Oct. 24, 2005
Complete release in PDF format
- Post-practice with Coach Ron Zook
- RB E.B. Halsey
Wisconsin Series History
- Saturday's game marks 74th meeting between these two teams, dating back to 1895. Illinois holds the series lead 35-31-7. Wisconsin has won the last two contests, with the last Illinois win coming in 2002 in Madison, 37-20.
- This will be Ron Zook's first and only head-to-head meeting with Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez. Alvarez is 7-5-1 against the Illini in his 13 years at Wisconsin.
- The Illini have faced a ranked Wisconsin team on three occasions in the series history and are 0-3 vs. the Badgers in those contests (dating back to 1966 when rankings were recorded in Illinois archives). In 1998, the Illini saw a ninth-ranked UW squad who defeated Illinois 37-3 in Champaign. No. 12 Wisconsin beat Illinois 35-10 in Champaign in 1993 and in 1977 the Illini lost to No. 19 Wisconsin 26-0 in Madison.
- Wisconsin marks the fourth ranked opponent for the Illini this season. The last time Illinois defeated a Top-25 foe was in 2001 at No. 25 Ohio State. The last win over a ranked team at Memorial Stadium was that same season vs. No. 25 Louisville.
- Illinois has no players on its roster from the state of Wisconsin, but five Badgers hail from Illinois, including starters CB Brett Bell (Wheaton/Warrenville South) and TE Owen Daniel (Naperville/Central).
Records to Watch
- Junior Pierre Thomas is close to breaking the school record for career kickoff return yardage. Last season he ranked 10th in the NCAA and this season he is averaging 23.9 yards per return. With 1,241 career yards, Thomas needs just 136 this season to set the school mark.
- Thomas ranks 19th on the all-time rushing list with 1,540 yards and needs 25 yards to move to 16th and 33 to improve to 15th. With 1,192 career yards, E.B. Halsey now ranks 26th on the all-time list. He needs 33 yards to break into the top-25.
- Illinois quarterback Tim Brasic has a chance to become the school's most rushing quarterback. With 242 yards through seven games, Brasic is just 273 yards from the all-time rushing record by an Illinois quarterback (516 by Fred Custardo, 1963-65). The record for a single season is 297 by Rick Weiss in 1978, and Brasic is only 55 yards from that mark. So far this season, Brasic has run for three touchdowns and has three rushes of 25 yards or better.
Youthful Illini
- With 12 freshmen (3) and sophomores (9) in the starting lineup, the Illini are the youngest team in the country (tied with Cincinnati). Illini have only four senior starters listed on the 2005 depth chart, which is the second lowest in college football (second to Rice's three), tied with Cincinnati. Illinois' four senior starters are: fullback Jason Davis, wide receiver Kendrick Jones, defensive tackle Ryan Matha and safety Morris Virgil.
- Only 14 teams in the nation have played 11 or more true-freshmen this season and the Illini are among those with 11 true-freshman getting valuable playing time. They are OL Eric Block, WR Will Davis, WR Kyle Hudson, TE Greg McClendon, WR Derrick McPhearson, RB Rashard Mendenhall, LB Brit Miller, TE Michael Nabolotny, LB Rodney Pittman, DT Tremayne Walker, DE Sirod Williams.
Team True-Freshmen
Arkansas 16
Kent State 15
Duke 14
Kentucky 12
Oklahoma 12
Rutgers 12
Illinois 11
Oklahoma State 11
Nebraska 11
Northwestern 11
Pittsburgh 11
Temple 11
USC 11
Virginia 11
- In addition to starters, over 60 percent of Illinois participation is coming from the freshman and sophomore classes. At key positions the youth of the team is being asked to take on most of the work, especially in the offensive and defensive lines. The offensive line is 60 percent underclassmen, while the defensive line is 67 percent. There are no junior or senior linebackers and seven of Illinois' 10 wide receivers are youngsters. See the chart below:
Position Fr.-Plays So.-Plays Jr.-Plays Sr.-Plays Pct. Under Pct. Upper
Overall 21-2549 19-4019 17-3248 11-1897 58.8-56.1 41.2-43.9
QB --------- --------- 2-439 --------- 0.0-0.0 100.0-100.0
RB 1-60 1-79 2-521 1-239 40.0-15.5 60.0-84.5
WR 5-686 2-424 2-145 1-284 70.0-72.1 30.0-27.9
TE 3-31 --------- 1-322 --------- 75.0-8.8 25.0-91.2
OL 1-466 4-1016 5-987 1-12 45.4-59.7 54.6-40.3
DL 5-510 3-697 3-197 2-453 68.7-64.9 31.3-35.1
LB 6-827 3-731 --------- --------- 100.0-100.0 0.0-0.0
DB --------- 4-973 2-635 5-864 36.4-39.4 63.6-60.6
KPS --------- 2-99 --------- 1-57 67.0-63.5 33.0-36.5
- Seven Illinois players made the first start of their collegiate careers in the season opener vs. Rutgers -- RG James Ryan (So.), RT Ryan McDonald (r-Fr.), QB Tim Brasic (Jr.), WR Jody Ellis (r-Fr.), DE Derek Walker (r-Fr.), LB Remond Willis (r-Fr.), SS Kevin Mitchell (So.).
- The Illini have started more underclassmen of any Big Ten team this season. During the opening week of the 2005 season, Illinois had a total of 12 freshmen or sophomores in the starting lineup, which nearly doubled the next closest conference team - Northwestern - which started seven underclassmen. Here is a look at the number of underclassmen that started for each Big Ten team in their season openers:
Illinois 12 Michigan State 4
Northwestern 7 Ohio State 4
Minnesota 6 Michigan 3
Iowa 6 Purdue 3
Wisconsin 5 Penn State 2
Indiana 5
Illini Pose Triple Tailback Threat
- The strength of the 2005 Illinois football team is in its running back corps. Not only do the Illini have a pair of three-year co-starters in E.B. Halsey and Pierre Thomas, but a true-freshman in Rashard Mendenhall. Halsey was the team's leading rusher in 2003 when he posted 525 yards, but spent most of the 2004 season nursing a nagging groin injury. With Halsey not at 100 percent, Thomas stepped up and had a breakout season with 893 yards and eight touchdowns in 2004. Mendenhall came to Illinois as the No. 1 recruit in the state, averaging 9.1 yards a carry as a senior at Niles West.
- For years, the Illinois running game has consisted of the two-headed monster tailback philosophy. Dating back to 1998 (and with the exception of the 2002 season), two running backs have split time in the backfield, but this season the two heads have turned to three with Halsey, Thomas and Mendenhall. The following is a list of Illinois' tailback tandems:
1998 Rocky Harvey (634) & Steve Havard (584) 1,218 (110.7 ypg)
1999 Rocky Harvey (774) & Steve Havard (806) 1,580 (131.7 ypg)
2000 Rocky Harvey (683) & Antoineo Harris (772) 1,455 (132.3 ypg)
2001 Rocky Harvey (620) & Antoineo Harris (629) 1,249 (104.1 ypg)
2002* Antoineo Harris (1,330) 1,330 (110.8 ypg)
2003 E.B. Halsey (525) & Pierre Thomas (233) 758 (62.2 ypg)
2004 E.B. Halsey (461) & Pierre Thomas (893) 1,354 (123.1 ypg)
2005 E.B. Halsey (206), Pierre Thomas (414) & Rashard Mendenhall(130) 750 (107.1 ypg)
* only season since 1998 Illinois has had one featured back
- In addition to the three tailbacks, Illinois has two other potent running threats in fullback Jason Davis and quarterback Tim Brasic. Davis has the ability to block, run and catch passes has 327 career rushing yards (and 541 yards receiving), while Brasic has 242 rushing yards in seven games this season.
1,000-Yard Rushing Duos
- Illinois is one of just three teams in the Big Ten to have a pair of career 1,000-yard rushers on its current roster in juniors Pierre Thomas (1,540 career yards) and E.B. Halsey (1,192 career yards). The other two teams in the league making the same claim are Purdue, with senior Jerod Void (2,082 career yards) and senior Brandon Jones (1,604 career yards), and Wisconsin with junior Brian Calhoun (2,151) and junior Booker Stanley (1,089). In all, there are 12 1,000-yard career rushers currently listed on Big Ten rosters:
Laurence Maroney, Jr., Minnesota 3,602 yards
Brian Calhoun, Jr., Wisconsin 2,151 yards
Jerod Void, Sr., Purdue 2,082 yards
Mike Hart, So., Michigan 2,028 yards
Brandon Jones, Sr., Purdue 1,604 yards
Tony Hunt, Jr., Penn State 1,565 yards
Pierre Thomas, Jr., Illinois 1,540 yards
Chris Taylor, Sr., Indiana 1,502 yards
E.B. Halsey, Jr., Illinois 1,192 yards
Booker Stanley, Jr., Wisconsin 1,089 yards
Antonio Pittman, So., Ohio State 1,077 yards
Jehuu Caulcrick, So., Michigan State 1,001 yards
Tyrell Sutton, Fr., Northwestern 970 yards
Albert Young, So., Iowa 960 yards
Weatherford, One of the Nation's Best Punters
- In the first seven games, Weatherford has punted 44 times for a 43.0 average. Eleven have been for plus-50 yards, three for over 60 yards and 10 have been downed inside the 20 yardline.
- He ranks second in the Big Ten in punting and 23rd nationally.
- 2004 Ray Guy semifinalist and has earned preseason All-America honors from nearly every publication.
- Only five of Weatherford's 23 kickoffs have been returned this season, with 17-of-22 being booted into the endzone. After Weatherford kickoffs, Illinois' opponents' drives are beginning at an average of the 21.0 yardline.
- Rated by Mel Kiper as the No. 1 NFL-rated punter.
- Last season, he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the conferences coaches.
- In 2004, Weatherford ranked fourth in the nation in punting average (45.4) and team ranked 12th in the NCAA in net punting (39.0) in 2004. He also booted 20 punts over 50 yards and five over 60 yards.
- He also broke the Illinois single-season punting average record in 2004 (which he set in 2003) with a 45.4 average and is also set to top the school's career average with 44.5.
- Is a member of the Illinois track team, scoring at the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Big Ten Indoor Track Championships in the heptathlon. He recorded his highest finish of third-place last season after placing 6th in 2003 and 5th in 2004. He holds the school record for the heptathlon.
Team Notes
- Ron Zook began his tenure at Illinois with a 33-30 come-from-behind, overtime victory over Rutgers, marking the first win for a first-year Illinois coach since Mike White, who guided the Illini to a 35-9 win over Northwestern on Sept. 6, 1980. Among current Big Ten coaches, Zook is one of only six to win the first game of their head coaching careers at their respective schools. He was also the first Illinois coach since White to win their first two games.
- The Illini won the turnover battle against Iowa 2-1, forcing a fumble and an interception, and had the most turnovers forced on the season with three against Indiana.
- The Illini outgained the San Jose State Spartans 492-231 in total offense, the most dominant performance since posting 600 yards to Arkansas State's 313 in 2002.
- Illinois' 20-point comeback against Rutgers tied the mark for the biggest come-from-behind win in school history. Illinois came back from the same score (27-7) at Michigan in 1999, defeating the Wolverines 35-29.
- Following Illinois' 33-30 overtime win over Rutgers, E.B. Halsey's 13-yard touchdown catch was nominated as a Pontiac/ESPN Game-Changing Moment.
- Illinois has been named among the Top-50 college football programs of all time, by Street and Smith Magazine. In the recent publication, the Illini rank 37th.
Offensive Notes
- The Illini rank second in the conference in redzone offensive effeciency (88.0 percent). The team has converted on 22-of-25 occasions inside the 20 yardline, scoring 14 touchdowns and eight field goals.
- Pierre Thomas rushed for a season-high 100 yards vs. Iowa on 15 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. This marks the fifth 100-yard rushing game of his career. Thomas is averaging 5.1 yards per carry on the season, and has had only two rushes for negative yardage out of 81 carries on the year.
- True-freshman receiver Kyle Hudson had a game-high 83 yards receiving vs. Iowa, catching six passes. That is also the highest single-game receiving yardage total by an Illini player this season. Hudson has four 30+-yard catchs this season out of 16 receptions. Despite having only 16 catches, Hudson leads the Illini in receiving yardage on the season with 259 yards.
- Fourteen different players have caught passes for the Illini this season.
- The Illini set a record for the longest drive in school history vs. Iowa with an impressive 20-play drive in the second quarter. That drive covered 90 yards and took 7:59. Illinois also added a 12-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a TD vs. Iowa in the third quarter. On the year, Illinois has had 17 drives that have lasted 10 or more plays.
- The Illini's fourth-quarter touchdown drive vs. PSU covered 91 yards over 12 plays, marking Illinois' longest drive of the season by yards. Quarterback Chris Pazan completed 7-of-8 passes for 64 yards on that scoring drive.
- During Illinois' 90-yard drive against Iowa, Brasic had seven straight completions. He was then a perfect 9-for-9 passing during Illinois' 80-yard TD drive. He also completed five consecutive passes on two other occasions during the game.
- E.B. Halsey set a career high with 11 receptions vs. Iowa and came up with a clutch 1-yard TD catch on 4th-and-goal. Halsey is Illinois' leading receiver on the year with 32 catches.
- Tim Brasic became the first Illinois quarterback since Kurt Kittner's 41-13 victory over Arkansas State in 1999, to win his first season opener as a starter, with Illinois' 33-30 overtime win over Rutgers.
- The Illini rattled off 40 unanswered points against San Jose State.
- With Illinois trailing Rutgers 27-7, quarterback Tim Brasic led the Illini to four scores in the final 25:49 of the game, completing 19-of-25 passes (76%) for 195 yards and two touchdowns during that time. Brasic also completed his first eight passes against San Jose State and finished the game connecting on 77 percent of his passes (17-for-22).
- Illinois rushed for over 200 yards in the first two games of the season (204 vs. RU, 243 vs. SJSU), averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
QB on the Run
- Twice this season, quarterback Tim Brasic has led the team in rushing (vs. Michigan State and Rutgers). For the year, Brasic has compiled 242 rushing yards, which is the third-most for an Illinois quarterback in a single season. In 1978, Rick Weiss rushed 154 times for 297 yards. Brasic needs just 55 net yards to log the most rushing yards in a season by an Illini QB.
- Along with throwing for 233 yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers, Tim Brasic also led the Illini in rushing with 77 yards. He became the first UI quarterback to lead the Illini in rushing in 18 years, since Brian Menkhausen had 31 yards vs. Michigan State on Oct. 24, 1987. Brasic's 77 yards against also ranks as the sixth-best rushing performance by quarterback in school history.
Defensive Notes
- In the third quarter of play vs. Indiana, Illinois held the Hoosiers scoreless with only 51 yards gained. Indiana punted in each of its three drives that quarter.
- Illinois forced a season-high three turnovers against Indiana. Junior cornerback Alan Ball gt his first career interception and linebackers J Leman and Remond Willis each forced fumbles. The Illinois offense scored on two of the three drives following the turnovers.
- Justin Harrison led Illinois with 11 tackles vs. PSU, the second-highest total of his career and marking the second time this season he has been the Illini's leading tackler. He also led the UI vs. Iowa with nine stops. His 11 tackles vs. PSU are also the second-best total by an Illini defender this season, behind Morris Virgil's 12 tackles vs. Rutgers. Harrison also recorded the second interception of his career, which he returned 30 yards against Iowa.
- During Illinois' first half run against No. 15 California, the defense forced three three-and-outs, held quarterback Joe Ayoob to only one completion in nine attempts and just seven points. The defense only spent 3:12 on the field in the first quarter and 8:25 for the half.
- After California scored a touchdown on its opening possession, Illinois held the Bears scoreless over the next 36:05, to midway through the 3rd quarter. Cal had four consecutive scoreless drives in between its first two touchdowns, in which the Illini defense limited Cal to 44 yards and just one first down during that time.
- Illinois' defense held Rutgers to no points in the final 25:49 of regulation. From the time Rutgers went ahead 27-7 with 10:49 left in the 3rd quarter, Illinois' defense held Rutgers to just 143 total yards (37 rushing and 106 passing) and one overtime field goal for the remainder of the game.
- In the first half of play against San Jose State, the Illini held the Spartans to just two first downs and negative three yards rushing. SJSU went into the locker room at the half with only 62 total yards, averaging 2.5 yards a play.
Special Teams Notes
- Sophomore kicker Jason Reda nailed a career-long 52-yard field goal against Indiana, marking the longest since the season finale of the 2001 season when John Gockman made a 52-yarder vs. Northwestern. It also was the seventh-longest field goal in school history.
- Steve Weatherford had the sixth best single-game punting performance in school history vs. Penn State, averaging 50.2 yards per punt. Five of his nine punts went for over 50 yards, and all nine were over 40 yards. Weatherford ranks second in the Big Ten in punting, averaging 43 yards per punt on the season.
- Weatherford has kicked off 22 times, 16 of which reached the endzone. Sixteen have resulted in touchbacks, while only five have been returned (16 percent).
- Weatherford has punted 44 times for a 43.0 average, which ranks second in the Big Ten.
- Reda is a perfect 14-for-14 in extra point attempts this season, making him 39-for-40 (.975) for his career.
- The Illini have blocked three kicks this season through seven games. Defensive tackle Ryan Matha blocked a field goal against Rutgers, defensive tackle Chris Norwell got the field goal block against Cal and Xavier Fulton knocked down an extra point attempt vs. Indiana. The most blocked kicks for an Illini team in recent years was six by the 2001 and 1997 squads.
- Against San Jose State, sophomore kicker Jason Reda hit a career-best four field goals including a 45-yarder. It was the most field goals by an Illini kicker since Neil Rackers hit four against Ohio State in 1999. He is second in the conference with 1.67 field goals per game.
Ron Zook began his tenure at Illinois with a 33-30 come-from-behind, overtime victory over Rutgers, marking the first win for a first-year Illinois coach since Mike White, who guided the Illini to a 35-9 win over Northwestern on Sept. 6, 1980. Among current Big Ten coaches, Zook is one of only six to win the first game of their head coaching careers at their respective schools. He was also the first Illinois coach since White to win their first two games.
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The Illini won the turnover battle against Iowa 2-1, forcing a fumble and an interception, and had the most turnovers forced on the season with three against Indiana.
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The Illini outgained the San Jose State Spartans 492-231 in total offense, the most dominant performance since posting 600 yards to Arkansas State's 313 in 2002.
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Illinois' 20-point comeback against Rutgers tied the mark for the biggest come-from-behind win in school history. Illinois came back from the same score (27-7) at Michigan in 1999, defeating the Wolverines 35-29.
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Following Illinois' 33-30 overtime win over Rutgers, E.B. Halsey's 13-yard touchdown catch was nominated as a Pontiac/ESPN Game-Changing Moment.
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Illinois has been named among the Top-50 college football programs of all time, by Street and Smith Magazine. In the recent publication, the Illini rank 37th.
Offensive Notes
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The Illini rank sixth in the conference in redzone offensive effeciency (87.5 percent). The team has converted on 21-of-24 occasions inside the 20 yardline, scoring 13 touchdowns and eight field goals.
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Pierre Thomas rushed for a season-high 100 yards vs. Iowa on 15 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. This marks the fifth 100-yard rushing game of his career. Thomas is averaging 5.3 yards per carry on the season, and has had only two rushes for negative yardage out of 61 carries on the year.
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True-freshman receiver Kyle Hudson had a game-high 83 yards receiving vs. Iowa, catching six passes. That is also the highest single-game receiving yardage total by an Illini player this season. Hudson has four 30+-yard catchs this season out of 14 receptions. Despite having only 14 catches, Hudson leads the Illini in receiving yardage on the season with 243 yards.
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Thirteen different players have caught passes for the Illini this season.
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The Illini set a record for the longest drive in school history vs. Iowa with an impressive 20-play drive in the second quarter. That drive covered 90 yards and took 7:59. Illinois also added a 12-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a TD vs. Iowa in the third quarter. On the year, Illinois has had 13 drives that have lasted 10 or more plays.
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During Illinois' 90-yard drive against Iowa, Brasic had seven straight completions. He was then a perfect 9-for-9 passing during Illinois' 80-yard TD drive. He also completed five consecutive passes on two other occasions during the game.
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E.B. Halsey set a career high with 11 receptions vs. Iowa and came up with a clutch 1-yard TD catch on 4th-and-goal. Halsey is Illinois' leading receiver on the year with 29 catches.
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Tim Brasic became the first Illinois quarterback since Kurt Kittner's 41-13 victory over Arkansas State in 1999, to win his first season opener as a starter, with Illinois' 33-30 overtime win over Rutgers.
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The Illini rattled off 40 unanswered points against San Jose State.
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With Illinois trailing Rutgers 27-7, quarterback Tim Brasic led the Illini to four scores in the final 25:49 of the game, completing 19-of-25 passes (76%) for 195 yards and two touchdowns during that time. Brasic also completed his first eight passes against San Jose State and finished the game connecting on 77 percent of his passes (17-for-22). For the season, Brasic has completed 73 percent of his throws.
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Illinois rushed for over 200 yards in the first two games of the season (204 vs. RU, 243 vs. SJSU), averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
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Twice this season, quarterback Tim Brasic has led the team in rushing (vs. Michigan State and Rutgers). For the year, Brasic has compiled 242 rushing yards, which is the third-most for an Illinois quarterback in a single season. In 1978, Rick Weiss rushed 154 times for 297 yards. Brasic needs just 55 net yards to log the most rushing yards by an Illini QB.
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Along with throwing for 233 yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers, Tim Brasic also led the Illini in rushing with 77 yards. He became the first UI quarterback to lead the Illini in rushing in 18 years, since Brian Menkhausen had 31 yards vs. Michigan State on Oct. 24, 1987. Brasic's 77 yards against also ranks as the sixth-best rushing performance by quarterback in school history.
Defensive Notes
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In the third quarter of play vs. Indiana, Illinois held the Hoosiers scoreless with only 51 yards gained. Indiana punted in each of its three drives that quarter.
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Illinois forced a season-high three turnovers against Indiana. Junior cornerback Alan Ball gt his first career interception and linebackers J Leman and Remond Willis each forced fumbles. The Illinois offense scored on two of the three drives following the turnovers.
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In just his second game back in the line-up and first start, Justin Harrison led the Illini with nine tackles vs. Iowa and also recorded the second interception of his career, which he returned 30 yards.
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Kevin Mitchell leads the Illini in tackles on the year with 35. Mitchell has been second on the team in tackles in four of the last five games, totaling a career-high 8 tackles vs. Iowa, 7 vs. both Michigan State and San Jose State, and 5 vs. California.
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During Illinois' first half run against No. 15 California, the defense forced three three-and-outs, held quarterback Joe Ayoob to only one completion in nine attempts and just seven points. The defense only spent 3:12 on the field in the first quarter and 8:25 for the half.
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After California scored a touchdown on its opening possession, Illinois held the Bears scoreless over the next 36:05, to midway through the 3rd quarter. Cal had four consecutive scoreless drives in between its first two touchdowns, in which the Illini defense limited Cal to 44 yards and just one first down during that time.
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Illinois' defense held Rutgers to no points in the final 25:49 of regulation. From the time Rutgers went ahead 27-7 with 10:49 left in the 3rd quarter, Illinois' defense held Rutgers to just 143 total yards (37 rushing and 106 passing) and one overtime field goal for the remainder of the game.
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In the first half of play against San Jose State, the Illini held the Spartans to just two first downs and negative three yards rushing. SJSU went into the locker room at the half with only 62 total yards, averaging 2.5 yards a play.
Special Teams Notes
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Sophomore kicker Jason Reda nailed a career-long 52-yard field goal against Indiana, marking the longest since the season finale of the 2001 season when John Gockman made a 52-yarder vs. Northwestern. It also was the seventh-longest field goal in school history.
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Weatherford has kicked off 19 times, 16 of which reached the endzone. Fifteen have resulted in touchbacks, while only three have been returned (16 percent).
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Weatherford has punted 35 times for a 41.2 average and only 14 of his 35 punts have been returned (40 percent).
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Reda is a perfect 13-for-13 in extra point attempts this season, making him 38-for-39 (.974) for his career.
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The Illini have blocked three kicks this season through six games. Defensive tackle Ryan Matha blocked a field goal against Rutgers, defensive tackle Chris Norwell got the field goal block against Cal and Xavier Fulton knocked down an extra point attempt vs. Indiana. The most blocked kicks for an Illini team in recent years was six by the 2001 and 1997 squads.
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Against San Jose State, sophomore kicker Jason Reda hit a career-best four field goals including a 45-yarder. It was the most field goals by an Illini kicker since Neil Rackers hit four against Ohio State in 1999. He is second in the conference with 1.67 field goals per game.
