American college football season
1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football |
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Peach Bowl, L 29–31 vs. Army |
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Conference | Big Ten Conference |
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Record | 6–5–1 (5–2–1 Big Ten) |
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Head coach | |
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MVP | David Williams |
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Captain | Jack Trudeau, Craig Swoope, Chris White |
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Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
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Seasons |
The 1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Mike White, the Illini compiled a 6–5–1 record and finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference.[1] Illinois was invited to the Peach Bowl, where the Illini lost to Army.
The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Jack Trudeau with 2,938 passing yards, running back Thomas Rooks with 718 rushing yards, and wide receiver David Williams with 1,047 receiving yards.[2]
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
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September 7 | No. 6 USC* | No. 11 | | L 10–20 | 76,369 |
September 14 | Southern Illinois* | No. 19 | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL
| W 28–25 | 76,330 |
September 21 | at No. 18 Nebraska* | No. 20 | | L 25–52 | 76,149 |
October 5 | No. 5 Ohio State | | | W 31–28 | 76,343 |
October 12 | at Purdue | | | L 24–30 | 68,837 |
October 19 | at Michigan State | | | W 30–17 | 76,438 |
October 26 | Wisconsin | | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL
| W 38–25 | 76,395 |
November 2 | No. 4 Michigan | | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL (rivalry)
| T 3–3 | 76,397 |
November 9 | at No. 6 Iowa | | | L 0–59 | 66,120 |
November 16 | Indiana | | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL
| W 41–24 | 78,805 |
November 23 | at Northwestern | | | W 45–20 | 33,054 |
December 31 | vs. Army* | | | L 29–31 | 29,857 |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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Game summaries
No. 6 USC
USC at Illinois | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • No. 6 Trojans | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 | No. 11 Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | - Date: September 7
- Location: Memorial Stadium
- Game attendance: 76,639
- Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C)
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | USC | Hank Norman 9-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (Don Shafer kick) | USC 7–0 | | USC | Randy Tanner 46-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (Don Shafer kick) | USC 14–0 | | 2 | | USC | Don Shafer 46-yard field goal | USC 17–0 | | 3 | | USC | Don Shafer 23-yard field goal | USC 20–0 | | Illinois | Cap Boso 83-yard pass from Jack Trudeau (Chris White kick) | USC 20–7 | | 4 | | Illinois | Chris White 28-yard field goal | USC 20–10 | |
In a game that some considered a possible Rose Bowl preview, the Illini were doomed by 6 turnovers and found themselves in a 14–0 very early in the game. Illinois pulled to within 20–10 on a Chris White field goal early in the fourth quarter, but USC used ball control to grind out the clock – including 22 minutes of possession in the second half – and gain a big road win in the season opener for both teams.[3][4]
At No. 18 Nebraska
Illinois at Nebraska | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | No. 20 Fighting Illini | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 25 | • No. 18 Cornhuskers | 14 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 52 | |
[5]
No. 5 Ohio State
Ohio State at Illinois | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | No. 5 Buckeyes | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 | • Fighting Illini | 14 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 31 | - Date: October 5
- Location: Memorial Stadium
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[6][7]
At Michigan State
Wisconsin
No. 4 Michigan
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | No. 4 Wolverines | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | - Date: November 2
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
- Game attendance: 76,397
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On November 2, 1985, Illinois played Michigan to a 3–3 tie at Memorial Stadium. Each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan drove the length of the field, but fullback Gerald White fumbled at the Illinois 12-yard line, with the Illini recovering at the nine-yard line. Illinois then drove the length of the field and, with time running out, Chris White lined up for what would have been a game-winning 37-yard field goal. Dieter Heren tipped the ball, which hit the cross-bar and bounced back, and the game ended in a tie. After the game, head coach White said, "I don't remember feeling worse after a game. . . . I'm devastated."[8]
At No. 6 Iowa
Illinois at Iowa | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | • No. 6 Hawkeyes | 35 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 59 | - Date: November 9
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa - Game start: 1:05 p.m. CST
- Elapsed time: 3:20
- Game attendance: 66,120
- Game weather: ~45 °F (7 °C), Cloudy, rain, Wind NE 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
- Referee: Otho Kortz
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | 11:54 | IOWA | R. Smith 49-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 7-0 | | 1 | 10:16 | IOWA | Hudson 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 14-0 | | 1 | 7:28 | IOWA | R. Smith 43-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 21-0 | | 1 | 4:36 | IOWA | Ronnie Harmon 46-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 28-0 | | 1 | 0:59 | IOWA | Hudson 10-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 35-0 | | 2 | 5:16 | IOWA | Flagg 1-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 42-0 | | 2 | 2:31 | IOWA | Helverson 9-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 49-0 | | 4 | 13:12 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 37-yard field goal | IOWA 52-0 | | 4 | 8:21 | IOWA | Goodman 16-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 59-0 | |
[9]
Vs. Army (Peach Bowl)
Illinois vs. Army | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Fighting Illini | 3 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 29 | • Cadets | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 | |
[10]
References
- ^ "1985 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ "1985 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ "Upsets: UCLA Takes Bosco, and USC Hoists Champaign". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Reilly, Rick (September 16, 1985). "...And Then They Had To Play". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
{{cite magazine}}
: Cite magazine requires |magazine=
(help) - ^ "Nebraska Runs Over Illinois, 52-25". Los Angeles Times. September 22, 1985. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Illinois Leaves Behind Past Failures, Upsets No. 5 Ohio State". The Los Angeles Times. October 6, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "A CALL THAT MADE FATHER'S DAY". The Chicago Tribune. October 8, 1985. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ^ "U-M, Illinois fit to be tied". Detroit Free Press. November 3, 1985. p. D1.
- ^ "Iowa Hits Illini Early, Often". Chicago Tribune. November 10, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "ARMY'S AIR ATTACK STUNS ILLINI". The New York Times. January 1, 1986. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
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Venues | - Illinois Field (1890–1922)
- Memorial Stadium (1923–present)
- Soldier Field (1994–present)
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Bowls & rivalries | |
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Culture & lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |
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