Coach: Lou Tepper.
Record with team: 6-6-1.
Last year: 6-5-1, 4th place.
Returning starters: Five on offense, 10 on defense.
Players to watch: LBs Dana Howard and John Holecek, WRs Jim Klein and Jasper Strong, DBs Jeff Arneson and Filmel Johnson, P Forry Wells.
Top newcomers: QB Jeff Hecklinski, RB Ty Douthard, WR Marquis Mosely.
Andrew Bagnato’s outlook: The Illini are excited about the new offense installed by Greg Landry, but it will take time for an inexperienced unit to master it. If the Illini are to play in a school-record sixth straight bowl, their defense is going to have to be superb. It may well be.
’92 results
Illinois 30, Northern Illinois 14
Illinois 24, Missouri 17
Houston 31, Illinois 13
Minnesota 18, Illinois 17
Illinois 18, Ohio State 16
Iowa 24, Illinois 14
Northwestern 27, Illinois 26
Illinois 13, Wisconsin 12
Illinois 20, Purdue 17
Illinois 22, Michigan 22
Illinois 14, Michigan State 10
Hawaii 27, Illinois 17
