By Mike Pearson
FightingIllini.com
Defeating Top 25 teams had been a tough assignment for the University of Illinois football program during the late 1960s and '70s. In the midst of a 17-game losing streak against nationally ranked clubs, Coach Mike White's squad played host to a Halloween Day 1981 game against Coach Hayden Fry's No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Statistics indicated that this would be a match-up of differing styles. It featured White's high-powered passing game, triggered by quarterback Tony Eason, against Fry's stingy defense, bolstered by all-stars Andre Tippett (DE), Mark Bortz (DT), Pat Dean (NG), Mel Cole (LB) and Lou King (CB). In addition, the Hawkeyes' roster included the nation's top punter in Reggie Roby.
Iowa, the Big Ten's leaders in every defensive category, were so miserly that on the two previous Saturdays their opponents—Michigan and Minnesota—hadn't once penetrated the end zone. Could Illinois change that script? If any team could, it would be the Illini. After all, its signal caller was on a streak of five straight Big Ten games with 300 or more passing yards.
Hazy skies, 68 degrees and an eight mile-an-hour breeze out of the southeast greeted the capacity crowd at Memorial Stadium. Of the 66,877 spectators, a good portion traveled from Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in Illinois and from Davenport and Bettendorf in Southeastern Iowa for a special Quad Cities recognition at the stadium.
In the game's early action, defensive coordinator Max McCartney's underrated Illini defense proved to be formidable, forcing Roby to punt at the end of each of its first four offensive possessions. For the most part, Illinois's offense was stymied as well, though it did manage to put itself in position for a 27-yard field goal by Illinois junior placekicker Mike Bass that put the Illini up 3-0 after one period.
An Illinois offensive series that extended early into the second quarter ended with a Chris Sigourney punt that was downed by Joe Miles at the Hawkeye two-yard line. With Iowa pinned deep in its own territory, Illini linebacker Ron Ferrari blitzed on second down. His pressure caused Hawkeye QB Bob Gales to fumble the ball and it was recovered for a touchdown by fellow outside 'backer Pete Burgard.
"I got in free on the blitz," Ferrari told a reporter after the game, "and I tried to knock the ball out as I hit the quarterback. We're taught to do that. I knew the ball was free but when I went down I didn't know where it was. I assumed it would be a safety."
Two plays after Illinois kicked the ball back to Iowa, the Illini caused yet another turnover. Illinois cornerback Charles Armstead picked off Gales' bomb at the Illini 19, bringing its offense back on the field. On third-and-two from its own 44, Eason faked a reverse to Mike Martin, fooling the Hawkeye defense. No. 3 then floated a picture-perfect spiral to a sprinting Oliver Williams. The 56-yard aerial boosted Illinois's lead to 17-0.
Iowa cut the margin to 17-7 just before halftime on a nine-play, 94-yard drive, but those were the only points the Hawkeyes would score all afternoon.
A four-yard touchdown pass to Williams early in the fourth quarter provided Illinois with its 24-7 final margin.
Even though the Hawkeyes outgained the Illini, 354 yards to Illinois's 307, and held Eason to less than 300 passing yards (263), it was turnovers—four fumbles and two interceptions—that ultimately buried Iowa.
In addition, eight Illini defensive tackles for loss—one each by Ferrari, Burgard, Don Thorp, Willie Young, Kelvin Atkins, Mark Butkus, John Janata and Jack Squirek—resulted in 41 negative yards for Hawkeye backs.
After the game, White was ecstatic.
"Let's say it the way it is," he said. "Since I've been here, that was the best defensive game we've had. Our defense controlled the game and really played their hearts out. We had more blitzes and we got more aggressive on defense than we've done in the past."
"Max (McCartney) deserves a lot of credit," White continued. "Our defense constantly pressured their quarterbacks with blitzes, fake blitzes and different stunts."
Iowa would bounce back from the loss in Champaign to win its last three regular-season games and tie Ohio State for the Big Ten title, then represent the Conference in the Rose Bowl.
Illinois would go on to win four of its last five to finish at 7-4, its first winning record in seven years.
