Illini Set To Take On Big Ten Rival Purdue
October 8, 2002 | Football
Oct. 8, 2002
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FOR OPENERS
Saturday's game will be the 80th meeting between the Fighting Illini and the Purdue Boilermakers. Illinois leads the series with a 40-33-6 record, including a 20-17-2 mark in Champaign. Illinois head coach Ron Turner is 1-2 vs. the Boilers, while Purdue head coach Joe Tiller has a 2-1 record vs. the Illini. Turner defeated Purdue in 2001 in West Lafayette, Ind., by a 38-13 mark.
Despite losses to Michigan and San Jose State, Illinois has recorded a 7-2 record at Memorial Stadium over the last two years.
Despite a 1-5 record in 2002, the Illini offense ranks among the best in the nation in total offense (472.5 ypg) which is sixth and in passing offense (308.7 ypg) which is 10th. Both rank No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference.
Illinois had a streak of three straight games with over 500-yards total offense beginning with 600 yards vs. Arkansas State, 602 against San Jose State and 543 in the conference opener vs. Michigan. They added another 443 against the Golden Gophers last week.
Illinois wide receiver Brandon Lloyd recorded his fourth 100-yard game of the season with 139 yards against the Golden Gophers. It was the 11th of his career and he needs five more to tie former Illini All-American David Williams' 16-game career effort. He also has caught passes for the Illini in 28 of his 30 career games played. He is currently on a 22-game streak with a catch.
Illinois senior cornerback Eugene Wilson intercepted his first pass of the season in Illinois game against Minnesota. It was the 11th of his career which ties him for sixth on the school's career list, alongside Red Grange and Henry Jones.
Senior tailback Antoineo Harris broke into the Illinois Top-10 all-time rushing list with 47 yards against Minnesota. He now ranks ninth with 2,097 total yards. He became the third running back among the Top-10 in the Turner era (Robert Holcombe, 1st, 4,105; Rocky Harvey, 4th, 2,711).
THE COACHES' CORNER
RON TURNER, Illinois (27-36 in his sixth year at Illinois, 34-40 overall, 15-27 in the Big Ten) - This will mark the fourth meeting with Purdue for Turner after posting a 1-2 mark in the previous three games. His sole win over the Boilers came in 2001, 38-13, en route to a 7-1 conference record.
Turner earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2001 after leading Illinois to the Big Ten championship and a trip to the Nokia Sugar Bowl and its first 10-win season since 1989. The league title was the Illini's first since 1990.
Known as a great offensive mind, Turner coached Illinois to the school's highest scoring squads in both 1999 (32.3 ppg) and 2001 (32.5 ppg). Those seasons rank 1-2 in the Illinois record books and the 26.7 ppg scored in 2000 ranks eighth. The team topped the 5,000-yard total offense mark in 2001 for the first time in school history.
Turner has served as quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator or head coach since 1981. During that time he coached quarterbacks such as Jeff Garcia, Erik Kramer, Jim Harbaugh, Sean Salisbury, Rodney Peete and Kurt Kittner.
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.
He 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 during his 20+ years in college coaching.
JOE TILLER - (81-45-1 in the 12th season as a head coach; 42-25 in his sixth season at Purdue) Tiller is in his sixth season at Purdue and has led the school to five straight bowl games at the helm. Saturday's game will mark his fourth meeting with the Illini and a 2-1 record vs. UI. He defeated Turner's Illinois squad in 1997 and 1998 before the series took a two-year hiatus. Before taking the Purdue job, Tiller was the head coach at Wyoming where he led the team to a 1993 WAC Championship.
ILLINOIS/PURDUE SERIES HISTORY
Illinois leads the all-time series by a 40-33-6 margin, including an 20-17-2 advantage at Champaign, Ill. After three losses, the Illini got back on the winning end of the series with a 38-13 victory in 2001. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 1998, following a conference scheduled hiatus during 1999 and 2000. The Purdue series is one of three for the Illini with a traditional trophy. Each year the two teams play for the "Cannon."
The "Cannon," more accurately known as the Purdue Cannon, made its first trip to Champaign-Urbana in 1905 when a group of Purdue students brought it to fire after a Boilermaker victory. Purdue won the game, 29-0, but the Cannon was never fired. Illinois student Quincy Hall found the Cannon hidden near the old Illinois Field. Hall and a group of Delta Upsilon brothers confiscated the Cannon and held it until 1943 when they donated it as a symbol of the Illinois-Purdue rivalry. The traditional series trophy returned home to Illinois last year after the Illini's 38-13 win in West Lafayette, Ind. The Cannon was last fired on Nov. 4., 2001 at the Illinois football complex following their victory last season. The Boilermakers lead the Cannon Series 25-24-2.
The last time the two teams met, Illinois came away with a 38-13 victory despite a first half in which the Illini turned the ball over six times. Purdue built a 13-0 lead off turnovers, although the Illinois defense held the Boilers to only 62 yards and six points on four possessions that started in Illinois territory. Kurt Kittner threw for 299 yards and Brandon Lloyd caught six passes for 112 yards. Defensive backs Bobby Jackson and Christian Morton each returned an interception for touchdowns and the defense recorded a school record nine sacks en route to the win. 4 Illinois defensive secondary coach Mike Mallory and Purdue defensive tackles coach Mark Hagen were on the same Northern Illinois staff from 1996-99. 4 There are seven members of the Illinois team from the state of Indiana, including starting cornerback Eugene Wilson (Merrillville), senior offensive lineman James Brown (Pleasant Lake) and back-up punter Steve Weatherford (Terre Haute).
MILESTONES
Antoineo Harris needs six yards to move to eighth on the Illinois all-time rushing list, 38 yards for seventh and 97 for sixth. Chubby Phillips (1973-76) is currently eighth with 2,103 yards; John Karras (1949-51) has 2,135 and Keith Jones (1984-88) accumulated 2,194.
Brandon Lloyd needs 88 receiving yards to move to second on the all-time yardage list. With 2,213 yards, he would pass John Wright, Sr.'s 2,284 yards and Mike Martin's 2,300.
Brandon Lloyd has 17 career touchdown receptions and needs seven to tie All-American David Williams for the all-time record. He tied Williams' single-season mark of 10 in the 2001 season and currently has five this season.
Junior placekicker Peter Christofilakos has made 19 of 19 PAT attempts this season. Dating back to the 2001 season, he is a perfect 48 of 48. The Illinois record for most consecutive extra points is 56 made by Doug Higgins from Nov. 18, 1987-Nov. 18, 1989.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A CATCH STREAK
Brandon Lloyd 22 games, last game without a catch vs. Penn State in 1999
Walter Young 19 games, last game without a catch vs. Ohio State in 2000
Carey Davis 18 games, last game without a catch vs. Northwestern in 2000
OFFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
Quarterback Jon Beutjer's three-game total (vs. Michigan, SJSU and ASU) of 1,071 yards was the best three-game total by an Illini quarterback since Jason Verduzco combined for 1,124 yards in the first three games of the 1991 season against East Carolina, Missouri and Houston.
The Illini topped the 500-yard total offense mark three straight weeks, posting 600 yards vs. Arkansas State, 602 yards against San Jose State and 543 against Michigan. Averaging 472.5 yards per game, Illinois ranks first in the Big Ten and 6th in the nation in total offense. The team's passing offense, which averages 308.7 yards per contest is the best in the conference and 10th in the nation.
Against Arkansas State, Illinois scored nine times on nine offensive possessions (blocked punt for TD was not an offensive possession and one drive was lost on downs trying to run out the clock in the second half).
Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd topped the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this season following a 139-yard performance vs. Minnesota It was the 11th 100-yard game of his career, third on Illinois' all-time list. He needs five more this season to tie All-American David Williams' 16-game effort from 1983-85.
Jon Beutjer's passing efficiency rating of 250.21 against Arkansas State is the third-highest single-game performance in UI history, behind games by Tommy O'Connell (vs. Washington in 1952) and Jeff George (vs. Northwestern in 1989) It was just the third time in UI history that a quarterback's pass efficiency rating topped 250 behind O'Connell's 308.9 and George's 271.6 Factor in Dustin Ward's two completions in two attempts and the team's passing efficiency for the game was 249.20.
In his first collegiate game at tailback vs. Arkansas State (played in first two games on special teams only), sophomore Morris Virgil rushed for 131 yards on 12 carries. He scored three touchdowns, including a 69-yard run which was the longest rushing play for an Illini since Howard Griffith had a 78-yard run in 1988.
Senior tailback Antoineo Harris rushed for a career-high 162 yards and carried the ball a career-high 31 times against Southern Miss, marking his sixth 100-yard game in his career. It was the first 100-yard rushing game for an Illinois back since his 106-yard game against Indiana in 2001.
The 52-point margin of victory in Illinois' 59-7 win over Arkansas State is the best since 1942 when the Illini beat Butler 67-0 on Oct. 3. The 59 points scored against Arkansas State were the most since scoring 63 in the 1999 Micronpc.com Bowl victory over Virginia, and first time the Illini have topped 50 points in the regular season since a 51-10 win over Houston in 1991.
Illinois is averaging 28.7 points per game this season. In the past four seasons, the Illini offense has averaged 30.0 points per game, including nine games over the 40-point mark.
The Illinois rushing game has topped 1,700 yards in each of the last three seasons, the most in back-to-back-to-back seasons since the 1971-1975 seasons. Through six games, the Illini have rushed for 1132 yards.
OFFENSIVE PERSONNEL NOTES
jon beutjer, QB, Jr. - Sounds like FUTURE Third in the Big Ten in passing and total offense His back-to-back four touchdown games against SJSU and ASU are only the second in Illinois history, the other being Kurt Kittner's four TDs vs. Northwestern in the 2001 season finale and against LSU in the Sugar Bowl Connected on 28 of 38 passing for 426 yards, a Memorial Stadium record and fourth-best passing game in school history, while also tossing four touchdown passes against San Jose State 195.00 passing efficiency against the Spartans is 10th best in Illinois single-history Was 18 of 22 (82 percent) for 277 yards and four touchdowns 250.17 passing effieciency vs. ASU was the third best in school history Has hit nine different receivers for catches and connected for 11 passes over 30 yards First start was against Arkansas State Transferred to Illinois from Iowa at the start of the school year in 2001 and sat out the season due to NCAA rules Entered the Missouri game at the start of the fourth quarter and began the second half of the USM contest.
Carey Davis, FB, Jr. - Against Michigan, led team with 68 rushing yards on 13 carries and had four catches for 42 yards Second straight game with over 100 yards all-purpose Totaled 112 all-purpose yards against San Jose State (53 rushing, 59 receiving) Tied a career-high with seven catches vs. the Spartans Ran for 62 yards and caught two passes for 11 yards against Arkansas State Tallied 43 yards rushing and 19 receiving vs USM Averaging 69.4 all-purpose yards Called the most underrated player in the Big Ten by head coach Ron Turner Was the third-leading rusher and receiver on the Illini team in 2001 Rated the sixth-best fullback in the country by Lindy's.
Antoineo Harris, RB, Sr. - Broke into the Illinois Top-10 rushing list with 2,097 yards Had a career-high 162 yards on 31 carries at Southern Miss Has rushed for over 100 yards on six occassions in his career Rushed for 95 yards and a score against San Jose State Is averaging 5.1 yards per carry Recorded 66 yards on 17 rushes vs. Mizzou Has led the team in rushing the last two seasons.
Brandon Lloyd, WR, Jr. - Biletnikoff Award Candidate Recorged his 11th career 100-yard game with his 139-yard performance vs. Minnesota Broke the 2,000-yard receiving mark for his career following game against Michigan Registered 156 yards on 10 catches vs. Michigan Posted 130 yards vs. Arkansas State Had 137 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns against Missouri Has 17 career catches over 30 yards, following his 49 yard recepion vs. Minnesota Ranks second in the conference in receptions per game with 5.7 Preseason first-team All-Big Ten Came back from season-ending injury in 2000 with a 65-reception, 1,062-yard season in 2001 Of Illinois' 37 pass plays over 25 yards last season, Lloyd accounted for 17.
Tony Pashos, OT, Sr. - Outland and Lombardi Awards Candidate Preseason All-American Earned bachelor's degree in May 2002 Has started every game of his Illini career Led an offensive line that posted 543 yards against Michigan, 600 yards total offense vs. ASU and 602 vs. San Jose State His 41 starts rank third among active offensive linemen in the NCAA (Illinois record for starts in a career is 47) Spent last year as a volunteer in the Carle Hospital Children's unit every Monday, the team's day off Parents were born in Greece and Tony stays very involved with his Greek heritage.
MORRIS VIRGIL, RB, SO. - Had 36 yard kick return for the Illini vs. Michigan In his first collegiate game at tailback, Virgil rushed for 131 yards against Arkansas State, including a 69 yard run which was the longest for an Illini since 1988 Scored three touchdowns, the most since Antoineo Harris in the 2001 season opener vs. California Local product from Urbana High School Sat out last season as a partial qualifer.
Walter Young, WR, Sr. - Caught his 13th career touchdown pass on a 16-yarder from Beutjer for fifth on Illinois' all-time list Had season-best 153 yards and one touchdown on eight receptions vs. San Jose State Had three catches for 39 yards vs. USM Caught three passes for 31 yards against Missouri Has been playing with strained hamstring Caught 5 passes for a career-high 178 yards in Sugar Bowl Cousin is teammate and fellow WR Greg Lewis Came to Illinois as a quarterback and converted to WR in 1999 6-5 height is greatest advantage.
DEFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
Although the Illinois defensive performance against San Jose State was inconsistent at times, the squad registered four sacks and 11 other tackles for a loss of 57 yards. Thirteen different Illini defenders have recorded tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
The Illini recorded three sacks against Southern Miss, including two for sophomore Lamont Holden On his second sack of the game, he forced a fumble which was recovered by safety Taman Jordan who then fumbled after advancing 35 yards and the ball was picked up by cornerback Michael Hall on the USM 30, and scored on the play.
Eugene Wilson has intercepted 11 passes in his Illini career, which ranks sixth in the Illinois record books. He needs two to improve to third on the list. Hall of Famer Al Brosky holds the school record with 30 in his three-year career.
Last season, Illinois set a school record with 40 sacks. Contributing to the 40 sacks were 18 different players, 12 of which returned this season. The Illini defensive line used a rotation of 11 players during the Big Ten Championship run, eight of those are back this season.
DEFENSIVE PERSONNEL NOTES
joe bevis, LB, Jr. - Had four tackles against the Wolverines Is playing with a broken hand Recorded four tackles, including one TFL vs. SJSU Recorded five tackles and a deflected pass vs. USM Had three tackles and recovered a fumble vs. Missouri Third on the team with 78 tackles in 2001 Registered seven tackles-for-loss and three sacks ... Had six quarterback hurries including three in the win over Penn State.
michael hall, cb, Sr. - Got first start vs. Minnesota and recorded seven tackles, including one for a loss of two yards Despite playing off the bench, ranks fourth on the team in total tackles with 27 Recovered a fumble and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown vs. Southern Miss Junior College transfer in 2001 from Bakersfield College.
marc jackson, s, jr. - Had three tackles vs. SJSU before leaving with injury Recorded nine tackles and forced a fumble at midfield in the season opener Had seven tackles vs. USM Started three games in 2000 at cornerback Father is Robert Jackson, Illinois wide receivers coach Brother Bobby was Illinois' starting safety from 1997-98 and 2000-01 Sat out the 2001 season with a shoulder injury.
christian morton, cb, Jr. - Thorpe Award Candidate Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year Award Had two PBUs vs. SJSU Broke up two passes vs. Arkansas State Ranks 10th in the Big Ten with 10 passes defended Blocked a field goal vs. Missouri Converted quarterback that started all 12 games in 2001 ... Preseason All-Big Ten selection by several publications ... Second in the nation with 26 passes broken up in 2001 ... Second on the team with four interceptions last season ... Returned two of those picks for touchdowns, 33 yards vs. Louisville and 62 yards vs. Purdue.
MIKE O'BRIEN, DE, JR. - Recorded a TFL vs. Michigan Had four tackles, three for loss and two balls batted down at the line of scrimmage vs. San Jose State Led team with 12 tackles, two TFL vs. Missouri Fourth leading tackler on the team with 23 in four games, including five for loss Played at end as a true-freshman in 1999 then sat out the 2000 season with a stress fracture Returned to start the 2001 season.
jerry schumacher, LB, Sr. - Team Captain ... Had seven tackles vs. the Golden Gophers Recorded nine tackles, one for loss and a pass deflected against Michigan Ranks 15th in the Big Ten in total tackles Had 10 tackles, two TFL and a sack against San Jose State Led team with nine tackles and a TFL against Southern Miss Recorded 10 tackles in season opener Preseason first team All-Big Ten pick ... Butkus Awards Watch list ... Most experienced front-seven performer with 27 career starts and 38 career games played ... Led team in tackles (125), solo tackles (85), tackles-for-loss (17) and sacks (6) ... Has registered 100+ tackles each of the last-two seasons ... Had a career high 17 tackles vs. Minnesota in 2001.
derrick strong, de, Jr. - Has a team-leading eight tackles for loss through six games Led team with nine tackles and a sack against Minnesota Batted down on ball at the line of scrimmage, while also posting three tackles against the Wolverines Recorded first sack of the season vs. SJSU along with five tackles Four solo tackles, two for loss, one PBU and one QB hurry vs. ASU Had two tackles for loss and seven tackles at Sourhern Miss Blocked an extra point vs. Missouri Had three tackles, one for loss in opener Coached by Illini line coach Donnie Thompson who has coached five first-round draft picks, Ebenezer Ekuuban (1999) Greg Ellis (1998), Marcus Jones (1996), Julius Peppers (2002) and Ryan Sims (2002) In his first season as a full-time starter ... Had four sacks and five quarterback hurries in 2001 ... Forced three fumbles last season and broke up three passes at the line of scrimmage Hails from same high school, Mt. Carmel, as former Illini All-American DE Simeon Rice.
eugene wilson, Cb, sr. - Team Captain Thorpe Award Candidate Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year Award Intercepted his first pass of the season vs. Minnesota and had three passes broken up to add to eight tackles vs. Minnesota Recorded a tackle for loss in the redzone and had three pass break ups vs. Michigan Had career high 11 solo tackles vs. SJSU, including one sack for a loss of 11 yards, and a forced fumble Broke Illinois punt return yardage record with 21-yard return vs. San Jose State Had four solo tackles and one touchdown-saving pass broken up vs. Arkansas State Registered seven solo tackles and one PBU against Mizzou and six total tackles vs. USM 2002 Playboy All-American ... Preseason first-team All-American by several publications ... Nation's leader in 2001 with 30 passes broken up ... Also intercepted six passes as a junior ... Returning All-Big Ten selection ... Holds the school record for passes broken up in a career and single season.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
Placekicker Peter Christofilakos is perfect on career extra point attempts (48 of 48) He was 29 of 29 in 2001 and is currently 19 of 19 through six games The record for consecutive made PATs is 56 by Doug Higgins from Nov. 7, 1987 to Nov. 18, 1989.
Special teams are responsible for three scores on the season: Eugene Wilson's 70-yard punt return for a TD; Brian Brosnan's punt block for a TD (recovered in end zone by Kendrick Jones) and a safety on a botched punt vs. Minnesota.
The Illinois special teams units has picked up right where they left off in 2001 with three blocked in six games Christian Morton batted down a 16-yard field goal attempt and Derrick Strong got a hand on an extra point attempt vs. Missouri and Brian Brosnan blocked a punt which was recovered by Kendrick Jones in the endzone for the score Last season, Illinois blocked a school-record seven kicks (three punts, two field goals and two extra points).
Punt returner Eugene Wilson had one return for 21 yards vs. San Jose State, but it was good enough to break the school record for punt return yardage He also scored his second touchdown of his career against USM after returning a punt 70 yards. 4 The punting game was a non-factor in the win over ASU, as the Illini did not attempt a punt during a game for the first time since the 63-21 win over Virginia in the Micronpc.com Bowl in 1999.
SPECIAL TEAMS PERSONNEL NOTES
matt minnes, P, so. - Pinned two punts inside the 20 yardline and had a 52-yarder against Minnesota Averaged only 39.7 yards vs. Michigan, landing one inside the 20 and a 53 yarder Had highest average of the season against San Jose State, recording 42.0 yards on three punts, including a career-long 55 yarder Did not punt vs. Arkansas State Averaged 37.8 yards per punt vs. USM Has landed three inside the 20 yard line First-year starter Booted seven punts for a 39.4 average vs. Mizzou Sat out the 2001 season after suffering from a near-fatal bacterial infection He was in critical condition in a hospital in Connecticut when his fever hit 106 degrees and lost 25 pounds.
peter christofilakos, Pk, jr - Lou Groza Award Candidate Is 19 for 19 on extra point attempts in 2002 Has made 48 consecutive PATs dating back to last season vs. Louisville Connected on a career-long 44-yard field goals vs. Michigan, while also hitting a 39 yarder Scored 11 points vs. Arkansas State, hitting a 27-yard field goal and eight extra points Was 2 for 3 against USM, hitting a 41 and 19-yarder Lou Groza semifinalist in 2001.
CURRENT EVENTS
MLB PLAYOFFS - Anaheim Angels' first baseman and former University of Illinois baseball standout Scott Spezio helped lead the Angels over the defending AL Champion New York Yankee squad to advance to the AL Championships Series. He was 6 of 15, hitting .400 for the series and 6 RBI.
MISS AMERICA - University of Illinois graduate and Urbana, Ill. native Erika Harold was named Miss America on Sat., Sept. 21 Harold is the daughter of Robert Harold, who played baseball for the Illini and Donna Tanner-Harold, who is the god-mother to Illinois running back Morris Virgil Harold postponed her enrollment at Harvard Law School to participate in the national Miss America pageant.
CHICAGO BEARS - Illinois' roommate at Memorial Stadium for the 2002 season are the Chicago Bears, who have played two exhibition and two regular season games in Champaign to this point. The University and athletic department entered into a partnership with the Bears' organization for use of the stadium during Soldier Field renovations take place. The Bears will host six more regular season home games, including a Monday Night matchup against division rival Green Bay on Oct. 7 on ABC.
12-GAME SEASON - For the 2002 and 2003 seasons, NCAA Division I football teams have the opportunity to schedule a 12th game to the regular season. Despite the addition, teams will continue to need six wins to qualify for post season bowl appearances.
ILLINOIS FOOTBALL HISTORY
Big ten titles - In 2001, Illinois won its 15th conference title and 10th outright Big Ten championship. The Illini were Big Ten Champions in the following years: 1910, 1914, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1946, 1951, 1953, 1963, 1983, 1990 and 2001.
bowl appearnces - Illinois made its 14th bowl appearance in 2001 at the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The Illini have played in the Rose Bowl on four occasions and have appeared in the Liberty (twice), Peach, All-American, Citrus, Hall of Fame, John Hancock, Holiday and Micronpc.com Bowls.
butkus award winners - Illinois has had two recipients of the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker whose namesake is an Illini Great - 1994: Dana Howard and 1995: Kevin Hardy.
the century's best athletes - When ESPN ranked the Century's Best Athletes', included on that list were two Illini greats in No. 29 Harold "Red" Grange and No. 70 Dick Butkus.
the nfl - Illinois has 21 players currently on NFL rosters: LB Danny Clark, Jacksonville; FB Jameel Cook, Tampa Bay; TE Matt Cushing, Pittsburgh; TE Ken Dilger, Tampa Bay; LB Kevin Hardy, Dallas; LS Nathan Hodel, Arizona; RB Robert Holcombe, Tennessee; LB John Holecek, Atlanta; OL Brad Hopkins, Tennessee; DT Garrett Johnson, Denver; DB Henry Jones, Atlanta; QB Kurt Kittner, Atlanta; OL J.P. Machado, N.Y. Jets; OL Brandon Moore, New England; PK Neil Rackers, Cincinnati; DE Simeon Rice, Tampa Bay; OL Ryan Schau, Houston; OL Marques Sullivan, Buffalo; DL Fred Wakefield, Arizona; DE Terrell Washington, Houston and LB Michael Young, Arizona.
HOMECOMING - Homecoming, a tradition on just about every college campus, began at the University of Illinois. The celebration was conceived in 1909 by UI students C.F "Dab" Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident Society who joined with another senior society, the Pheonix to organize the three-day event. They petitioned the University Council of Administrators asking the weekend to be set aside for the First Annual Fall Homecoming. This year will be the 92nd homecoming on the University of Illinois campus.
