SATURDAY'S PROMOTIONS | LINK
• Hall of Fame Weekend – Members of 2019 Illini HOF class honored
• TailGREAT Returns – Tailgating contest for Best BBQ and Most Creative
• Tailgating at Grange Grove – 4-7 pm (games, food trucks and live music)
• Illini Walk – 4:45 pm through Grange Grove
• Free Student Tickets – Students can claim one free ticket
• 4-Pack Ticket Offer – Fans can purchase 4 tickets for $89
OPENING KICK
• B1G Under the Lights: The Fighting Illini will play under the lights Saturday night when the Nebraska Cornhuskers come to Memorial Stadium to open Big Ten play. Kick is set for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
• Hall of Fame Weekend: Members of the 2019 Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, including linebacker Simeon Rice and wide receiver David Williams, will be honored at the game. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. at State Farm Center and is free to attend.
• Reggie Returns: After missing the previous seven quarters due to injury, senior RB Reggie Corbin returned with a bang last Saturday, rushing for 144 yards on 18 carries (8.0) and one touchdown against EMU. He has 180 yards and two touchdowns on the season (5 quarters of play) and is 134 yards shy of becoming the 18th player in Illinois history with 2,000 career rushing yards (1,866 career rushing yards).
• Havoc in the Backfield: The defense has made big improvement compared to last season, especially at making plays in the backfield.
» Illinois ranks second in FBS in TFLs per game (11.0) and ninth in FBS in sacks per game (4.0).
» It's the first time since at least 2000 that Illinois had 33+ TFLs in the first three games of the season.
» The Illini are allowing 79.3 yards per game this season on the ground to rank 17th in FBS, up 104 spots from their final 2019 rank of 121 (245.3 ypg).
• No Way, Wole: Junior DL Oluwole Betiku Jr., a graduate transfer from USC, has been the centerpiece of the defensive resurgence.
» Betiku leads the nation in both sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (7.5) on the season.
» The 6.0 sacks already are more than or equal to Illinois' season leader in 16 of the last 25 seasons.
» He is one of only 13 FBS players with 6+ sacks in the first three games of the season since 2000.
» 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.
• Impact Transfers: As expected, transfers have made a huge impact on the field this season.
» Illinois starts six transfers – QB Brandon Peters (Michigan), WR Josh Imatorbhebhe (USC), WR Trevon Sidney (USC), OL Richie Petitbon (Alabama), DL Oluwole Betiku Jr. (USC), and LB Milo Eifler (Washington). Their production has been large.
» QB Peters – 687 passing yards, 9 touchdown passes, 1 rushing touchdown
» DL Betiku Jr. – 16 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 6.0 sacks, 5 QB hurries, 1 fumble recovery
» WR Imatorbhebhe – 10 catches, 167 yards, 3 touchdowns
» WR Sidney – 10 catches, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
» LB Eifler – 13 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 PBU
» OL Petitbon – 3 starts at guard
• James and the Giant Leg: Junior K James McCourt has hit two field goals in his Illinois career and he's already established himself as one of the biggest legs in program history.
» McCourt tied the Illinois record with a 57-yard field goal in the first quarter 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).
» McCourt is one of just two players in FBS with two 50+ field goals this season. Penn State's Jordan Stout also has two.
• Boys of Summer: The Illini are 28-7 in Aug./Sept. home games dating back to the start of 2007.
• Peters Can Sling It: Michigan transfer QB Brandon Peters has been as good as advertised thus far.
» Ranks seventh in FBS in passing touchdowns (9) and ninth in points responsible for (60)
» Has already 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.
• Hansen, So Hot Right Now: Junior LB Jake Hansen is off to a fast start in 2019.
» Hansen is the No. 2 graded linebacker in the nation by PFF (90.0)
» Hansen has 21 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one forced fumble
» In 2018, Hansen exploded onto the scene with a 15-tackle, 6.0-TFL performance to open the season vs. Kent State en route to a 95-tackle season.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Illinois defense, directed by head coach/defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, has made huge improvements early in 2019. While still early, the Illini have made huge jumps in the national rankings from 2018 to 2019 in several key defensive categories, including a 100+ jump in rushing defense (+104).
| ILLINOIS DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT IN 2019 |
| Category |
2018 (Final Nat'l Rk) |
2019 (Current Nat'l Rk) |
Difference |
| Rushing Defense (ypg) |
245.3 (121) |
79.3 (17) |
+104 |
| Sacks (per game) |
1.75 (97) |
4.0 (9) |
+88 |
| TFLs (per game) |
5.4 (88) |
11.0 (2) |
+86 |
| Total Defense (ypg) |
508.3 (127) |
319.0 (44) |
+83 |
| Scoring Defense (ppg) |
39.4 (123) |
20.0 (47) |
+76 |
TRANSFER PORTAL U
Lovie Smith and staff used the transfer portal to load up the roster with talent, adding seven new power-five transfers, five of which are eligible to play immediately in 2019 as graduate transfers. In addition, LB Milo Eifler (Washington) and WR Donny Navarro (Valparaiso) are now eligible to play after sitting out the 2018 season, and RB Chase Brown (Western Michigan) also transferred in. In all, 10 transfers have joined the team over the last two off-seasons, with seven eligible to play in 2019.
Transfers On the Field in 2019
DL Oluwole Betiku Jr. (USC) » 2 years left
QB Brandon Peters (Michigan) » 2 years left
OL Richie Petitbon (Alabama) » 1 year left
LB Milo Eifler (Washington) » 2 years left
WR Trevon Sidney (USC) » 2 years left
WR Josh Imatorbhebhe (USC) » 2 years left
WR Donny Navarro (Valparaiso) » 3 years left
Transfers Sitting Out 2019
TE Luke Ford (Georgia) » 3 years left starting in 2020
LB Derrick Smith (Miami) » 2 years left starting in 2020
RB Chase Brown (WMU) » 3 year left starting in 2020
THE ILLINOIS-NEBRASKA SERIES
• Illinois trails the all-time series against Nebraska, 3-12-1.
• Illinois is 2-4 against Nebraska in Champaign. In 2017, Nebraska beat Illinois 28-6 in the Huskers' last visit to Champaign, while holding the Illini to 199 yards of total offense.
• Despite rushing for 383 yards and five touchdowns, the Fighting Illini couldn't overcome five turnovers and fell to the Cornhuskers, 54-35, last year in Lincoln.
• Illinois' 14-13 win in Champaign 10/3/2015 was the Illini's first against the Cornhuskers since 1924.
• The 2015 Illini win over the Huskers ended in dramatic fashion, as QB Wes Lunt found WR Geronimo Allison for a 1-yard touchdown with 10 seconds remaining to give the Illini a 14-13 victory in Champaign. Illinois went 72 yards in the final 41 seconds for the winning score.
• In 2016 at Nebraska, Illinois led 16-10 entering the fourth quarter before allowing 21 points to lose 31-16. Nebraska went on an 18-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 10:42 and gave the Cornhuskers a 17-16 lead in the fourth quarter. The Illini hit three field goals but scored just one TD, a 31-yard run by RB Kendrick Foster.
• The 2016 meeting was a breakout game for RB Reggie Corbin, who had then-career highs in carries (9), rushing yards (72) and all-purpose yards (101).
NEBRASKA SUPERLATIVES
• A.J. Bush Jr. set Illinois' record for rushing yards by a quarterback (187) last season against Nebraska.
• Red Grange set Illinois' punt return yardage record (125) against Nebraska in 1923.
• Illinois' most rushing yards vs. Nebraska: 187 A.J. Bush Jr. 10/10/2018, 142 J.C. Caroline 9/26/1953
• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. Nebraska: 119 David Williams 9/21/1985, 118 Geronimo Allison 9/27/2014
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. Nebraska: 292 Jack Trudeau 9/21/1985
• Illinois' longest rush vs. Nebraska: 73 J.C. Caroline 9/26/1953, 65 Red Grange 10/6/1923
• Illinois' longest pass vs. Nebraska: 58 Reilly O'Toole to Geronimo Allison 9/27/2014
NEBRASKA CONNECTIONS
• Illinois Passing Game Coordinator/Safeties Coach Gill Byrd was the Green Bay Packers' Executive Director of Player Development/Community Relations in 2001 when the Packers picked up safety Scott Frost, the current head coach of Nebraska.
• Fighting Illini associate strength and conditioning coach Wille Jones spent seven seasons at Nebraska as assistant strength coach (2009-2015) before coming to Illinois in the spring of 2016.
• Illinois head football athletic trainer Jeremy Busch spent two years at Nebraska as an assistant football athletic trainer/rehabilitation coordinator.
• Some fans with split allegiances created "NEBRNOIS" shirts, as made famous by @FauxPelini's distaste for the apparel. The NEBRNOIS shirt debuted on ESPNU during the third quarter of Illinois' trip to Lincoln in 2013.
ILLINI AT HOME UNDER THE LIGHTS
The Fighting Illini will have at least one home night game at Memorial Stadium this season – vs. Nebraska on 9/21. The Illini are 16-12 all time in night games at Memorial Stadium (start after 6 p.m.).
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-Nebraska Game Notes (PDF)
