– Last year: 10-2, 7-1 in Big 10.
– Coach: John Mackovic, 3rd year.
– Returning starters: Offense 8, defense 10.
– Players to watch: FB Howard Griffith, C Curt Lovelace, NT Moe Gardner, LB Darrick Brownlow, LB Mel Agee, DB Marlon Primous, DB Henry Jones, DB Quintin Parker, QB Jason Verduzco, WR Shawn Wax.
– Key stats: Offense-Griffith was not a 1,000-yard rusher last year, but add his 340 yards in receptions to his 747 net rushing and you get his net worth: 1,087 yards. Wax`s 26 receptions were only fourth on the squad, but his 17.9- yard average is the best for an Illini since 1982. Defense-Illini had 72 tackles behind line of scrimmage for 301 yards. Eleven of the 14 players who had at least one tackle for loss return, representing 53 tackles for 229 yards lost.
– Comment: If QB Verduzco comes through, Illinois has an excellent chance to win the Big 10 title, despite playing Ohio State and Michigan on the road. Defense alone makes the Illini contenders. Look for slightly more emphasis on the running game. With three young tailbacks-Wagner Lester, Steve Feagin and Darrin Boyer-there will always be a fresh running back. But fullback Griffith may be as close to irreplaceable as anyone on team.
– Schedule:
Sept. 8 at Arizona
Sept. 15 Colorado
Sept. 22 Southern Illinois
Oct. 6 at Ohio State
Oct. 13 Purdue
Oct. 20 Michigan State
Oct. 27 at Wisconsin
Nov. 3 Iowa
Nov. 10 at Michigan
Nov. 17 at Indiana
Nov. 24 Northwestern
NORTHWESTERN FACTS
– Last year: 0-11 overall, 0-8 in Big 10.
– Coach: Francis Peay, 5th year.
– Regulars returning: Offense 6, defense 10, kickers 2; total 18 of 24. Offense-WR Richard Buchanan, Sr., 5-11, 176; T Stan Holsen, Sr., 6-7, 283; G Brian Tichy Jr., 6-5, 287; G Tobin Buckner, Jr., 6-5, 255; T Dave Woollard, Jr., 6-4, 282; TB Bob Christian, Sr., 5-11, 213. Defense-T Darryl Ashmore, Sr., 6-7, 269; T John Broeker, Sr., 6-5, 260; NG Dan Freveletti, Sr., 6-1, 274; LB Tom Homco, Jr., 6-1, 248; LB Ed Sutter, Jr., 6-3, 223; LB Ed Feaster, So., 6-m3, 250; DB Dwight James, Sr., 6-2, 199; DB Terry Thomas, Sr., 5-11, 183; DB Dave Eaton, Jr., 5-10, 195; DB Greg Gill, So., 6-0, 189. Kickers (2)- PK Ira Adler, Sr., 5-8, 153. P Sutter.
– Players to watch: WR Richard Buchanan, TB Bob Christian, DT Darryl Ashmore, LB Tom Homco.
– Comment: The offense, with Christian (1,291 yards rushing in `89) and Buchanan (94 pass receptions last season, the second-best total in the nation) as legitimate threats, can still be effective, but the defense, riddled a year ago, remains very suspect.
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 Duke
Sept. 22 at Rice
Sept. 29 N. Illinois
Oct. 6 Indiana
Oct. 13 at Minnesota
Oct. 20 Wisconsin
Oct. 27 at Iowa
Nov. 3 at Ohio State
Nov. 10 Purdue
Nov. 17 at Illinois
INDIANA FACTS
– Last year: 5-6 overall, 3-5 in Big 10.
– Head coach: Bill Mallory, 7th year.
– Returning starters: Offense 6, defense 9.
– Players to watch: S Mike Dumas, LB Mark Hagen, QB Chris Dyer.
– Comment: Favorable schedule (Illinois, Michigan, OSU at home), but anything more than a .500 Big 10 record would be a major surprise.
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 at Kentucky
Sept. 22 Missouri
Sept. 29 Eastern Michigan
Oct. 6 at Northwestern
Oct. 13 Ohio State
Oct. 20 at Minnesota
Oct. 27 Michigan
Nov. 3 at Michigan State
Nov. 10 Wisconsin
Nov. 17 Illinois
Nov. 24 at Purdue
IOWA FACTS
– Last year: 5-6 overall, 3-5 in Big 10.
– Coach: Hayden Fry, 12th year.
– Returning starters: Offense 5, defense 8.
– Players to watch: RB Nick Bell, QB Matt Rodgers, DT Jim Johnson, RB Tony Stewart, CB Merton Hanks.
– Comment: If the Hawkeyes` offense comes through, they could cause some trouble in the Big 10. Fry doesn`t want to be home for the holidays again.
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 Cincinnati
Sept. 22 Iowa State
Sept. 29 at Miami
Oct. 6 at Michigan State
Oct. 13 Wisconsin
Oct. 20 at Michigan
Oct. 27 Northwestern
Nov. 3 at Illinois
Nov. 10 Ohio State
Nov. 17 Purdue
Nov. 24 at Minnesota
MICHIGAN FACTS
– Last year: 10-2 overall, 8-0 in Big 10.
– Coach: Gary Moeller, 1st year.
– Returning starters: Offense 7, defense 8.
– Players to watch: QB Elvis Grbac, FB Jarrod Bunch, G Dean Dingman, LB Erick Anderson, S Tripp Welborne, S Vada Murray.
– Comment: The Wolverines have the talent to make a run for the national title. But will they be able to make the transition from Bo Schembechler to Moeller?
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 at Notre Dame
Sept. 22 UCLA
Sept. 29 Maryland
Oct. 6 at Wisconsin
Oct. 13 Michigan State
Oct. 20 Iowa
Oct. 27 at Indiana
Nov. 3 at Purdue
Nov. 10 Illinois
Nov. 17 Minnesota
Nov. 24 at Ohio State
MICHIGAN STATE FACTS
– Last year: 8-4 overall, 6-2 in Big 10.
– Coach: George Perles, 8th season.
– Returning starters: Offense 9, defense 5.
– Players to watch: MLB Brian Jones, TB Tico Duckett.
– Comment: Even with its proven, ball-control offense, the lack of experience on defense and road games at Michigan and Illinois, Michigan State has to be considered an underdog, a dangerous underdog, in the Rose Bowl hunt.
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 at Syracuse
Sept. 22 Notre Dame
Sept. 29 at Rutgers
Oct. 6 Iowa
Oct. 13 at Michigan
Oct. 20 at Illinois
Oct. 27 Purdue
Nov. 3 Indiana
Nov. 10 at Northwestern
Nov. 24 Wisconsin
MINNESOTA FACTS
– Last year: 6-5 overall, 4-4 in Big 10.
– Head caoch: John Gutekunst, 5th year.
– Returning starters: Offense 5, defense 8.
– Players to watch: QB Scott Schaffner, DB Fred Foggie, LB Joel Staats, T Mike Sunvold, C Chris Thome.
– Comment: They`ll need a strong passing performance by Schaffner to offset the loss of Darrell Thompson, but they should be improved in the offensive line and on defense.
– Schedule:
Sept. 8 Utah
Sept. 15 Iowa State
Sept. 22 at Nebraska
Oct. 6 at Purdue
Oct. 13 Northwestern
Oct. 20 Indiana
Oct. 27 at Ohio State
Nov. 3 at Wisconsin
Nov. 10 Michigan State
Nov. 17 at Michigan
Nov. 24 Iowa
.OHIO STATE FACTS
– Last year: 8-4 overall, 6-2 in Big 10.
– Coach: John Cooper, 3rd year.
– Returning starters: Offense 5, defense 6.
– Players to watch: QB Greg Frey, RB Scottie Graham, TE Jeff Ellis, DE Alonzo Spellman, LB Steve Tovar.
– Comment: The Buckeyes will make a strong run for the Roses if their defense plays as well as their offense. This could be the year Cooper gets formally accepted in Columbus.
– Schedule:
Sept. 8 Texas Tech
Sept. 15 at Boston College
Sept. 29 USC
Oct. 6 Illinois
Oct. 13 at Indiana
Oct. 20 at Purdue
Oct. 27 Minnesota
Nov. 3 Northwestern
Nov. 10 at Iowa
Nov. 17 at Wisconsin
Nov. 24 Michigan
PURDUE FACTS
– Last year: 3-8 overall, 2-6 in Big 10.
– Coach: Fred Akers, 4th year.
– Returning starters: Offense 7, defense 8.
– Players to watch: QB Eric Hunter, FL Rod Dennis, RB Tony Vinson.
– Comment: The Boilermakers have the most explosive quarterback in the league in Hunter. Now all they need is someone to block for him, someone to catch his passes and someone to run the ball.
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 Washington
Sept. 22 Indiana State
Sept. 29 at Notre Dame
Oct. 6 Minnesota
Oct. 13 at Illinois
Oct. 20 Ohio State
Oct. 27 at Michigan State
Nov. 3 Michigan
Nov. 10 at Northwestern
Nov. 17 at Iowa
Nov. 24 Indiana
WISCONSIN FACTS
– Last year: 2-9, 1-7 in Big 10.
– Coach: Barry Alvarez, 1st year.
– Returning starters: Offense 8, defense 8.
– Players to watch: QB Tony Lowery, WR Lionel Crawford, OT Brady Pierce, DT Don Davey.
– Comment: This is the first head-coaching job for Alvarez, the highly regarded defensive coordinator from Notre Dame. He is helped by a schedule with 7 home games. It could be the start of something big, but not a winning season, yet.
– Schedule:
Sept. 8 California
Sept. 15 Ball State
Sept. 22 Temple
Oct. 6 Michigan
Oct. 13 at Iowa
Oct. 20 at Northwestern
Oct. 27 Illinois
Nov. 3 Minnesota
Nov. 10 at Indiana
Nov. 17 Ohio State
Nov. 24 at Michigan State
NOTRE DAME FACTS
– Last year: 12-1.
– Coach: Lou Holtz, 5th year.
– Returning starters: Offense 5, defense 6.
– Players to watch: QB Rick Mirer, WR Raghib Ismail, TB Tony Brooks, WR Lake Dawson, C Mike Heidt, NT Chris Zorich, LB Michael Stonebreaker, LB Demetrius DuBose, E Devon McDonald, CB Todd Lyght.
– Comment: Irish are rich in talent. Mirer is an excellent passer but has little game experience. If he goes down with an injury, so do Irish chances for another national championship. A key to Mirer`s success will be a rebuilt offensive line that lost four of last year`s starters to the National Football League draft. Only center Mike Heldt, a co-captain, returns. The Irish will be strong on defense. If Devon McDonald`s knees can take the punishment at rush end, Notre Dame`s new attack defense under defensive coordinator Gary Darnell could make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. A good pass rush and strength at linebacker with the return of All-American Michael Stonebreaker should help a secondary that lost all of last year`s starters except All-American cornerback Todd Lyght.
– Schedule:
Sept. 15 Michigan
Sept. 22 at Michigan State
Sept. 29 Purdue
Oct. 6 Stanford
Oct. 13 Air Force
Oct. 20 Miami
Oct. 27 at Pittsburgh
Nov. 3 at Navy (Meadowlands)
Nov. 10 at Tennessee
Nov. 17 Penn State
Nov. 24 at USC
NORTHERN ILLINOIS FACTS
– Last year: 9-2.
– Coach: Jerry Pettibone, 6th year.
– Returning starters: Offense 10, defense 7.
– Players to watch: QB Stacey Robinson, FB Adam Dach, C Eric Wenckowski, DE Cary Caliendo, PK John Ivanic.
– Comment: Tough early schedule, which includes games against Nebraska (on the road) and Fresno State (in De Kalb), will make or break a possible bowl bid for the Huskies. The season`s final three games on the road won`t be a picnic, either.
Young defense must respond and quarterback Robinson must remain healthy. But the team`s large number of returning starters will help its quest for a bid. Robinson, in his first year as a starter, rushed for an NCAA record 1,443 yards on 223 carries and averaged an NCAA record 118.2 yards rushing per game. He also completed 65 of 128 passes for 863 yards. Fullback Dach has rushed for 1,620 yards in his first two seasons at NIU. Sept. 29 contest at Northwestern will be televised nationally on ESPN.
For all the bowl talk going around town, one serious fact is staring the Northern Illinois football program right between the uprights: If the Huskies don`t average 17,000 fans at home or 20,000 home and away this seaon or next, it`s goodbye NCAA Division 1-A status. And that would mean bye-bye bowl bids. – Schedule:
Sept. 1 Eastern Illinois
Sept. 8 at Nebraska
Sept. 15 at Toledo
Sept. 22 Kansas State
Sept. 29 at Northwestern
Oct. 6 Fresno State
Oct. 13 Arkansas State
Oct. 20 Murray State
Nov. 3 at Akron
Nov. 10 at East Carolina
Nov. 17 at Southwestern Louisiana
