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| 1947 ROSE BOWL Jan. 1, 1947 Pasadena, Calif. |
| In the first Rose Bowl under the Big Ten-Pac 10 agreement, unheralded Illinois routed highly ranked UCLA, 45-14. Illinois running backs Julius Rykovich and Claude "Buddy" Young rushed for 103 yards apiece. During the course of the game, six different Illinois players scored touchdowns as the Fighting Illini racked up their first Bowl victory. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 6 | 19 | 0 | 20 | 45 | |
| UCLA | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UI | Julius Rykovich 1 run (kick failed) |
| UCLA | Ernie Case 1 run (Case kick) |
| UI | Buddy Young 2 run (Don Maechtle kick) |
| UI | Paul Patterson 4 run (kick failed) |
| UI | Perry Moss 1 run (kick blocked) |
| UCLA | Al Hoisch 100 kick return (Case kick) |
| UI | Young 1 run (Maechtle kick) |
| UI | Ruck Steger 68 interception return (kick failed) |
| UI | Stan Green 81 interception return (Maechtle kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 320-78-398; UCLA - 62-176-238
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Rykovich 18-103-1, Young 20-103-2; UCLA - Hoisch 4-27-0, Cal Rossi 10-25-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Moss 8-3-0-0-85; UCLA - Case 24-11-2-0-165
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Rykovich 1-44-0, Bill Huber 2-21-0; UCLA - Burr Baldwin 3-57-0, Dave Dobrow 2-28-0
| 1952 ROSE BOWL Jan. 1, 1952 Pasadena, Calif. |
| For three quarters, Illinois and Stanford battled in what appeared to be a low-scoring, defensive struggle. Late in the third quarter, Illinois scored the first of 34 unanswered points to blow out Stanford. Illinois took the lead on a six-yard touchdown run by Johnny Karras, then exploded for 27 fourth-quarter points to give Illinois and Head Coach Ray Eliot a second Rose Bowl victory in as many tries. Illinois rolled up 434 yards in total offense, with Mattoon's Bill Tate picking up 150 yards on the ground. The 1952 Rose Bowl was the first nationally telecast college football game. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 6 | 0 | 7 | 27 | 40 | |
| Stanford | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UI | Pete Bachourus 6 run (kick failed) |
| SU | Harry Hugasian 1 run (Gary Kerkorian kick) |
| UI | Bill Tate 5 run (Sam Rebecca kick) |
| UI | John Karras 7 run (Rebecca kick) |
| UI | Tate 8 run (Rebecca kick) |
| UI | Don Stevens 7 run (kick blocked) |
| UI | John Ryan 6 pass from Don Engels (Rebecca kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 371-73-434; SU - 53-180-233
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Tate 20-150-1, Karras 13-58-1; SU- Hugasian 14-41-1
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Tom O'Connell 14-6-1-0-67; SU - Gary Kerkorian 22-11-2-0-166
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Bachouras 3-36-0; SU - William McColl 4-62-0, Hugasian 4-49-0
| 1964 ROSE BOWL Jan. 1, 1964 Pasadena, Calif. |
| Illinois made its first appearance in Pasadena in 12 years, led by linebacker Dick Butkus and fullback Jim Grabowski. Illinois trailed 7-0 before Jim Plankenhorn's 32-yard field goal with one second remaining in the first half put the Fighting Illini on the scoreboard. Illinois came out strong in the second half, grinding out touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to wear down the Huskies, 17-7. Grabowski earned MVP honors, gaining 125 yards and scoring one touchdown. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | |
| Washington | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UW | Dave Kopay 7 run (Ron Medved kick) |
| UI | Jim Plankenhorn 32 FG |
| UI | Jim Warren 2 run (Plankenhorn kick) |
| UI | Jim Grabowski 1 run (Plankenhorn kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 102-43-145; UW - 59-71-130
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Grabowski 23-125-1, Sam Price 10-55-0; UW - Kopay 4-29-1, Steve Bramwell 5-22-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Fred Custardo 7-4-0-0-43, Mike Taliaferro 8-2-0-0-16; UW - Bill Siler 17-6-3-0-46
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Ron Fearn 3-24-0; UW - Al Libke 3-19-9
| 1982 LIBERTY BOWL Dec. 29, 1982 Memphis, Tenn. |
| Illinois reappeared on the bowl scene after a 19-year absence, facing Alabama and Paul "Bear" Bryant, who was coaching his final game. Illinois saw its perfect bowl record snapped with a 21-15 loss. Fighting Illini quarterback Tony Eason set a Liberty Bowl record, throwing for 423 yards, but Alabama's bruising ground attack mustered 217 yards and proved to be the difference. The game would later become a made-for-television movie "Bear," starring Gary Busey. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 15 | |
| Alabama | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UA | Ricky Moore 4 run (Peter Kim kick) |
| UI | Joe Curtis 1 run (kick failed) |
| UA | Jesse Bendross 8 run (Kim kick) |
| UI | Oliver Williams 2 pass from Tony Eason (pass failed) |
| UI | Mike Bass 23 FG |
| UA | Craig Turner 1 run (Kim kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 21-423-444; UA - 217-130-347
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Curtis 7-13-1, Richard Ryles 4-10-0; UA - Moore 13-65-1, Jeff Fagan 6-38-0, Turner 11-36-1
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Eason 55-35-4-1-423, Kris Jenner 3-0-3-0-0; UA - Walter Lewis 13-7-2-0-130
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Mike Martin 8-127-0, Williams 7-84-1, Tim Brewster 6-55-0; UA - Jesse Bendross 3-51-0, Joey Jones 2-60-0
| 1984 ROSE BOWL Jan. 2, 1984 Pasadena, Calif. |
| Head Coach Mike White led Illinois to a perfect 9-0 Big Ten Conference record and the first Fighting Illini visit to Pasadena in 20 years. UCLA ended fourth-ranked Illinois' hopes for a national championship with a 45-9 victory. The Bruins piled up 21 second-quarter points en route to a 28-3 halftime lead. UCLA quarterback Rick Neuheisel enjoyed the best game of his college career, completing 22 of 31 passes for 298 yards. The Bruins rushing attack ground out 232 yards to give UCLA 511 yards in total offense. Illinois ended the season with a 10-2 record, only the second Illinois team in history to win 10 or more games, and became the first and only team in conference history to defeat all nine Big Ten opponents in the same season. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | |
| UCLA | 7 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 45 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UCLA | Paul Bergmann 3 pass from Rick Neuheisel (Lee kick) |
| UI | Chris White 41 FG |
| UCLA | Kevin Nelson 28 run (Lee kick) |
| UCLA | Karl Dorrell 16 pass from Neuheisel (Lee kick) |
| UCLA | Mike Young 53 pass from Neuheisel (Lee kick) |
| UCLA | Dorrell 15 pass from Neuheisel (Lee kick) |
| UCLA | Lee 29 FG |
| UI | Thomas Rooks 5 pass from Jack Trudeau (pass failed) |
| UCLA | Bryan Wiley 8 run (Lee kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 0-205-205; UCLA - 213-298-511
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Dwight Beverly 4-22-0, Thomas Rooks 8-21-0; UCLA - Nelson 18-69-1, Frank Cephous 12-86-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Trudeau 39-23-3-1-178; UCLA - Neuheisel 31-22-0-4-298
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - David Williams 10-88-0, Tim Brewster 5-60-0; UCLA - Young 5-129-1, Dorrell 5-61-2, Bergmann 4-54-1
| 1985 PEACH BOWL Dec. 31, 1985 Atlanta, Ga. |
| On a cold and rainy day in Atlanta, Army scored two touchdowns on halfback option plays to take an eight-point lead into the final five minutes. Trailing 31-23 with less than a minute remaining, Illinois quarterback Jack Trudeau hit All-American receiver David Williams for a 54-yard touchdown to bring the Fighting Illini within two points of a tie. Trudeau's two-point conversion pass attempt was broken up and Army handed Illinois its third consecutive Bowl defeat in the 1980s. Trudeau set Peach Bowl records with 38 completions in 55 attempts for 401 yards. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 3 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 29 | |
| Army | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| ARMY | Rob Healy 22 run (Craig Stopa kick) |
| UI | Chris White 45 FG |
| UI | Cap Boso 1 pass from Jack Trudeau (White kick) |
| ARMY | Doug Black 1 run (Stopa kick) |
| ARMY | Benny White 33 pass from William Lampley (Stopa kick) |
| UI | David Williams 15 pass from Trudeau (pass failed) |
| UI | Ray Wilson 1 run (White kick) |
| ARMY | Scott Spellmon 26 pass from Clarence Jones (Stopa kick) |
| ARMY | Stopa 39 FG |
| UI | Williams 54 pass from Trudeau (pass failed) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 77-401-478; ARMY - 291-94-385
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Thomas Rooks 10-35-0, Wilson 8-31-1; ARMY - Healy 23-107-1, Lampley 16-76-0, Black 15-73-1
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Trudeau 55-38-2-3-401; ARMY - Healy 6-3-1-0-35
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - David Williams 7-109-2, Stephen Pierce 6-92-0, Anthony Williams 5-59-0
| 1988 ALL-AMERICAN BOWL Dec. 29, 1988 Birmingham, Ala. |
| Head Coach John Mackovic led Illinois to a surprising 6-4-1 record and a third-place finish in the Big Ten, earning a berth opposite traditional SEC powerhouse Florida in the All-American Bowl. On the first play from scrimmage, Florida freshman sensation Emmitt Smith scampered 55 yards for a touchdown. Illinois tied the score on a 30-yard run by Keith Jones in the second quarter. After a fourth-quarter Doug Higgins field goal gave Illinois a three-point lead, Smith scored his second touchdown with less than four minutes remaining to give the Gators the victory. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | |
| Florida | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UF | Emmitt Smith 55 run (John Francis kick) |
| UI | Keith Jones 30 run (Doug Higgins kick) |
| UI | Higgins 44 FG |
| UF | Smith 2 run (Francis kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 55-194-249; UF - 187-69-256
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Jones 18-88-1; UF - Smith 28-159-2
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Jeff George 37-20-2-0-194; UF - Kyle Morris 12-6-2-0-50
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Mike Bellamy 5-49-0; Steven Williams 5-49-0; UF - Terence Barber 4-29-0
| 1990 CITRUS BOWL Jan. 1, 1990 Orlando, Fla. |
| Illinois snapped a 26-year bowl victory drought with a 31-21 win over Virginia in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Illinois jumped on the Cavaliers early, with linebacker Bill Henkel recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff. Five plays later, quarterback Jeff George drilled a 15-yard scoring strike to Steven Williams. After Virginia tied the game early in the second quarter, George directed Illinois on an 80-yard scoring drive. Illinois opened the second half with an 84-yard drive capped by fullback Howard Griffith's three-yard touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter, receiver Mike Bellamy scored on a 26-yard pass from George to clinch an Illini victory. George earned MVP honors, completing 26-of-38 for 321 yards and three TDs. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 | |
| Virginia | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UI | Steven Williams 15 pass from Jeff George (Doug Higgins kick) |
| UV | Tim Finkelston 30 pass from Shawn Moore (Jake McInerney kick) |
| UI | Dan Donovan 1 pass from George (Higgins kick) |
| UI | Higgins 34 FG |
| UI | Howard Griffith 3 run (Higgins kick) |
| UV | Marcus Wilson 2 run (McInerney kick) |
| UI | Mike Bellamy 24 pass from George (Higgins kick) |
| UV | Herman Moore 4 pass from S. Moore (McInerney kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 176-321-497; UV - 110-112-322
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Griffith 18-93-0, Steve Feagin 10-54-0; UV - Terry Kirby 8-64-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - George 38-26-1-3-321; UV - S. Moore 27-17-2-2-191
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Bellamy 8-166-1, Williams 4-45-1; UV - Finkelston 3-69-1, Herman Moore 5-56-1
| 1991 HALL OF FAME BOWL Jan. 1, 1991 Tampa, Fla. |
| The Fighting Illini's trip to the Hall of Fame Bowl would be Illinois' third bowl appearance in as many years under John Mackovic, but it would also be the most disappointing. The Tigers took the opening kickoff and marched 71 yards in 16 plays before All-American kicker Chris Gardocki kicked an 18-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Record-setting Illini running back Howard Griffith fumbled on Illinois' first play from scrimmage, and on the very next play, Tiger quarterback DeChane Cameron hit Doug Thomas with a 14-yard touchdown pass to give his team a 10-0 lead. The Tiger offense tacked on two more touchdowns in the second quarter, while the Clemson defense held the Fighting Illini to just 22 total yards in the half. Illinois got its offense on track in the second half with 225 yards, but never could find paydirt. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Clemson | 10 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| CU | Chris Gardocki 18 FG |
| CU | Doug Thomas 14 pass from DeChane Cameron (Gardocki kick) |
| CU | Howard Hall 17 pass from Cameron (Gardocki kick) |
| CU | Arlington Nunn 34 interception return (Gardocki kick) |
| CU | Gardocki 26 FG |
| CU | Gardocki 43 FG |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 62-185-247; CU - 148-157-305
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Howard Griffith 15-59-0; CU - Cameron 17-76-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Jason Verduzco 25-13-2- 0-121; CU - Cameron 20-14-0-2-141
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Shawn Wax 6-77-0; Steven Mueller 3-76-0; CU - Thomas 5-57-1; Terry Smith 3-43-0
| 1991 JOHN HANCOCK BOWL Dec. 31, 1991 El Paso, Texas |
| The Illini were playing their first game under new Head Coach Lou Tepper, who was named John Mackovic's replacement a little more than two weeks earlier when Mackovic took the head coaching job at Texas. The Illinois defense certainly came to play, holding the high-octane UCLA attack to just 268 yards of total offense. The Fighting Illini offense didn't fare much better, though, totaling 308 yards of its own in a classic defensive struggle. Illinois missed an early scoring opportunity when Jason Verduzco's pass was intercepted at the Bruin goal line. The Illinois defense forced a UCLA fumble six plays later, but then promptly turned the ball back to the Bruins at the UI 24-yard line after a blocked punt. The Illinois defense stiffened and held UCLA to a field goal. Both teams traded punches until Illinois freshman Chris Richardson kicked a 27-yard field goal. The score remained tied until the opening drive of the fourth quarter when Illinois' Filmel Johnson fumbled a UCLA punt at the UI 11-yard line that lead to a 19-yard Louis Perez field goal. Illinois linebacker Mike Poloskey earned the Jimmy Rogers Jr. Trophy as the game's Most Valuable Lineman. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| UCLA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UCLA | Louis Perez 32 FG |
| UI | Chris Richardson 27 FG |
| UCLA | Perez 19 FG |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 119-189-308; UCLA - 92-176-268
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Steve Feagin 12-71-0; UCLA - Kevin Williams 24-52-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Jason Verduzco 38-17-3-0-189; UCLA - Tommy Maddox 28-17-1-0-176
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - John Wright 9-94-0; UCLA - Sean LaChapelle 5-69-0, Ricky Davis 4-41-0
| 1992 HOLIDAY BOWL Dec. 30, 1992 San Diego, Calif. |
| Head Coach Lou Tepper ended his first full year at the helm of the Illini by leading the team to its fifth-consecutive bowl appearance, the longest such streak in school history. Illinois' offense got off to a quick start against Hawaii, marching 73 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead after the first quarter. The Illini were down by just three, 10-7, at halftime, but Hawaii stormed out of the locker room to piece together scoring drives of 80 and 62 yards. On its opening possession of the fourth quarter, a botched Illini lateral gave Hawaii the ball on the Illini's 21, but the UI defense held the Rainbows to only a field goal. On Illinois' next possession, an interception gave Hawaii the ball once again, and the Rainbows proceeded to kill Illinois' hopes for a victory by cruising for another score. John Wright caught his second TD pass of the contest in the waning minutes to make the final score 27-17. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 | |
| Hawaii | 0 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UI | John Wright 14 pass from Jason Verduzco (Chris Richardson kick) |
| UH | Travis Sims 6 run (Jason Elam kick) |
| UI | Richardson 19 FG |
| UH | Sims 1 run (Elam kick) |
| UH | Elam 45 FG |
| UH | Elam 37 FG |
| UH | Darrick Branch 53 pass from Michael Carter (Elam kick) |
| UI | Wright 18 pass from Verduzco (Richardson kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 108-248-356; UH - 287-115-402
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Darren Boyer 11-39-0; Steve Feagin 7-31-0; UH - Travis Sims 29-113-2; Michael Carter 21-105-0
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Jason Verduzco 34-26-1-2-248; UH - Michael Carter 16-6-2-1-15
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - John Wright 7-82-2; UH - Darrick Branch 1-53-1
| 1994 LIBERTY BOWL Dec. 31, 1994 Memphis, Tenn. |
| Illinois, making its sixth bowl appearance in seven years, dominated Liberty Bowl opponent East Carolina from the beginning. The Illini took a 14-0 first-quarter lead on Johnny Johnson touchdown passes to Ken Dilger and Jasper Strong. In the second quarter the Illini added a Chris Richardson field goal and a touchdown reception by Jason Dulick to pull away, 24-0. Illinois' final score came in the third quarter on another Johnson TD strike, this time to Ty Douthard. Johnson's four touchdown passes and 250 yards passing earned him Most Valuable Offensive Player and Most Valuable Player of the Game honors. The Illini defense forced four interceptions and a fumble, allowing a total of only 271 total yards. All-American linebacker Simeon Rice led the way with 10 tackles. The Liberty Bowl was the Illini's first Bowl victory since 1990. Illinois' 30-0 victory was the most lopsided win in Liberty Bowl history and was the only shutout posted among the 1994-95 Bowls. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 14 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 30 | |
| East Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UI | Ken Dilger 17 pass from Johnny Johnson (Richardson kick) |
| UI | Jasper Strong 73 pass from Johnson (Richardson kick) |
| UI | Richardson 19 FG |
| UI | Richardson 21 FG |
| UI | Jason Dulick 5 pass from Johnson (Richardson kick) |
| UI | Ty Douthard 30 pass from Johnson (kicked failed) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 134-255-389; ECU - 92-179-271
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI - Ty Douthard 13-52-0; Robert Holcome 12- 46-0; ECU - Marcus Crandell 41-20-4-0-179
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI - Johnny Johnson 30-18-0-4-250; Scott Weaver 4-2-0-0-5; ECU - Marcus Crandell 41-20-4-0-179
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI - Jasper Strong 3-96-1, Ken Dilger 7-60-1, Jason Dulick 3-30-1; ECU - Scott Richards 4-25-0, Jason Nichols 6-55-0
| 1999 MICRONPC.COM BOWL Dec. 30, 1999 Miami, Fla. |
| The Illini took advantage of the school's first bowl appearance in five years with an impressive 63-21 victory over highly touted running back Thomas Jones and the Virginia Cavaliers. In a game which pitted two evenly matched, 7-4 squads, the Illini dominated with 611 yards total offense and nine touchdowns. On the first drive of the game, Kurt Kittner led the Illini down field 71 yards and scored on a one-yard run. The Illini then rattled off 35 unanswered points, including a flea-flicker pass from wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to Kittner for 30 yards and a halftime score of 42-7. Kittner threw a school record 24th touchdown pass on a one-yard reception to Jameel Cook. The Illini broke 22 Illinois and Micronpc.com Bowl records that night and scored the second-most points in collegiate bowl history. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 14 | 28 | 7 | 14 | 63 | |
| Virginia | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| UI | Kurt Kittner 1 yd run (Neil Rackers kick) |
| UV | Thomas Jones 7 yd run (Todd Braverman kick) |
| UI | Rocky Harvey 47 yd run (Rackers kick) |
| UI | Kittner 30 yd pass from Brandon Lloyd (Rackers kick) |
| UI | Jameel Cook 61 yd pass from Kittner (Rackers kick) |
| UI | Steve Havard 2 yd run (Rackers kick) |
| UI | Cook 1 yd pass from Kittner (Rackers kick) |
| UV | Kevin Coffey 5 yd pass from Ellis (Braverman kick) |
| UI | Havard 2 yd run (Rackers kick) |
| UI | Harvey 9 yd run (Rackers kick) |
| UI | Kirk Johnson 1 yd run (Rackers kick) |
| UV | Thompson 55 yd pass from Rivers (Braverman kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 325-286-611; UVA - 172-208-380
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI -- Harvey 10-122-2; Havard 15-75-2; Kittner 4-11-1; Johnson 3-5-1; UVA --Jones 23-110-1
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI -- Kittner 24-14-1-2-254; UVA - Ellis 32-15-1-1-146
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI -- Cook 4-88-2, Lloyd 3-57-0, Dean 2-42-0, Young 1-31-0, Kittner 1-30-1; UVA -- Jones 5-31-0, McMullen 3-31-0
| 2002 SUGAR BOWL Jan. 1, 2002 New Orleans, La. |
| Big Ten champion Illinois made a late rally but couldn't overcome LSU's fast start as it fell in its first-ever Bowl Championship Series contest 47-34 at the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The Tigers scored the game's first 28-points and jumped out to a 34-7 halftime advantage thanks to a 27-point second quarter that saw Domanick Davis run for a pair of scores and Rohan Davey throw for two more. The Illini matched LSU's hot start with a second half rally as Kurt Kittner threw for 182 yards and three scores after halftime to cut the Tiger lead to 13 midway through the fourth quarter. But Illinois couldn't get any closer as LSU converted a pair of third downs to run out the clock and get the win. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 34 | |
| Louisiana State | 7 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 47 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| LSU | Domanick Davis 4 yard run (Corbello kick) |
| LSU | Davis 25 yard run (Corbello kick blocked) |
| LSU | Davis 16 yard run (Corbello kick) |
| LSU | Josh Reed 5 yard pass from Rohan Davey (Corbello kick) |
| UI | Brian Hodges 2 yard pass from Kurt Kittner (Christofilakos kick) |
| LSU | Robert Royal 7 yard pass from Davey (Corbello kick) |
| UI | Brandon Lloyd 17 yard pass from Kittner (Christofilakos kick) |
| LSU | Reed 32 yard pass from Davey (Corbello kick) |
| UI | Lloyd 10 yard pass from Kittner (Christofilakos kick) |
| UI | Walter Young 17 yard pass from Kittner (Christofilakos kick) |
| LSU | Davis 4 yard run (pass failed) |
| UI | Young 40 yard pass from Lloyd (pass failed) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 61-302-363; LSU - 151-444-595
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI -- Harvey 9-42; Lloyd 1-14; Davis 4-13; Harris 2-3; LSU --Davis 28-122-4; Henderson 13-54
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI -- Kittner 35-14-1-262-4; LSU -- Davey 53-31-0-444-3
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI -- Young 6-178-2; Lloyd 5-56-2; Davis 2-24; Harvey 1-42; Hodges 1-2-1; LSU -- Reed 14-239-2; Clayton 8-120; Myers 4-51; Royal 2-15-1; Webster 2-14; Davis 1-5
| 2008 ROSE BOWL Jan. 1, 2008 Pasadena, Calif. |
| The Illini took themselves out of the 2008 Rose Bowl game with four turnovers, which resulted in 28 Southern California points, and squandered four trips in the red zone for no points to fall to the Trojans, 49-17. Making their first bowl appearance in six years, the Big Ten's second-place team squared off against No. 6 USC, the Pac-10 champs. Junior tailback Rashard Mendenhall rattled off 155 rushing yards on USC's fourth-ranked defense and added another 59 yards receiving. With a 21-3 half-time deficit, Illinois came out in the second half, scoring a quick touchdown on a 79-yard run by Mendenhall. After another 55-yard burst by Mendenhall, the Illini threatened inside the 20-yard line, but a Jacob Willis fumble gave the momentum back to USC. From there, the Trojans scored 28 unanswered points before an Arrelious Benn 56-yard reception from Eddie McGee capped the game's scoring in the fourth quarter. Sophomore defender Vontae Davis tied an Illinois bowl record with 13 solo tackles. Early in the game, senior safety Justin Harrison picked off a John David Booty pass, returning it 45 yards, but a missed field goal gave the Illini no points. |
| SCORING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | |
| Southern California | 14 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
| SCORING SUMMARY | |
| USC | Washington 8-yard pass from Booty (Buehler kick) |
| USC | Reed 34-yard pass from Green (Buehler kick) |
| USC | Washington 3-yard run (Buehler kick) |
| UI | Reda 28-yard field goal |
| UI | R. Mendenhall 79-yard run (Reda kick) |
| USC | Davis 2-yard pass from Booty (Buehler kick) |
| USC | McKnight 6-yard run (Buehler kick) |
| USC | Ausberry 15-yard pass from Booty (Buehler kick) |
| USC | Hershel 3-yard run (Buehler kick) |
| UI | Benn 56-yard pass from McGee (Reda kick) |
TEAM STATISTICS
(Rushing-Passing-Total): UI - 144-301-445; USC - 344-289-633
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing (Att.-Yds.-TD): UI -- R. Mendenhall 17-155-1; McGee 2-7; Weil 2-1; Dufrene 1-0; Williams 15-(19); USC -- McKnight 10-125-1; Johnson 9-104; Washington 12-75-1; Dennis 6-30-1; Adewale 1-17; Bradford 1-5; Havili 1-5; Booty 3-(17).
Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.-TD-Yds.): UI -- Williams 35-21-2-0-245; McGee 1-1-0-1-56; USC -- Booty 37-25-1-3-255; Green 1-1-0-1-34.
Receiving: (No.-Yds.-TD): UI -- Benn 5-80-1; R. Mendenhall 5-59; Willis 4-74; Cumberland 3-37; Warren 3-25; Gamble 2-26; USC -- Davis 7-87-1; McKnight 6-45; Havili 4-63; Washington 3-12; Ausberry 2-28; Johnson 2-15; Reed 1-34; Hazelton 1-5.
(updated 5/09)
