[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/2007-illinois-fighting-illini-football-team\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/2007-illinois-fighting-illini-football-team\/","headline":"2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team","name":"2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team","description":"before-content-x4 American college football season after-content-x4 The 2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the","datePublished":"2022-08-14","dateModified":"2022-08-14","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/3\/37\/Dagger-14-plain.png","url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/3\/37\/Dagger-14-plain.png","height":"14","width":"9"},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/2007-illinois-fighting-illini-football-team\/","wordCount":6185,"articleBody":"     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});before-content-x4American college football season       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4The 2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS 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\u201310 record in 2006, and secured bowl-eligibility the first time since 2001 with a homecoming win over Ball State. From weeks 2\u20136, 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.Table of Contents       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4Schedule[edit]Rankings[edit]Game summaries[edit]Missouri[edit]Western Illinois[edit]Syracuse[edit]Indiana[edit]Penn State[edit]Wisconsin[edit]Iowa[edit]Michigan[edit]Ball State[edit]Minnesota[edit]Ohio State[edit]Northwestern[edit]Rose Bowl[edit]Awards and honors[edit]References[edit]Schedule[edit]DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSeptember 12:30\u00a0pmvs. Missouri*ESPN2L 34\u20134062,352[1]September 86:00\u00a0pmWestern Illinois*BTNW 21\u2013048,301[1]September 1511:00\u00a0amat Syracuse*ESPNUW 41\u20132034,188[1]September 2211:00\u00a0amat IndianaBTNW 27\u20131434,707[1]September 2911:00\u00a0amNo.\u00a021 Penn StateMemorial StadiumChampaign, ILBTNW 27\u20132057,078[1]October 611:00\u00a0amNo.\u00a05 WisconsinMemorial StadiumChampaign, ILESPNW 31\u20132657,078[1]October 1311:00\u00a0amat IowaNo. 18ESPN2L 6\u20131070,585[1]October 207:00\u00a0pmNo.\u00a024 MichiganMemorial StadiumChampaign, ILABCL 17\u20132757,078[1]October 2711:00\u00a0amBall State*Memorial StadiumChampaign, ILBTNW 28\u20131755,578[1]November 37:00\u00a0pmat MinnesotaBTNW 44\u20131746,604[1]November 102:30\u00a0pmat No.\u00a01 Ohio StateABCW 28\u201321105,453[1]November 1711:00\u00a0amNorthwesternNo. 20ESPNW 41\u20132254,516[1]January 13:30\u00a0pmvs. No.\u00a06 USC*No. 13ABCL 17\u20134993,923[1]*Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central timeRankings[edit]Ranking movementsLegend: \u2588\u2588 Increase in ranking. \u2588\u2588 Decrease in ranking.\u2014 = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.WeekPollPre1234567891011121314FinalAP\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014RV18RV\u2014RVRV2018151320Coaches Poll\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014RV19RVRVRVRV2118141318HarrisNot releasedRVRV19RVRVRVRV20181413Not releasedBCSNot released\u2014\u2014\u2014\u201419171513Not releasedGame summaries[edit]Missouri[edit]1234TotalTigers71614340Fighting Illini6021734The Illini scored first off a Vontae Davis 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\u201313 lead late in the third quarter, before backup quarterback Eddie McGee led the Illini to 21 straight points. A late fourth-quarter interception sealed the game for the Tigers. McGee ended the day 17\u201331 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[edit]1234TotalLeathernecks00000Fighting Illini077721The Illini returned to Memorial Stadium to face FCS Western Illinois in the home opener. Illinois built upon a 7\u20130 halftime lead with a Juice Williams touchdown run in the third quarter and a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown run in the fourth. Mendenhall finished the day with 142 yards.Syracuse[edit]1234TotalFighting Illini14317741Orange00101020Illinois looked to secure its first road win at the Carrier Dome. After one quarter, the Illini led 14\u20130 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\u201310. 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\u2013286 overall.Indiana[edit]1234TotalFighting Illini6140727Hoosiers070714Illinois opened their Big Ten 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\u20137 at the half. After a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown put Illinois up 27\u20137 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\u201314 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\u201328 with a TD.       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4Penn State[edit]1234TotalNo. 21 Nittany Lions1073020Fighting Illini1473327The 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 Benn returned the ensuing kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown, putting Illinois up 7\u20133. They did not 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.Wisconsin[edit]1234TotalNo. 5 Badgers0613726Fighting Illini7107731Going 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.[2]Iowa[edit]1234TotalNo. 18 Fighting Illini30306Hawkeyes037010The #18 Fighting Illini suffered their first Big Ten loss of the season at Kinnick Stadium. In the fourth quarter, trailing 10\u20136, 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-yard line, but threw an interception to seal the win for the Hawkeyes.Michigan[edit]1234TotalNo. 24 Wolverines31401027Fighting Illini773017illinois fumbled a punt late in the fourth quarter and ultimately lost the gameBall State[edit]1234TotalCardinals0314017Fighting Illini0714728Minnesota[edit]1234TotalFighting Illini14203744Golden Gophers0100717Ohio State[edit]1234TotalFighting Illini1477028No. 1 Buckeyes1407021With their win over the Buckeyes, the Illini defeated a No. 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 due to insufficient winning by other teams. The Illibuck was returned to Champaign in 2008. This was arguably one of the greatest victories in the history of Illinois football.[citation needed] As of 2018, this is the last time Illinois has beaten Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have won the last 9 games in the series, including the last 4 in Columbus.Northwestern[edit]1234TotalWildcats077822No. 20 Fighting Illini14714641Coming off the Ohio State upset, the Illini faced the Northwestern Wildcats. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Illini played redshirt freshmen for the remainder of the game cruising to a 44-22 victory. Rose Bowl[edit]1234TotalNo. 13 Fighting Illini037717No. 6 Trojans147141449The Illini ended the 2007 season by participating in the 2008 Rose Bowl, 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\u20133), under third-year head coach Ron Zook.[3]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.[4]  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.[3]  For taking Illinois to the Rose Bowl a year after going 2\u201310, Zook won both national and Big Ten coach of the year honors.[5]  The Illini entered the game 13.5-point underdogs, the biggest of any of the season’s 32 bowl games.[6]The Trojans defeated the Illini 49\u201317 before a sold out Rose Bowl crowd.(as of 8\/30\/2007)Quarterbacks14 Ryan Baise \u2013 Freshman12 Billy Garza \u2013 Junior19 Phil Haig \u2013 Freshman10 Eddie McGee \u2013 Freshman\u00a07 Isiah Williams \u2013 SophomoreRunning backs22 Daniel Dufrene \u2013 Sophomore36 Maurice Haney \u2013 Junior\u00a05 Rashard Mendenhall \u2013 Junior34 Walter Mendenhall \u2013 Junior49 Tyler Pacha \u2013 Junior29 Troy Pollard \u2013 Freshman30 Rahkeem Smith \u2013 Sophomore41 Russ Weil \u2013 SeniorWide receivers18 Kevin Bailey \u2013 Freshman\u00a09 Arrelious Benn \u2013 Freshman17 Jeff Cumberland \u2013 Sophomore23 Jack Eastman \u2013 Sophomore21 Kyle Hudson \u2013 Junior\u00a06 Chris James \u2013 Sophomore82 Frank Lenti Jr. \u2013 Senior86 Greg McClendon \u2013 Junior11 Joe Morgan \u2013 Sophomore\u00a08 DaJuan Warren \u2013 Senior\u00a03 Marques Wilkins \u2013 Sophomore83 Jacob Willis \u2013 SeniorTight ends16 Michael Hoomanawanui \u2013 Sophomore85 C.J. Jackson \u2013 Sophomore87 John Stock \u2013 Freshman89 Tom Sullivan \u2013 SophomoreOffensive Line52 Jon Asamoah \u2013 Sophomore63 Will Bergen \u2013 Sophomore62 Eric Block \u2013 Junior\u00a073 Jack Cornell \u2013 Freshman68 Xavier Fulton \u2013 Junior57 Mike Garrity \u2013 Freshman66 Randall Hunt \u2013 Freshman75 Mark Jackson \u2013 Freshman74 Brandon Jordan \u2013 Freshman39 Tad Keely \u2013 Freshman49 Kyle Knezetic \u2013 Senior61 Cole Knuth \u2013 Freshman60 Ryan McDonald \u2013 Junior69 Akim Millington \u2013 Senior58 Dan Motuliak \u2013 Junior76 Charles Myles \u2013 Senior65 Mike Nabolotny \u2013 Junior64 Martin O’Donnell \u2013 Senior78 Ryan Palmer \u2013 Freshman79 Craig Wilson \u2013 FreshmanDefensive Line98 Daryle Ballew \u2013 Freshman92 Josh Brent \u2013 Freshman99 Jerry Brown \u2013 Freshman81 Will Davis \u2013 Junior90 Antonio James \u2013 Sophomore94 David Lindquist \u2013 Junior93 D’Angelo McCray \u2013 Freshman96 Chris Norwell \u2013 Senior97 Clay Nurse \u2013 Freshman95 Doug Pilcher \u2013 Sophomore91 Derek Walker \u2013 Junior76 Mike Ware \u2013 Senior58 Bryson Whalen \u2013 Sophomore56 Sirod Williams \u2013 JuniorLinebackers43 Sam Carson III \u2013 Junior39 Conor Gillen \u2013 Sophomore55 Anterio Jackson \u2013 Freshman53 Dustin Jefferson \u2013 Freshman\u00a047 J Leman \u2013 Senior44 Brit Miller \u2013 Junior45 Rodney Pittman \u2013 Junior48 Erique Roberts \u2013 Freshman40 Antonio Steele \u2013 Senior38 Ian Thomas \u2013 Freshman51 Anthony Thornhill \u2013 Senior\u00a02 Martez Wilson \u2013 FreshmanDefensive backs31 Travon Bellamy \u2013 Sophomore18 Nate Bussey \u2013 Freshman1 Vontae Davis \u2013 Sophomore15 Chris Duvalt \u2013 Sophomore20 Garrett Edwards \u2013 Freshman24 Bo Flowers \u2013 Freshman26 Brian Gamble \u2013 Freshman27 Antonio Gully \u2013 Freshman32 Justin Harrison \u2013 Senior28 Dere Hicks \u2013 Sophomore13 Will Judson \u2013 Junior30 Mike Locksley Jr. \u2013 Freshman23 Drew McMahon \u2013 Senior22 Drew Harweger \u2212 Sophomore42 Kevin Mitchell \u2013 Senior33 Mike Mucha \u2013 Sophomore19 Tony Petruzzello \u2013 Freshman35 Darius Purcell \u2013 Freshman46 Tyler Rouse \u2013 Junior25 Justin Sanders \u2013 Senior14 Marcus Thomas \u2013 FreshmanKickers36 Jared Bosch \u2013 Sophomore38 Matt Brandabur \u2013 Freshman35 Mike Cklamovski \u2013 Sophomore84 Matt Eller \u2013 Freshman13 Jason Reda \u2013 Senior87 Anthony Santella \u2013 Freshman37 Kyle Yelton \u2013 SophomoreAwards and honors[edit]References[edit]^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m “The Automated Scorebook”. Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2011.^ Bannon, Terry (October 2, 2007). “Zook Scoffs at Illini’s Favored Status”. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 2, 2007.^ a b Klein, Gary (December 3, 2007). “USC-Illinois Accents Rose Bowl Tradition”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2007.^ Wharton, David (December 17, 2007). “Underdog Role Suits Illini”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 18, 2007.^ Illini’s Zook wins coach of year award, Associated Press, December 29, 2007.^ Pells, Eddie (January 1, 2008). “(6) USC 49, (13) Illinois 17”. Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 3, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2008.     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