1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
American college football season
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The 1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Mike White, the Fighting Illini compiled a 6–5–1 record (5–2–1 in conference games), finished in third place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 303 to 275. They concluded the season with a loss to Army in the 1985 Peach Bowl.[1]
| 1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football | |
|---|---|
Peach Bowl, L 29–31 vs. Army | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 6–5–1 (5–2–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| MVP | David Williams |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Iowa $ | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Michigan | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Ohio State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Jack Trudeau (2,938 passing yards, 63.7% completion percentage), running back Thomas Rooks (718 rushing yards, 5.4 yards per carry), wide receiver David Williams (85 receptions for 1,047 yards), and kicker Chris White (73 points scored, 31 of 31 extra points, 14 of 20 field goals).[2] Four Illinois players received first-team honors on the 1985 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Williams at wide receiver (AP-1, UPI-1); Jim Juriga at guard (AP-1, UPI-1; Guy Teafatiller at defensive line (UPI-1); and White at kicker (UPI-1).[3][4]
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 7 | No. 6 USC* | No. 11 | L 10–20 | 76,369 | [5] | |
| September 14 | Southern Illinois* | No. 19 |
| W 28–25 | 76,330 | [6] |
| September 21 | at No. 18 Nebraska* | No. 20 | L 25–52 | 76,149 | [7] | |
| October 5 | No. 5 Ohio State |
| W 31–28 | 76,343 | [8] | |
| October 12 | at Purdue | L 24–30 | 68,837 | [9] | ||
| October 19 | at Michigan State | W 30–17 | 76,438 | [10] | ||
| October 26 | Wisconsin |
| W 38–25 | 76,395 | [11] | |
| November 2 | No. 4 Michigan |
| T 3–3 | 76,397 | [12] | |
| November 9 | at No. 6 Iowa | L 0–59 | 66,120 | [13] | ||
| November 16 | Indiana |
| W 41–24 | 78,805 | [14] | |
| November 23 | at Northwestern | W 45–20 | 33,054 | [15] | ||
| December 31 | vs. Army* | L 29–31 | 29,857 | [16] | ||
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Game summaries
No. 6 USC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 6 Trojans | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| No. 11 Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
- Date: September 7
- Location: Memorial Stadium
- Game attendance: 76,639
- Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C)
| 1 | USC | Hank Norman 9-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (Don Shafer kick) | USC 7–0 | |
| USC | Randy Tanner 46-yard pass from Sean Salisbury (Don Shafer kick) | USC 14–0 | ||
| 2 | USC | Don Shafer 46-yard field goal | USC 17–0 | |
| 3 | USC | Don Shafer 23-yard field goal | USC 20–0 | |
| Illinois | Cap Boso 83-yard pass from Jack Trudeau (Chris White kick) | USC 20–7 | ||
| 4 | Illinois | Chris White 28-yard field goal | USC 20–10 | |
In a game that some considered a possible Rose Bowl preview, the Illini were doomed by 6 turnovers and found themselves in a 14–0 very early in the game. Illinois pulled to within 20–10 on a Chris White field goal early in the fourth quarter, but USC used ball control to grind out the clock – including 22 minutes of possession in the second half – and gain a big road win in the season opener for both teams.[17][18]
At No. 18 Nebraska
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 20 Fighting Illini | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 25 |
| • No. 18 Cornhuskers | 14 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 52 |
- Date: September 21
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Game attendance: 76,149
No. 5 Ohio State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Buckeyes | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| • Fighting Illini | 14 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Memorial Stadium
At Michigan State
Wisconsin
No. 4 Michigan
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Wolverines | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
- Game attendance: 76,397
On November 2, 1985, Illinois played Michigan to a 3–3 tie at Memorial Stadium. Each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan drove the length of the field, but fullback Gerald White fumbled at the Illinois 12-yard line, with the Illini recovering at the nine-yard line. Illinois then drove the length of the field and, with time running out, Chris White lined up for what would have been a game-winning 37-yard field goal. Dieter Heren tipped the ball, which hit the cross-bar and bounced back, and the game ended in a tie. After the game, head coach White said, "I don't remember feeling worse after a game. . . . I'm devastated."[22]
At No. 6 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 6 Hawkeyes | 35 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 59 |
- Date: November 9
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium,
Iowa City, Iowa - Game start: 1:05 p.m. CST
- Elapsed time: 3:20
- Game attendance: 66,120
- Game weather: ~45 °F (7 °C), Cloudy, rain, Wind NE 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
- Referee: Otho Kortz
| 1 | 11:54 | IOWA | R. Smith 49-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 7-0 |
| 1 | 10:16 | IOWA | Hudson 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 14-0 |
| 1 | 7:28 | IOWA | R. Smith 43-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 21-0 |
| 1 | 4:36 | IOWA | Ronnie Harmon 46-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 28-0 |
| 1 | 0:59 | IOWA | Hudson 10-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 35-0 |
| 2 | 5:16 | IOWA | Flagg 1-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 42-0 |
| 2 | 2:31 | IOWA | Helverson 9-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 49-0 |
| 4 | 13:12 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 37-yard field goal | IOWA 52-0 |
| 4 | 8:21 | IOWA | Goodman 16-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 59-0 |
Vs. Army (Peach Bowl)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Illini | 3 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 29 |
| • Cadets | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
- Date: December 31
- Location:
Fulton County Stadium,
Atlanta, Georgia - Game attendance: 29,857
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Steve Davis