University of Illinois kicked off to Iowa Saturday in their Big Ten football game in Champaign. Almost immediately, the host Illini picked off an Iowa pass. Would it be a repeat of two weeks earlier when Illinois beat favored Minnesota by 24 points? No!
Iowa settled down and soon had the Illini running for cover. Illinois never took cover. Iowa won, 63-0.
The 63-point defeat equaled the largest defeat in school history. In 1906, the University of Chicago trounced Illinois, 63-0. In 1906 both Illinois and Chicago were members of the Western Conference, the forerunner of the Big Ten Conference.
It was a clean whitewash for Iowa. Illinois, 4-7 and 1-6, attempted no field goals, nor did the Illini have a touchdown run or touchdown pass called back.
The Illinois loss eliminated the Illini from bowl consideration.
Purdue will be at Indiana Saturday and the victor will be bowl-eligible.
• By the time Northern Illinois took the field Wednesday, Nov. 14 against Miami of Ohio, the host Huskies had locked up the Mid-American Conference West championship. It may have allowed Northern Illinois to take the foot off the peddle.
Northern Illinois ended up dropping a 13-7 decision in the first Mallory Bowl.
Northern Illinois quarterback, Marcus Childers, threw an interception returned for a touchdown in the third quarter that proved the difference.
Northern Illinois dropped to 7-4 and 6-1 in the MAC, and Miami improved to 5-6 and 5-2. Northern Illinois was set to play at West Michigan Tuesday of this week.
• Northwestern, which will be host to Illinois Saturday at 2:30 p.m., turned back host Minnesota, 24-14, Saturday.