HOME FIELD
Memorial Stadium, Champaign
Capacity: 69,249
Average home attendance last season: 54,949
Surface: Artificial turf
COACHING
Head coach: Ron Turner
Record: 26-31 (33-35 overall)
2001 SEASON
Overall record: 10-2
Big Ten record: 7-1
Bowl: Sugar
2002 SEASON
Bowl prospects: New quarterback makes another BCS bid iffy, but with 14 returning starters, including cornerback Eugene Wilson, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and tackle Tony Pashos, the defending Big Ten champs will be a huge disappointment if they don’t get back to some kind of bowl.
Returning starters: 7 offense, 7 defense.
Strength of schedule: Potentially tough test at
Southern Mississippi an early barometer. The Illini have Michigan and Ohio State at home, which is good, but old nemesis Minnesota plus Penn State and Wisconsin on the road, which is frightening.
SCHEDULE
DATE TEAM TIME
Aug. 31 vs. Missouri 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 at S. Mississippi 11:10 a.m.
Sept. 14 Arkansas State 11:10 a.m.
Sept. 21 San Jose State 1 p.m.
Sept. 28 Michigan TBA
Oct. 5 at Minnesota TBA
Oct. 12 Purdue TBA
Oct. 26 Indiana 1 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Penn State TBA
Nov. 9 at Wisconsin TBA
Nov. 16 Ohio State TBA
Nov. 23 at Northwestern TBA
