2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2007–2008
college football
season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook
. The Illini played their home games at Memorial Stadium
in Champaign, Illinois
. Illinois entered the season in search of improvement upon a 2–10 record in 2006, and secured bowl-eligibility the first time since 2001 with a homecoming win over Ball State
. From weeks 2–6, the Illini won five straight games, their longest win streak since 2001. On November 10, the Fighting Illini upset the then #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes
at Ohio Stadium
in Columbus, Ohio
.
blocked-punt return. Quarterback Juice Williams
looked sharp in the first quarter before leaving due to injury in the second. Mizzou jumped out to a 37–13 lead late in the third quarter, before backup quarterback Eddie McGee
led the Illini to 21 unanswered points. A late fourth-quarter interception sealed the game for the Tigers. McGee ended the day 17–31 for 257 yards with a TD, but lost 2 fumbles and threw 2 interceptions. The loss increased Illinois' losing streak to 8 games.
touchdown run in the third quarter and a Rashard Mendenhall
touchdown run in the fourth. Mendenhall finished the day with 142 yards.
. After one quarter, the Illini led 14–0 off a Juice Williams
touchdown pass and a Rashard Mendenhall
touchdown run. Syracuse got on the board in the third quarter with a field goal, and eventually cut the deficit to 20–10. But big plays hurt the Orange in the second half. Arrelious Benn
ran for 23 yards on one play, and one drive later, Rashard Mendenhall ran for 50. He finished the day with 150 rush yards and 3 TD's. 378 of Illinois' total yards came on the ground, and they outgained Syracuse 508–286 overall.
season at Indiana. Two Jason Reda field goals put the Illini on the board before Juice Williams found Michael Hoomanawanui
in the endzone. They led 20–7 at the half. After a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown put Illinois up 27–7 in the fourth quarter, Indiana QB Kellen Lewis drove down the field to find James Bailey
for a 30-yd touchdown, Lewis' second TD on the day. But with a minute left, Vontae Davis picked off Lewis in the endzone, securing a 27–14 Illinois victory, their first in a Big Ten opener since 1993 and their first in Bloomington since 2001. Mendenhall finished the day with a career-high 214 rush yards. Tracy Porter
picked off two Juice Williams passes, and Williams finished a disappointing passing effort 13–28 with a TD.
returned the ensuing kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown, putting Illinois up 7–3. They never would relinquish the lead. Their defense intercepted Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli
3 times, and allowed the Nittany Lions to score only 3 times out of 6 red zone possessions. A Kevin Mitchell interception with 9 seconds on the clock ended Penn State's comeback hopes. Illinois' victory marked their first over a ranked opponent since the 2001 season and gives the Illini a 4-game win streak, also their longest since 2001.
was returned to Champaign in 2008. This was arguably one of the greatest victories in the history of Illinois football.
, held on New Year's Day
in the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. Although it traditionally hosts the champions of the Big Ten
and Pac-10 conferences, the 2007 Big Ten Champion, Ohio State
, was ranked #1 in the final BCS poll and instead participated in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game
. The rules governing BCS bowl selections allowed the Rose Bowl to select a BCS "at-large" team from the top fourteen teams ranked in the BCS Standings that have at least nine wins. Keeping with its traditional bowl ties, the Rose Bowl selected #13-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (9–3), under third-year head coach Ron Zook
.
The Illini entered the Rose Bowl after a Cinderella
season where they won nine games, including an upset victory over at-the-time #1 Ohio State, after winning a total of four games the previous two seasons. It was Illinois' first bowl game since winning the 2001 Big Ten Championship and playing in the 2002 Sugar Bowl
. The Illini offense was led by sophomore quarterback "Juice" Williams
, who in the regular season passed for 13 touchdowns and ran for seven, junior running back Rashard Mendenhall
, who averaged 127 yards rushing per game and scored 18 touchdowns, and freshman receiver Arrelious Benn
, who caught 49 passes and had 158 yards in 32 carries. For taking Illinois to the Rose Bowl a year after going 2–10, Zook won both national and Big Ten coach of the year honors. The Illini entered the game 13.5-point underdogs, the biggest of any of the season's 32 bowl games.
The Trojans defeated the Illini 49–17 before a sold out Rose Bowl crowd.
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
. The Illini played their home games at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Champaign)
thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as...
in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
. Illinois entered the season in search of improvement upon a 2–10 record in 2006, and secured bowl-eligibility the first time since 2001 with a homecoming win over Ball State
Ball State Cardinals
Ball State University's athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Mid-American Conference and located in Muncie, Indiana...
. From weeks 2–6, the Illini won five straight games, their longest win streak since 2001. On November 10, the Fighting Illini upset the then #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes
2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
at Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
Schedule
Missouri
The Illini scored first off a Vontae DavisVontae Davis
-Miami Dolphins:Davis was signed by the Dolphins to a five-year deal with a guarantee in excess of $7 million. Davis recorded his first career interception in Week 4 of the 2009 season against Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, returning it 23 yards for a touchdown. Davis finished his rookie...
blocked-punt return. Quarterback Juice Williams
Isiah Williams
Isiah John "Juice" Williams is an American football quarterback who is currently signed to the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. He was undrafted in 2010...
looked sharp in the first quarter before leaving due to injury in the second. Mizzou jumped out to a 37–13 lead late in the third quarter, before backup quarterback Eddie McGee
Eddie McGee
Eddie McGee was the winner of the first season of the American version of Big Brother. He was awarded $500,000 for being the last remaining HouseGuests, beating out nine other contestants. McGee is a wheelchair basketball player who lost his left leg due to cancer.-Life and career:McGee was born...
led the Illini to 21 unanswered points. A late fourth-quarter interception sealed the game for the Tigers. McGee ended the day 17–31 for 257 yards with a TD, but lost 2 fumbles and threw 2 interceptions. The loss increased Illinois' losing streak to 8 games.
Western Illinois
The Illini returned to Memorial Stadium to face FCS Western Illinois in the home opener. Illinois built upon a 7–0 halftime lead with a Juice WilliamsIsiah Williams
Isiah John "Juice" Williams is an American football quarterback who is currently signed to the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. He was undrafted in 2010...
touchdown run in the third quarter and a Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
touchdown run in the fourth. Mendenhall finished the day with 142 yards.
Syracuse
Illinois looked to secure its first road win at the Carrier DomeCarrier Dome
The Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...
. After one quarter, the Illini led 14–0 off a Juice Williams
Isiah Williams
Isiah John "Juice" Williams is an American football quarterback who is currently signed to the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. He was undrafted in 2010...
touchdown pass and a Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
touchdown run. Syracuse got on the board in the third quarter with a field goal, and eventually cut the deficit to 20–10. But big plays hurt the Orange in the second half. Arrelious Benn
Arrelious Benn
-External links:**...
ran for 23 yards on one play, and one drive later, Rashard Mendenhall ran for 50. He finished the day with 150 rush yards and 3 TD's. 378 of Illinois' total yards came on the ground, and they outgained Syracuse 508–286 overall.
Indiana
Illinois opened their Big TenBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
season at Indiana. Two Jason Reda field goals put the Illini on the board before Juice Williams found Michael Hoomanawanui
Michael Hoomanawanui
-St. Louis Rams:He was drafted by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. On June 26, 2010 he signed a four-year, $2.4 million contract including a $215,000 signing bonus. He made the opening day roster.-External links:**...
in the endzone. They led 20–7 at the half. After a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown put Illinois up 27–7 in the fourth quarter, Indiana QB Kellen Lewis drove down the field to find James Bailey
James Bailey
James Bailey may refer to:* James Bailey , National Basketball Association player* James Bailey , former executive of Thinking Machines and the author of the book After Thought...
for a 30-yd touchdown, Lewis' second TD on the day. But with a minute left, Vontae Davis picked off Lewis in the endzone, securing a 27–14 Illinois victory, their first in a Big Ten opener since 1993 and their first in Bloomington since 2001. Mendenhall finished the day with a career-high 214 rush yards. Tracy Porter
Tracy Porter
Tracy O'Neil Porter is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana....
picked off two Juice Williams passes, and Williams finished a disappointing passing effort 13–28 with a TD.
Penn State
The Illini faced ranked opposition for the first time in 2007 when the #19 Nittany Lions came to Memorial Stadium. Penn State scored first with a field goal, but Arrelious BennArrelious Benn
-External links:**...
returned the ensuing kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown, putting Illinois up 7–3. They never would relinquish the lead. Their defense intercepted Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli
Anthony Morelli
Anthony Michael Morelli is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
3 times, and allowed the Nittany Lions to score only 3 times out of 6 red zone possessions. A Kevin Mitchell interception with 9 seconds on the clock ended Penn State's comeback hopes. Illinois' victory marked their first over a ranked opponent since the 2001 season and gives the Illini a 4-game win streak, also their longest since 2001.
Wisconsin
Going into the game, the unranked Fighting Illini were actually favored by oddsmakers to beat the #5 Badgers, who entered the game undefeated but having had numerous close games against unranked opponents, including a close game against The Citadel. The Illini won in a game not as close as the score.Iowa
The #18 Fighting Illini suffered their first Big Ten loss of the season at Kinnick Stadium. In the fourth quarter, trailing 10–6, Eddie McGee appeared to complete an 82-yard pass for a touchdown, but an ineligible receiver downfield penalty negated the would-be go-ahead score. With two minutes left, Eddie McGee drove the Illini to the Iowa 11-yardline, but threw an interception to seal the win for the Hawkeyes.Michigan
Ball State
Minnesota
Ohio State
With their win over the Buckeyes, the Illini defeated a number 1 ranked team for the first time since 1956, and for the first time ever on the road. Juice Williams completed 12 out of 22 passes for only 140 yards, but four receptions were caught for touchdowns. With the win, the Illini damaged the Buckeyes' national title hopes, though Ohio State eventually reached the national championship game. The IllibuckIllibuck
Illy Illibuck is a carved wooden turtle that serves as the trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Illinois Fighting Illini football team of the University of Illinois and the Ohio State Buckeyes football team of Ohio State University...
was returned to Champaign in 2008. This was arguably one of the greatest victories in the history of Illinois football.
Northwestern
Rose Bowl
The Illini ended the 2007 season by participating in the 2008 Rose Bowl2008 Rose Bowl
The 2008 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the 94th Rose Bowl Game, played on January 1, 2008 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, was a college football bowl game. The contest was televised on ABC, the 20th straight year the network aired the Rose Bowl, starting at 4:30pm EST...
, held on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
in the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. Although it traditionally hosts the champions of the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and Pac-10 conferences, the 2007 Big Ten Champion, Ohio State
2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
, was ranked #1 in the final BCS poll and instead participated in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game
2008 BCS National Championship Game
The 2008 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the #1 and #2 college football teams in the United States as determined by the BCS Poll to decide the BCS National Championship for the 2007...
. The rules governing BCS bowl selections allowed the Rose Bowl to select a BCS "at-large" team from the top fourteen teams ranked in the BCS Standings that have at least nine wins. Keeping with its traditional bowl ties, the Rose Bowl selected #13-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (9–3), under third-year head coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
.
The Illini entered the Rose Bowl after a Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
season where they won nine games, including an upset victory over at-the-time #1 Ohio State, after winning a total of four games the previous two seasons. It was Illinois' first bowl game since winning the 2001 Big Ten Championship and playing in the 2002 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. The Illini offense was led by sophomore quarterback "Juice" Williams
Isiah Williams
Isiah John "Juice" Williams is an American football quarterback who is currently signed to the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. He was undrafted in 2010...
, who in the regular season passed for 13 touchdowns and ran for seven, junior running back Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
, who averaged 127 yards rushing per game and scored 18 touchdowns, and freshman receiver Arrelious Benn
Arrelious Benn
-External links:**...
, who caught 49 passes and had 158 yards in 32 carries. For taking Illinois to the Rose Bowl a year after going 2–10, Zook won both national and Big Ten coach of the year honors. The Illini entered the game 13.5-point underdogs, the biggest of any of the season's 32 bowl games.
The Trojans defeated the Illini 49–17 before a sold out Rose Bowl crowd.
Roster
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Quarterbacks
Running Backs
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