Not until an October 6 game at Rutgers University will the University of Illinois have to leave the Land of Lincoln for a football game. However, taking advantage of the situation has proven to be another matter.
Games in Champaign against Kent State and Western Illinois to open the season ended in Illinois victories. Then came a disheartening, 25-19, loss to Central Florida at Soldier Field in Chicago. Illinois led 19-7 at the start of the fourth quarter Friday night in Champaign. The host Illini folded late against Penn State and lost, 63-24.
Midpoint of the third quarter against Penn State, the Illini led, 24-21. Illinois was outscored 42-0 in the final quarter-and-a-half.
Illinois, 2-2 and 0-1 in the Big Ten Conference, will have a bye Saturday. Those following the Big Ten likely will say Rutgers is probably the weakest team remaining on the Illinois schedule. Conversely, Rutgers’ backers probably feel the same way about Illinois.
Michigan defeated Nebraska, 56-10, Saturday in front of a crowd of 111,037 in Ann Arbor, Mich.. The size of the crowd for the Michigan-Nebraska game was greater than what Illinois had drawn in three games in Memorial Stadium in Champaign this season. Only 105,854 fans made their way to Champaign this season to see the Illini play Kent State, Western Illinois, and Penn State. The best draw of the three games was Western Illinois, 39,252.
Illinois played at Soldier Field in front of 21,725.