By Woodrow Carroll At the beginning of the Division I college football season, focus on the University of Illinois program was if the Fighting Illini would win six games and make it to a postseason bowl game. The 2021 Illini ended with a 5-7 record under first-year head coach Bret
Aurora University’s Trey Madsen makes the game-winning catch in Lisle Saturday, Oct. 29 against Benedictine University.
By Woodrow Carroll The top echelon of collegiate football, the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), has 131 teams, yet, the likely national champion will come from a select, well-established, group of teams. It comes as no real surprise that the 131 FBS football programs are down to six, familiar, undefeated teams.
By Woodrow Carroll Those who wondered if University of Illinois football was for real, likely were convinced in the Fighting Illini’s 26-14 conquest of visiting Minnesota Saturday, Oct. 15. The Illini won, 26-14. Oddsmakers had been leaning slightly towards Minnesota. They were wrong! The Illini proved to be the superior
By Woodrow Carroll Other college football poll voters: When looking at the college football polls once past the top 25, there are a number of teams on the fringe, which have pulled in a few votes, but, are well short of a spot in the top 25. One team waiting
By Woodrow Carroll The University of Illinois football program has an opportunity to rid itself of two curses in a two-week span when the Illini will play host to Iowa Hawkeyes at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Saturday, Oct. 1 in Madison, Wis. the Illini put a 34-10 victory hurt
Aurora University’s Carlos Montgomery leaps over Wisconsin Lutheran College’s Cole Jackson, 11, Saturday, Oct. 1.
North Central College football players show the Little Brass Bell trophy to fans following their 33-20 victory over visiting Wheaton Saturday, Oct. 1 in a CCIW conference game in Naperville.
By Woodrow Carroll Saturday’s University of Illinois 11 a.m. football game at Wisconsin will find the Illini in an unusual situation, namely, Illinois has the better won-loss record. Visiting Illinois will arrive in Madison, Wis. with a 3-1 overall record and the Wisconsin 2-2. What was once a spirited rivalry
By Woodrow Carroll In the Saturday, Sept. 17 football game against visiting Vanderbilt University, Northern Illinois University could not have started better. The first four drives by the host Huskies resulted in touchdowns. Then the magic disappeared! It was all Vanderbilt, 3-1, the rest of the way and the Vanderbilt
Aurora University senior quarterback Josh Swanson, 9, dives against Franklin College defenders Andre Harlan, 22, and Charlie Moore, 48, Saturday, Sept. 10.
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
By Woodrow Carroll In the final analysis, it was a Northern Illinois University victory even of the Huskies had to work harder than expected. Heavily-favored Northern Illinois opened its football season last week with a 34-27 victory over the visiting Panthers of Eastern Illinois Thursday, Sept. 1 in DeKalb. The
Aurora University head football coach Don Beebe, right, chats with a player Tuesday, Aug. 23, when the Spartans opened workouts.
By Woodrow Carroll The University of Illinois football team has won back-to-back games by more than 30 points. Of course, the first of those two victories was last season in the finale when the Illini defeated Northwestern, 47-14, to finish with a 5-7 overall record. This season’s Illini started well
By Woodrow Carroll Bret Bielema’s second season as the University of Illinois head football coach will kick off at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. The Fighting Illini will be host to the University of Wyoming Cowboys. This season will present more than a few challenges for Bielema and the Illini.
By Woodrow Carroll In the 1947 Rose Bowl, the University of Illinois surprised favored UCLA, 45-14, to start a 13-year run, 1947-1959, of Big Ten Conference team victories in the Rose Bowl 12 times. The outlier was Wisconsin’s 7-0 defeat at the hands of Southern California in the 1953 Rose
By Woodrow Carroll Former University of Illinois head football coach Gary Moeller died last week at the age of 81. Described as the former Illinois coach is not how Moeller would like to be remembered. Moeller was the Illinois head coach for three seasons, 1977-1979. Those three seasons in Champaign
By Bobby Narang The Northern Illinois University football team wrapped up its Spring practice in mid-April. The Huskies were one of the surprise teams in Division I last season and won nine games, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division and the Conference championship game to earn another bowl bid. Coming
Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) select bowl gamesMonday, Jan. 10College Football Playoff National Championship, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., Georgia 33, Alabama, 18 FCS championship gameSaturday, Jan. 8North Dakota State 38, Montana State 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) select bowl gamesTuesday, Jan. 4Texas Bowl, NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Kansas
