WEEKEND PROMOTIONS | LINK
• Homecoming – Celebrating the University of Illinois' 109th Homecoming | Info
• Tailgating at Grange Grove – 8-11 am (games, food trucks and live music)
• Illini Walk – 8:45 am through Grange Grove
• Varsity I Weekend – Former letterwinners and special award winner honored
OPENING KICK
• No Place Like Home: The Fighting Illini will host the sixth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium Saturday as part of the University of Illinois' 109th Homecoming celebration (11 am CT on BTN).
• Havoc in the Backfield: Like his signature Chicago Bears defenses, Lovie's Illini D excels at forcing turnovers, scoring points and making negative plays for the opposing offense.
» The Illini lead the nation in both forced fumbles (11) and fumble recoveries (10).
» The defense also ranks fifth in FBS in defensive touchdowns (2), seventh in turnovers gained (2.33 per game), and 16th in turnover margin (+0.83).
» Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in TFLs per game (8.8).
• Hansen, So Hot Right Now: Junior LB Jake Hansen is making plays.
» Leads the nation in both forced fumbles (5) and fumbles recovered (3).
» Five forced fumbles already is tied for second-most in a season in Illini history behind only Whitney Mercilus' school record of nine in 2011. Hansen is tied with Kevin Hardy (1995) and Jeff Arneson (1992) for second.
» Hansen is the No. 18 graded linebacker in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten by PFF (78.8, min. 250 snaps).
» He also has 48 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.
• Punching It Out: Senior S Stanley Green forced his eighth career fumble when he punched one out against Michigan Oct. 12. The eight forced fumbles is…
» Tied for the second-most forced fumbles among active FBS players (9, Paddy Fisher, Northwestern)
» Tied for the third-most in program history (since 1990) with Dana Howard (8), behind only Simeon Rice (13) and Whitney Mercilus (11).
» Against Michigan Oct. 12, Green became the second Illini with two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in the same game since 2000 (James Crawford vs. Rutgers 10/14/2017).
• Corbin Climbing: Senior RB Reggie Corbin climbed to 15th on the Illinois all-time rushing list during the Minnesota game, passing Illini and college football legend Red Grange. Corbin enters the Michigan game with 2,082 yards, just ahead of Grange's career total of 2,071 from 1923-25.
» Corbin's career yards per carry of 7.0 ranks third among all active FBS players with at least 200 carries and is the most for any Illini with at least 2,000 career rushing yards.
» Has had 10 scrimmage plays over 50 yards in his career, all coming against B1G competition (list on page 4).
» His 5.91 yards per carry this season ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 34th in FBS. Last season, he ranked third in FBS in yards per carry (8.48).
» Corbin became the 18th Illini in program history to gain 2,000 career rushing yards with 134 yards against Nebraska on Sept. 21, his sixth-career 100-yard game (more on Corbin on page 4).
» Corbin's career rushing numbers: 299 carries, 2,082 yards, 7.0 yards per carry, 14 touchdowns.
• No Way, Wole: Junior DE Oluwole Betiku Jr., a graduate transfer from USC, has been a force on the defensive line.
» Betiku ranks fourth in the nation in sacks (1.17 per game) and eighth TFLs (1.8 per game) on the season.
» His 7.0 sacks already are more than or equal to Illinois' season leader in 18 of the last 23 seasons.
» His 3.5 sacks at UConn tied for the fifth-most sacks in a game in Illinois history and marked the first Illini with 3.0+ sacks in a game since Whitney Mercilus (3.0) at Indiana 10/8/2011.
• Dele Domination: Senior LB Dele Harding continues to lead the Big Ten in tackles (10.8 per game), ranking eighth in FBS following the Michigan game. Along with his 65 tackles, Harding has 5.5 TFLs, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one touchdown on a 40-yard pick six at Minnesota.
ILLINOIS HOMECOMING FACTS
• The first homecoming celebrated on Illinois' campus was on Oct. 15, 1910, which the Illini won 3-0 over Chicago. This year's game against Wisconsin marks the 109th #ILLINOIShomecoming.
• Illinois has an all-time record of 45-61-2 on Homecoming, with its last victory coming against Minnesota in 2014.
• This year marks the 13th time overall and the third time in the last five years that the Illini will host Wisconsin on Homecoming. Illinois is 8-4 all-time in Homecoming games against the Badgers.
• Illinois boasts being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition on almost every college campus. It was conceived in 1909 by students C.F. Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident senior society. They joined with another society, Phoenix, to organize the three-day event.
• For years, there has been a debate over which university had the first homecoming. Historians from various schools found research that puts Illinois among one of the first five universities to celebrate the Homecoming tradition. Baylor has documented proof of a formally named Homecoming celebration in 1909, but took a six-year hiatus before celebrating the second event at the school in 1915. Northern Illinois had alumni events beginning in 1906, but didn't use the proper noun "Homecoming" until 1911. Indiana University renamed their 1909 Gala Day to Homecoming on Nov. 5, 1910, and Michigan began inviting alumni back to campus in 1897, but the formal name began on the Ann Arbor campus in 1916.
THE ILLINOIS-WISCONSIN SERIES
• Saturday marks the 86th meeting between the Fighting Illini and the Badgers.
• Wisconsin holds a 42-36-7 edge in the all-time series and has won 13 of the last 14 meetings. Illinois' lone victory in that stretch was a 31-26 win over the fifth-ranked Badgers in Champaign in 2007.
• Wisconsin's current nine-game winning streak against Illinois is the longest by either team in series history.
• Illinois is 20-18-3 all-time against Wisconsin in Champaign.
• Illinois is 1-10 all-time against Wisconsin teams ranked in the AP Poll.
• Last season, No. 23 Wisconsin beat Illinois, 49-20, on Oct. 20, 2018 in Madison. Despite a strong rushing attack, the Fighting Illini couldn't overcome four first half turnovers. Reggie Corbin ran for 100 of Illinois' 210 rushing yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run.
• No. 5 Wisconsin spoiled Illinois' Homecoming in 2017 with a 24-10 win in the Badgers' last trip to Champaign. Illinois held Wisconsin to 303 total yards (168 rushing yards, 135 passing yards).
• The 1995 game between the Illini and Wisconsin holds historical significance as the last college football game to end in a tie (final score was 3-3). Overtime rules were instituted the following season.
ILLINI SUPERLATIVES VS. THE BADGERS
• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. UW: 167 D. Williams 10/6/1984, 154 T. Brewster 10/23/1982, 142 O. Williams 10/24/1981
• Illinois' most rush yards vs. UW: 239 J. Grabowski 11/14/1964, 196 Grabowski 11/13/1965, 160 R. Mendenhall 10/6/2007
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. UW: 479 T. Eason 10/23/1982, 401 K. Kittner 10/20/2001, 357 T. Eason 10/24/1981
• Illinois' longest rush vs. UW: 80 R. Corbin 10/20/2018, 73 J. Wilson 11/13/1971, 69 B. Brown 11/14/1959,
• Illinois' longest pass vs. UW: 86 Eason to O. Williams 10/24/1981
• Last 100-yard receiving game vs. UW: Steve Hull, 105, 10/19/2013
• Last 100-yard rushing game vs. UW: Reggie Corbin 10/20/2018
• Last 300-yard passing game vs. UW: Jon Beutjer, 319, 11/9/2002
ILLINOIS-WISCONSIN CONNECTIONS
• Illinois head coach Lovie Smith was the linebackers coach at Wisconsin in 1987. The Badgers went 3-8, including a 16-14 loss to Illinois in Champaign.
• Illinois head coach Lovie Smith was the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams from 2001-03 when Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Bobby April's father, Bobby April, was the Rams special teams coordinator.
• Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst was the tight ends coach for the San Diego Chargers in 2001 when Illinois AD Josh Whitman played for the Chargers.
• Wisconsin quarterbacks coach Jon Budmayr quarterbacked Marian Central Catholic to the Illinois Class 5A title game at Memorial Stadium as a sophomore in 2006. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin beat Budmayr-led Marian Central Catholic, 35-14.
• Illinois linebacker Sean Coghlan's sister, Erin, played lacrosse at Wisconsin.
ILLINI HEADED TO IRELAND IN 2021
The Fighting Illini will pack up and head to Ireland to open the 2021 season against Big Ten-foe Nebraska as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Series in Dublin.
» The University of Illinois, the University of Nebraska and Irish American Events Limited are partnering to take an American Football game to Aviva Stadium in Dublin for a Week Zero game on Aug. 28, 2021.
» The Illinois-Nebraska game is the second in a series of games in the Aer Lingus College Football Series and will be the first Fighting Illini game played outside the United States.
» The original date for this game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign was Nov. 13, 2021, and with the change, will give Illinois two bye weeks that season.
FRESHMAN REDSHIRT WATCH
• The NCAA passed legislation prior to the 2018 that allows players who play in up to four games -- regardless of when they take place -- to redshirt for that season and preserve a year of eligibility. Here's look at games played for each of the 12 Illini true-freshmen that has played in 2019.
» Played in 5+ games (4): TE Bryce Barnes (6), LB Tarique Barnes (6), DB Devon Witherspoon (6), WR Dalevon Campbell (5)
» Have played in 4 or fewer games (9): WR Kyron Cumby (4), LB Shammond Cooper (3), RB Nick Fedanzo (3), DL Keith Randolph Jr. (2), WR Casey Washington (3), DL Seth Coleman (2), QB Isaiah Williams (2), DB Matthew Judd (1), DL Moses Okpala (1).
RUNNIN' REGGIE
Senior RB Reggie Corbin is the Illini's home run hitter.
» Ranks 34th in FBS and third in B1G in yards per carry (5.91)
» Has two 100-yards games this season (144 vs. EMU and 134 vs. NEB) and six career 100-yard games.
» He has 396 yards on the season to bring his career total to 2,082 yards, good for 15th on Illinois' all-time rushing yardage list.
» Ranked third in the nation in yards per carry (8.48) in 2018 for any player with at least 10 carries per game.
» Led FBS in runs of 70+ yards (4), second in runs of 50+ (7) and 80+ yards (1), and third in 60+ (5) in 2018.
» Had 1,085 rushing yards in 2018, the 13th 1,000-yard rushing season in Illinois history and the first since Mikel Leshoure ran for an Illinois record 1,697 yards in 2010.
» Career yards per carry of 7.0 ranks third among all active FBS players with at least 200 carries. He has had 10 scrimmage plays over 50 yards in his career, all coming against Big Ten competition.
» 80 yard TD run at Wisconsin (2018)
» 77 yard TD run vs. Minnesota (2018)
» 73 yard TD run at Rutgers (2018)
» 72 yard TD run vs. Minnesota (2018)
» 69 yard TD run at Maryland (2018)
» 66 yard TD run vs. Nebraska (2019)
» 53 yard run at Rutgers (2016)
» 52 yard run at Rutgers (2018)
» 52 yard reception vs. Purdue (2018)
» 51 yard run vs. Penn State (2018)
Active Career Yards Per Carry Leaders (min. 200 carries)
1. Travis Etienne, Clemson » 7.6 (395-3,013)
2. Greg McCrae, UCF » 7.6 (227-1,724)
3. Reggie Corbin, Illinois » 7.0 (299-2,082)
3. Malcolm Perry, Navy » 7.0 (421-2,916)
5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin » 6.8 (735-4,996)
Career Yards Per Carry Among Illinois 2,000 yard rushers
1. Reggie Corbin, 2016-19 » 7.0 (299-2,082)
2. Rashard Mendenhall, 2005-07 » 6.5 (388-2,539)
3. Mikel Leshoure, 2008-10 » 6.0 (424-2,557)
4. Pierre Thomas, 2003-06 » 5.6 (453-2,545)
5. Red Grange, 1923-25 » 5.3 (388-2,074)
ILLINI STANDOUTS
• Oh, BheBhe: Junior WR Josh Imatorbhebhe, a transfer from USC, notched his first career 100-yard receiving game with five catches for 102 yards and one touchdown against Michigan on Oct. 12. His five touchdown receptions this season are tied for Big Ten lead and rank 23rd nationally. He leads the team with 322 receiving yards and is second in catches (20).
• James and the Giant Leg: Junior K James McCourt has hit five field goals in his Illinois career and he's already established himself as one of the biggest legs in program history. All five field goals are from 40 or more yards and three are from 50 or more.
» McCourt is one of two FBS kickers with 3 or more 50+ field goals this season (3 – Rodrigo Blankenship, UGA)
» The three 50+ field goals are the fourth-most in a career in Illinois history. Last year, Chase McLaughlin finished his career with an Illinois record five 50+-yard field goals. Dan Beaver and Jason Reda each made four.
» McCourt tied the Illinois record with a 57-yard field goal against EMU, tying Dan Beaver's 44 year old mark (vs. Purdue, 10/18/1975). It's also tied for the longest field goal in FBS this season.
» His first Illini make was from 53-yards at UConn Sept. 7, tying for the longest road field goal in Illinois history (Mike Bass at Syracuse 9/18/1982; Dave Finzer at Purdue 10/15/1977).
» On kickoffs, McCourt ranks 11th in FBS in average (64.38 ypk) and 23rd in touchback percentage (70.6%)
• Hayes, Australian for Boot: Punter Blake Hayes has been a field-flipper for the Fighting Illini.
» Hayes ranks 21st in FBS in fourth in the B1G in punting average (45.3) and his versatility, whether it's booming kicks or bouncing rugby-style kicks, have helped the Illini rank 19th in FBS in net punting (41.63 ypp).
» Of Hayes' 37 punts, 19 have been downed inside the 20 with just one touchback.
» Nine of Hayes' punts have been downed within the 10-yard line and four have been downed within the 2-yard line. Only nine of his punts have been returned.
» Hayes' current season average of 45.3 yards per punt is second-best in Illinois history behind only Steve Weatherford's program record of 45.4.
» His career punting average of 43.2 ranks second at Illinois only 0.3 yards behind Weatherford's career record (43.5) set from 2002-05.
» Hayes was named Big Ten Special Teams player of the week on Sept. 23 after averaging 46.0 yards per punt and dropping five punts inside the 20 against Nebraska, including a 59-yard boot to the 2-yard line that set up an Illini score.
• BP = Big Points: Michigan transfer QB Brandon Peters was putting up solid numbers before missing most of the last two games due to injury.
» Despite missing most of the Minnesota game and all of the Michigan game, Peters ranks 31st in FBS in points responsible for (14.4 per game) and 41st in touchdown passes (10).
» Peters already has surpassed the Illinois season passing touchdown leader for each of the past three seasons: 2018 - AJ Bush Jr. (6), 2017 - Jeff George Jr. (7), 2016 - Wes Lunt (8).
» Peters threw four touchdown passes at UConn, tied for seventh-most in Illinois history, and the most since Wes Lunt threw 4 TDs vs. Kent State 9/5/2015.
» Peters was officially announced as the starter by Lovie Smith on Aug. 20. He graduated from Michigan in three years and transferred to Illinois this summer with two years of eligibility remaining.
ILLINI STORYLINES
• More Than a Football Player: Graduate transfer Oluwole Betiku Jr. has been a beast on the field since arriving at Illinois (7.0 sacks and 10.5 TFLs in four games), but there's much more to the former 5-star recruit than football. Off the field, Betiku's passions include painting, sketching and playing guitar and piano. An immigrant from Lagos, Nigeria, at the age of 16, Betiku had never played football before coming to the U.S. Two years of high school football were enough for a scholarship to USC, but injuries and circumstances kept him off the field. After earning a bachelor's degree in international relations in three years from USC, Betiku came to Champaign this summer.
• Future Coaches: Illini RB Reggie Corbin got a taste of coaching over the summer. Corbin, along with Illini teammates Justice Williams and Dele Harding coached the 'Chargers' to a successful second season in the Tuscola Flag Football League. The trio connected with 10-year old Illini superfan Colton Rahn, who has cerebral palsy, in the winter of 2017 when a group of football student-athletes drove to Tuscola to cheer on Colton's basketball team. It marked the second straight summer Corbin and Williams coached a flag football team in Tuscola.
• Rugby Champ: In addition to being an undefeated flag football coach, Reggie Corbin was a national champion rugby player while also starring on the football field in high school. Corbin helped Gonzaga HS in Washington D.C. to back-to-back rugby national titles in 2014 and 2015 after joining the team on a dare by star player Ben Cima, who plays on the U.S. national rugby team. The team lost only two games in Corbin's two years on the team.
• Best Buds: RB Reggie Corbin and OL Richie Petitbon, best friends at Gonzaga HS in Maryland, are reunited in Champaign this season after four years apart. Both fifth-year seniors, Corbin has become one of the top backs in the nation while Petitbon spent the last four years at the University of Alabama, where he was a part of two national championship teams as a backup. Now reunited with Corbin, Petitbon has been a mainstay on the Illini offensive line.
• Scholarship Earned: Coach Lovie Smith had a special announcement at the first game-week team meeting on Aug. 26. Walk-on long snapper Ethan Tabel was awarded a scholarship for the 2019 season by Lovie. Tabel was mobbed by his teammates after the announcement. A redshirt-junior, Tabel is in his third season as the team's primary long snapper.
• First-time Footballer: Junior punter Blake Hayes, a native of Melbourne, Australia, had never played in or attended an American football game until making his Illini debut against Ball State on Sept. 2, 2017. Hayes played Australian rules football before training at ProKick Australia for two years in hopes of getting a college scholarship in the United States. It paid off, as the Aussie earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a true-freshman and then upped that to third-team All-Big Ten in 2018. This year has been his best yet, averaging 45.4 yards per punt.
GRADS ON GRADS ON GRADS
The 2019 Fighting Illini roster features 11 student-athletes that already earned 12 college degrees prior to the season – seven at Illinois and five at different schools
Student-Athlete | Bachelor's Degree » Degree Pursuing
Oluwole Betiku Jr.| International Relations (May '19 at USC) » Recreation, Sport & Tourism
Dre Brown | Recreation, Sport & Tourism (Dec. '18 at Illinois) » Management
Reggie Corbin | Communication (May '18 at Illinois » Recreation, Sport & Tourism
Josh Imatorbhebhe | Business Administration (May '19 at USC) » Strategic Brand Communication
Jamal Milan | Sociology (May '19 at Illinois) » Communication (2nd bachelor's)
Brandon Peters | General Studies (June '19 at Michigan) » Recreation, Sport & Tourism
Richie Petitbon | Communication Studies (Dec. '18 at Alabama) » Sport Management
Caleb Reams | Community Health (May '19 at Illinois) » Management
Trevon Sidney | Communication (June '19 at USC) » Recreation, Sport & Tourism
Bobby Walker | Political Science (Dec. '18 at Illinois) » Management
Justice Williams | Business Management (Aug. '18 at Illinois) » Already finished M.S.
Justice Williams | M.S., Business Administration (Aug. 19 at Illinois) » Spanish (2nd bachelor's)
STATE-OF-THE-ART SMITH FOOTBALL CENTER OPENS TO ILLINI
The state-of-the-art Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center opened its doors for the team Aug. 18, becoming the new home of Illinois football. The $79.2 million Smith Center is a 107,650 square foot facility adjoining to the south end of the Irwin Indoor Practice Facility. The facility features new and expanded strength and conditioning and sports medicine space, coaches' offices, position meeting rooms, player development areas, locker rooms, and other areas for recruiting and prospect hosting. The grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 12 when the Fighting Illini host Michigan at Memorial Stadium. More information on the project can be found on page 21 of these Game Notes and at http://illinoisrenaissance.com.
» Complete Illinois-Wisconsin Game Notes (PDF)
