondary will be full of Jacksons. Senior strong safety Bobby Jackson is joined by his brother Marc, who is a junior free safety. Their father is Robert Jackson, wide receivers coach for the Illini ... Sophomore offensive lineman Aaron Hodges earned his first letter in 2000, joining his brother, senior tight end Brian ... Junior, wide receivers Walter Young and Greg Lewis are first cousins.
RON TURNER RADIO SHOW
The Ron Turner Radio Show will once again take it act on the road. Each week the show will visit campus sorority and fraternity houses on Mondays at 6 p.m. CT. The show can be heard on the 45-station Illini Sports Network as well as on the internet at www.fightingillini.com.
