By Woodrow Carroll
After defeating the visiting Virginia Cavaliers, 24-3, Saturday, Sept. 10, the University of Illinois football program can lay claim to two touchdown shutouts this season. A touchdown shutout means the other team may have scored by field goal or safety, but, the opponent did not score a touchdown. Good defense was played.
Illinois, 2-1, opened the season defating Wyoming, 38-6, with the six Wyoming points Wyoming two field goals.
The following Saturday, the Illini suffered a disheartening 23-20 defeat at Indiana in a Big Ten Conference opener for both teams.
Illinois had something to prove against Virginia: The memory of the last-second defeat at Indiana and a 42-14 defeat at Virginia last season.
The Illini conceded an early field goal for Virginia’s only score. The victory largely was the result of solid defense, although Illini running back Chase Brown racked up 146 yards rushing.
Next for Illinois will be a home game with Chattanooga at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 The Mocs/Moccasins of Chattanooga are a lower level FCS team and offers the Illini an opportunity to be 3-1.
Last season Illinois was 1-2 against non-conference foes. The Illini beat Charlotte with losses to Virginia and Texas-San Antonio. Illinois ended 5-7 and one more victory by the Illini would likely have moved the Orange & Blue into a bowl game.
What might help Illinois this season is being in the Big Ten’s West Division. There are four Big Ten teams, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State, in the top 25 in the various polls. All are in the Big Ten East.
The seven teams in the Big Ten East, led by the powers aforementioned, had a combined 14-0 record through last weekend.
The West Division including Illinois and Northwestern were 9-7 overall. Nebraska, 1-2, a West Division side obviously, is the lone Big Ten team with a losing record, and, Nebraska sacked coach Scott Frost after the 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern.
•Northern Illinois, 1-1, fell 38-35 to host University of Tulsa Saturday, Sept. 10. Northern Illinois trailed 24-7 at halftime before storming back to take a 35-31 lead in the late going, however, Tulsa scored a touchdown with just more than a minute remaining to claim victory.
Northern Illinois will play host to Vanderbilt, 2-1, at :30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. Vanderbilt is considered the weak link in the SEC (Southeast Conference) which is loaded with powers such as Alabama and Georgia. Vanderbilt is the first of two SEC foes on the Huskies’ schedule this season. After playing Vanderbilt, the Huskies will play at Kentucky, likely the strongest team the Huskies will play this season.
Northern Illinois is a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Big Ten football programs will finish the season with a collective winning record. The MAC, through Saturday was 8-16 overall. The only undefeated MAC was Toledo, 2-0, with victories over Long Island University and Massachusetts. If the Toledo Rockets will be 3-0 after the Saturday, Sept. 17 game at Ohio State, it will be noticed.
• Northwestern was 1-1 after a 31-23 loss to visiting Duke Saturday, Sept. 10. Northwestern will have its most likely victory at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 against visiting Southern Illinois. The following week, Northwestern will play host to Miami (Ohio).
The real world for Northwestern will begin at Penn State Saturday, Oct. 1. The season-opening victory over Nebraska puts the Wildcats at 1-0 in the Big Ten. With a wicked Conference schedule on tap, a 3-1 overall start likely will be needed if the Wildcats want to reach a bowl game.