BIG TEN 1,000-YARD RUSHERS

Through two games in the 2007 season, Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall ranks 11th on the list of active running backs in the Big Ten. As the team's leading returning rusher, Mendenhall looks to rise up that list.

1. Mike Hart, Sr., Michigan - 4,175 yards
2. Tyrell Sutton, Jr., Northwestern - 2,596 yards
3. Albert Young, Sr., Iowa - 2,434 yards
4. Amir Pinnix, Sr., Minnesota - 2,262 yards
5. P.J. Hill, So., Wisconsin - 1,968 yards
6. Jehuu Caulcrick, Sr., Michigan State - 1,810 yards
7. Kory Sheets, Sr., Purdue - 1,577 yards
8. Javon Ringer, Jr., Michigan State - 1,569 yards
9. Austin Scott, Sr., Penn State - 1,236 yards
10. Damian Sims, Sr., Iowa - 1,222 yards
11. Rashard Mendenhall, Jr., Illinois - 1,030 yards
    -- Chris Wells, So., Ohio State 900 yards

FROM THE DIAMOND TO THE GRIDIRON

Illinois' true-freshman safety Bo Flowers turns 24 on Nov. 12, and is the oldest player on the Illini roster. Flowers is beginning his college career this season after four years in professional baseball. He was a fifth-round draft pick in 2003 by the Detroit Tigers. After spending three seasons in the Detroit organization, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs where he played the 2006 season. Currently, Flowers is a walk-on on the Illini team because the Tigers are footing the college bill. He is one of seven active Division I-A football players who have seen action in minor league baseball:

• Gary Banks (Troy...Cubs)
• Mike Conroy (UConn...Indians)
• Bo Flowers (Illinois...Tigers/Cubs)
• Marquise Liverpool (Temple...Mariners)
• Michael Machen (Baylor...Braves/Orioles)
• Mike Nixon (Arizona State...Dodgers)
• Jose Perez (SDSU...Yankees)

PULLING DOUBLE DUTY

Junior receiver Kyle Hudson is in his third year of pulling double-duty as a starting wide receiver on the football team and starting centerfielder on the Illini baseball team. Hudson led the Illini in receptions last year with 30 and in receiving yards each of his first two seasons. In two seasons, he has accumulated 872 receiving yards. On the diamond, he has started 87 of 88 games in two seasons. He led the team in hitting as a freshman and was second as a sophomore. He is hitting .360 for his two season average and has stolen 26 bases in that span. As a freshman, he won the school's Newcomer of the Year award for the impact he made on the two sports.

FIRST-TIMERS

• The Illini have played eight true-freshmen through three games: Arrelious Benn has started three games at wide receiver; Josh Brent (DT), Nate Bussey (DB), Bo Flowers (DB), Brian Gamble (WR), Troy Pollard (RB), Marcus Thomas (DB) and Martez Wilson (LB) are the other seven.
• In addition to the 10 true-freshmen, seven others saw their first collegiat football action this year: junior wide receiver Will Judson, sophomore running back Daniel Dufrene, and redshirt freshmen defensive end Jerry Brown, defensive back Garrett Edwards, offensive guard Randall Hunt, offensive guard Brandon Jordan, quarterback Eddie McGee, offensive lineman Ryan Palmer and punter Anthony Santella.

Juice Williams went 13-of18 through the air last Saturday at Syracuse.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• For the third straight week, the Illini have outgained their opponent. Against the vaunted Missouri offense, Illinois edged them by a 435-429 margin, while also posting a better average in yards per play, 5.9-4.9. Against Western Illinois and Syracuse, the offense has dominated, doubling their opponents 908-438. Through three games, Illinois' average yardage per play is 6.0 yards.
• For the first time in the Zook era at Illinois, the Illini have begun the season with three straight games of over 400-yards total offense. They began the season with 435 yards, posted 400 vs. Western Illinois and topped the 500-yard mark with 508 at Syracuse.
• The Illini posted back-to-back 200-yard rushing games this season with 277-yards against WIU and 378 at Syracuse. The rushing numbers vs. the Orange were the best under head coach Ron Zook. For the year, Illinois is averaging 258.0 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry. Thus far, the per game average is 60 yards better than a year ago when they led the conference.
• Last season, the Illini proved to have big-play ability with 49 plays over 20 yards. Already through three games, the offense is on pace to match that number with 19 big plays, including a season-high 42-yard pass from Eddie McGee to Rashard Mendenhall against Missouri and a 50-yard touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall at Syracuse.
• Against Missouri, the Illini passed for 316 yards combining the quarterback numbers of Juice Williams (59) and Eddie McGee (257). It was the first 300-yard passing performance for an Illini team since the squad put up 430 yards on California on Sept. 20, 2003.
• True-freshman wide receiver Arrelious Benn started against Missouri on Sept. 1, marking the first time a wide receiver started as a true freshman at Illinois since 2003 when Lonnie Hurst did it against Missouri.
• Quarterback Juice Williams was one of seven true-freshmen signal-callers to play in 2006. He and Thaddeus Lewis of Duke logged the most starts at nine apiece. Williams' record in those starts was 1-8, while Lewis' was 0-9.

Senior safety Kevin Mitchell

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• With its 21-0 win over Western Illinois, the Illini recorded its first shutout since blanking Iowa on Oct. 14, 2000. It was also the fewest total yards allowed during the Zook era at (152), fewest passing yards (71) and fewest first downs (4).
• Beginning at the 8:32 mark of the fourth quarter vs. Missouri, the Illini defense held its opponents scoreless for 99:21. It ended in the third quarter at Syracuse when the Orange kicked a field goal at 14:11.
• The defense is extremely experienced, returning nine of 11 starters. All three starting linebackers return, along with three lineman and three defensive backs. Five Illini on defense have recorded 20 or more starts in their career: SS Justin Harrison (29), LB J Leman (31), FS Kevin Mitchell (24), DT Chris Norwell (36), DE Derek Walker (26).
• Justin Sanders ranks second in the Big Ten Conference with two forced fumbles against Missouri. Of the two fumbles, one was retained by the Tigers and the other set up a four-yard touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall two plays later.

Senior kicker Jason Reda hadn't attempted a field goal in Illinois' first two games this season, but he showed no rust last Saturday at Syracuse, where he booted a 50-yarder.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• Senior placekicker Jason Reda got his first field goal action in the third game of the season, hitting both of his attempts against Syracuse. He was perfect from 32 and 50-yards. His 50-yarder was the second-longest of his career.
• After an offseason position battle, redshirt-freshman Anthony Santella earned the starting punter job. Santella has punted 18 times for a 35.0 average. But of those 18 punts, only six have been returned for a total of 19 yards (3.2 yard per return). He has placed seven punts inside the 20 yardline and three have been fair caught.
• Sophomore cornerback Vontae Davis recorded Illinois' first blocked punt since the 2004 season when he got a hand on Missouri punt in the season opener. He recovered the block at the 2 yardline and took it in for the score. The last time an Illini blocked a punt was by Kevin Mitchell against Michigan State on Oct. 9, 2004. That same block was the last time an Illini scored a touchdown, which was by Sharriff Abdullah.
• Oddly enough, Illinois this year boasts a trio of four-year starters on the field goal and extra point units. Long snapper Kyle Knezetic, holder Frank Lenti Jr. and Reda have worked together extensively throughout their careers as Illini, giving the coaching staff a great deal of confidence in that special teams unit.

ILLINI IN DOMES

• This year Illinois will play in domes for three of its six away games. With its 41-20 win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Sept. 15 the Illini broke a streak of nine straight losses in Domes, dating back to the 1994 season.
• The team kicked off the season at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis against Missouri, and fell to 0-3 at the venue after a 34-40 loss to the Tigers. The squad evened its record on the year with a 41-20 win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome to improve to 3-0 in the arena.
• Finally in week 10, the squad heads to the Metrodome to play Minnesota in an evening contest. The Illini are 3-5-1 in the Metrodome since the Gophers began playing there in 1982.

DAVIS' FAMILY INSTRUMENTAL IN LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT

Illinois defensive end Will Davis' family are natives of the Republic of Liberia. He has spent his entire life in the United States, and was able to visit Liberia as a young child before Civil War broke out. Now that the war has ended his mother, Pearine Davis-Parkinson, recently returned home to become the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of State office. The Ministry of State supports the work of the President of the Republic of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The major departments of the Ministry of State are the Office of the President, Administration, and Public Affairs and Communications Technology. Davis' mother played basketball for the Liberian national team and at the University of Liberia. His uncle, John Davis, played soccer for Liberia. She should be in town in the month of October to attend Illinois football games.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

It is hard not to pay attention to the 12-letter long last name of freshman tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. The difficulty in its pronunciation has caused coaches and teammates to nickname Michael "Huh-oh" representing the first two syllables of his name. The name is one of Hawaiian descent, which he gets from his father, Isy's, side of the family, who hails from Oahu. The name is not the most common in its native land, but retains the special meaning "patience".

CLASSROOM STANDOUTS

• Six Illini have already earned their college degrees -- FB Justin Ijei, WR Frank Lenti, Jr., DB Tyler Rouse, LB J Leman, DT Chris Norwell and OL Martin O'Donnell.
• Illinois junior linebacker J Leman is not only a standout on the field, but his accomplishments in the classroom include a bachelor's degree in just three years. He maintained a 3.7 GPA in communications, graduating in August of 2006. He is currently pursuing a master's degree which he will complete this December.
• The Illini's starting center Ryan McDonald is pursuing his undergraduate degree in one of the most difficult academic fields at the University of Illinois. Illinois is known for its engineering cirriculum, ranking in the Top-10 in all nine disciplines, including the top-rated civil engineering program. McDonald has recorded a 3.87 in aeronautical engineering, a program which ranks eighth nationally. He had an internship this summer on campus working with NASA.

ILLINI GRIDDERS MAKE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY

For the second straight summer the team hosted an event to raise money for the Cunningham Children's Home, located locally in Urbana. The event was a 12-hour supply drive to raise goods and money for the home from their Wish List. The team congregated on the East side of Memorial Stadium and along with the help of local radio stations, solicited the help of community members to give supplies and money to the Home. The team's two-year total of goods and money raised is $20,000. Among the money in 2007 was a $250 donation from tight end Jeff Cumberland. Cumberland won the Slam Dunk contest at the 2007 Gus Macker basketball tournament and gave his winnings to the team's charity.

EXCITEMENT ABOUNDS FOR THE 2007 ILLINI FOOTBALL SEASON

• Great excitement surrounds the 2007 Illinois football season. More than 14,000 Illini fans became new season ticket holders and the school sold out its South Endzone "Horseshoe" section. Students have also jumped on board, with season ticket sales up by 2,500.
• Phase I of the Memorial Stadium project was completed in time for Illinois' home opener against Western Illinois. The students are now housed in the brand-new North Endzone seating as well as the Marching Illini. This is the first part of a $116 million renovation taking place at the historic stadium right now.
• The Illinois athletic department is close to announcing sellouts for the Oct. 6 contest vs. Wisconsin and Oct. 20 matchup with the Michigan Wolverines. When this happens, it will the first pregame announced sellouts since the 2001 season.

MARCHING ILLINI RESURRECTS TWO STORIED SONGS The Marching Illini will reclaim music from the rich history and tradition of University of Illinois football this season. "Fight! Illini!" was written in the early 1920's and sub-titled "The Stadium Song." This piece was recently discovered by Marching Illini director Dr. Peter Griffin. It was written by two Illinois graduates Sampson Raphaelson ('17) and Rose J. Oltusky ('22). "Fight! Illini!" will be played following Illinois point after touchdowns this season. Harold Hill and Howard Green wrote "Cheer Illini," "Hail to the Orange" and "Oskee Wow Wow." "Cheer Illini" was used decades ago by the Marching Illini as a downfield motion piece to float the band off the field at the end of its pre-game show. It was also used at basketball games for many years during player introductions.