Sept. 10, 2005

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1. With the 40-19 win over San Jose State, the Illini improve to 2-0 for the first time since the 2001 season.

2. Tim Brasic's two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter marked his first career rushing TD and capped the longest drive of the season in plays, yards and time elapsed. He scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with a 25-yard run in the third quarter, tying his career-long rush. The last time an Illini quarterback had a rushing touchdown was by Jon Beutjer against Northwestern on Nov. 23, 2002. In 1999, at the Micronpc.com Bowl, Illinois quarterbacks scored two rushing touchdowns by Kurt Kittner and Kirk Johnson. Brasic's two touchdown runs today marked the first time any Illini has run for two touchdowns since Pierre Thomas scored twice on the ground at Michigan State on Oct. 9, 2004. Brasic's 25-yard scoring run today was the longest touchdown by a quarterback since Kittner's 61-yard TD against Louisville on Sept. 19, 1998.

3. The Illini defense held San Jose State to 231 yards in the game, the fewest since holding Iowa to 319 yards on Oct. 30, 2004. In the game, the Illini forced six three-and-outs and eight Spartan punts. The first half score against the Illini came with a short field as the drive began at the Illini 19 yard line following a blocked punt.

4. Illinois' 40 points scored are the most since posting 52 in the 2004 season opener against Florida A&M.

5. Remond Willis' interception in the first quarter was Illinois' first pick and turnover forced this season, and also the redshirt-freshman's first interception of his career.

6. Pierre Thomas' 48-yard kickoff return to begin the game was the third-longest of his career (99 vs. WMU, 9/18/04; 72 vs. Purdue, 9/25/04).

7. With 75 yards rushing for the day, junior running back E.B. Halsey improved to 26th on the all-time rushing list with 1,111 total yards. Pierre Thomas rushed for 79 yards to bring his career total to 1,268, which moves him to 23rd on the all-time list.

8. The Illini rushed for 243 yards against the Spartans, topping the 200-yard rushing mark for the second straight game. Illinois also passed for over 200 yards for the second consecutive game. The offense combined for 492 yards of total offense; the second straight game it has gone over the 400-yard mark in total yardage.

9. True-freshman running back Rashard Mendenhall, wide receiver Will Davis and tight end Michael Nabolotny played in their first career games, bringing the number of true-freshmen to play this season to seven.

10. Tim Brasic completed his first eight passes of the game and was 13-for-16 for 110 yards at the half. In the second half he was 4-for-6 for 89 yards, for totals of 17-for-22 for 199 yards and a completion percentage of 77%. Brasic also had a career-long pass and the season-long pass for the Illini in the third quarter when he hooked up with freshman Kyle Hudson for a 43-yard gain.

11. Hudson had his first career reception when he caught that 43-yard pass from Brasic in the third quarter. Hudson also had a 33-yard reception in the fourth quarter to give him two receptions for 76 yards, a game high for Illinois.

12. Redshirt freshman Bryant Creamer played in his first career game.

13. Illini quarterbacks completed passes to 10 different receivers today.

14. E.B. Halsey's 19 yards in punt returns gave him 347 career punt return yards and moved him into eighth on the career punt return yardage list.

15. Sophomore kicker Jason Reda made a career-high four field goals in today's game, the first time an Illini kicker had four field goals in a game since Neil Rackers against Ohio State on Nov. 13, 1999. His 45-yarder in the fourth quarter is a career long.

16. San Jose State's 96-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter was the first given up by an Illini team since Larry Johnson of Penn State on Nov. 11, 2001. It is also the fifth-longest by an opponent in Illinois history.

17. Illinois held San Jose State to 15 yards rushing today, the first time the Illini have held an opponent to less than 50 yards rushing since limiting Louisville to 29 yards on Sept. 22, 2001.