- Saturday's game marks the 98th Homecoming celebration on the University of Illinois campus. Illinois is 42-53-2 all-time in Homecoming games.
- Illinois is coming off a 45-20 victory at Michigan, getting its first win over the Wolverines since 1999. Illinois' 45 points were the most the Illini have scored against the Wolverines in school history. It also was the most points against Michigan in the Big House since 1991 when Florida State scored 51, and the most scored by a Big Ten opponent at Michigan Stadium since Ohio State won, 50-20, in 1961.
- Illinois' Ron Zook has now defeated Michigan in "The Big House" and Ohio State in "The Horseshoe." He is one of two active Big Ten coaches (Joe Paterno is the other, beating Michigan in 1994 and 1996, and Ohio State 1978) and he is one of 13 Big Ten coaches that has accomplished the feat.
- Juice Williams and Brit Miller were named Big Ten Players of the Week for their performances at Michigan. Williams is the Offensive Player of the Week after posting 431 yards of total offense against the Wolverines, breaking a Michigan Stadium record. Miller, the Defensive Player of the Week, recorded nine tackles, four for loss and two sacks. It is Williams' second conference honor this season and the first for Miller. The last time Illinois had two player of the week honors in the same week was Rashard Mendenhall and Will Davis after their performance against Indiana last season.
- With 310 yards passing and 121 yards rushing vs. Michigan last week, Williams became just the third player in Big Ten history to rack up over 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in single game. He joins Northwestern's Zak Kustok (421 passing, 111 rushing vs. Bowling Green on 11/17/2001) and Michigan State's Drew Stanton (308 passing, 102 rushing vs. Minnesota on 10/16/2004) in the Big Ten record books. Williams accomplished the feat for the 28th time in NCAA history and is one of four players in the nation to do it this year.
- Williams has led the Big Ten in total offense since the first week of the season. This week he is averaging 323.8 yards per game, 80.8 on the ground and 243.0 in the air, which ranks eighth nationally.
- Illinois is the only school to have two players ranked in the Big Ten's top-10 in rushing. Dufrene is averaging 88.4 yards a game which is seventh in the league, and Williams ranks eighth with 80.8 per contest.
- Illini receiver Arrelious Benn is averaging 5.0 catches per game, which is the most for an Illini receiver since Brandon Lloyd averaged 5.4 catches per contest in 2002. That number also ranks third in the Big Ten.
- The Illini offense ranks second in the Big Ten in all four offensive categories - 23rd nationally in scoring offense (35.6), 18th in?NCAA in total offense (455.8), 19th nationally in rushing (210.8) and 38th in NCAA in passing offense (245.0).
- Illinois middle linebacker Brit Miller is averaging 2.3 tackles for loss per game, which leads the nation. He also ranks 11th nationally in tackles with 10.6 per contest.?
- As a defense, the Illini are logging 8.0 tackles for loss per game, which rates 12th nationally. They also rank 16th in the NCAA in sacks per game with 2.6.
- Illinois has played the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation thus far according to the Sagarin Ratings and is rated the toughest in the Big Ten.
- Despite being even in turnover margin this season (10 takeaways, 10 giveaways), the Illini offense is taking full advantage of its opportunities, scoring nine times for 55 points after turnovers which is 90 percent of the time. On the flipside, the Illini defense has not allowed opposing teams to score off miscues, allowing only two touchdowns on 10 attempts.
- With the win over Louisiana on Sept. 13, the Illini are riding a four-game home winning streak dating back to the final two games of last season. Illinois also has won seven of its last eight at Memorial Stadium after posting a 5-1 record in 2007.
- Twelve Illini true freshmen have played through the first five games: RB Mikel LeShoure, WR A.J. Jenkins, WR Cordale Scott, RB Jason Ford, DB Tavon Wilson, DB Supo Sanni, LB Russell Ellington, FB Zach Becker, OL Jeff Allen, WR Fred Sykes, TE Hubie Graham and DT Corey Liuget. In addition, junior college transfer Donsay Hardeman and redshirt-freshmen Matt Eller, Ian Thomas and Daryle Ballew also are playing their first seasons of collegiate football.
- Illinois' attendance for the home opener against Eastern Illinois was 60,131, the most for a home opener since hosting 70,193 against No. 13 Michigan in 1995. In the second game of the home schedule, the Illini drew 58,632. With the four-game Big Ten portion of the schedule already announced as sell outs, the Illini will average over 60,000 fans for the entire season. That number will be the most since the 1995 season.
- The Fighting Illini are one of only four teams in the country that has played two undefeated teams currently in the AP Top-10, having faced No. 3 Missouri and No. 6 Penn State in their first five games. The other three teams are Arkansas (No. 2 Alabama and No. 5 Texas), Washington (No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 9 BYU)?and Nevada (No. 3 Missouri and No. 7 Texas Tech).
- Missouri is 5-0 this season and ranked No. 3 in the AP poll. However, Illinois scored 42 points against the Tigers, the most points Mizzou has allowed this season. Excluding the Illinois game, Missouri is allowing 14.5 points per game. Illinois' Derek Walker is the only player to record an interception against Mizzou QB Chase Daniel this season.
- Against sixth-ranked Penn State, the Illini posted 189 yards on the ground despite the Nittany Lions' defensive average of 58.4 rushing yards allowed through their other five games. The Illini offense is the only team to go over 100 yards on the ground and post over 350 yards of total offense against PSU. Illinois also put up 24 points, the most scored against PSU this season.
- The University of Illinois boasts being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition on almost every college campus. It was conceived in 1909 by students C.F. Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident senior society. They joined with another society, Phoenix, to organize the three-day event. The first homecoming celebrated on Illinois' campus was on Oct. 15, 1910, which the Illini won 3-0 over Big Ten rival Chicago.
- For years, there has been a debate over which university had the first homecoming. Historians from various schools found research that puts Illinois among one of the first five universities to celebrate the Homecoming tradition. Baylor has documented proof of a formally named Homecoming celebration in 1909, but then took a six-year hiatus before celebrating the second event at the school in 1915. Northern Illinois had alumni events beginning in 1906, but didn't use the proper noun "Homecoming" until 1911. Indiana University renamed their 1909 Gala Day, Homecoming on Nov. 5, 1910, and Michigan began inviting alumni back to campus in 1897, but the formal name began on the Ann Arbor campus in 1916.
- Minnesota leads the series by a 31-27-3 advantage overall, but Illinois leads 16-12-1 in Champaign.
- Illinois was the winner of last year's meeting at the Metrodome, 44-17, to end a three-game losing streak against the Gophers. It was the first Illini win in Minneapolis since 1994.
- Minnesota last played in Champaign on Oct. 25, 2003. The teams were off each other's schedule during the 2005 and '06 seasons, and Illinois played in Minneapolis in 2004 and '07.
- Illini head coach Ron Zook is 1-0 against Minnesota, while Gopher coach Tim Brewster is 0-1 against Illinois, with last year's game being the only time each coach has faced the other team.
- Illinois has no players from Minnesota on its roster, but the Gophers have six players from Illinois, including starting tight end Jack Simmons (Libertyville/Carmel) and starting defensive tackle Eric Small (Naperville, Ill./Joliet Junior College).
- Illinois has two coaches on its staff who have been coaches for Minnesota - running backs coach Reggie Mitchell was a Gopher in 1997-98 and defensive line coach Tom Sims was with UM from 2001-04.
- Second-year Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster is a former letterwinning tight end from Illinois (1982-83). He helped lead the Illini to a Big Ten Championship (1983) and to two bowl games (1982 Liberty Bowl and 1984 Rose Bowl). He started 22 games as an Illini, was named team captain in 1983 and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection that same year. He was named one of the 10 best receivers in school history at the Illinois Renassance Celebration earlier this year.
- Minnesota wide receivers coach George McDonald also is an Illinois alum, playing receiver from 1995-98. His wife, Sara (Sorrell), played volleyball for the Illini from (1996-99). Gopher offensive line coach Phil Meyer was a graduate assistant coach for the Illini for two seasons in 1982 and '83, the same seasons Brewster played at Illinois.
- Illinois racked up 655 total yards, which is the third-highest total in school history, and 448 yards rushing, the fifth-best total in school history, in last year's win over the Gophers in Minneapolis.
- Quarterback Juice Williams completed 14-of-21 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 133 yards against Minnesota last season.
- Receiver Arrelious Benn had four catches to break the Illinois season freshman receptions, record in last year's game.
- Receiver Jeff Cumberland caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown last season vs. Minnesota.
- Defensive tackle David Lindquist led the team with a career-high eight tackles and added a sack in the victory over the Golden Gophers.
- Defensive back Vontae Davis intercepted a pass on the first play from scrimmage last year vs. Minnesota.
- Defensive end Antonio James recorded his first career sack in the third quarter of last year's game.
- Immediately as the game clock turns to zero in the Illinois-Minnesota football game, the 2008-09 Illini men's and women's teams will take the court together for the World's Biggest Basketball Practice and officially start the season in front of over 60,000 fans at Memorial Stadium. A basketball court will be in place in the South end zone prior to the football game, meaning there will be no delay between events.
- The playing surface for the event was donated by Flex Court Athletics, a Kewanee, Ill.-based company that specializes in outdoor basketball, tennis and multipurpose courts. Those attending the football game will be part of the unique event, getting a chance to see the Illini football team as well as both basketball teams in action at the same venue. The World's Biggest Basketball Practice will create a new attendance standard for any women's basketball event, while also marking the all-time attendance high for a men's basketball practice. Following team warm-ups, the event will run similar to Illini Madness, with a shooting contest, dunk contest and men's team scrimmage.
- Following the World's Biggest Basketball Practice, Flex Court Athletics will give fans the opportunity to purchase the event's official playing surface through a silent auction. Bids can be made by visiting www.flexcourt.com beginning on Oct. 11 and ending Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. The minimum bid for the surface is $12,500.
- Juice Williams needs 36 yards to move into the top-15 on the all-time rushing list in the Illinois record books.
- Williams already holds the career record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,735 in his first three seasons.
- Senior defensive end Will Davis needs a half-sack to move to ninth on the career quarterback sacks list
- The Big Ten Network original series Illinois Football: The Journey airs each Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CT/9:30 p.m. ET. The sixth show of the season, which airs on Oct. 7, shows Illinois behind the scenes as it gets prepared for the road contest at Penn State. Members of the team also take a trip to Urbana's Crisis Nursery to spend time with kids in the community.
- New episodes will air at 8:30 p.m. CT/9:30 p.m. ET every Tuesday during the football season, with the previous week's show preceding the new episode. Viewers can follow The Journey online with a producer's diary, bonus video clips, photos, archived segments and a five-minute video preview of the season premiere by visiting www.BigTenNetwork.com/Journey.
Eight Illini football players have been named to preseason watch lists for national awards.
- Vontae Davis - Thorpe, Nagurski, Bednarik: Davis had nine tackles, 2.0 TFLs, a forced fumble and a pass break-up at Michigan. On the season, he has 39 tackles, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten. His five pass break-ups are tied for sixth in the Big Ten and he also has 3.5 TFL, one QB hurry, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in five games this season. Last year, Davis was the only sophomore on the the semifinal list for the Jim Thorpe Award. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2007 and earlier this year was named to the Playboy All-America team.
- Arrelious Benn - Biletnikoff, Maxwell, Walter Camp: Benn has gone over 100 yards receiving in two straight games. He ranks third in the Big Ten in both catches per game (5.0) and receiving yards per game (76.4) and also has rushed 14 times for 73 yards (5.2 ypc) and two TDs this year. Last season, he earned freshman All-America honors and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-America after he broke Illinois' freshman receiving and receptions record.
- Juice Williams - Davey O'Brien: Williams racked up 431 total yards (310 passing, 121 rushing) at Michigan last week to set a Michigan Stadium record for individual total yards. He also had four total TDs against the Wolverines (2 rush, 2 pass). For the season, he has thrown for 1,215 yards and 11 TDs, and has rushed for 404 yards and four TDs to lead the Big Ten and rank eighth in the nation in total offense (323.8 ypg). Williams led the Illini to the 2008 Rose Bowl his sophomore year, leading an offense that posted the best total offensive numbers in school history. He is currently 16th on the Illinois all-time rushing list with over 1,700 yards.
- Will Davis - Hendricks, Lombardi: Davis has 17 tackles, 4.5 TFL, two sacks, two QB hurries, a pass break-up and a forced fumble in five games this year. He is now 10th on the Illinois career sacks list with 13.5. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2007 after leading the team in tackles for loss with 12.5 and sacks with 9.5.
- Ryan McDonald - Rimington, Draddy: McDonald is in his fourth year as a starter on the offensive line. He has helped pave the way to Illinois' 210.8 rushing yards per game this year. The Illini offense has piled up over 500 yards in three games this season, including 501 last week at Michigan. Last season, he started every game for an offensive line that posted the best rushing and total offensive numbers in school history and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. The line also set a school mark for fewest sacks allowed in a year with 1.23 per game. In his first two years as starting center for the Illini, the offense led the Big Ten in rushing.
- Xavier Fulton - Lombardi: Fulton is in his second year as a starter on the offensive line. He has helped pave the way for Illinois' 210.8 rushing yards per game this year. The Illini offense has piled up over 500 yards in three games this season, including 501 last week at Michigan. In 2007, he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in his first year on the offensive line. He played a team-high 997 offensive snaps last year and led the team with 109 knockdowns. He also was instrumental in protecting QB Juice Williams and allowing only 1.23 sacks per game.
- Martez Wilson - Butkus: Wilson is averaging 7.8 tackles per game, which ranks second on the team and eighth in the Big Ten. He is second on the team in TFLs with 4.5 and also has 2.0 sacks, two pass break-ups, one QB hurry and one fumble recovery this year. Prior to the season, Wilson was added to the Butkus Watch List before even starting a game at Illinois. His athleticism has earned him the nickname of "Freak 2" and he runs a 4.4 40.
- Brit Miller - Lott: Miller leads the nation in tackles for loss with 2.30 per game (11.5 total) and leads the Big Ten in tackles with 10.6 per game. He has caused three turnovers this season (2 fumbles, 1 intercetion), has scored a touchdown on a 27-yard fumble return and leads the team with three sacks. His nomination for the Ronnie Lott award combines athletic excellence with off the field character. Miller is a staple in the Champaign and Decatur communities, volunteering every week with elementary and middle schools, military veterans and children's hospitals.
Illinois dropped out of the top-25 two weeks ago after being ranked for the first five weeks of the season. Before falling to undefeated No. 6 Penn State, the Illini had spent seven consecutive weeks in the polls, dating back to the 2007 season. That number was the most since the 1989, '90 and '91 squads put together 24 consecutive weeks in the top-25. Here is a list of Illinois in the rankings for the 2008 season.
- Preseason 20 (AP) / 19 (USA Today/Coaches)
- Week 1 24 (AP) / 25 (USA Today/Coaches)
- Week 2 24 (AP) / RV (USA Today/Coaches)
- Week 3 22 (AP) / 23 (USA Today/Coaches)
- Week 4 22 (AP) / 21 (USA Today/Coaches)
- Week 5 RV (AP) / RV (USA Today/Coaches)
- Week 6 RV (AP) / RV (USA Today/Coaches)
The Big Ten boasts nine career 1,000 yard rushers. Illinois quarterback Juice Williams ranks sixth among active players and is tops among the two quarterbacks in the rankings. Indiana's Kellen Lewis is the only other signal-caller on the list.
- Javon Ringer, RB, Sr., Michigan State 3,749 yards
- Tyrell Sutton, RB, Sr., Northwestern 3,460 yards
- P.J. Hill, RB, Jr., Wisconsin 3,317 yards
- Kory Sheets, RB, Sr., Purdue 2,708 yards
- Beanie Wells, RB, Jr., Ohio State 2,570 yards
- Juice Williams, QB, Jr., Illinois 1,735 yards
- Kellen Lewis, QB, Jr., Indiana 1,553 yards
- Marcus Thigpen, RB, Sr., Indiana 1,268 yards
- Jaycen Taylor, RB, Sr., Purdue 1,237 yards
- Shonn Greene, RB, Jr., Iowa 1,190 yards
- Evan Royster, So., Penn State 1,172 yards
- Daniel Dufrene, Jr., Illinois 736 yards
- Adam Weber, So., Minnesota 672 yards
- Illinois quarterback Juice Williams passed for over 300 yards and rushed for over 100 against Michigan, marking the first time for the accomplishment in school history. His total offense of 431 total yards sets Michigan Stadium record (former record was 403 by Illinois' Tony Eason in 1981) and ties with Northwestern's Sandy Schwab (1982) for most yards ever against the Wolverines.
- After Saturday's 77-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland, Williams now has four career TD passes of 69 or more yards, the most by any quarterback in school history. Jack Trudeau and Tony Eason are the only other two Illini QBs to throw two TD passes of 69 or more yards and there have only been 15 such plays in school history.
- Williams' 310 passing yards marks his fifth game over 200 yards and his second over 300. He completed three passes over 40 yards against the Wolverines - a 46-yarder to Arrelious Benn, 57-yard touchdown to Daniel Dufrene and a career-long 77-yard touchdown to Jeff Cumberland. Williams averaged 23.8 yards per completion vs. UM.
- Williams has rushed for over 100 yards six times in his career and twice this season.
- Williams continues to have a hot hand when it comes to converting third down tries, especially on third-and-6 or less. Williams is 7-for-10 in converting third downs through the air and 11-for-12 on the ground in those situations. In addition, four of his six touchdown passes this season have come on third-and-long plays.
- Williams connected with Jeff Cumberland for a 77-yard touchdown pass against Michigan. It is the longest play from scrimmage this season for the Illini and the longest Illinois reception since 1985, when Cap Boso caught an 83-yarder from Jack Trudeau.
- Williams was 4-of-4 through the air for 68 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter at Penn State, marking his second flawless quarter this season. Williams also completed 5-of-5 passes for 67 yards in the third quarter against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 6.
- Williams had a career day for the Illini in the season opener against MU, throwing for a career-high five TDs, a career-best 451 yards on a career-high 26 completions. His 451 passing yards rank third all-time at Illinois behind Dave Wilson's 621 yards (11/8/80) and Tony Eason's 479 (10/23/82). He out-passed Chase Daniel 451 yards to 323 and threw two more TDs than the Missouri Heisman candidate.
- Williams became just the fourth quarterback in Illinois history to throw for five or more touchdowns in a game, joining Dave Wilson (6), Tom O'Connell (5) and Jeff George (5), with his five-touchdown performance against Missouri.
- Williams has accounted for 65.1 of Illinois' first downs for the season, 71-of-109, rushing for 22 and passing for 49. He engineered 91.7 percent of Illinois' first downs vs. Missouri.
- Juice in the Illinois record books:
- 16th - career rushing yards (1,735) - needs 36 for 15th
- 5th - career total offense (6,182) - needs 820 for 4th
- 8th - career passing yardage (4,447) - needs 742 for 7th
- 8th - career pass completions (337) - needs 108 for 7th
- 8th - career pass attempts (621) - needs 82 for 7th
- 8th - career touchdowns (33) - needs 2 for 6th
- - career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,735) - already holds record
- 1st - season rushing yards by a quarterback, 2007 (755) - already holds record
- 2nd - season rushing yards by a quarterback, 2006 (576) - record was broken in 2007
- 4th - season rushing yards by a quarterback, 2008 (404) - needs 16 yards for 3rd
- From The Sporting News on Oct. 5 - Standing O goes to ... Juice Williams. The Illinois QB had dropped off the national radar a bit after losses to Missouri and Penn State. Another performance or two like Saturday's win over Michigan (310 passing yards, 121 rushing yards, four total TDs) and the Juice might be squeezing in a December trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony.
- Illini receiver Arrelious Benn is averaging 5.0 catches per game, which is the most for an Illini receiver since Brandon Lloyd averaged 5.4 catches per contest in 2002. That number ranks third in the Big Ten.
- Benn recorded back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, pulling in four catches for 110 yards at Penn State and catching six passes for career-high 122 yards at Michigan. It is the first time an Illinois player has put together consecutive 100-yard receiving games since Kendrick Jones in 2004 against Florida A&M on Sept. 4 and UCLA on Sept. 11.
- Benn was the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and honorable mention Freshman All-American.
- He is averaging 76.4 receiving yards per game and 14.6 yards per game on the ground. He has scored four touchdowns - two rushing and two receptions.
- Senior Brit Miller, who is a four-year starter at linebacker, moved to the middle this season with All-American J Leman gone to graduation and the NFL. Through five games, he also has replaced Leman atop the tackles list with 10.6 per game, which ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
- Miller also is averaging 2.3 tackles for loss per game, which ranks first in the NCAA.
Sophomore receiver Arrelious Benn has caught a pass in every game of his career, 18, since he was a true-freshman in 2007. He leads a group of receivers that are averaging of 16.2 catches per game. Here is a list of the receivers and their current reception streaks (2 or more games):
Illinois defenders Vontae and Will Davis (no relation) are two of the leaders on the Illinois defense. Vontae, a two-year starting cornerback earned unanimous first-team Freshman All-America honors in 2006 and emerged as one of the best corners in the Big Ten last season, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. He is a 2008 Playboy All-American and has totaled five interceptions and 19 passes broken up in his career, while also blocking two punts. Will, a senior defensive end, exploded last season with 9.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. He was named second-team All-Big Ten and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after his four-sack, five-TFL performance vs. Indiana. This season, he broke into the Illinois all-time quarterback sack list and ranks 10th with 13.5 career sacks. He has totaled 17 tackles, 4.5 for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble this year.
- Junior running back Daniel Dufrene is picking up right where the running game left off last season. Through five games, he is averaging 88.4 yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry. In his career, he is averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
- QB Juice Williams and Dufrene combine for 169.2 rushing yards per game with 948 total yards this year. Dufrene ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 88.4 yards and Williams is rushing for 80.8 ypg, which is eighth in the conference. Illinois is the only team with two players ranked in the league's top-10.
- With 121 yards against Michigan, Williams rushed for over 100 yards for the sixth time in his career and second time this season. He also improved to 16th on the Illinois all-time rushing list with 1,735 yards.
Five of Illinois' 2008 starters came to Illinois on a different path than the one they currently find themselves.
- Wide receiver Chris Duvalt spent his first two seasons as an Illini at cornerback. He played a key role on special teams, but was spending too much time behind other players. This spring, he gave offense a try and the rest is history. He has immediately made an impact with three touchdown catches in the first five games. He is averaging 15.3 yards a catch.
- Junior Rahkeem Smith played a season as a linebacker before seeing a straight shot to a starting role at fullback.
- Senior Will Davis came to Illinois as a 235-pound tight end, but quickly saw a chance at success on the defensive side of the ball with his addition of 40 pounds and a move to defensive end. In three seasons, he has totaled 21 tackles for loss, 13.5 quarterback sacks and 19 hurries.
- One of the most immediately effective moves came before the 2007 season when former defensive end Xavier Fulton switched to offensive tackle and earned All-Big Ten honors that same season. In his only year as a starter, the offensive line set new school records for total offense and rushing yards. This season, the Illini are curently ranked No. 2 in the conference in rushing, passing, scoring and total offense.
- Jeff Cumberland moved from tight end to receiver in the middle of last season. As a receiver in his final four games of 2007, he caught 11 passes for 221 yards, including 131 yards against Northwestern. He has played in three games this season after sitting out the beginning of the year with a foot injury. He caught his first pass of the season against Michigan, a 77-yard touchdown reception, the longest play from scrimmage in 2008 and the longest pass play since 1983.
Illinois senior center Ryan McDonald has started 41 consecutive games during his four-year career. That number is among the best in the nation, ranking as the fourth-longest active streak. He is tied for the 14th-longest starting streak in the nation. Below is the list of consecutive starts among Division I collegiate football players:
- 44 - Andrew Hartline, OL, Central Michigan; Kraig Urbik, OL, Wisconsin; Andrew Gardner, OL, Georgia Tech
- 43 - Cody Lubojasky, LB, Houston; Jason Phillips, LB, TCU; Dallas Reynolds, OL, BYU; Pat Brown, OL, UCF; Kevin Grant, LB, Akron
- 42 - Kenneth Fontenette, S, Houston; Maurice Crum, LB, Notre Dame; Matt Kroul, DL, Iowa; Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia; Dan Gerberry, OL, Ball State
- 41 - Ryan McDonald, OL, Illinois; Robbie Felix, OL, UTEP; Alex Derenthal, OL, Temple; Adam Korby, OL, Idaho
- 40 - Jervonte Jackson, DL, Florida Atlantic
- Illinois' 45 points against Michigan mark the third 40-point performance this season and the fifth time in the Illini's last nine games that they have topped 40 points, dating back to last season. The 47-point game vs. Eastern Illinois is the highest in the Ron Zook era.
- The Fighting Illini have thrived in the second and third quarters this season, outscoring their opponents 86-48 over those two stanzas. Illinois' 39-17 advantage in the third quarter is especially remarkable.
- Illinois scored 45 points against Michigan, the most the Illini have put up against the Wolverines in school history, and the most points against Michigan in the Big House since 1991 when Florida State scored 51. It also was the most points scored by a Big Ten opponent at Michigan Stadium since Ohio State won, 50-20, in 1961.
- The Illinois offense has put up over 500 yards in three of its first five games of 2008. The Illini posted 532 against Missouri, 533 against EIU and 501 at Michigan.
- Illinois took care of the ball exceptionally well in its 45-20 win at Michigan, not committing a turnover. Proving that holding onto the ball can be a catalyst for big wins is the fact that the last time Illinois did not commit a turnover in a game was when it defeated No. 1 Ohio State, 28-21, in Columbus on Nov. 10, 2007.
- The Illini passed for 451 yards against Missouri, marking the third-best passing performance in Illinois history.
- In five games, the offense has put together 30 big plays over 20 yards, including eight over 40 yards. Among those 30 are 17 big passing plays and 11 rushes (and two defense). Illinois has four touchdowns this season on plays of more than 50 yards, which ranks second nationally behind Oklahoma's five 50-plus touchdowns.
- Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui is quickly emerging as a first-down machine, catching 11 passes which have gone for first downs, including five first-down catches made on third-down plays. Out of his 12 catches so far this season, 11 have gone for first downs and the other was a touchdown. Hoomanawanui has become a much larger part of the Illinois offense in his third season, with 12 catches and 169 yards so far in 2008 after catching five passes for 64 yards in his first two seasons combined.
- Senior receiver Will Judson made the most out of his first collegiate start vs. Missouri, hauling in five catches for 177 yards. His performance was the best for an Illini receiver since Walter Young's 178 yards against LSU?in the 2002 Nokia Sugar Bowl. Of his eight catches for the year, seven have converted first downs.
- Judson and Chris Duvalt each hauled in two touchdown receptions in the season opener against Missouri, marking the first time since the 2002 Sugar Bowl that Illinois had two receivers with two TDs catches in a game (Walter Young and Brandon Lloyd vs. LSU).
- Duvalt caught a touchdown pass (2 vs. Missouri and 1 vs. EIU) in each of the first two games of the season, which also were his first two games as a receiver after switching from cornerback in spring practice. He has three TDs in only six career receptions.
- Last season, the offensive line set a school record for fewest sacks per game with 1.23. The group is continuing that trend this season, allowing only 1.4 sacks per contest, which ranks fifth in the Illinois record books.
- The 94 total points scored by Missouri and Illinois (52-42) marks the highest combined scoring game in school history.
- Juice Williams' 451-yard passing performance against Missouri marked the second-straight year that Illinois has thrown for more than 250 yards against the Tigers.
