Sept. 12, 2009

Final Stats
Post-Game Quotes
Recap

Illinois rushed for 384 yards tonight, its first 300-yard rushing performance since racking up 399 yards on the ground vs. Eastern Illinois on Sept. 6, 2008. The Illini offense averaged 8.3 yards per carry vs. Illinois State tonight.
1. The Illini ended tonight's game with 548 yards of total offense, its first 500-yard game since registering 563 yards last year vs. Indiana. Illinois also averaged an eye-popping 8.7 yards per play tonight.

2. Illinois spread the scoring around, with five different players scoring TDs. The Illini recorded five rushing touchdowns, the most since also scoring five rushing TDs vs. EIU last season.

3. The Illini defense held Illinois State to just 44 yards rushing, the first opponent to rush for less than 50 yards against the Illini since Penn State had 40 yards on Oct. 21, 2006.

4. The Illini defense pitched a first-half shutout, marking the first scoreless half by an opponent since Syracuse (first half) on Sept. 15, 2007.

5. Russell Ellington recorded his first career interception in the 4th quarter and returned it 78 yards, marking the longest non-scoring interception return in school history. Ellington also notched a career-high eight tackles and two passes broken up.

6. Doug Pilcher had an interception in the first quarter, marking the first INT by a defensive lineman since Derek Walker vs. Missouri in last year's season opener.

7. Jason Ford rushed for 137 yards, posting the second 100-yard game of his career and Illinois' first since Ford rushed for 172 yards against Indiana on Oct. 18, 2008. He also scored his ninth career touchdown with a one-yard run in the first quarter. Ford had a 68-yard run in the fourth quarter, which is the Illini's longest play of the season.

8. True-freshman Justin Green had 56 yards rushing and scored his first career touchdown with a 22-yard run in the fourth quarter.

9. Eddie McGee rushed for two touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career. He finished the night with 55 yards, three shy of his career high.

10. Matt Eller kicked the 17th field goal of his career with his 38-yarder in the second quarter, which moves him into the Illinois all-time list at 10th.

11. Jarred Fayson posted his second game with four or more catches. After catching four against Missouri, he followed up with four more catches for 39 yards tonight.

12. Juice Williams' 49-yard run moved him to 11th on the Illinois all-time rushing list with 2,126 career yards, surpassing Chubby Phillip's 2,103 yards He also moved to fourth on the Big Ten list for career rushing by a quarterback, passing Ohio State's Cornelius Greene's 2,080 yards.

13. Illini safety Garrett Edwards recorded a career-high eight tackles, eclipsing the seven he notched last week against Missouri.

14. Tonight's attendance was 62,347, the best home opening crowd since 1995 (vs. Michigan)