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Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday with one game left in its ninth consecutive losing season. Smith became Illinois' first Black head football coach when he was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman in March 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17-39 in five seasons at the school. Smith's original deal was for six years and $21 million, but he received a two-year extension through 2023 after Illinois went 4-8 in his third season. The Illini made one postseason appearance under Smith, losing 35-20 to California in the Redbox Bowl in 2019.

They were 6-4 last season after a thrilling comeback victory at Michigan State, but then dropped their last three games. The slide continued into this year, with Illinois losing its first three by a combined 117-45 score. It is 2-5 after it was pushed around in a 28-10 loss at Northwestern on Saturday, allowing 411 yards rushing in its sixth straight loss in the series against the in-state Wildcats. Whitman said Smith will not coach the team's final game of the season. - AP College Football

(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022

QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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12/11/20 - Tarique Barnes, rSr/2024, Illinois, 6-1, 231 (DS#46 ILB) + More +

Leading into its Nov. 21 game at Nebraska, Illinois football's defense may have had its healthiest group of contributors available since before the 2020 season began. Defensive tackle Jamal Woods made his return from a two-game absence. Linebacker Milo Eifler and defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. still were sidelined, but coach Lovie Smith could rely on a steady stream of veteran playmakers. That showed when the Illini blew past the Cornhuskers 41-23 and forced five turnovers. But that victory also included a new crack to Illinois' health. Linebacker Tarique Barnes, who himself was an injury replacement for starter Jake Hansen after Hansen suffered a concussion during the Illini's 45-7 loss at Wisconsin on Oct. 23, suffered what Smith later said was a season-ending injury. - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#46 ILB) rSr/2024

ILB Tarique Barnes, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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12/10/20 - Jake Hansen, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-1, 239 (DS#14 ILB) + More +

There's a science to the way Jake Hansen approaches forcing fumbles, one he's apparently mastered. The Illinois linebacker doesn't frantically flail at the football, simply hoping he will jar it out of the defender's hands. He's methodical. When he hopped on the back of former Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor last season to force the ball free at a crucial moment in what turned out to be an upset of the then-No. 6 Badgers? That was something he noticed in film. There's a method to his madness and it's translated to 10 career forced fumbles, which is tied for third in program history behind Simeon Rice (13) and Whitney Mercilus (11). In the last two seasons, Hansen has been involved in 14 total takeaways, which is five more than his closest competition.

"I don't know a lot of guys who can strip the ball away (10) times in his career," linebacker Milo Eifler said. "He's been doing that for a long time. For him it's muscle memory...To play with somebody that special and that dedicated to stripping the ball, it helps our defense that much more." Hansen is 13th in the Big Ten with 51 tackles, 11th in tackles for a loss (6.5), tied for second in forced fumbles (2), fumbles recovered (2) and tied for fourth in interceptions (2). He and Syracuse linebacker Mikel Jones are the only two linebackers in the nation with multiple interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries in 2020. - Herald-Review Times

(DS#14 ILB) rSr/2022

ILB Jake Hansen, Illinois
News Source: Herald-Review Times
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12/10/20 - Tommy DeVito, rSr/2023, Illinois, 6-1, 210 (DS#18 QB) + More +

Quarterback Tommy DeVito will return to Syracuse for the 2021 season, his father told syracuse.com Monday morning. "We want to finish what we started here because it feels like we never got started," DeVito's father, Tom, said. "Tommy's not going anywhere. Tommy's committed. He's staying." It quiets speculation DeVito will seek a transfer and leave the program with two years of eligibility remaining. DeVito has been the team's starting quarterback each of the past two seasons. He injured his ankle late in SU's 38-24 loss to Duke on Oct. 10 and missed the team's final seven games as SU finished 1-10. It did not win a game after DeVito's season-ending injury. - The Post-Standard

(DS#18 QB) rSr/2023

QB Tommy DeVito, Illinois
News Source: The Post-Standard
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12/03/20 - Mike Epstein, rSr/2022, Illinois, 5-11, 205 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Illinois running back Mike Epstein is one of 42 college football players on the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award's revised watch list, which was released Tuesday. Epstein, a junior, suffered a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener against Akron and, coming into the 2020 campaign, last scored a touchdown on Oct. 5, 2018, against Rutgers. Epstein and sophomore running back Chase Brown have formed a potent dual threat in the Illini backfield this year, with Epstein compiling 338 rushing yards and a team-high four rushing touchdowns through five games. Epstein also has a pair of 100-yard rushing performances to his name this year. - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2022

RB Mike Epstein, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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12/03/20 - Mike Epstein, rSr/2022, Illinois, 5-11, 205 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Peters has had a particularly tough run of the season. He missed three games with a positive COVID test, returned for a blowout win against Nebraska on Nov. 21 and must wait until Saturday's home game against No. 24 Iowa to take the field again. That means, if he plays each of the remaining three games, Peters will have played five games in his senior season - with the possibility of a bowl game making it six. All college football teams are eligible for bowl games this year. Playing just two games by the time the calendar flipped to December isn't exactly what he anticipated going into his senior season.

"It's really hard," Peters said. "You've got to understand circumstances and why these things are happening but at the same time it takes a toll on you mentally a little bit. It is frustrating because you want to be out there every Saturday. This is the first season something like this has happened where the game can be taken from you in an instant and unexpectedly. "Mentally, it's challenging, especially when you prepare all week and you feel like everybody is ready for the game, you have a lot of momentum and stuff like that. It's tough, but at the same time you've got to lock in and keep rolling with the punches." - Herald-Review Times

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2022

RB Mike Epstein, Illinois
News Source: Herald-Review Times
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12/01/20 - Alex Palczewski, rSr/2023, Illinois, 6-7, 303 (DS#20 OT) + More +

Illinois football has lost a pair of key players for the remainder of its 2020 campaign, as coach Lovie Smith announced Monday that both Alex Palczewski and Tarique Barnes recently underwent season-ending surgery. The senior offensive lineman Palczewski suffered a right leg injury early in the Nov. 14 Illini win at Rutgers and was replaced by Danville product Julian Pearl, who started the Nov. 21 victory over Nebraska. Palczewski had started 40 consecutive games, the last of which was in New Jersey. "When you lose player like that, it hurts an awful lot," Smith said. "He checks every box...He'll be around in a different way." - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#20 OT) rSr/2023

OT Alex Palczewski, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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11/27/20 - Brandon Peters, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-5, 228 (DS#15 QB) + More +

Brandon Peters could not avoid the question. In fact, it was the first one asked of the Illinois senior quarterback on Monday afternoon. Does possessing an bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan make Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff between the Illini (2-3) and No. 3 Ohio State (4-0) - the Wolverines' main rival - more meaningful to Peters? "For me, it's another game," said Peters, who transferred from Michigan to Illinois ahead of the 2019 season. "So being at Illinois now, it's obviously not a huge rivalry. But it's a huge game for Illinois this week, so we've got to treat it that way."

It's a spot for the Illini's current momentum, built by way of the last two weeks' road wins against Rutgers and Nebraska, to shoot into the stratosphere. The Buckeyes have won the last nine games with Illinois, though the Illini's last victory versus Ohio State came when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2007. Peters should play a sizeable role in any success Illinois experiences this weekend at Memorial Stadium. His return last Saturday from a three-week absence necessitated by a positive COVID-19 test saw Peters connect on 18 of 25 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another score as the Illini put up more than 40 points in a Big Ten game for only the second time in the last five seasons. "As far as completion percentage goes and execution," Peters said, "it was definitely, by far, my best game that I've played." - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022

QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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11/24/20 - Brandon Peters, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-5, 228 (DS#15 QB) + More +

The quarterback showed little rust after missing three consecutive games following a positive COVID-19 test. Instead, the senior left no doubt that the Illini offense still runs through him by leading it to nearly 500 yards while expertly controlling the tempo. He threw for 205 of those yards and contributed two total touchdowns. - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022

QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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11/21/20 - Jake Hansen, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-1, 239 (DS#14 ILB) + More +

Lovie Smith didn't move Jake Hansen from inside linebacker to outside linebacker because of any shortcomings on Hansen's part. Even with his appearance in the season opener against Wisconsin shortened by injury, Hansen compiled 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as an inside linebacker during Illinois football's first three games of 2020. Yet Hansen was told he'd be deployed differently in preparation for last week's game at Rutgers. The result? More dominance from the 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior. Specifically 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one pass breakup and one interception in the Illini's 23-20 victory over the Scarlet Knights.

"It's kind of a natural transition just because I played it all last year," said Hansen, whose 10 career forced fumbles have him tied him for third in Illinois history. "Just having a good knowledge of the defense helps that out as well." Smith said after Saturday's win and reiterated the point again on Monday afternoon ahead of this Saturday's 11 a.m. game between Illinois (1-3) and host Nebraska (1-2) that Hansen changed positions in order to give sophomore Tarique Barnes more repetitions. - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#14 ILB) rSr/2022

ILB Jake Hansen, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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11/21/20 - Doug Kramer, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-2, 299 (DS#9 C) + More +

On Oct. 29, two days before the Purdue game, Illinois center Doug Kramer got hit with the double-whammy: 1) You can't play. And 2) Your teammate/roommate Brandon Peters has COVID-19. Talk about your all-time bummer. "I was fully prepared to play against Purdue and I was super excited after a tough Week 1 (loss at Wisconsin)," Kramer said Monday afternoon. "It kind of hit me like a brick wall. There was not much I could really do about it. Obviously, I was super disappointed when it happened because I wasn't going to be able to be out there with the team. I looked at (Kendrick Green) and (Vederian Lowe) and (Alex Palczewski) and just said, 'You guys can step up and do whatever you can to try to win these next two games."

Kramer, who had to miss the Oct. 31 game against Purdue and the Nov. 7 game against Minnesota because of contact-tracing protocols, admits he got angry about having to sit. "Definitely at the start just because you don't really have a lot of control over what happens," Kramer said. "It's kind of the way it has to be. You can do all the right things and all it takes is one positive test and four guys who have been doing the right thing the entire time since we came back have to sit out for two games in their senior season." - News Gazette Tribune

(DS#9 C) rSr/2022

C Doug Kramer, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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11/21/20 - Brandon Peters, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-5, 228 (DS#15 QB) + More +

Brandon Peters threw for one touchdown and ran for another in his first game in nearly a month, Illinois had two rushers go over 100 yards, and the Illini beat turnover-plagued Nebraska 41-23 on Saturday for their second straight win. The Cornhuskers won at Illinois last year despite committing four turnovers. They couldn't survive five, though, as the Illini won in Lincoln for the first time since 1924. Luke McCaffrey, making his second start at quarterback, committed the first of his four turnovers on the first play from scrimmage. Wan'Dale Robinson coughed up the ball as the Huskers (1-3, 1-3 Big Ten) tried to come back in the second half. Illinois (2-3, 2-3) led 28-10 after two quarters, their most first-half points against a conference opponent in 10 years, and was up 41-17 early in the fourth quarter. The Illini won their second road game in as many weeks.

Nebraska linebacker Collin Miller was taken off the field on a stretcher with about 12 minutes to play. He appeared to have been hurt while tackling Mike Epstein. Medical personnel tended to Miller for several minutes near the south end zone as players from both teams took a knee. He was strapped to a backboard and taken out of the stadium. There was no immediate announcement on the nature of his injury. Peters, who had been out since Oct. 24 because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, showed no rust in leading a balanced Illini offense that had 285 yards rushing and 205 passing. Nebraska entered the game as a 16-point favorite and ran into trouble immediately. - Illinois/AP College Football

(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022

QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois/AP College Football
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11/16/20 - Isaiah Williams, rJr/2024, Illinois, 5-09, 182 (DS#34 WR) + More +

NOV 16 BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Isaiah Williams, Illinois, QB, St. Louis, Mo./Trinity Catholic,...Broke the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 192 yards on 31 attempts...Led Illinois to a comeback win at Rutgers in his first career start...Added 104 passing yards to finish the contest with 296 yards of total offense...Collects his first career Freshman of the Week award...Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Patrick Nelson (Oct. 17, 2016). - Big Ten Football

(DS#34 WR) rJr/2024

WR Isaiah Williams, Illinois
News Source: Big Ten Football
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11/16/20 - James McCourt, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-0, 216 (DS#15 K) + More +

NOV 16 BIG TEN SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: James McCourt, Illinois, Sr., K, Parkland, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas,...Converted a 47-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lead Illinois to a 23-20 victory at Rutgers...Finished the contest with three successful field goals, all in the second half...Added a pair of extra points to tally with a career-high 11 points...Earns his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor...Last Illinois Special Teams Player of the Week: Blake Hayes (Sept. 23, 2019). - Big Ten Football

(DS#15 K) rSr/2022

K James McCourt, Illinois
News Source: Big Ten Football
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11/14/20 - James McCourt, rSr/2022, Illinois, 6-0, 216 (DS#15 K) + More +

James McCourt overcame two long misses in the fourth quarter to hit a 47-yard field goal with three seconds left to lift Illinois past Rutgers 23-20 for the Illini's first win of the season. Rutgers' offense came out quick, with quarterback Noah Vedral finding Bo Melton on a 29-yard pitch and catch to cap off a six-play, 75-yard drive to make it 7-0 just 1:57 into the game. While starting quarterback Brandon Peters was missing his third straight game following a COVID-19 test, backup Isiah Williams got the start after his quarantine ended. He was the fourth starting quarterback of the season for Illinois (1-3, 1-3 Big Ten). After having 12 players out due to COVID-19 protocols against Minnesota last week, it was just Peters, who was on the sidelines in street clothes, and redshirt freshman tight end Griffin Moore - who did not make the trip.

Rutgers' defensive lineman Mike Teverdov stripped Williams, cornerback Max Melton recovered and the Scarlet Knights took it over on Illinois' 29-yard line with 7:52 left in the first quarter. That set up former Rutgers soccer player Ambrosio Valentino for his first career field goal attempt, a 29-yarder, for a 10-0 lead. Illinois answered courtesy of Williams, who had five-straight carries, and finished it off with his first score on a 3-yard touchdown run. The redshirt freshman finished with a game-high 192 yards rushing on 31 carries to overcome a 7-for-19 passing effort. Rutgers (1-3, 1-3) closed the first-half scoring with a 26-yard field by Valentino to make it 13-7. - AP College Football

(DS#15 K) rSr/2022

K James McCourt, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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