Sept. 5, 2005

Complete Release in PDF Format

For Openers

• 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. Illinois' 22 head football coaches have compiled an all-time record of 11-10-1 in their first games. 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• After Brian Leonard's 83-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, the Illinois defense held Rutgers to no points in the final 25:49 of the game.

• Rutgers made four trips to the redzone with Illinois holding the Scarlet Knights to just one touchdown. In the other three drives, the Illini forced field goal attempts in which RU made only two of three.

• Along with throwing for 233 yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers, Tim Brasic also led the Illini in rushing with 77 yards. He becomes 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.

• All five of Illinois' scoring drives in regulation were under four minutes ... The average drive time for scoring runs was just 2:51.

• Two Illinois players have earned preseason award hype in Doak Walker candidate Pierre Thomas and 200

• Ray Guy semifinalist Steve Weatherford. Thomas led the team in rushing last season with 893 yards, which ranked fifth in the conference. He led the Big Ten in all-purpose yards, racking up over 1,600 yards in rushing, receiving and kickoff returns. Weatherford already holds the school record for career and single-season punting average. Last season, the Big Ten coaches voted him first-team All-Big Ten and he ranked fourth nationally.

Charting the Comeback

This weekend's win over Rutgers tied the Illinois modern day school record for largest comeback win. The Illini closed a 20-point deficit (27-7) to beat the Scarlet Knights, 33-30 in overtime. In 1999, the Illini also were down 27-7 to ninth-ranked Michigan midway through the third quarter, before walking away with the shocking 35-29 victory. In Saturday's victory, quarterback Tim Brasic led the Illini to four scores in the final 25:49, passing for 19-of-25 (76%) for 195 yards and two touchdowns during that time. Here is a breakdown of Illinois' comeback:

They Believe

Coach Zook's slogan for the 2005 football season is "I Believe". It became readily apparent during last Saturday's come-from-behind win over Rutgers that the Illini players have taken the theme to heart. Illinois faced a 20-point deficit, trailing 27-7 midway through the third quarter. But the squad refused to give up and staged a furious comeback, reeling off 20 unanswered points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to force overtime. After Rutgers opened OT with a field goal, the Illini got a big play on 2nd and seven from the 22-yardline when junior E.B. Halsey changed directions on a screen pass and went for 20 yards, setting up first and goal at the two. Junior Pierre Thomas scored the game-winner on the following play. In the end, Illinois equaled its largest come-from-behind win in school history. Following the game, Halsey and senior Jason Davis presented Zook with the game ball on behalf of the team.

Brasic on the Run

Brasic's 77 yards rushing against Rutgers marked the sixth-best rushing game by an Illini signal caller. In school history, there have only been three 100-yard rushing performances by Illinois quarterbacks with the last one coming in 1978. The following is a list of the top-10 rushing performances by Illinois quarterbacks:

1. 106 Rick Weiss vs. Wisconsin, 10/14/78
2. 105 Mike Wells vs. Northwestern, 11/4/72
3. 100 Fred Custardo at Ohio State, 10/9/65
4. 95 John Easterbrook vs. Wisconsin, 11/12/60
5. 91 Bob Naponic vs. Purdue, 10/29/66
6. 77 Tim Brasic vs. Rutgers, 9/3/2005
7. 76 Rich Weiss vs. Minnesota, 11/18/78
8. 75 Michael McCray at Purdue, 10/15/77
9. 74 Kurt Stegar vs. Syracuse, 10/1/77
   74 John Easterbrook vs. Indiana, 9/24/60

Records to Watch

• Junior Pierre Thomas is looking to break the school record for kickoff return yardage. Last season he averaged 27.1 yards per return, which ranked 10th in the NCAA. With 822 career yards, Thomas needs just 561 this season to set the school mark.

• Thomas ranks 25th on the all-time rushing list and needs 107 yards to move into the top-20.

• Illini junior running back E.B. Halsey topped the 1,000-yard career rushing mark with his 50 yards vs. Rutgers, becoming the 32nd all-time 1,000-yard career rusher in school history. With 1,036 career yards, Halsey now ranks 30th on the all-time list. He needs just 90 yards to break into the top-25.

Illinois and San Jose State Notes

• This is just the second meeting all-time between Illinois and San Jose State. The programs first played three years ago in Champaign, when SJSU defeated the Illini 38-35 on Sept. 21, 2002. In that game, San Jose State quarterback Scott Rislov threw for 408 yards, which remains the most passing yards by an opposing QB in Memorial Stadium history.

• Illini Head Coach Ron Zook is 1-0 all-time vs. San Jose State. Zook's 2003 Florida team opened the season with a 65-3 victory over SJSU. First-year San Jose State coach Dick Tomey is no stranger to the Illinois program either. During his 14-year tenure as the head coach at Arizona, Tomey compiled a 3-1 record against the Illini with a 28-16 victory in 1990, a 16-14 win in 1993, a 41-0 win in 1996 and a lone loss of 9-7 in 1995.

• Illinois has just one player on its roster from the state of California in redshirt freshman fullback William Obi (Inglewood, Calif./Morningside H.S.).

Illini Pose Triple Threat in the Backfield

• The strength of the 2005 Illinois football team is undoubtedly the running back corps. Not only do the Illini have a pair of returning co-starters in E.B. Halsey and Pierre Thomas, but a fullback with the ability to block, run and catch passes in senior Jason Davis. 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. Davis added 230 yards rushing (and 340 yards receiving) to the mix. The trio accounted for 1,584 yards of Illinois' 1,686 season rushing total (94 percent).

• Illinois ran for 204 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry in the opener against Rutgers, with a new face leading the rushing attack. Quarterback Tim Brasic ran for a career-high 77 yards on 18 carries. Thomas had 63 yards and the game-winning touchdown, while Halsey added 50 yards and Davis 14.

1,000-Yard Rushing Duos

Illinois is one of just two teams in the Big Ten to have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers on its current roster in juniors Pierre Thomas (1,189 career yards) and E.B. Halsey (1,036 career yards). The only other team in the league making the same claim is Purdue, with senior Jerod Void (1,733 career yards) and senior Brandon Jones (1,431 career yards). In all, there are only eight 1,000-yard career rushers currently listed on Big Ten rosters:

   Laurence Maroney, Minnesota   2,672 yards
   Jerod Void, Purdue            1,733 yards
   Mike Hart, Michigan           1,572 yards
   Brandon Jones, Purdue         1,431 yards
   Brian Calhoun, Wisconsin      1,382 yards
   Pierre Thomas, Illinois       1,189 yards
   Chris Taylor, Indiana         1,052 yards
   E.B. Halsey, Illinois         1,036 yards

Getting to Know the 2005 Coaching Staff

• Mike Locksley (OC/TE) • Coached three Maryland running backs to 1,000-yard seasons
• Mike Mallory (DC/MLB) • Only holdover from previous staff
• Reggie Mitchell (AHC/RB) • Has coached at Minnesota and Michigan State
• Dino Dawson (WR) • Was a receiver and kick returner at Ohio State
• Dan Disch (ST/OLB) • Spent 16 years as head coach at Ed White HS in Jacksonville
• Curt Mallory (DB) • Son of legendary coach Bill Mallory
• Tom Sims (DL) • Played seven years as a defensive lineman in the NFL
• Ed Warinner (OL) • Has led five teams to NCAA rushing titles
• Ed Zaunbrecher (QB) • Has coached three current NFL first-round draft picks

Youthful Illini

• The 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 and Central Florida. Illinois' four senior starters are: fullback Jason Davis, wide receiver Kendrick Jones, defensive tackle Ryan Matha and safety Morris Virgil.

• 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.).

• A breakdown of the starting lineup has four seniors, six juniors, nine sophomores and four redshirt-freshmen.

• The Illini started the most underclassmen of any Big Ten team 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 last week:

  	Illinois      12         Michigan State   4
  	Northwestern   7         Ohio State       4
  	Minnesota      6         Michigan         3
  	Iowa           6         Penn State       2
  	Wisconsin      5         Purdue         DNP
  	Indiana        5

Weatherford, One of the Nation's Best Punters

• Against Rutgers, Weatherford punted five times for a 40.6 average, however only two of the five punts were returnable. He kicked one over 50 yards and his 29-yard punt was downed on the Rutgers 11 yardline. Twice, Weatherford punted from out of the Illinois end zone.

• 2004 Ray Guy semifinalist and has earned preseason All-America honors from nearly every publication.

• All six of Weatherford's kickoffs went into the endzone, with only one return attempted. Illinois' opponents' drives began at an average of the 20.4 yardline against Rutgers.

• 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, topping league rival Brandon Fields of Michigan State.

• In 2004, 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.

• 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.

• Weatherford vs. the Other Pre-Season All-Americans

  Name                       Punts    Avg.     RK     I20    TB   FC    50+    RT   RT Yds    RT%    Net    Net RK
  Steve Weatherford, ILL       5      40.6    33rd     1      0	 1     1      2     8.5     40%    37.2    32nd
  Brandon Fields, Mich. St.    3      43.7    21st     0      0    0     1      3     6.3    100%    37.3    30th
  Tom Malone, USC            (DNP-injured)
  Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor     3      42.0    28th     0      0    0     0     23    17.5     67%    32.5    60th
  * RT% is the percentage of punts returned

Position Switches

Six players on the 2005 two-deep entered spring practices on one side of the ball only to find themselves doing the `ol switcharoo in an effort to provide more depth or utilize athletic skills. All six players have bettered their position in the Illini depth chart.

• Jody Ellis (WR): Ellis entered training camp at the safety position, but it wasn't long after the switch to receiver that he crept into the starting lineup ... Against Rutgers, he caught three passes for 16 yards, including his first career TD reception.

• Brian Grzelakowski & Walter Mendenhall (LB): Grzelakowski was a fullback and Mendenhall a tailback in a deep running back position battle, buth both were needed on the defensive side to provide more speed at the linebacker position. They currently are second on the depth chart behind sophomore Anthony Thornhill, but expect to see significant game action. Both played against Rutgers and Mendenhall had one tackle.

• Russ Weil (FB): Weil was a talented high school running back who rushed for over 2,500 yards in his career. He moved back to his natural position of fullback midway through spring ball.

• Bryan Truttling & Andrew Burk (OL): Both Truttling and Burk were buried on the defensive line depth chart in the spring and immediatley showed signs of taking to the offensive side of the ball. Now the duo are both listed second at their guard and tackle positions, respectively.

Memorial Stadium to Receive Facelift

• Over the next few years, the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium will be undergoing a major facelift, which looks to create luxury boxes, indoor and outdoor club seating, provide new workspaces for the working press and upgrade both endzone seating areas.

• Illinois has contracted the services of HNTB, an architectural firm out of Kansas City, Mo., which is responsible for the contstruction to Ohio Stadium, Ross-Ade Stadium and Kinnick Stadium.

• Memorial Stadium is a memorial to the Illinois students and alums who lost their lives in World War I. Their names appear on the 200 columns that support the East and West sides of the stadium. In May of 2002, the University Alumni Association began a campaign to fund a veterans' memorial project which would recognize the 1,087 who lost their lives in battle in World War II, the Second Nicaraguan Campaign, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Lebanon and Desert Storm. HNTB is designing the additions and renovations with that ideal in mind, taking into consideration the historical significance of the structure.

Offense Notes vs. Rutgers

• Illinois had six possessions in the red zone against Rutgers and had an impressive 100 percent success rate, scoring all six times. Illinois totaled four touchdowns and two field goals.

• All five of Illinois' scoring drives during regulation were under four minutes. The average drive time during scoring drives was just 2:51.

• Illinois had four different players score touchdowns. Eight different players caught passes.

• 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.

• Illinois rushed for over 200 yards in the opener (204) and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.

• Tim Brasic's 77 yards rushing against Rutgers marked the sixth-best rushing game by an Illini quarterback in school history.

Defense Notes vs. Rutgers

Special Teams Notes vs. Rutgers