Dec. 5, 2009
Recap |
Stats |
Quotes |
Photo Gallery 
1. The Illini topped 500 yards of total offense for the third time in 2009, finishing the day with 548 yards overall.
2. Illinois rushed for over 300 yards for the third time this season with 331 yards against Fresno State. For the game, the Illini averaged 6.8 yards per carry.
3. Sophomore running back Mikel LeShoure rushed for a career-best 184 yards and averaged 16.7 yards per carry vs. Fresno State. It is the most for an Illini back since Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 201 against Minnesota in 2007. Leshoure also topped 100 yards for the third time this season and recorded multiple touchdowns for the first time in his career with two scores on the ground and a receiving TD.
4. Today's final score, 53-52, marks the most total points (105) scored at Memorial Stadium. The previous most was 89 total points (Illinois 46, Indiana 43 OT, 1996).
5. With Illinois' attendance of 48,538, the Big Ten Conference breaks the total attendance record. The conference surpassed the five-million mark for the fifth-straight season with 5,526,237 in 77 home events.
6. Junior receiver Arrelious Benn stole a ball away from a Fresno defender for a 58-yard touchdown reception with eight seconds left in the first half. It was the longest pass of the season, Benn's second touchdown catch of the year and the longest reception of his career. He has now caught a pass in 36-of-37 games played.
7. Juice Williams finishes his career with 10,594 total yards - 8,037 yards passing, 2,557 yards rushing - and 56 touchdown passes.
8. Senior receiver/tight end Jeff Cumberland's 18-yard touchdown reception puts him over the 1,000-yard receiving mark for his career with 1,001 career yards.
9. Sophomore kicker Derek Dimke remained perfect with his fifth field goal of the season on a 44-yarder in the third quarter. He is now 5-for-5 in the past three games.
10. Illinois got its fifth interception of the season on a Garrett Edwards' pick and 12-yard return in the second quarter. It was the first interception of Edwards' career.
11. Linebacker Ian Thomas notched a team-high 10 tackles on the day, marking the fifth time this season he has recorded double-digit tackles in a game.
12. Senior defensive end Antonio James had a career day, collecting career highs with his six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
13. Sophomore running back Jason Ford scored on an eight-yard run, turning Edwards' interception into offensive points. It was Ford's fourth rushing TD of the season and 12th of his career.
14. Senior running back Daniel Dufrene scored on a 15-yard run, giving Illinois a score on its first offensive drive for the second consecutive week. It was Dufrene's third rushing touchdown of the season and fifth of his career.
15. Illinois' 21-point second quarter ties the most in a quarter this season, along with the third quarter vs. Michigan.
16. Today's game was the first regular-season contest played by an Illini team in the month of December. The latest Illinois football has played has been on Nov. 30 on three occasions -- 1983 vs. Lake Forest, 1899 vs. Iowa in Moline, Ill., and 1905 at Nebraska.
