1976 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
American college football season
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The 1976 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1976 Big Ten season. In their sixth year under head coach Bob Blackman, the Fighting Illini compiled a 5–6 record (4–4 in conference games), finished in a four-way tie for third place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 248 to 235.[1]
- Bob Blackman (6th season)
- Jerry Finis
- Scott Studwell
| 1976 Illinois Fighting Illini football | |
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| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 5–6 (4–4 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| MVPs |
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| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Michigan + | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Ohio State + | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Kurt Steger (1,243 passing yards, 46.5% completion rate), running back James Coleman (687 rushing yards, 4.0 yards per carry, 60 points scored), and wide receiver Eric Rouse (326 receiving yards).[2] Offensive tackle Jerry Finis and linebacker Scott Studwell were selected as the team's most valuable players.[3] Studwell and kicker Dan Beaver received first-team honors on the 1976 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[4][5]
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11 | Iowa | W 24–6 | 49,515 | [6] | ||
| September 18 | at No. 6 Missouri* | W 31–6 | 63,486 | [7] | ||
| September 25 | Baylor* | No. 14 |
| L 19–34 | 44,481 | [8] |
| October 2 | Texas A&M* |
| L 7–14 | 67,543 | [9] | |
| October 9 | at Minnesota | L 14–29 | 52,606 | [10] | ||
| October 16 | at Purdue | W 21–17 | 66,716 | [11] | ||
| October 23 | Michigan State |
| L 23–31 | 52,860 | [12] | |
| October 30 | Wisconsin |
| W 31–25 | 54,121 | [13] | |
| November 6 | at No. 8 Ohio State | L 10–42 | 87,654 | [14] | ||
| November 13 | at No. 4 Michigan | L 7–38 | 104,107 | [15][16] | ||
| November 20 | Northwestern |
| W 48–6 | 30,000 | [17] | |
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Roster
| 1976 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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