Sept. 15, 2007
Recap |
Final Stats |
AP Photo Gallery 
1. Illinois racked-up 508 total yards, the most since it had 519 in the 2006 season opener vs. Eastern Illinois, and had 378 rushing yards, a total that nearly cracked the top-10 on the all-time UI rushing list (387 is 10th). The Illini averaged 7.2 yards per play and 7.4 yards per rush.
2. Illinois marched 70 yards in six plays for its first opening-drive TD the season.
3. Sophomore quarterback Juice Williams threw his first touchdown pass of the season to TE Jeff Cumberland and was 4-for-4 for 41 yards on the opening drive. Williams completed 13-of-18 passes for a 72-percent completion percentage, the best in his UI career.
4. The first quarter 22-yard TD-catch by Cumberland was his first catch of the season and the second TD catch of his career.
5. Doak Walker Award candidate Rashard Mendenhall ran for a season-high 150 yards and scored a career-high three touchdowns to give him six on the season. It was the second-straight game in which Mendenhall has eclipsed the 100-yard plateau and marked the sixth-consecutive game in which he has scored at least one TD, dating back to last season. His 50-yard TD scamper in the third quarter is his longest run this season.
6. Illinois had three rushers with at least 90 yards en route to the 378 total rushing yards. Mendenhall's 150 yards on 16 carries (9.4 yards per carry) led the way, followed by true-freshman Troy Pollard with a career-high 92 yards on 13 carries (7.1 ypc) and quarterback Juice Williams with 90 yards on 12 carries (7.5 ypc).
7. In the first quarter, the Illini defense limited Syracuse to 0 first downs, 0 yards passing and just three total yards, while the offense racked up 139 yards of its own to build a 14-0 lead.
8. Until Syracuse's field goal at the 14:11 mark of the third quarter, Illinois had held its opponent scoreless for a streak of 99:21, dating back to the 8:32 mark in the fourth quarter of the Missouri game.
9. Lou Groza Award candidate Jason Reda connected on his first two field goal attempts of the season, a 32-yarder in the second quarter and a 50-yarder in the third quarter. Reda now has 37 career field goals and 193 career points, which moves him past Red Grange for eighth on the all-time UI scoring list. His 50-yard make was his longest since his career-long 52-yarder on Oct. 8, 2005 vs. Indiana.
10. Butkus Award candidate J Leman again led the Illini defense with eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Leman now has 39 tackles on the season for an average of 13.0 per game. Fellow linebackers Antonio Steele (8 tackles, 0.5 TFL) and Brit Miller (7 tackles, 2.0 TFL) also had big games for the Orange and Blue.
11. Illinois' nine-play, 80-yard TD drive in the third quarter was the longest by Illinois this season in terms of yardage, and its 10-play, 42-yard drive that led to a field goal in the third quarter equaled the longest UI drive this season in terms of plays.
12. Back-up QB Eddie McGee entered the game the fourth quarter and led the Illini on a nine-play, 67-yard TD drive, capped by Mendenhall's third TD of the day.
13. Redshirt-freshman Anthony Santella punted three times on the day, none of which were returned and all pinning the Orange inside their own 20-yard line.
14. Sophomore TE Michael Hoomanawanui made his first career reception, a 27-yarder from Eddie McGee in the fourth quarter.
15. Senior DT Mike Ware recorded his first career sack for a loss of nine yards in the fourth quarter.
