Illinois' 1983 Team Reunion: Memories From 40 Years Ago

By Mike Pearson 
FightingIllini.com 

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Forty years after their momentous season, Coach Mike White and members of the University of Illinois' 1983 football team will be gathering for a reunion in Champaign-Urbana the weekend of Sept. 1-2, when the Fighting Illini take on Toledo in their season opener. Following is the second of a four-part series that recounts the details about the men who had a role in that incomparable season. This installment recalls a game-by-game review of a season the Big Ten Conference had never before experienced. 

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It's a question veteran Fighting Illini football fans have pondered for nearly 40 years: How do you remember the University of Illinois' 1983 Big Ten Championship football season? 

Optimists will undoubtedly lean toward reminiscing about those 10 overwhelmingly joyful victories that led to a historic outcome. Pessimists will recall those two instances of excruciating humiliation that began and ended the season.

The media included Mike White's team among their top four preseason choices to win the Big Ten, though probably light years behind Bo Schembechler's powerful Michigan club and Earle Bruce's highly rated Ohio State team. Experts also gave high grades to Iowa with quarterback Chuck Long. Illinois was the one team most difficult to peg, though it did hold an advantage due to home games against the three other favorites.

GAME ONE – Missouri 28, Illinois 18: Heading into the Sept. 10 season opener at Missouri, the Illini were a confident bunch and a slight favorite to prevail at Faurot Field. Illinois was hoping to successfully employ its newly emphasized rushing attack behind a largely unproven offensive line. The Tigers, however, flipped the game around early, jumping out to a commanding 21-0 lead. Mizzou dominated the running game, outgaining the Illini, 182-35. UI's only promising performer was rookie starter Jack Trudeau, who completed 26-of-38 passes for 293 yards. 

GAME TWO – Illinois 17, Stanford 7: Terrific efforts offensively, defensively, and on special teams helped White's Illini improve its record to 1-1 against the Stanford Cardinal. UI's biggest and most unlikely hero was junior defensive back John Ayres. A crowd of 73,852 cheered wildly when Ayres jumped on the ball in the end zone following a blocked punt just before halftime. Said Ayres afterwards, "I've only come close to getting a touchdown, but I was determined that no one was going to beat me to the ball this time." 

GAME THREE – Illinois 20, Michigan State 10: Coach George Perles' Spartans headed into the Big Ten opener at East Lansing with plenty of momentum, having upset fourth-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend the week prior. MSU briefly pulled ahead on a first-quarter field goal, but second-period touchdowns by Dwight Beverly and Mitch Brookins provided Illinois with a lead it never gave up. UI's best defensive effort of the young campaign featured five quarterback sacks among 15 tackles for loss. Offensively, Illinois dominated the Spartans, winning the first-down margin, 21-9. 

GAME FOUR – Illinois 33, Iowa 0: It was a "Murphy's Law" day for Coach Hayden Fry's Hawkeyes on Oct. 1: Anything that could go wrong did go wrong. Fourth-ranked Iowa suffered its first loss of the season due to a plethora of turnovers, injuries, and big plays. Illinois recorded nearly twice as many first downs (25-13), primarily due to a blitzing Illini defense that sacked All-American quarterback Chuck Long seven times. UI's Chris White nailed field goals of 20, 30, 45, and 47 yards. 

GAME FIVE – Illinois 27, Wisconsin 15: A crucial Badger penalty that came on Illinois' opening possession of the third quarter proved to be the difference. Wisconsin had forced the Illini into a punting situation, but defensive holding was called on the Badgers, instead awarding Illinois a first down. Three plays later, Thomas Rooks scored from 16 yards out to provide his teammates with a lead it never relinquished. Said Mike White afterwards, "We feel very fortunate to win because it looked like one of those game we were destined to lose." Illinois' record improved to 3-0 with the 12-point victory at Camp Randall.  

GAME SIX – Illinois 17, Ohio State 13: With time running out in the fourth quarter and the Illini trailing, 13-10, Illinois drove 81 yards in just 37 seconds to score and end a string of 15 consecutive losses to Ohio State. It was 19th-ranked Illinois' second victory in three games over a top-10 team. With only eight minutes remaining and the Buckeyes in possession of the ball, it appeared the Illini might not get another chance. On fourth-and-4 at the Illinois 19, Coach Earle Bruce decided OSU would try for a first down instead of tacking on a third field goal.  The Buckeyes' freshman quarterback Jim Karsatos, filling in for injured first-stringer Mike Tomczak, rolled around left end but was stacked up by Illini linebacker Vince Osby two yards shy. That's when Illinois got the ball back. At the 21-yard line, Illini quarterback Jack Trudeau changed a planned draw play to a pitch to Thomas Rooks. "I remember seeing one defender," Rooks said, "and my instincts told me to make an inside move." He did, and a UI Homecoming crowd of 73,414 went berserk. 

GAME SEVEN – Illinois 35, Purdue 21: Three Dwight Beverly touchdown runs improved the Illini's record to a perfect 5-0 in Big Ten play. Beverly racked up 179 yards on 25 carries, scoring on plays of two, three, and 18 yards. "The way to win is to run," said Trudeau afterwards. "You keep 'em off balance, not knowing what to expect when you run successfully." Despite sensational passing numbers from Purdue QB Scott Campbell (30-for-43, 388 yards, and three TD passes), fourth-quarter interceptions from Illinois' Mike Heaven, Ed Brady, and David Edwards ultimately changed the tone of the game. Next up, though, was a 5-0 showdown with Michigan at Memorial Stadium. 

GAME EIGHT – Illinois 16, Michigan 6: Wolverine coach Bo Schembechler owned a perfect 14-0 record against the Illini, but a record Memorial Stadium crowd of 76,127 sensed a different result on this day. Michigan opened the scoring with a first-quarter field goal. Illinois countered with a second-quarter touchdown. The Wolverines drew to within one point midway through the third quarter on another field goal. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Trudeau connected with sophomore receiver David Williams on a 46-yard passing score, pushing Illinois ahead, 14-6. The Illini defense scored the final points on a safety. As the Zuppke Field scoreboard flashed "Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl," fans rushed the field and gobbled up the goal posts. "Our defense was great," said tackle Don Thorp. "When you hold Michigan without a touchdown, that's an accomplishment. I've waited four years for this!" 

GAME NINE – Illinois 50, Minnesota 23: The Metrodome skirmish matched the Illini — the Big Ten's best team — against the Golden Gophers, the conference's worst team. Illinois roared ahead, 20-0, on TD runs by Thomas Rooks and Dwight Beverly and a pair of field goals from Chris White. Touchdown passes of 77 and 17 yards from Trudeau to David Williams in the second half and a 35-yard interception return by David Edwards late in the fourth quarter completed Illinois' 27-point rout.  

GAME TEN – Illinois 49, Indiana 21: Four first-half touchdowns clinched fifth-ranked Illinois' first trip to the Rose Bowl in 20 years. Said Dwight Beverly, who paced the Illini with three touchdowns, "I've never been on a championship team. It feels like heaven. I just thank God that He put me in this situation." It was Illinois' ninth consecutive win since a season-opening loss at Mizzou.  

GAME ELEVEN – Illinois 56, Northwestern 24: Illini fans outnumbered Northwestern's home fans by a wide margin, witnessing a feat that the nearly century-old Big Ten Conference had never before experienced: one team defeating all of the other nine members in a single season. A 42-10 Illini halftime lead probably could have been even wider. Stats leaders included Jack Trudeau, who connected on two TD passes to Tim Brewster, the first two of the tight end's career. "Now," said coach Mike White, "our focus is solely on the January Rose Bowl."

GAME TWELVE – UCLA 45, Illinois 9: Before a stunned crowd of 103,217, UCLA man-handled the 10-1 Illini, matching the largest margin of victory "The Granddaddy of Them All" had ever seen. The Bruins outgained the Illini, 511-205. "Remember how we pounded Iowa's butt?" asked senior linebacker Mike Weingrad. "Well, the same thing happened to us today." Coach White explained it from his point of view. "UCLA had a definite game plan to take away our run and implemented an alignment that gave us the forward pass. They allowed us to be successful in passing the ball, but we didn't take advantage of it. As the game went along and, of course, as the score got further and further out of hand, then it became an aerial circus. We just couldn't bail ourselves out of it."