Service is a hallmark of the Illinois 4-H program. Annually, the Illinois 4-H Foundation honors longtime volunteers and former staff members for their selfless dedication to 4-H – the University of Illinois Extension youth development program. “These volunteers fully embody what 4-H strives to instill in youth,” says Angie Barnard,...
By Woodrow Carroll At the start of the football season, there was a general consensus that the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) would be in the playoffs. It was apparent sound thinking, given that the Bears had made the playoffs in 2018 and were viewed on the...
By Woodrow Carroll For a football team that finished 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten , the University of Illinois fared pretty well when the bowl assignments were passed out Sunday. The Fighting Illini, who were accorded little chance of winning the six games needed to make it...
By Woodrow Carroll It can be fun to be obnoxious, for some fans, especially, when their teams, or their teams’ conferences, or their neck of the woods, are doing well. With that in mind, the Big Ten Conference football serves as an example. Although the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has three...
By Woodrow Carroll The offense often receives the lion’s share of attention in football. In Saturday’s Illinois-Rutgers’ Big Ten Conference game in Champaign, it was the host Illinois defense that stood out in the 38-10 victory. Rutgers was a three-touchdown underdog, however, the Scarlet Knights forged a 10-all tie at...
By Woodrow Carroll Northern Illinois University has been a regular participant in football bowl games in recent years. Despite a tough non-conference schedule to include Nebraska, Iowa, and Utah among others along the way, Northern Illinois took comfort knowing that victories over Mid-American Conference foes Ball State and Eastern Michigan...
By Woodrow Carroll For a long time Saturday it looked as though University of Illinois head coach Lovie Smith was going to pick up his fifth Big Ten Conference victory in his fourth season. Instead, Nebraska’s comeback saddled Smith with Conference defeat No. 24. Nebraska won, 42-38, in a game...
By Woodrow Carroll Lovie Smith is in his fourth season as head coach of the University of Illinois football fortunes. The Orange and Blue are 9-27 after his first three years. Smith is the first Illinois head football coach not to get a team into a bowl game within three...
