Sept. 29, 2007

Recap |  Final Stats |  AP Photo Gallery 

ILLINOIS

1. This is Illinois' first victory over a Top 25 opponent since winning at No. 25 Ohio State on Nov. 17, 2001. It was also the Illini's first win over a ranked opponent at Memorial Stadium since defeating No. 25 Louisville on Sept. 22, 2001.

2. The win was also Illinois' first over a ranked Big Ten opponent at Memorial Stadium since defeating No. 11 Ohio State on Oct. 12, 1991.

3. Today marks Illinois' first victory over Penn State since Nov. 10, 2001

4. This is Illinois' first win in a conference home opener since defeating Minnesota in 2001.

5. Illinois is now 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1991.

6. Illinois had 216 yards rushing today, its fourth straight 200-yard rushing performance. Illinois entered today's game ranked fifth in the nation in rushing, and is now averaging 255.6 ypg on the ground this season.

7. Arrelious Benn returned Illinois' first kickoff of the game 90 yards for a touchdown, the first for an Illini player since Pierre Thomas' 99-yard TD return against Western Michigan on Sept. 18, 2004. Benn did it on his first career kickoff return attempt. It also was the first kickoff return for a touchdown against Penn State since 1994.

8. Benn set a career-high in receiving yards with 84 and in catches with six. He also scored his first offensive touchdown of his career on a 29-yard pass from Juice Williams.

9. Rashard Mendenhall scored his eighth rushing touchdown of the year on a two-yard run in the first quarter.

10. Mendenhall broke into Illinois' career all-time rushing top-20 with 76 yards today. For his career he has rushed for 1,470 yards which ranks 20th.

11. Will Davis recorded a half sack in the second quarter to give him eight quarterback sacks for the season.

12. Three times the Illini stopped Penn State inside the 30 yard line. J Leman's touchdown-saving interception to end the third quarter was the first of his career ... Vontae Davis picked up his second in two weeks with a pick in the fourth quarter ... Justin Harrison forced a fumble by Anthony Morelli at the 10 late in the fourth, resulting in a change of possession on downs.

13. J Leman led the Illini in tackles once again today with 10, his fourth double-digit performance in five games on the year. Leman is now averaging 11.8 tackles per game.

14. Kevin Mitchell closed out the game with an interception at the 9-yard line with nine seconds remaining. It was the third interception of his career. Mitchell also had eight tackles and a fumble recovery on the day.

15. Sirod Williams forced his first fumble of his career. The fumble led to an Illinois touchdown in the second quarter.

16. Jason Reda had two field goals today, giving him 41 for his career to move into a tie for third on the Illinois career field goals list.

17. Today's game was the first sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium since Sept. 28, 2002 vs. Michigan.

PENN STATE

1. Senior running back Rodney Kinlaw made his first career start.

2. Penn State's opening drive capped by a 26-yard Kevin Kelly field goal was its longest scoring drive of the year covering 11 plays (equaling a previous high), 73 yards and 5:27. QB Anthony Morelli started 6-for-6 for 66 yards on the drive before missing a final attempt to Andrew Quarless in the endzone. Morelli's 34-yard completion to Chris Bell to the Illinois seven marked the longest reception of Bell's career.

3. QB Anthony Morelli posted his third 200-yard passing game of the season and the seventh of his career, which ranks eighth all-time at Penn State.

4. LB Sean Lee posted a career high with 17 tackles on the day to lead Penn State. It marked his third straight game with 12 or more and his fifth career double-digit tackle game. The career high surpasses his total of 13 tackles posted at Wisconsin in 2006.

5. Lee's 17 tackles are the most by a Nittany Lion since Paul Posluszny had 22 tackles at Northwestern in 2005.

6. WR Jordan Norwood posted the two longest receptions of his career with a 42-yard reception in the first quarter and a career long 43-yard reception in the second quarter. Norwood posted 89 yards on three catches on the day moving into a tie for ninth all-time at Penn State in career receptions with 94, passing Freddie Scott (93, 1993-95) and tying Joe Jurevicius (94, 1994-97), and 15th all-time in career receiving yardage with 1,154 yards, passing Eddie Drummond (1,132, 1998-2001).

7. WR Derrick William's 24-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was his first receiving TD since the Akron game in 2006 and the third of his career.

8. WR Deon Butler moved into 9th all-time in career receiving yardage. He posted four catches for 48 yards on the day and now has 1,560 career receiving yards.

9. Boone's 70-yard punt out of Penn State's endzone in the second quarter was a career long bettering his previous best of 56 yards by 14 yards. The punt is tied for the seventh longest in Penn State history and is the longest since Jeremy Kapinos booted a 78-yard punt at Ohio State in 2004.

10. CB Justin King's second quarter interception was his second of the season and third of his career.

11. S Tony Davis' third quarter interception was his first of the season and second of his career.

12. The 90-yard kickoff return for a TD by Illinois' Arrelious Benn on the Illini's first possession was the first against Penn State since Derrick Mason of Michigan State returned a kickoff 100-yards for a TD in 1994.

13. Illinois' second quarter touchdown marked the first points given up by Penn State in the second quarter this season.

14. LB Dan Connor moved into third place all-time on Penn State's career tackles list. He posted 11 tackles on the day and now has 323 career tackles passing Brian Gelzheiser (315, 1991-94) for third and behind Greg Buttle (343, 1973-75) in second.

15. QB Anthony Morelli moved into 7th place all-time on the Penn State career passing yardage list, completing 21 of 38 passes for a career-high 298 yards on the day. He now stands 7th all-time with 3,719 yards passing, moving past John Shaffer (3,469, 1983-86), Michael Robinson (3,531, 2002-05) and John Hufnagel (3,545, 1970-72) today. He tied his career high with 38 pass attempts on the day, moving him into seventh all-time with 575 attempts, passing John Shaffer (547).