Illinois vs. Purdue Game Notes in PDF Format

For Openers

• According to the most recent Sagarin ratings, Illinois is playing the 12th toughest schedule in the nation. Six of Illinois opponents are bowl eligible (Rutgers, Iowa, Ohio, Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State)

• Illinois middle linebacker J Leman earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following his 19-tackle performance vs. No. 1 Ohio State. He also recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. His play helped lead the Illini defense to hold OSU to the fewest offensive yards of the season, as well as the fewest points scored and the smallest margin of victory. In a shutout second half, the Illini defenders allowed only 29 yards and four first downs.

• Leman has recorded eight games of 10-plus tackles to lead the team. For the season, he is averaging 11.7 tackles per game, which ranks first in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.

• Illinois has played six Big Ten contests this year. In games against those same six opponents last year, the point differential in the outcomes was 34.3 points with no wins. Against Iowa, Michigan State, Indiana, Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State this year, the difference is 7.2 points with a victory over MSU.

• The Illinois defense is holding opponents to only 123.7 yards rushing per game, which is the lowest average since the 1994 season, when the squad finished with a 121.7 rushing defensive average.

• Illinois true-freshman quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams has proven he has big-play ability. Seven of his nine touchdown passes this season have been for 76, 69, 69, 53, 44, 35 and 31 yards.

• Williams is one of five true-freshmen quarterbacks who have made starts nationally -- Williams, ILL; Mitch Mustain, Arkansas; Nate Davis, Ball State; Thaddeus Lewis, Duke; and Matthew Stafford, Georgia.

• With 2,393 career yards rushing, senior running back Pierre Thomas now ranks seventh all-time on the school's rushing list.

• The Illini have taken advantage of opportunities in the red zone, scoring on 22 of 23 trips inside the 20. The 95.6 percent success rate ranks first in the Big Ten.

• Illinois' win over Michigan State marked some firsts for the Illini. It was Ron Zook's first Big Ten win, his first road win as Illini head coach, kicker Jason Reda's first game-winning field goal and true-freshman quarterback Juice Williams' first career win.

• Sophomore defensive tackle David Lindquist leads the Big Ten with four fumbles recovered.

Game Day Happenings

• During Saturday's game, the Division of Intercollegiate will honor long-time radio announcer and former Illini great running back Jim Grabowski. After 28 years on the Illinois football broadcast, Grabowski will be retiring from the mic.

• Illinois will be hosting a reunior for all former Chiefs. In the history of Chief Illiniwek, there have been 35 men who and one woman who have donned the cherished American Indiana regalia.

The Battle for the Cannon

• This week Illinois and Purdue will play for the coveted "Cannon". Purdue leads the traditional trophy series by a 28-25-2 mark.

• 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. Tomahawk Service and Leadership honorary at Purdue and Illini Pride of Illinois maintain the trophy when the respective school has won it.

• Illinois held the Cannon for a two-year stretch after victories over Purdue during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The Cannon was last fired Nov. 4, 2001, at the Illinois football complex following the victory. The Boilers won back the trophy in 2003 and have retained possession of it for the last three years following a 37-3 win over Illinois in 2005.

Purdue Series Notes

• Saturday's game marks 84th meeting between these two teams, dating back to 1890. The series with Purdue is the oldest continuous in Illinois' 116-year history. Purdue was one of two teams played in Illinois' inaugural year of college football (the other was Illinois-Wesleyan, which ended in 1912).

• Illinois leads the series, 41-36-6 overall, and in Champaign, 21-18-2. The Boilers have won the last three meetings.

• This will be Ron Zook's second contest vs. Purdue, carrying a 0-1 record vs. the Boilers. Purdue coach Joe Tiller is 5-2 vs. the Illini.

• Former Illinois quarterback coach Ed Zaunbrecher returned to Purdue this season after one season in Champaign. He serves as co-offensive coordinator for the Boilers.

• Illinois has six players on its roster from the state of Indiana, including two starters -- S Kevin Mitchell (Ft. Wayne/Homestead), and P Kyle Yelton (Chesterton).

Star Busters

The Illini defense has limited the production of some of the nation's most explosive players this season. Here are some of the highlights:

• Ted Ginn, OSU, WR: Ginn entered the game vs. Illinois averaging 13.9 yards per catch and 67.9 yards per game ... vs. the Illini, he caught five passes for 26 yards, 5.2 yards per catch, with a long of 15 yards.

• PJ Hill, WIS, RB: Hill entered the game as the Big Ten's leading rusher with 146.5 per game, 5.8 per carry ... He carried the ball only 12 times for 50 total yards.

• Tony Hunt, PSU, RB: Entered the game against the Illini averaging 100.3 yards per game, 5.0 yards per carry ... He finished the game with 52 yards, for an average of 2.7 per carry.

• Antonio Pittman, OSU, RB: Pittman entered the game vs. the Illini averaging 99.3 yards rushing and 5.5 yards per carry ... vs. Illinois he had 32 carries for only 58 yards, 1.8 yards per carry. He was stopped for a loss or no gain on 11 of those 32 carries.

• Troy Smith, OSU, QB: Smith entered the game vs. Illinois averaging 210.9 yards passing per game and completing 67.8 percent of his passes. He had only thrown two interceptions and averaged over three touchdown passes a game ...Against the Illini he completed only 13 passes for 108 yards (8.3 ypc), threw an interception and was held without a touchdown pass.

Records to Watch

• Pierre Thomas has compiled 2,393 career rushing yards. He needs 92 yards to improve to sixth on the all-time list. Halsey is currently 20th on that same list with 1,446 yards. He would improve to 19th with 95 yards.

• Junior kicker Jason Reda has made 32 field goals in his three-year career at Illinois, which ranks seventh on the all-time field goal list. He needs two more to move to sixth.

• With one more field goals, Reda will tie his 13 made last season, the most in a single season for him.

• Illinois quarterback Juice Williams has racked up 377 rushing yards this season, which ranks second in a single-season by a quarterback (Tim Brasic's 420 yards from 2005 is the record). With 43 yards, he would set the single-season record and 139 yards would give him the career record.

Illinois' Defensive Improvements

• What was once considered the achilles' heel of the 2005 squad, the defensive unit for Illinois has made vast improvements that are astounding when looked at in comparison. The rushing defense has improved its attack allowing 110 yards less than it did a year ago, going from the league's worst to fourth-ranked. The total defense was giving up nearly 500 yards of offense in 2005 and now has stopped opponents to under 300 yards on the average.

• Illinois held No. 1 ranked Ohio State to the fewest points (17) and total offense (224) this year. It was also the smallest margin of victory for the Buckeyes this season (7 points). In the second half, OSU was limited to 29 yards of total offense, four first downs and were held scorless.

• The Illini defense has held three rushing offenses under 100 yards (Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin).

• Wisconsin entered its game vs. the Illini as the Big Ten's leading rushing team with 196.2 yards per game. Illinois held them to 99 yards.

• Illinois' defensive unit shut down a Penn State offense that had averaged 375.1 yards per game, allowing only 184. Their rushing offense led by running back Tony Hunt (100.3 ypg) was recording 162 yards per contest and were held to just 40 by the Illini, while Hunt ran for 52.

• The Illini defense held Michigan State's potent running game to a mere 82 yards rushing, 173.5 yards below their average. The Spartans were averaging 476.8 yards of total offense for the season and the Illinois allowed only 259 yards, 217.8 below their average.

  Defensive Category	2005 Average	2006 Average	Difference	2005 Big Ten Rank	2006 Big Ten Rank	Difference
  Scoring Defense	39.5	25.2	14.3	11th	7th	+4
  Rushing Defense	234.0	123.7	110.3	11th	5th	+6
  Passing Defense	235.3	168.9	66.4	5th	3rd	+2
  Total Defense	469.3	292.6	176.7	10th	4th	+6

The Juice is Loose

• Illinois true-freshman quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams led the Illini to a victory at Michigan State on Sept. 20 in just his second career start. He is one of four Illinois quarterbacks to win the second game of their careers -- Kurt Kittner (1998), Jason Verduzco (1990) and Jack Trudeau (1983).

• Williams has proven he has quick-strike, big-play ability. Seven of his nine touchdown passes this season have been for 76, 69, 69, 53, 44, 35 and 31 yards. The scoring drives have been 1, 1, 3, 4, 4, 5 and 6 plays in length with the longest time elapsed being 2:22.

• Williams got his first collegiate start in the Illini's Big Ten opener against Iowa. He was the first true-freshman QB to start for the Illini since Kurt Kittner opened the game against Iowa on Sept. 26, 1998.

• With Williams' TD passes of 76 and 69 yards (against Syracuse) and 69 yards (at Michigan State), he became the first quarterback in school history to throw three touchdown passes of more than 65 yards in a career.

• He is also the team's third-leading rusher at this point in the season with 377 yards. His yards on the ground are the second-most in a single season by an Illinois signal-caller. The current record is held by fellow teammate Tim Brasic, who rushed for 420 last season.

• Williams made his college debut in the second quarter of the season opener and led the Illini on a 61-yard, 12-play drive for a touchdown. With that score, he became the first true-freshman quarterback in school history to lead a scoring drive on his first collegiate try.

Illini Get Ground Game on Track

• The Penn State defense is one of the most stingy against the running game, allowing an average of 84.7 yards on the ground prior to the Illinois game. The Illini racked up 202 yards rushing, the most by any team vs. the Nittany Lions this year.

• With a 173.6 rushing average per game, the Illini are posting the best average for an Illinois squad since the 1999 season, when they averaged 173.5 yards

• The Illini have rushed for over 200 yards five times this year. They piled up 202 at Penn State, 211 vs. Ohio, 209 yards against Indiana, 252 at MSU and posted 345 vs. EIU earlier this season.

• Illinois running back Pierre Thomas (110) and quarterback Juice Williams (103) both rushed for over 100 yards in the victory over MSU. It was the first time the Illini had a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game since Rocky Harvey and Antoineo Harris accomplished the feat at San Diego State in 2000. It was the first time in school history that a pair of 100-yard rushers were a running back and a quarterback.

• Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards eight times in his career, following his 126 yards against Indiana. He scored two touchdowns in a game for the fifth time in his career with his two TD runs against EIU.

• Of Illinois' 205 carries by running backs this year, only 11 have been for negative yardage (-22).

• Thomas has rushed for 2,393 yards in three-plus seasons, carrying the ball 434 times. During that time, Thomas is averaging 5.5 yards per carry, while scoring 19 career touchdowns.

• Illinois had six rushing touchdowns against Eastern Illinois. The last time Illinois had six rushing TDs in a game was in the Micronpc.com bowl victory over Virginia on Dec. 30, 1999.

True Freshmen Quarterbacks

• Williams is one of five true-freshmen quarterbacks starting for their respective teams this year, and one of seven seeing time on the field. Here is how he compares:

  Player, School	GS-GP	Record as starter	Att.	Comp.	Pct.	Yds.	YPG	TD	INT
  Nate Davis, Ball State	5-10	2-3	186	119	64.0	1495	149.5	15	7
  Thaddeus Lewis, Duke	7-8	0-7	207	110	53.1	1369	171.1	5	9
  Mitch Mustain, Arkansas	8-9	8-0	122	64	52.5	853	94.8	10	8
  Jevan Snead, Texas	0-4	0-0	18	13	72.2	181	45.3	1	1
  Matthew Stafford, Georgia	5-10	4-1	186	96	51.6	1230	123.0	4	12
  Tim Tebow, Florida	0-7	0-0	17	11	64.7	157	22.4	2	1
  Juice Williams, ILLINOIS	7-10	1-6	215	91	42.3	1329	132.9	9	8

1,000-Yard Rushing Duos

Illinois is one of two Big Ten teams to boast a pair of career 1,000-yard rushers on its current roster in seniors Pierre Thomas (2,393 career yards) and E.B. Halsey (1,447 career yards). Michigan State is the other. In all, there are 12 1,000-yard career rushers currently listed on Big Ten rosters:

Sharing the Wealth

• The Illini have a triple threat at the tailback position in seniors E.B. Halsey and Pierre Thomas and sophomore Rashard Mendenhall. Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards three times this season and Mendenhall once.

• The Illini have rushed for over 200 yards on five occasions this season.

• In the season opener, the three tailbacks combined for 283 yards -- Thomas led the team with 126, followed by Halsey's 82 yards and Mendenhall's 75. In the season opener against Eastern Illinois, the trio combined for 283 yards (the first 300-yard rushing game for an Illini team since the 1999 Micronpc.com Bowl game). The last time an Illinois team had three backs with over 75 yards in a game was in the 2001 Big Ten Championship year against Indiana. The trio also averaged 7.9 yards per carry against EIU.

• For years, the Illinois running game has consisted of the multiple tailback philosophy. Dating back to 1998 (and with the exception of the 2002 season), two or more running backs have split time in the backfield. With all three tailbacks contributing in the 2006 season, the running game is much of the same. 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	Pierre Thomas (893) & E.B. Halsey (461) 1,354 (123.1 ypg)
  2005	Pierre Thomas (664), E.B. Halsey (349) & Rashard Mendenhall (218) 1,277 (116.0 ypg)
  2006	Pierre Thomas (603), E.B. Halsey (112) & Rashard Mendenhall (488) 1,203 (120.3 ypg)
  * only season since 1998 Illinois has had one featured back

Youth Gone Wild

• This season 16 true freshmen have logged mintues. They are: OL Jon Asamoah, S Travon Bellamy, PK Michael Cklamovski, TE Jeff Cumberland, CB Vontae Davis, CB Chris Duvalt, CB Dere Hicks, TE Michael Hoomanawanui, DE Antonio James, WR Chris James, WR Joe Morgan, DL Clay Nurse, LB Rahkeem Smith, WR Marques Wilkins, QB Juice Williams, P Kyle Yelton.

• Illinois' debut of 16 true freshmen this year are the second-most of any team in Division I-A. Temple has played 20, followed by Illinois and Florida State with 16.

• Illinois has played 68 athletes this season, 27 of which have made their first collegiate appearance for Illinois, over 40 percent of the team.

• Last season, two Illini freshmen earned freshman honors. DE Derek Walker earned Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News, while OL Ryan McDonald was named to the Freshman All-Big Ten team.

• Five true-freshmen have made starts this season -- QB Juice Williams, TE Jeff Cumberland, CB Vontae Davis, TE Michael Hoomanawanui and P Kyle Yelton.

Offensive Notes

• The Illini have taken advantage of opportunities in the red zone, scoring on 22 of 23 trips inside the 20. The 95.6 percent success rate ranks first in the Big Ten.

• Illinois has outgained 7 of 10 opponents so far this season: EIU, Syracuse, Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio, Penn State and No. 1 Ohio State. Illinois outgained only 2 of 11 opponents during the entire 2005 season.

• In the Sept. 1 issue of The Sporting News, Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was named one of the top-5 minority assistant coaches on the rise in the hunt for head coaching positions.

• Two Illinois touchdown passes have come from non-quarterbacks this season. Running back E.B. Halsey tossed a touchdown to Jacob Willis vs. Michigan State and wide receiver DaJuan Warren threw a touchdown to Jody Ellis vs. Indiana.

• Senior offensive guard Matt Maddox is in his fourth year as a starter and has started 44 consecutive games at Illinois.

• Against Michigan State, the Illini offensive line, while missing left tackle Akim Millington, didn't allow a sack, the only time this season.

• Illinois tied its longest drive in school history with a 99-yard drive against Syracuse that resulted in Kyle Hudson's 69-yard TD catch. It was the third time that the Illini have had a 99-yard drive, and the first time since Oct. 7, 1989 vs. Ohio State.

• For the season, the Illini have recorded 26 big plays over 25 yards. Against both EIU and Indiana, the Illini offense posted six big plays.

• With a 76-yard pass to Rashard Mendenhall and 69-yard hookups with Kyle Hudson and Jacob Willis this season, Williams has engineered the program's first- and third-longest completions in school history since the 1994 Liberty Bowl.

• Not only does the Illini offense spread the wealth in the rushing game, but Illinois quarterbacks have found 13 different targets for 128 completed passes.

Defensive Notes

• Illinois middle linebacker J Leman has recorded eight games of 10-plus tackles to lead the team. For the season, he is averaging 11.7 tackles per game, which ranks first in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.

• Sophomore defensive end Derek Walker leads the team in sacks in just his second year as a starter. In 10 games, he has recorded 5.5 sacks for a loss of 25 yards. He ranks seventh in the Big Ten.

• Sophomore defensive tackle David Lindquist has a knack of being around the ball. This season he has recovered four fumbles, which leads the Big Ten.

• Against Michigan State, the Illini defense posted five sacks, the most in a game during the Ron Zook era.

• Fighting Illini defenders racked up 12 sacks in 11 games in 2005; they've surpassed that mark this year, with 19 sacks through the Ohio State game.

• The Illinois defense has allowed 25 touchdowns and 15 field goals this season. However, 12 of those 25 touchdowns came on a short field when the opponent started in Illini territory, as well as eight of the 14 field goals.

• The Illinois defense has recorded 12 scoreless quarters this season (out of 40).

• The Illini defense held the Iowa offense scoreless for the game's first 24:05, marking the longest scoreless time span to start the game by an opponent in the Ron Zook era. Iowa did not score in the first or third quarters, which mark the fifth and sixth scoreless quarters of the season by UI opponents. After giving up 21 points in the final 5:55 of the first half, the defense shut down the Hawks for only three points in the final half.

Forcing Turnovers

• In 10 games this season, the Illini have forced 15 turnovers, surpassing the eight recorded during the entire 2005 season. The squad posted a season-high three turnovers against Rutgers.

• Of those 15 turnovers, nine have been interceptions, which surpasses the total number (4) from a year ago. Linebacker Brit Miller and safety Kevin Mitchell lead the team with two picks. Both freshmen Vontae Davis and Travon Bellamy, and junior Justin Sanders posted their first collegiate interceptions this season.

• Bellamy's interception vs. Wisconsin was returned 41 yards for the touchdown. It was the first interception return for a TD since 2004 when Kelvin Hayden did it against Florida A&M.

• Seven times this season opponents drives deep in the red zone have been thwarted by turnovers. Against Eastern Illinois, freshman corner Vontae Davis' endzone interception halted an EIU goal line stand, Alan Ball recorded an endzone interception at Rutgers, linebacker J Leman forced a fumble at the goal line against the Scarlet Knights, safeties Justin Harrison and Kevin Mitchell have intercepted passes at the one yardline and Harrison stripped MSU's Drew Stanton at the two-yardline. Justin Sanders picked off an Ohio first half hail mary in the endzone.

Special Teams Notes

• Illinois placekicker Jason Reda earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors after his game-winning field goal against Michigan State on Oct. 7.

• Junior placekicker Jason Reda converted his first career last minute game-winning field goal when he connected for a 39-yard kick with six seconds left at Michigan State, to lift Illinois over the Spartans, 23-20. It was the first game-winning field goal for an Illini kicker since Chris Richardson made a 41-yarder against Ohio State for the 10-7 win on Oct. 22, 1991.

• Reda has been the model of consistency when it comes to extra-point kicking. In three seasons, he is a near-perfect 66-of-67, including his last 56 attempts.

• Reda has also connected on 32 made field goals in three seasons as the starter, which ranks seventh on the Illinois career list. He needs two more to move up to sixth.

Walk-ons Welcome

The Illini football team has received many contributions from players that arrived on the Illinois campus as walk-ons. Through the years some of those players began receiving aid after proving themselves on the field and some still fall under the walk-on category. These are those players:

• Conor Gillen, LB, So. - Has played in five games on special teams.

• Spencer Jensen, WR, Jr. - Has played in two games, and has one catch.

• Frank Lenti, WR, Jr.* - Has caught three passes for 68 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown vs. Ohio ... Team's full-time holder.

• David Lindquist, DT, So.* - Leads the Big Ten in fumble recoveries ... Has played in every game, starting two at defensive tackle ... Has 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

• Drew McMahon, DB, Jr. - Has played in five games on special teams.

• Josh Norris, DT, Sr.* - Has started nine of 10 games at defensive tackle ... Totaled 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

• Tyler Rouse, DB, Jr. - Has played on special teams in every game this year.

• Tom Sullivan, TE, r-Fr. - Has played in every game as a third tight end, starting once against Rutgers.

• Jacob Willis, WR, Jr. - Has started in four games this year ... Second leading receiver on the team with 14 catches for 287 yards ... Also has three touchdown catches.

Two-Sport Double Duty

• Sophomore receiver Kyle Hudson returned to the football field this fall after leading the team in 2005 in receiving yards. He compiled 469 yards receiving on 31 catches, falling just 42 yards short of the Illinois freshman receiving record. He also was Illinois' deep threat a year ago, posting seven catches over 25 yards. During his offseason, Hudson was the starting centerfielder for the Illini baseball team, also leading the squad with a .375 batting average. Working around the spring football season, Hudson started in 34-of-35 games played. He also stole 10 bases. For his efforts, he was named the University of Illinois' Male Newcomer of the Year.

Versatile Warren

• Soon the Illinois roster will need to list junior DaJuan Warren as a slash. In 10 games, the Southfield, Mich., native has played his regular position of wide receiver, punted seven times, thrown a touchdown pass and rushed three times for 26 yards. He has 14 catches for 181 yards.

What's In a Name?

• It is hard not to pay attention to the 12-letter long last name of freshman tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. The difficulty in its pronunciation has caused coaches and teammates to nickname Michael "Huh-oh" representing the first two syllables of his name. The name is one of Hawaiin decent, which he gets from his father, Isy's, side of the family, who hails from Oahu. The name is not the most common in its native land, but retains the special meaning "patience".

Transfers Making a Difference

• In addition to the many members of the freshman class making an impact in the season opener, three transfers have found themselves in the starting lineup in their first season at Illinois: OT Akim Millington, S Justin Sanders and LB Antonio Steele.

• Steele and Sanders came to the Illini via the junior college route, Steele from Long Beach City College and Sanders from NE Mississippi Junior College. Both players have NFL bloodlines with Steele's older brother, Markus, having played for five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. Sander's father, John, played for six years with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

• Millington was a transfer from Oklahoma, where he was slated to be in the starting lineup. A family situation forced him to leave the Sooners and sit out the 2005 season. He arrived in January to begin working out with the Illini. Millington has only played football for a short time, beginning in high school. He grew up in Trinidad playing soccer and fishing. He taught himself to play football by reading books in the library.

Retooled Offensive Line

• With the additions of large bookend tackles Akim Millington and Charles Myles, the Illinois offensive line has increased its size to over 1,500 pounds. Each starter weighs in at over 300 pounds and the five starters average 308 pounds. Millington joined the team in the spring as a transfer from Oklahoma, where he played in 2004. Myles is a transfer from the defensive side of the ball, where he played defensive tackle for the Illini in 2003 and 2004.

• Despite returning all five starters to the offensive line, only left guard Martin O'Donnell is in the same position as a year ago. Myles and Millington joined at the tackle positions, giving the coaching staff the ability to move sophomore Ryan McDonald inside to his more natural center position. Senior Matt Maddox, who played center in 2005, has returned to right guard where he played in every game as a freshman and sophomore.

Classroom Standouts

• Four Illini have already earned their college degrees -- CB Sharriff Abdullah (B.S., Recreation, Sport and Tourism), RB E.B. Halsey (B.S., Recreation, Sport and Tourism), LB J Leman (B.S., Speech Communications) and OL J.J. Simmons (B.A., Speech Communications).

• Illinois junior linebacker J Leman is not only a standout on the field, but his accomplishments in the classroom include a bachelor's degree in just three years. He maintained a 3.7 GPA in communications, graduating this past August. He is currently pursuing a master's degree with two seasons of eligibility still remaining.

• The Illini's starting center Ryan McDonald is pursuing his undergraduate degree in one of the most difficult academic fields at the University of Illinois. Illinois is known for its engineering ciriculum, ranking in the Top-10 in all nine disciplines, including the top-rated civil engineering program. McDonald has recorded a 3.87 in aeronautical engineering, a program which ranks eighth nationally.

Memorial Stadium Gets a Facelift

• Recently the Illinois Board of Trustees approved a $116 million renovation for Illinois' historic Memorial Stadium. The renovation project is slated to begin following the completion of the 2006 football season and IHSA championship football games. Construction will occur on the north, west and east sides of the stadium, with permanent seating on the north end being completed for the 2007 season. The remaining areas, which include the east and west side, should wrap up in time for the 2008 season.(updated photos and renderings available upon request).

• Among the renovation on the west side is the addition of luxury suites, indoor and outdoor club areas and a refurbishment of the concourses. An outdoor club space, the Colonnades Club, will be added under the west balcony and will allow for indoor game day hospitality, as well as outdoor chair back seats for contest viewing. In the west balcony, a three-level structure will be built to house two floors of suites and an indoor club space as well as a new press box for media seating and game day operations. The indoor club, which seats 200, has been named "77 Club" to honor the retired number of Illinois gridiron legend Harold "Red" Grange.

• The funding comes in large part from the sales of suites, club seats and naming rights, which covers nearly 85 percent of the total cost. The remaining 15 percent will be funded by a ticket surcharge, which was inacted this year.

Illini Gridders Make Impact in the Community

• This summer as part of the team's bonding activities, the seniors decided to have the team come together for a charitable cause. The 10 seniors, led by OL Matt Maddox, JJ Simmons and RB E.B. Halsey, as a group adopted the local Cunningham Children's Home. The home began as an orphanage until the state implemented the foster care system making its residents wards of the State of Illinois. Most the kids in the home are dealing with psychological, behavioral and transitional situations.

• The football team took part in four different events each aimed at providing support and attention to the needs of the Cunningham Home.

• The summer began with 12-hour supply drive to raise goods and money for the home from their Wish List. The team congregated on the West side of Memorial Stadium and along with the help of four local radio stations, solicited the help of community members to give supplies and money to the Home. The goal was to score a touchdown with the goods, laying them out on a 100-yard field. At the last moment, the goals was reached and over $13,000 in goods and money were raised for the Home.

• The other activities included a more hands-on approach to the kids. The team hosted a movie night in the stadium (intended to be shown on the jumbotron, but rain spoiled, so it was moved to the squad room) and watched "Glory Road". They had a Fun Fest with the kids, setting up seven different stations of football equipment, teaching drills and fundamentals in the indoor facility. In the fourth and final activity, members of the team enjoyed a pool party at the Home with the kids.