Nov. 10, 2007

Recap | Quotes | Gallery

1. Illinois defeated the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time since 1956, improving the Illini's all-time record against top-ranked opponents to 4-14 all-time. It broke two Ohio State winning streaks, marking the first time in 29 regular-season games and 21 Big Ten games that the Buckeyes have lost. Illinois has now defeated OSU in three of the last four games in Columbus.

2. Coming into the game, OSU had allowed just five touchdown passes all season. Today, Illinois connected on four touchdown passes, its most through the air since Jon Beutjer passed for four TDs against Ilinois State on Sept. 6, 2003.

3. Prior to today, Ohio State had the No. 3 rushing defense in the country, allowing just 65 yards per game. In the game this afternoon, the Illini rushed for 260 yards, the most the Buckeyes have allowed all season. It was the eighth time this season Illinois has rushed for over 200 yards. The key drive for the Illini came at the end of the game, where - despite not scoring - the Illini gained 42 yards on 16 plays while milking the final 8:09 off the clock to seal the victory. It was the second-longest drive of the season, behind only an eight-minute, 41-second drive against Ball State, and the longest non-scoring drive this year.

4. Today, the Illini led 21-14 at halftime, the eighth time they have led at half this season. Illinois is a perfect 8-0 when leading at the half. Doak Walker candidate Rashard Mendenhall broke the Illinois single-season rushing record with his 88 yards today. He now has 1,402 yards for the season, surpassing Antoineo Harris' record of 1,330 yards, recorded in 2002.

5. Juice Williams threw a career-high four touchdown passes while going 12-for-22 for 140 yards and zero interceptions. He also rushed 16 times for 70 yards, an average of 4.4 ypc. He connected with eight different receivers today, with no receiver catching more than three passes.

6. Daniel Dufrene's 80-yard run in the first quarter was Illinois' longest play from scrimmage since Mendenhall's 86-yard scamper at Northwestern on Nov. 18, 2006. It also was a the longest run given up by Ohio State this season, the previous longest being 28 yards. In addition, Dufrene recorded his first career 100-yard game, rushing eight times for 106 yards, an average of 13.2 ypc.

7. Jacob Willis was on the receiving end of a 33-yard Juice Williams touchdown pass in the first quarter, Willis' third TD of the season. All three of Willis' scores have been catches of over 25 yards. Marques Wilkins was the recipient of one of Williams' four touchdown passes, hauling in a 31-yard score in the third quarter. It was Wilkins' first career TD catch.

8. True-freshman Ohio native Brian Gamble recorded his first career touchdown reception on an eight-yard catch in the second quarter. It gave Illinois 21 points, the most scored on the Ohio State defense this season.

9. Despite being snubbed by the Butkus Award committee this week, senior linebacker J Leman once again put forth a dominating performance against the Buckeyes with 12 tackles, eight solos, and 2.5 tackles for loss. Last year against OSU, Leman 19 tackles, 3.5 for loss and one sack. Dere Hicks picked off Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman in the first quarter, Hicks' second career interception. His other pick came against Western Illinois on Sept. 8, 2007.

10. Senior linebacker Antonio Steele picked off the first pass of his career in the end zone in the third quarter. True-freshman Marcus Thomas later intercepted a Boeckman pass for his first career pick and the third Boeckman had thrown in the game, the 11th of the season. That marked the second time Boeckman has thrown three INTs in a game, also getting picked off three times against Purdue earlier this year.

11. Jerry Brown recorded a sack in the second quarter, giving him 2.5 sacks on the year. The others came at Minnesota and against Michigan. Will Davis later recorded a sack to give him 8.5 for the season. Those were just the 13th and 14th sacks OSU has allowed this season.