Nov. 6, 2004

Recap |  Final Stats |  Quotes

• Junior punter Steve Weatherford rushed for 12 yards on a fake punt in the first quarter that converted a first down and kept the drive going for the Illini.

• On the very next play, redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Bower threw a 56-yard TD pass to junior receiver Kendrick Jones. It marked the longest pass play of the season for the Illini. It was also Bower's career-long pass completion and Jones' career-long reception. Jones now has six receptions this season that have totaled 40 or more yards.

• Junior linebacker Josh Tischer recorded the first sack of his career in the first quarter when he dropped Hoosiers quarterback Matt LoVecchio for a 7-yard loss.

• Brad Bower recorded the first 2-touchdown game of his career with the 56-yard TD pass to Jones, along with a 15-yard TD pass to sophomore tight end Melvin Bryant.

• Jon Beutjer's game-winning touchdown pass to Kendrick Jones gave him 39 career touchdown passes, good for third on the Illinois career list.

• Steve Weatherford, a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, which is given to the nation's best punter, had another outstanding game today. Weatherford totaled 368 yards on eight punts, for an average of 46.0 yards per punt. He set a career high with six punts inside the 20-yard line and had three punts that traveled more than 50 yards, highlighted by a 60-yarder in the first quarter. Six of his eight punts were unreturnable.

• Weatherford's 368 yards on the day gave him 5,193 yards total for his career, moving him up to ninth on the Illinois' career punting yardage list.

• Sophomore Pierre Thomas recorded his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. Thomas had 185 yards rushing on 21 carries, an average of 8.8 ypc. Thomas had 143 yards vs. Florida A&M (Sept. 4) and a career-high 188 yards at Michigan State (Oct. 9). Thomas is the first Illinois rusher to have two 150-yard plus games in a season since Antonio Harris went over the 150 yard mark five times during 2002.

• Thomas' 44-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was the longest rushing touchdown of his career.

• Kelvin Hayden's fourth-quarter interception was his team-leading fourth of the season. Hayden's 33-yard return after the interception was his longest return of the year, eclipsing his previous long of 28 yards against Michigan on Oct. 16, 2004.

• Senior defensive back Taman Jordan's game-clinching interception was the first of his career.