Nov. 17, 2014
Beckman Press Conference: Video | Quotes
Monday Interviews: OC Cubit | DC Banks | QB Lunt | STAR Thomas III
PENN STATE GAME PROMOTIONS // Senior Day
• Senior Day - 18 Fighting Illini seniors will be honored prior to their final home game
• Illini Walk - 8:30 am starting at First and Kirby through Street Fest area
• Illini Street Fest - 8:30-11 am on First St. west of Memorial Stadium (Free admission, games, music & food vendors)
• $20 Horseshoe Tickets -A limited number of horseshoe tickets (south end zone) are available for $20 each
• $10 Student Tickets - University of Illinois students can purchase special $10 tickets (Reg. $40)
QUICK HITS
•Opening Kick: The Fighting Illini (4-6 overall, 1-5 B1G West) look to keep their bowl hopes alive when Penn State (6-4 overall, 2-4 B1G East) comes to Memorial Stadium Saturday for the 2014 home finale (11 am CT on ESPN2).
•Senior Day: Saturday's game will mark the final game for 18 Illini seniors. Martize Barr, Abe Cajuste, Ralph Cooper, Simon Cvijanovic, Jon Davis, Justin DuVernois, Michael Heitz, Alex Hill, Jake Howe, Davontay Kwaaning, Matt LaCosse, Reilly O'Toole, Zane Petty, Austin Teitsma, Earnest Thomas III, Brennen VanMieghem, DeJazz Woods and Donovonn Young will be recognized prior to the game.
•Freshman WR Mike Dudek has 787 receiving yards on 51 catches this season, breaking the Illinois record for receiving yards by a freshman (Arrelious Benn, 676 yards, 2007). Dudek broke Benn's mark with a 56-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter at Ohio State on Nov. 1.
•Dudek ranks third among FBS true-freshmen receivers in receiving yards per game (78.7).
•Dudek is third in the nation with 306 fourth-quarter receiving yards and leads FBS with nine plays of 15+ yards in the fourth quarter. Dudek is tied for the FBS lead with 14 plays of 15+ yards after halftime.
•Junior V'Angelo Bentley is the first Illinois player in school history to record a kick return, punt return, interception return and fumble return for TD in his career.
•Bentley ranks fifth in the nation and leads the Big Ten in combined kick return yards with 742 on 40 returns (28 KR for 619, 12 PR for 123). His punt return average (10.3 ypr) ranks 25th nationally.
•The Illini defense has scored three times this season, which ranks 17th in FBS and is tied with Ohio State and Michigan State for the Big Ten lead. V'Angelo Bentley has both a fumble return and an interception return for touchdown this season, and Taylor Barton also has a pick-six.
•Senior STAR Earnest Thomas III forced his seventh career fumble against Minnesota on Oct. 25, moving him into a tie for fourth place on UI's career fumbles forced list. The top four players on the list are All-Americans: Simeon Rice (13 FF), Whitney Mercilus (11), Dana Howard (8) and Kevin Hardy (7).
•Junior LB Mason Monheim is tied for the Big Ten lead and ranks 19th in FBS with three forced fumbles. Monheim has six career forced fumbles, tied for sixth on the UI career list right behind Thomas III.
•Junior RB Josh Ferguson is one of only nine FBS players with over 500 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards on the season.
•Ferguson is one of only two active FBS players with more than 1,700 career rushing yards (1,724) and 1,000 receiving yards (1,118). Arizona State's D.J. Foster is the other.
•Senior punter Justin DuVernois is second in the Big Ten and 11th in the nation in punting average (44.9 ypp), just behind Steve Weatherford's single-season UI record of 45.4.
•As a team, the Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 10th in the nation in net punting average (40.85 ypp).
•Illinois has faced the 16th-toughest schedule in the nation thus far, with opponents posting a 45-30 record vs. FBS foes (.600).
» Complete Illinois-Penn State Game Notes (PDF)
